At 11:59 AM 6/24/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Have you ever wanted to cover the cargo area in the back of your
>Westphalia,  above the mattress? I get uncomfortable when I park with
>something valuable sitting out in the open. I have the rear heater so under
>the seat storage is limited.
>
>My wife Ingrid and I just built an inexpensive, light cover. It's no
>protection if the car is broken into but, "Out of sight, out of mind." We
>built a square cover frame and legs out of PVC plumbing pipe. Ingrid found
>a piece of fabric very close to the seat cover. That covered the top.
>
>Think of a square trampolene or card table shape, made out of PVC pipe with
>a fabric top. A tube compartment is stiched into each side of the cloth.
>The PVC pipe is threaded into the edges of the cloth and connected with
>corner brackets. The contraption straddles the matress, making a large
>hidden storage area.
>
>If you make one, connect the legs to the outer frame ring with "T"
>fixtures. The cross of the "T" becomes part of the square frame ring. The
>leg become the vertical part of the "T." The legs will hinge to make a flat
>unit for storage.
>"
>You will need two ten foot lengths of pipe, four corner or "L" brackets,
>four "T "joints, four end caps (feet for the legs.) I used 3/4 inch pipe.
>If you havent worked with PVC pipe, you will find it easy. It cuts easily
>with any kind of saw. It assembles just by pushing parts together.
>Everything holds together by friction.
>Tom Hubbard
>
>
>
why not just close the curtains?
alex.