For a front seat kid's cot, check this out...made with PVC, canvas, and
string, and suspended by shutting the doors:

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/681312.jpg

I saw it at a show a few years ago.  Great idea.

Joe T.

On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 11:53 AM, Aaron <a.robinson.lists@gmail.com> wrote:

> The tarp and middle seat option is viable, although the ides is not loved
> due to taking up so much interior space. I suppose if you are camping for a
> few days this isn't such a bad thing, but if you are just passing through,
> it would be a bit inconvenient.  I think I'd actually prefer a rear-facing
> carat style flip-up seat, but so far I've had no luck finding one. I did
> find a middle seat, but it doesn't have floor tracks and the Seatbelts are
> gone on it.
>
> Anyone in the Seattle area with some seat tracks and/or seatbelts (or a
> rear-facing seat)?
>
> I found the cot on Busdepot and am thinking of using that or the plywood
> as others suggested as a replacement for kid floor sleeping. The brackets
> and pictures indicate it's for a bus vs vanagon. Has anyone used one?
> Thoughts?
>
> This is a little off my own topic, but has anyone ever adapted child
> carseat attachment points (LATCH) in their vanagon? It sounds like LATCH is
> more convenient than seatbelts - and probably safer than most vans which
> only have lap-belts in back. Some people don't want to mess with the idea
> that it's not factory installed though. It seems like this could work well
> for carseats in the back seat.
> http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html
> http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-LATCH-system-retrofit/
> http://www.thecarseatlady.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=34
>
> I'm probably going to do some searching for the rear shoulder belts too. I
> seem to remember something about jetta belts being similar to the $120
> belts sold from GoWesty.
>
> Thanks for all the suggestions!
> Aaron
> '87 westy
>
>
> On Jan 23, 2012, at 1:24 PM, Jim Felder wrote:
>
> > We use the middle seat to haul five or six. We take a tarp to cover it
> with if it's raining and has to spend the night outside. It's never been a
> problem. If it rained sideways for a couple of days it could be a problem,
> just sayin' it never has been.
> >
> > Jim
>  >
> > On Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 3:02 PM, Aaron <a.robinson.lists@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > I've got a question for those who take 3 or more kids in a Westfalia.
> The family is growing to 5. Currently the kids are 5 and 2.5. Another baby
> is due in May, and It's time to start thinking about seating and sleeping
> configurations. In addition to the "what were we thinking" questions, I
> have a few questions about how to best haul and sleep people on our
> adventures.
> >
> > SEATING:
> > Do those who take 3 kids find that the rear-facing seat is convenient
> and works well? It seems like it would be a much better solution for
> camping (since you wouldn't need to pull out the bench). For those who
> travel with a bench in the middle, how inconvenient do you find it when
> traveling with the family? I'd be OK to go either way, but know that the
> bench would be a bit of a pain when traveling. Fine to pull out if the
> weather is great, but not so great when it's rainy/snowy/etc.
> >
> > SLEEPING:
> > I can't see sleeping being much of an issue except when not popping the
> top. Often when we are on the move, we will "stealth camp". IE, we pull
> into some area late and sleep without popping the top & move on in the
> morning. In "stealth" mode, we just sleep our two kids on the floor, which
> works fine. With a seat there and all the associated car seats etc, it
> could be more difficult. I've been looking at finding a used sleeping cot
> as sleeping expansion. How well do the cots work for kids? How big can kids
> get before they don't fit?
> >
> > If you have a rear-facing seat, a middle seat, or a child's cot for
> sale, I'd love to hear about it - especially if you are in the WA state
> area.
> >
> > Thanks!
> > Aaron (with Tricia Ibai, India, and ????? coming soon)
> > '87 westy (Anyone have a stretched vanagon for sale?)
> >
>

--
Joe T.
'85 Wolfsburg Westy Subie 2.2