On 1/7/2008 3:09 PM Mike Collum wrote:

> LOL, Mike.
>
> I'm 65 and use the upstairs bunk frequently for sleeping.  But then, I
> was a Submariner so throwing myself into an upper bunk doesn't seem all
> that unnatural ... nor does climbing down for that matter.

There you go! I bet that before you were a submariner you were able to
demonstrate average to better-than-average coordination. The upper bunk
is for people like you. I, on the other hand, have been known to stumble
over painted lines in parking lots.

Using the crossarm as a closet hanger bar when driving makes sense! We
don't take clothes that need hanging so it's not so important for us.
However, putting a stemware rack under the BZ Shelf makes Vanagon
camping much more civilized.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51q4ywS6jZL._SS500_.jpg

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR

>
> We also use that crossbar (with the top down) to hang things from.  Like
> clothes on hangers near the kitchen unit when underway (properly
> secured, of course).  Also to carry hanging plants from a nursery to the
> house.  These vehicles are indeed versatile.
>
> Mike
>
> Michael Elliott wrote:
>> We downstairs sleepers would rather not plunge to our certain deaths in
>> the middle of the night when we have to take a whiz. We're on the older
>> side = less flexible liquid storage container = more frequent
>> micturation.
>> We use the upstairs for storage, c.f.,
>> http://camping.elliott.googlepages.com/shelves
>>
>> Mrs Squirrel and I are both smallish folk and the little downstairs bunk
>> allows for cuddling and sleeping just fine.
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>> KG6RCR
>>
>>
>>
>> On 1/7/2008 1:41 PM Tom Forhan wrote:
>>
>>> This is very interesting. Initially  Michele and I
>>> used the bottom and put Colin in the upper bunk. Years
>>> later he decided going camping with the old folks was
>>> not cool, and we tried out the top and thought it
>>> much, much more comfortable. We never sleep
>>> downstairs, unless we are in stealth mode.
>>>
>>> Have you downstairs sleeper check the quality of the
>>> foam on your upper bunk? I can't believe people think
>>> the bottom is better!
>>>
>>>
>>> --- Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Jan 7, 2008, at 2:16 PM, Michael Elliott wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Beats me -- Mrs Squirrel and I prefer sleeping
>>>> downstairs. Tom --
>>>>> do you
>>>>> use the upper bunk?
>>>> I relegate non consensual guests to the upper bunk,
>>>> but I have slept
>>>> up there until I figured out it was not as comfy as
>>>> downstairs.
>>>>
>>>> Tom
>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>>>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>>>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical
>>>> Banana")
>>>>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San
>>>> Juan Capistrano
>>>>> KG6RCR
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 1/7/2008 12:35 PM Jake de Villiers wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Way to go guys!  Nice job with the design Tom and
>>>> thanks for the Wiki
>>>>>> Rocky.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Any trouble getting in and out of the upper berth
>>>> with the shelf
>>>>>> there?
>>>>>> I can't really see how much of the access slot
>>>> the BZ covers.
>>>>>> Thanks again, Jake
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jan 2, 2008 5:40 PM, Michael Elliott
>>>> <camping.elliott@gmail.com
>>>>>> <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     Back in August or so Mrs Squirrel and I
>>>> became frustrated with
>>>>>> having to
>>>>>>     deal with boxes of groceries and stuff which
>>>> were constantly
>>>>>> underfoot
>>>>>>     when camping in places where the local
>>>> critters were eying our
>>>>>>     comestibles
>>>>>>     with considerable interest. I wondered
>>>> whether it might be
>>>>>> possible to
>>>>>>     hang a shelf in the otherwise unused overhead
>>>> space at the
>>>>>> front of the
>>>>>>     raised poptop and posted a proposal involving
>>>> chains and
>>>>>> skyhooks and
>>>>>>     stuff, an idea that was doomed to never work.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     Several folks suggested better ways to go
>>>> about it, but
>>>>>> nothing seemed
>>>>>>     very easy to me. Then Tom Buese, who was
>>>> apparently looking
>>>>>> for an
>>>>>>     excuse
>>>>>>     to avoid doing real work, popped up with a
>>>> design for a shelf
>>>>>> which
>>>>>>     mounts
>>>>>>     easily on the poptop's crossarm with a couple
>>>> of hardware
>>>>>> store U-bolts,
>>>>>>     holds a surprising amount of stuff when
>>>> deployed, and folds
>>>>>> flat against
>>>>>>     the roof when the top is down. He put
>>>> together a prototype and
>>>>>>     emailed a
>>>>>>     dimensioned drawing of his idea to me. I
>>>> banged a version
>>>>>> together in a
>>>>>>     couple of hours without hardly any
>>>> significant loss of blood
>>>>>> and mounted
>>>>>>     it up. After a test on a short camping trip,
>>>> it has become a
>>>>>> permanent
>>>>>>     addition to our Westy. Best thing I've ever
>>>> done -- besides
>>>>>> marrying Mrs
>>>>>>     Squirrel, I'd say.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     After the Vanagon Wiki went "live" this year
>>>> I suggested to
>>>>>> Tom that we
>>>>>>     could post a how-to article about his "BZ
>>>> Shelf" but it took
>>>>>> him a
>>>>>>     bit of
>>>>>>     time to take the pictures and refine the
>>>> drawing. But finally,
>>>>>> after
>>>>>>     considerable nagging on my part, I got him to
>>>> post the stuff
>>>>>> to me so I
>>>>>>     could write the article.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     If you're like me, able to use a
>>>> reciprocating saw without
>>>>>> hardly ever
>>>>>>     cutting off a finger, own a Westy, and find
>>>> yourself sometime
>>>>>>     wishing you
>>>>>>     had a darn place to put pots and pans and
>>>> coolers and stuff
>>>>>> that seem to
>>>>>>     crowd your floor when camping, do yourself a
>>>> favor and build a BZ
>>>>>>     Shelf. I
>>>>>>     reckon you'll be glad you did.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     So here it is, with Tom's permission: photos
>>>> and plans at
>>>>>>     http://vanagonwiki.net/index.php/Buese_Shelf
>>>>>>
>>>> <http://vanagonwiki.net/index.php/Buese_Shelf>
>>>>>>     --
>>>>>>     Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>>>>>     71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>>>>>>     84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical
>>>> Banana")
>>>>>>     74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc.,
>>>> San Juan Capistrano
>>>>>>     KG6RCR
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Jake
>>>>>> 1984 Vanagon GL
>>>>>> 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
>>>>>> Crescent Beach, BC
>>>>>> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
>>>> <http://www.crescentbeachguitar.com>
>>>>>> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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