The beauty of it is that it looks like you could just pop it apart and roll it up and stash it under the bench.  Looks easy to construct, I may have to make one.... 

Dan
Los Angeles, CA
"Winky" the '85 Westy Weekender

On Jan 24, 2012, at 3:39 PM, Joe T. wrote:

> It seemed pretty stout; there were several little kids playing on it. I wanted to make one, but my girls have to sleep with mommy when we camp otherwise all hell breaks loose.
> 
> 
> Joe T.
> '85 Wolfsburg Westy EJ22
> 
> 
> 
> -------- Original message --------
> Subject: Re: Westy seating/sleeping: Questions for families of 5+ 
> From: Daniel Rotblatt <d.rotblatt@verizon.net> 
> To: "Joe T." <vanagon85@GMAIL.COM> 
> CC: 
> 
> 
> I like that one!  It would be stout enough for my 8 y.o.
> 
> Dan
> Los Angeles, CA
> "Winky" the '85 Westy Weekender
> 
> On Jan 24, 2012, at 11:21 AM, Joe T. wrote:
> 
> > 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
>