Stephen,

I owe you a pint!  Not only did you answer clearly but completely and
coherently!  I just spoke to Taylor at GoWesty and I'm convinced I should go
with a Maggiolina to avoid all the headaches, especially since the bride to
be has air conditioning.

I'm not going to create a separate thread on this next question since I may
do a U turn on this whole project if I discover I can't LOCK the $3k roof
tent to my Vanagon! The following are the dimensions of the roof tent make
that I like:

  W x L x H (in.)
51� x 82-3/4 � x 14�
57� x 82-3/4� x 14�
  63� x 84-3/4 � x 14"
My question is how wide/long is the Vanagon roof?

I'll check the archives but I'm sure this is an easy question for many of
you.

On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 1:06 PM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>wrote:

>   Speaking as someone who has carpented a little bit, if I were cutting a
> 2x6 to a length of about five feet and then cut a curved section out of one
> side so that the remaining piece appeared to be like the arch of a bridge
> span with a thickness in the center (thinnest part) of about 2" I would
> expect that to hold my 220# weight if that arch and another at the rear of
> the van supported a sheet of ply with me on it.  I would not hesitate to try
> it, though I might add a third, center arch for support in the middle of the
> ply.  Depends on the length of the ply, the weight on it and the distance
> down to the next interfering surface.
>
> Stephen
>
> --- On *Tue, 4/21/09, Neil2 <vidublu@GMAIL.COM>* wrote:
>
>
> From: Neil2 <vidublu@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: Westfakia, Poptop, Access, Design
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 3:11 PM
>
> Hi Craig,
>
> I'm unsure what you mean by "Who knew there was a reduction of hdrm in a sr
> van"  Please elaborate.
>
> I've read here over and over that tho' simply cutting a hole doesn't leave
> the same integrity as a factory version, I've never read any problems with
> it.  I did consider cutting a 1/2 size hole in a Vanagon roof last year.
> (1/2 size = same width but .5 x the factory opening's length).  My
> reasoning
> was that later I could double the hole to the factory size if it proved too
> small AND it would drastically simply the PT install AND it would elim the
> hinged loft issue, albeit at a sacrifice of the kitchen headroom.
>
> Would someone please send me the opening dimensions of a Vanagon Sunroof
> opening?
>
> Unless I'm missing something the load bearing issue is N/A with my
> 'design'.  The buckboard I envision would be totally supported by wood
> runners along the roof at the edges and cross 'beams' over the roof just
> ahead of each pillar, which would not touch the roof.  This would leave the
> roof simply as it is with the exception of the access hole.  The one aspect
> I've not measured/determined is whether a 2x6 would be strong enough in the
> center to support the buckboard, without fracturing.  Does anyone have any
> idea how narrow (top to bottom) I can manage to make the 2x6 in the
> centerline of the roof before it is risking a fracture?  IINM, the high
> point of the roof is about 3" above the edges and if the 2x6 is cut so it
> doesn't touch the metal that would only leave a couple inches.  I need a
> mechanical engineer's input and/or a carpenter's knowledge on this point.
> I
> suppose an alternate design would be to use metal.  This could be lighter
> too.  Just weld a platform for the buckboard to sit on and use, as you say,
> 1" angle iron for the beams.  The minimal sag could be mitigated by having
> a
> beam every two feet or so.
>
> One aspect you didn't comment on was my desire to rotate the access hole 90
> deg so it allows me to stand in the kitchen area and also allows a real
> ladder to be used to climb upstairs.  Does this pose any problems I'm
> unaware of?
>
> Please/Thanks!
> On Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 4:52 PM, craig cowan <phishman068@gmail.com<http://us.mc1106.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=phishman068@gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> > Keep in mind that the sunroof vanagons were not by any means simply a
> "hole
> > in the roof". They seem to have reinforced the entire hole fairly well
> not
> > to mention the whole thing is quite different (Who knew there was a
> > reduction of headroom in a sunroof van!?).
> > Simply put, you 'risk' the structural problems that Westfalia recognized
> > and comabatted properly, if you were to just cut a hole the size of the
> > stock vanagon sunroof in there. With that said, plenty of people have
> done
> > it and not died. Plenty of people have also used a slightly smaller hole,
> > allowing for them to keep the strengthening rib you are concerned about.
> > Plenty of people have even swapped an entire roof section from a
> Westfalia
> > and welded that on. And lastly, i have seen some very creative fixes to
> the
> > problem come out of britain, where they remove the rib but reinforce the
> > structure with welded in sections of angle-iron and flat stock,
> essentially
> > building their own Westfalia flat roof line to the current vanagon (quite
> > ingenious really). The point is, people have done this. There is a ton of
> > documentation, and you can figure out the faults with each system.
> > Even though the weight of those sleeping is going to be distributed on a
> > load bearing board, this is exactly like a westfalia! You still cannot
> cut a
> > giant hole and expect that a sheet of plywood made it strong again.
> >
> > Just my thoughts.
> > : )
> >
> > -Craig
> > '85GL turned WESTY
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 7:28 PM, Neil2 <vidublu@gmail.com<http://us.mc1106.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=vidublu@gmail.com>>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Hey volks,
> >>
> >> I'm planning to install a poptop on a '91 Vanagon.  Haven't bought the
> >> poptop yet.  Want to do it quick and dirty by simply installing a
> >> buckboard
> >> on the roof (and using a hinged access door which would open toward the
> >> port
> >> side of the van instead of rearward).
> >>
> >> I'm toying with the idea of cutting my access hole lengthwise, down the
> >> van
> >> roof, instead of across.  This may allow me to work in the kitchen area
> >> with
> >> Max Headroom :-), and double as a stairway to heaven :-).  My concerns
> are
> >> whether I will be able to cut the rectangular access hole the same size,
> >> only rotated 90 deg.  And, whether cutting through the roof indentation
> at
> >> the middle pillar poses problems, long term.  Since the weight of those
> >> entering/exiting/sleeping in the pt would be borne by the buckboard I
> >> think
> >> not.
> >>
> >> Any ideas/suggestions/opposition?
> >>
> >> Would someone please send me the opening dimensions of a Vanagon Sunroof
> >> opening?
> >>
> >> I'll search the archives as well.
> >>
> >> Please and Thanks!
> >>
> >> --
> >> Neil2
> >> '82 Diesel Westfalia (USS Tinosa)
> >> '86 Vanagon/Westfalia Wannabe (SaVannah)
> >> Nunquam Pendite Divendium
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Neil2
> '82 Diesel Westfalia (USS Tinosa)
> '86 Vanagon/Westfalia Wannabe (SaVannah)
> Nunquam Pendite Divendium
>
>
>

-- 
Neil2
'82 Diesel Westfalia (USS Tinosa)
'86 Vanagon/Westfalia Wannabe (SaVannah)
Nunquam Pendite Divendium