Hi Bryan,
We have found that the best place for our kids when they were small and
still sleeping in a crib at home is behind the rear seat with the hatch
closed. We would leave the seat up and not folded down in a bed. It was
perfect. You don't have to worry about them falling out of bed in the night.
And if your daughter is like my son, he would crawl all around on all fours
when he was sleeping. We felt he was safe back there.

You are smart for starting your kids out early. We did with ours and it has
really paid off. The following is a couple bits of advise I hope will help
you when you are camping with kids in a Westy.

1) Have a realistic expectation. Don't take off on a one week, 2000 mile
road trip camping all over the country side. She will make your life
miserable. Instead, for the first time, pick a campground close to your
house and go for the day and camp one night to introduce her to sleeping in
a vehicle and not her bed at home. The first time you go camping with kids
may not be as enjoyable as it was before kids but it will get better. I
think you will find that every time will get easier and camping will become
more fun with kids then it was before you had kids.

2) Don't try to get them to go to bed early. The first time my wife and I
took our first born we had grand ideas of trying to keep the same bedtime
schedule. That did not work. We were both frustrated and my son was crying
and no one was having fun at the campground. I suggest letting her play like
crazy outside in the fresh air until she is tired and then put her to bed.
If it is a couple hours past bedtime, oh well...I guess special things for
special times.

My kids are now 6 and 4 and some of their best family memories are the times
we have spent camping in our Westy. It is really cool thing. Someday your
daughter will come to love your van as much as you do and will never let you
sell it.
Wishing you many miles of smiles,
Todd Olson
Grand Rapids, MI
www.busesbythebeach.com

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Date:    Mon, 2 Jan 2006 22:15:26 -0500
From:    BJ Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
Subject: Camping w/ 2 year old - suggestions

We're going to attempt to take our 2 year old daughter camping this summer
in our 83.5 Westy. Can those of you that have come up with clever sleeping
arrangements send along some suggestions? Where's the best place for her to
sleep? She's a light sleeper, how have you been successful in not waking
your kid up?

If you could cc me I'd appreciate it, I'm in digest mode.

Thanks,
Bryan

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