From: zowie@daedalus.stanford.edu (Craig "Powderkeg" DeForest)
Subject: '73 Kampmobile Structural Integrity, and EGR update (longish)
Summary: Collapsing lower bunk
Keywords: faster! harder! ouch!
Organization: Stanford Center for Space Science and Astrophysics
Date: 15 Dec 92 02:15:15


I have a '73 VW Campmobile -- the bus with the poptop, sink, backward
bucket seat, closet, and bench-seat-that-turns-into-a-bed.

I'm planning to live in it this winter -- never mind why.  (it just seemed like
a fun thing to do...)

Anyway, I was recently -er- testing out the lower bunk, only to have it
collapse under duress.  The bunk consists of three sections, each covered
by its own upholstered foam pad:  the top of the engine compartment; the
seat back; and the seat base.  An arrangement of support levers under the seat
makes the seat base come up as the back leans back, until the top of the seat
back is resting on a small (1.5"x1.5") wooden beam bolted to the top of the
firewall in front of the engine compartment.  Here's a lengthwise cross
section of the back end of the bus:

   _______________________________________
  /			        /
 |			    roof
 |pad
 |   \
 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX	 --> to bucket seat, sink, and cab
 |---------------|#    || \\  ||
 |               |     ||  \\ ||  floor
 | (Engine)	 |     ||   \\||       \
 -----------------------------------------
                 (# = wood; || = support)

The problem is that, when a force is applied forward and down on the
central pad, the (now 20-year-old) framework under the bed flexes
forward, and the central pad comes off of the wood, resulting in
a collapsed bunk and no fun :-(

Now that I've found the problem, I can't sleep on the bunk any more: I
keep thinking it's going to collapse under me!  I'm planning on reinforcing
it by replacing the 2x2 cross member with a 2x6, and bolting some metal
brackets to it that will mate with a 2x2 on the seat back (enlarged
drawing:

     _________________________________
    |         pad
    |_________________________________
--\ ===================================  <-- plywood support
   |XXX XXX||
   |XXX XXX||   <--("X" is wood; "=" and "||" are betal bracket)
   |XXX//==//
   |XXX||
   |XXX||
   |XXX||
   |

Has anyone else had this problem with their Campmobile?  (If you own
one, WATCH OUT!  It'll happen at the least opportune moment ;-) 

I can't imagine I've got the *ONLY* '73 camper bus on the net.
(though maybe the only one with a working 8-track player...)

BTW, thanks to all the people who responded to my posts a couple of months
ago about a parts supplier for EGR replacement stuff for the engine.

The list of parts suppliers that I promised, is coming RSN.  Mail me
if you want it sooner.

I finally got in touch with some people who had the parts, at a sane price:
Interstate VW, in Vista, CA (San Diego; 619 area code).  Don't have their 
number handy, but they're in information.  They seem to have everything,
and they were *very* helpful, and come with the highest references.  
(I found out about them from Daniel at Del Mar German Car, Del Mar, CA,
our family VW guy.  He's been taking care of our VWs and (more recently 
my folks' Mercedes) for >20 years, and really knows his stuff.  Said they've
always got a fair price, and usually have what you need.)

They've been holding the parts for about a month for me:  they're 500 miles
from me, and won't mail obscure parts like these to a private individual, 
until they get cash or check in hand.  For some reason, my check's been
delayed in the mail (or maybe they lost it?), so I'll be coming in over
the Christmas break to get the stuff.  Now I just have to get the van down
to San Diego without any copz noticing it hasn't been registered in 2 years...

The owner says he doesn't mind doing mail order stuff, in general, though.
So give him a call with those difficult part orders!
--
DON'T DRINK SOAP! DILUTE DILUTE! OK!
Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw