Storage Ideas

Storage space is always at a premium in a Westy.  Here are some of the changes that I've made to maximize the space.  None of the additions get in the way and each one provides some great utility. As I've used each one for the first time I've found myself wondering how I ever got along without it.

Happy camping!

Passenger-side Dashboard Cubby

Driver-side and Passenger-side Hooks and Lines.

Rear Roof Closet

Passenger Seat Rear Pockets

Portable Shower

Here's the shower I have designed for those times when our site doesn't have one. The shower works really well and is easy to set up and put away.

All of the shower's components fit nicely in the case that is supplied with the dog bath. The case stores easily in the rear cargo area or on the upper bed.   The shower can be hung from the roof to take a shower inside the van or it can be hung from the open rear hatch to shower outside.    When setting up outside we will enclose the rear hatch area with our Bus Depot tent and place our folding mat on the ground.  We then set up our Fiamma BiPot 30 toilet and shower in that space.  I have put a hook on either side of the rear hatch so that the shower can be hung on whichever side is downhill to allow the water to run away from the vehicle.

The outside water source is a spare 7 gallon can that is placed in the rear space.    When inside we draw directly from the 7 gallon can behind the kitchen pod.   If the water needs to be heated we will either do that on the stove in the kitchen pod, on a campfire outside or in a solar shower bag.   The spare 7 gallon can will also heat up the water if placed in the sun.   

These are the hooks that I use to hang the shower..  They have amazing holding power and are easily removable. 

The tub that the water flows in to is marketed as a collapsible pet bath.  The tub has a drain at its base that you can use to control the release of the water.    I also keep a 6 foot long faucet adapter in the pack to attach to the drain if necessary.   

The hoop that the shower curtain is hung from is a 24" diameter hoop that was made from 1/2 PEX tubing.    You may also use a pre-manufactured 24" hula hoop. 

The cord that is tied to the hoop is just standard parachute cord that is tied to a ring at the top center. 

This is the shower curtain that I used. The 72" height and 78" length are both important.   A standard shower curtain won't make it all the way around the hoop.  I closed the opening in the plastic hangers with some plastic shrink tubing from Harbor Freight to keep the curtain from sliding through the gap. 

I also added this shower caddy to the setup to provide an easy place to store things while showering. 

The water is pumped from the tanks with a 12V powered shower. 

I added one of these mats to the pack for those times when the tub was not necessary for an outside shower.  

Happy camping! 

Kitchen Pod

I completed a new kitchen pod about a few months ago.  After several successful outings with it I thought I'd share some details on the design. My first design was built on a removable seat frame and was located behind the passenger seat. It was great for traveling while sleeping in the top bed. I quickly found that the van was much more comfortable and versatile if I moved the pod to the area behind the driver's seat. With this new configuration I'm able to use the more comfortable lower bed and leave it out, remove the upper bed board for more headroom and rotate the passenger seat to open up the space.  I also found that the rear shelf for the upper bed is a great storage shelf while camped with the top up.   

A couple of note on my design goals:

• I wanted it to be easily removable

• It had to have a sink, stove and refrigerator. 

• It had to contain the fresh and waste water tanks and the propane supply.   

• It had to be no wider than the driver's seat to allow me to continue to move between the front seat and rear area.

• The top of the unit had to be at a height that was useable while sitting in the van.   

• All items had to be accessible with the bottom bed deployed

I purchased the following parts:

• Smev 8821 Hob and Sink Combination Unit

• Dometic CF-018DC Portable Freezer/Refrigerator

• Reliance 7 Gallon Water Can

• Propane Gas Regulator

• Coleman Propane Grill Adapter # 3000002048

• Custom Accessories 49997 12V Dual Cigarette Lighter Receptacle

• Assorted bolts, nuts and cable management

• Coleman 1lb propane canister

• 1 - 2' x 4'  sheet of finish grade birch plywood.   

• 1 - Pack of 1 1/2" Conduit Straps

• IKEA 18 x 24 x 30 Cabinet

• 2 - Drawer Handles   

• 4 - Pushbutton Locks

• Heavy Duty Angle Strikes

• Bamboo Countertop

• Bamboo Cutting Board

• Rolling Desk (cannibalized to make the adjustable shelf)  

• Propane and Carbon Monoxide detector

Here are some images of the assembled pod.  The hardest part of the assembly was adjusting the height of the drawer tracks and drawer front sizes to accommodate the refrigerator.  The drawer fronts that came with the cabinet were used as a template to mount the new drawer fronts. The pod is mounted to the floor using the same bolts that were used to mount the rear-facing seat. There is still quite a bit of refinement left to do but it works really well and has added a lot to the camping experience. Having the water in a portable container is great when its time to refill and your camper needs to stay parked. The pod also serves as the water source for the inside shower (more on that later) and as the mounting point for the solar controller, inverter and battery tender referred to in my earlier post on the Electrical System.

Happy camping! 

Front with Drawers Closed

Bottom Door with Refrigerator

Top Drawer Pantry

SMEV Sink and Burner with Height Adjustable

Top in High Position 

Top Showing SMEV Sink and Burner with 

Height Adjustable Top on Side

Right Side Showing 

Propane and Water Cans

Rear Showing Solar Controller, 
Fuse Box,  AC/DC Charger,
Propane Alarm and Inverter

Brandrup Top Rail Installation

Last month I installed the rails.  

We had the first chance to use them on a recent trip to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA.  If you have the chance I highly recommend this spot.    The facility and beach  were terrific and the location allowed easy access to the sights we wanted to visit in the area.  

Here's the parts list from the source. 

http://www.campervantastic.com/product/awnings-sun-canopies-fittings-and-rails/awning-rails-and-fittings/brandrup-vw-t4-top-rail-swb-and-lwb-fits-both-sides-does-not-include-side-spoiler-set/ 

http://www.campervantastic.com/product/awnings-sun-canopies-fittings-and-rails/awning-rails-and-fittings/brandrup-vw-t4-near-side-spoiler-set-left-for-top-rail-100-700-012/ 

http://www.campervantastic.com/product/awnings-sun-canopies-fittings-and-rails/awning-rails-and-fittings/brandrup-t4-off-side-spoiler-set-right-for-top-rail100-700-011/


You will also need to purchase a couple of additional items that are used during the installation.  I ordered them from http://www.emisupply.com   

1 x Sika Remover 208 1 Liter Can, 4 Per Case

1 x Sika Primer 210 250 ml Bottle

1 x Sikaflex 252, Black, Elastic Polyurethane Adhesive, 10.3oz Cartridge

The installation took about 5 hours.   The procedure is outlined at following link.    The only change I would make to the instructions is to be sure to wax the areas that you might be applying masking tape to before you get started.    I've learned from past experience that the adhesive might take your clear coat off when you remove the tape if no wax has been applied.      I was also able to perform the installation without an assistant.   I used the shipping container as a prop for the far end of the rail where the instructions show an assistant.    

http://www.brandrup.de/files/manuals/en/TOP-RAIL_VW_T4.pdf

The rails have added some great versatility with an unexpected benefit.  The van is much quieter.  The rails block the wind noise that used to come from around the top gasket at highway speeds.    Visually the rails really blend well into the van and do not call attention to themselves.    My family and friends didn't even notice the change until I pointed it out to them.   

The extra attachment point that the piping rail provides allowed me to attach my Khyam awning over top of the sliding door with no gap for rain to come through behind the awning.  I also was able to hang the solar shower and clothes line from driver's side.   I had picked up a pack of these awning hooks before the trip and they worked very well.

I've already come up with quite a few more ideas about how to take advantage of the new rails.    I'll be sure to post some pictures of those ideas in use in a future post.    

Happy camping!  

Electrical System

I've had several questions about the electrical system in Gurkin.    The modifications that I've made allow operation off of a combination of 12V DC  and/or when available, 115V AC.  

Here's a quick description of how the setup works with some photos to help demonstrate how it all fits together.  

The heart of the system is the house battery that is located beneath the drivers seat.  The battery is charged whenever the the vehicle is running and is then isolated from the starter battery when the engine is turned off.   This isolation is provided by a relay that is also located beneath the driver's seat.   The house battery has its own fuse panel beneath the driver's seat that is connected to the refrigerator outlet at the rear of the driver's seat, the  12V outlets on either side of the rear seat, the 12V outlet to the right in the rear storage area and the  fluorescent lights above the passenger area.    It does not power the radio, 12V dash outlet or any other interior lights in the vehicle.   Those are still powered off of the starter battery so be careful about running those items while camping.  You'll be looking for a set of jumper cables.    It is possible to jump the starter from the house battery but drawing down a starter type battery to a "dead" state will often make it unusable and in need of replacement.   I decided to replace the starter battery with an Optima battery that is designed to provide starting power and house battery power just to provide a margin of safety if I inadvertently leave something on that's drawing from the starter battery.  

The batteries that I've installed are below:  

Starter Battery:

You'll notice that the vendors say it doesn't fit but it in fact fits perfectly in the stock position and provides some added peace of mind.  

https://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteries-8040-218-YellowTop-Purpose/dp/B000MSDKMA

House Battery and hold down strap:

https://m.interstatebatteries.com/search/SLA1180

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=4508&category_id=337&category_parent_id= 

I have connected three items to the house battery:

A solar controller:

A battery tender:

A 12V to 115V Inverter:

and connecting cables and fuses:  

3ft 0-Gauge cables and  1ft 0-Gauge cable:

Fuse Holder and Fuses:  

The inverter is wired to the house battery as follows.   The red 1ft cable is connected to the positive terminal. One terminal of the fuse holder with fuse is connected to the other end.   The red 3ft cable is connected to the other fuse holder terminal.  The other end is connected to the positive terminal on the inverter.    The black 3ft cable is connected directly from the negative terminal on the battery to the negative terminal on the inverter.   I had to drill a 1.5" hole in the side of the seat base with a step drill to pass the cables through.  

The solar controller's battery outputs are connected to the positive and negative terminals on the battery.  

The battery tender's 115V AC input is connected to the rear reflector AC plug and its outputs are connected to the positive and negative terminals on the battery.

When the van is parked where 115V AC is available I connect a surge suppressor to the source and then connect the cord behind the reflector to the suppressor.    I carry a 15ft 12-Gauge cord to make the run from the suppressor to the connection on the van.   I also carry a 50A to 30A adapter and a 30A to 15A adapter to be ready for sites that don't offer 15A outlets.  

When connected in this fashion to 115V AC the outlet that has replaced the ashtray is available for direct connection of 115V AC appliances and the battery tender is providing a continuous 4A 12V current to the house battery which is providing power to all of its devices.  

When 115V AC is not available for extended stays I connect the solar panel to the solar input on the controller.    The controller charges the battery with about a 3A current on a normal day.   In bright sun I've seen it output up to 6A.  

All of the additional devices I've attached are connected to the device output on the solar controller so that I can monitor the draw and the health of the house battery.   At present those additional devices are the Dometic 12V Refrigerator, the 12V sink water pump and a 12V 10" portable fan.    

In my configuration all of the mentioned devices are attached to the kitchen pod that I built to replace the rear-facing seat behind the driver.  I'll cover the pod in a future post.    

Happy camping!  

Solar Array and Tent Canvas

Several folks asked me about some of the modifications I'd made to Siduri.  Some info on those mods follows:


Solar Array

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/GGX-ENERGY-DIY-Portable-Folding-100W-18V-Monocrystalline-Solar-Panel-Charger-Bag-for-Laptop-12V-Battery/32808889330.html?spm=2114.search0104.8.80.49ZCCj

The array was connected to a solar controller that was mounted to the kitchen pod behind the driver's seat.    The controller's battery output  was connected to the house battery under the seat and it's device output was connected to a small outlet strip that was mounted to the rear of the kitchen pod.    The faucet/shower water pump, a dual cigarette lighter adapter and the Dometic fridge cooler were plugged in to the strip.  

New Tent Canvas

http://shop.cavevan.com/collections/eurovan/products/replacement-tent-fabric-for-westfalia-weekender?variant=15793717571

I ordered this top as it has been modified with a smaller diameter 1/8" rope piping.  Other vendors sell the same top with a 1/4" rope piping which is larger that the original top and makes reinstallation very difficult.   As far as I can tell all of the aftermarket tops that are available are made by one source,  ACME Auto Headliners out of California.  
The canvas is easy to remove and reinstall.    Here are a few pointers:

1. Open the top and remove the front upper bed board.  I found it helpful to put a towel on the leading edge of the top and then open it while in a carport so that the top hit the ceiling and could not fully open.   Doing so took the tension off the canvas during removal and installation.   Any trellis or tree limb at the right height could perform the same function.

2.   Mark the metal pieces that hold the canvas to the roof to keep track of where they were located and their orientation.    I marked mine with a sharpie as front, rear, right and left with an arrow pointing to the front.   It's also helpful to mark the center of the front and rear pieces at this point for later use in reinstalling the top.   Also mark the center of the front and rear of the frame around the roof hole.  

3. Remove the screws that hold the metal pieces to the roof and set the pieces and screws off to the side.  

4.  The bottom of the canvas is held to the roof by a piece of rubber piping that snaps in to a track in the metal frame around the hole.   Look at the center rear of the frame and find the seam where the piping meets.    Pry one side of the piping out of the track and then carefully pull the piping out of the track all the way around the vehicle.   Take your time during this process.  If the piping twists or catches it can break.   Here's a source for the piping if its old or breaks and you need to replace it.

http://www.poptopshop.nl/a-38015431/t4-hefdak/rubber-pees-voor-hefdakdoek-montage/

5.   Slip the old top over the rear and pull to the front to remove (or vice versa).

6.  Take this opportunity to tighten the frame screws and clean around it.   Spray a light coating of silicone spray in to the track when done to make it easier to reinstall the piping.  

7.   Fold the new top to find the center of the top and the bottom at the front and rear.   Mark that center with a sharpie with a 3/4" line so that you'll be able to see it when reinstalling the metal pieces  and piping.  

8.   Slide the new canvas over the top so that the small vent is facing up at the front.  

9.  Starting by mounting the top front of the canvas.    Carefully line up the center lines on the top and the front metal piece.   Place the rope piping in the forward part of the metal frame so that the screw is behind it and does not go through the fabric.   Follow this procedure all along the front piece and tighten the screws enough to secure the canvas but loose enough so that it can be adjusted if necessary.   Repeat this procedure with the rear piece.   Then install the side pieces.    If you have any looseness in the fabric you can adjust it before tightening the brackets to the roof.

10.   Insert the rope piping at the bottom of the canvas in to the track at the rear of the roof hole frame.  Line up the center lines.   Insert the rubber piping in to the track and snap it in to the track to the second ridge.   There are three ridges.  You'll only want to pop the third ridge in to place after the top is lined up properly at the front and rear and you've adjusted for any slack along the sides.   Once your satisfied that everything is lined up, secure the top by popping the third ridge in to place.   I used the tool all the way to the right in the image at the link below to push the piping in to place without damaging it.  The piping should look "flat" without any warps when properly inserted.  

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/trim-moulding/5-piece-auto-trim-and-molding-tool-set-67021.html

Floydfest  7/27/16 to 8/1/16

My friend Nick and I took Siduri out to Floydfest this past weekend for a stay in V-Dub Village.  We  made some great friends. Charles and Sonja, Hans, Nathan, Bob, Denny, Don, Jack, Debbie, Bonnie and Michael,  I hope you had a safe trip home and hope to see you next year!  The music and venue were terrific.  The weather was great and we only once found ourselves dancing in the rain and thunder to Anders Osborne and Railroad Earth late on Thursday night! We took the long way home on Sunday with stops at two great breweries, Sunken City and Lickinghole Creek.

Here's a shot of V-Dub Village.  Siduri is fifth from the left.  

Nick's palace and lounge to the rear. 

Gurkin (Green 2003), Hans (Silver 2002), Charles and Sonja (White 2001)

View down the hill with the front of Denny's Bus.

View up the hill