Ditch the vintage Danbury interior? & RnR Bed problem

[tommy2bob]

My '71 Danbury early bay is now undergoing major structural work in preparation for respray, and the original very tired and battered Danbury interior has been ripped out and is now in the allotment shed quietly rotting away and growing mushrooms. Do i do the 'sensitive' approach and stick with the original vintage that i painstakingly restore, or stick in the new RnR bed i grabbed on ebay and add some folding buddy seats? Lets face it the 1970's Danbury interior aint exactly well designed and i am sick of collapsing through the table that 'support' your body between the bench and buddy seats. I'm thinking i don't need the sink/cooker and always use the awning for cooking and washing up anyway.

Even if do keep some of it, i am still fitting the RnR bed. Its the Just Kampers bed that can be extended to any length up to full width. Mine has already been cut down to 3/4 size but i now realise i am probably going to want to extend it too full length if i am ditching the Danbury sink and cupboard unit in the corner. How can i now extend the RnR bed? Can i find new replacement central supports of the bed? weld an extension into the existing shortened support bars?

 

[horty]

We have centre bars for these as the beds we sell use the same peices.

No charge . Just email me your address

 

[ozziedog]

My '71 Danbury early bay is now undergoing major structural work in preparation for respray, and the original very tired and battered Danbury interior has been ripped out and is now in the allotment shed quietly rotting away and growing mushrooms. Do i do the 'sensitive' approach and stick with the original vintage that i painstakingly restore, or stick in the new RnR bed i grabbed on ebay and add some folding buddy seats? Lets face it the 1970's Danbury interior aint exactly well designed and i am sick of collapsing through the table that 'support' your body between the bench and buddy seats. I'm thinking i don't need the sink/cooker and always use the awning for cooking and washing up anyway.

Even if do keep some of it, i am still fitting the RnR bed. Its the Just Kampers bed that can be extended to any length up to full width. Mine has already been cut down to 3/4 size but i now realise i am probably going to want to extend it too full length if i am ditching the Danbury sink and cupboard unit in the corner. How can i now extend the RnR bed? Can i find new replacement central supports of the bed? weld an extension into the existing shortened support bars?

I got the same thing going on, I`m not keen on having the bus too claustrophbic with the Westy interior and much happier doing most stuff under the awning with a portable cooker / washing machine drum etc, and just need a nice large coolbox to look after the Stellas and a full width R & R bed, just got to get on and design something `less temporary ` and maybe actually bolting it in as well.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,, Number 125 on Job list :lol: :lol:

 

[matt-me]

I have a danbury. Sold the sink unit, got a bluebird rnr bed full width as I didn't trust the rear seat at all, 6mm plywood if i remember?? The bed is big and comfy. I kept the buddy seats/cooker but took off all the sliding gear etc and have 'locked' them in position behind the two front seats for travelling but remove the cooker unit to cook on in awning/outside as the cooker works quite well. Kept the overhead locker. So use most of it as i like the simplicity of it and it doesn;t take up too much space. i have kept all the bits in case a future owner might want to return it.

A good compromise for me and the family, 5 of us in all...

 

[Danbury Doug]

I have a danbury. Sold the sink unit, got a bluebird rnr bed full width as I didn't trust the rear seat at all, 6mm plywood if i remember?? .................

Funnily enough I was going to suggest you Al, as someone to speak with, knowing that you'd changed some of the interior of your Danbury.

Whilst I use mine in its original form, I would probably make changes if I used it regularly, particularly if there were two or more of us!

Doug

 

[matt-me]

Hi Doug, good to hear from you. As you know the Danbury simplicity suits us with a few mods as described for my lot.

if you want any other info tommy let me or doug know. Ive got some pics but need to be on another 'puter to upload them.

best wishes al

 

[matt-me]

here you go.....

 

[marco]

I love the danbury interiors, very simple but very versatile. I'm thinking of doing a similar interior for my bus, plus as your belted to the van not the seat I don't think they're as unsafe as you think.

 

[tommy2bob]

What about re sale? Is the bus worth more with the original interior than a modern and spacious interior? Defo going to keep the Danbury Interior and rescue it from the allotment shed even if don't put it back in!

 

[matt-me]

I'd keep the interior if you don't use it in case someone wants og but work out how you want to use the bus. The rnr bed is much better, for both travelling and sleeping. I had the old vinyl on the buddy seats which was worn out so I took it off. The bits of ply etc easily unscrew. I primed, painted the outsides and then varnished them, put all the bits back on, so it keeps some originality. It's held up really well and IMO blends in well too. The table is good, got all the legs so this works well in an awning too but can fix it still to the bus inside if need be. The simple interior allows space although our eldest is now losing some interest, he's 17.

We've been to France though and had a great time, a 5 of us. I'd suggest you work out what's important you you when you camp and go from there. We rarely cook in the bus so it was important we could take the cooker box out.

There are seat belt positions too, two inertia and one lap belt. Try it out and see what you use...we camp simply, don't use hook up etc but do have a LB with propex

Al

 

[bigdaz]

Started with this but changed to a Rusty Lee bed trimmed buy Delilahs and built my own buddy seat , Delilahs trimmed that as well as making a spare wheel cover and spare wheel well plug


Also have a removable cabinet for all my cooking stuff and kept the original overhead locker


Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk

 

[Robb]

im into the originality with these old vans, so if you want to retain some decent value in your bus, keep the Danbury!

I have an all original Danbury, and to be honest your lucky if you see one these days, rare beasts. 8)

 

[MATTT]

I seem to be missing a single filler piece of ply from my Danbury
Does anyone happen to have some dimensions?
I'm not 100% which part I'm missing yet,I have both the t shaped seat back parts,the table,and 1 of the filler pieces,so missing just one

Although I'm temped to change the rear seat to a full width rnr bed as I won't use the sink,its a unrestored 1 owner UK van and it seems a shame in a way to mess with it

 

[MATTT]

If poss I would like to drive over to carshalton in the spring in mine and compare van interiors with yours matt me ?
I'm only in chessington

 

[matt-me]

Hi Mattt

Yes no problem. As said, i've got everything that came with the van stored in the back of my garage. Got her out at the weekend went for a drive round epsom, headley, dorking, so you don't need to wait for spring unless it's pissing down. Just let me know. I don't get on here everyday so give me a few days notice to get in touch...

Cheers Al

 

[Nugsy]

Refaced all my danbury interior last year when i put a new floor in, it did me the misses and kids through France last summer (although we slept in a tent)



I'd say keep it