Few things i'm struggling with!

[r73]

I have got a continental bed now but i dont have the bracket that holds the headboard up - I was going to make something but in order to help me out have any of you got some pictures of how the original one works?
I dont want to bolt the front through the roof - any ideas how to secure this with maybe rubber feet or something?
Also i am not 100% sure how far from the poptop hinges the bed should be - see picture.

I have a bolster cushion with the bed that i assume goes at the front?
DOES THIS LOOK RIGHT??

Also i changed the hinges on my poptop cos the ones that came with it held the poptop off the roof at the front by about 20mm but now it doesnt shut that well at the back over the luggage rack,

I have tried adjusting the front hinges. there is a little L shaped bracket at the front of the roof that i guess locates the middle of the poptop to give stability but this seems a bit wrong somehow should it be kind of S shaped?

you can see its catching in the middle and bulging either side slightly?????

Any ideas would be really appreciated thanks guys

 

[r73]

OK, anyine got a continental bed up top in their westy??????
Pls could you post some pics so can i see how to place the thing right and hold up the headboard
thanks

 

[Cali_bay]

I have one and have not bolted it in either. I have just put some foam under the hinges to stop them marking the roof.

I have found that you have to pull the bed toward the back off the bus to allow the roof to sit flush, which does interfere with the roof supports a bit. I just move it around a bit to get it right.

The head board I support with a piece of 2x2 that runs across the roof aperture and stores nicely in the roof void when not in use.

 

[Jason]

I've a genuine Westy Conti. If you're at Bus Stopover this weekend, come and have a gander (Be in the Late Bay line up!)

If not I'll do some pictures for you.

The bed does bolt to the roof though. Don't think you'll be able to get round that.

 

[cyberdyne systems]

I've fitted a bed to mine, I used a few self drilling screws to locate the bracket onto the roof. I've still to make up the support so just put my wind break in the void and it rests on that, but it needs sorting so the kids can get out of a morning! I think there is an thread on the samba about it. Here is how the original wire bracket would hold the hinged part:

Also the poptop roof s shaped bracket needs to fit under the one on the roof so it holds the top down properly, I had problems with that lifting the front until it was located properly.

Here you can see my brackets in the wrong place, when the top one slips under the lower one it holds the front in the correct place and kinda looks like a figure 8, it might have become bent being in the wrong place so might need to be adjusted:

 

[aogrady]

you can see its catching in the middle and bulging either side slightly?????

Any ideas would be really appreciated thanks guys[/quote]

Hi!

Thr front of my roof is distorted in the same way - the middle bit catches on the "question mark" bracket, and adjusting the front hinges too much causes it to be too tight in the corners...
I have come to the conclusion it is just perhaps how they go over the years - I had a ideal to fit a flat metal peice, curved to follow the shape of how the front should be, like the size of a long metal ruler, only a few mm thick, and pop rivet along with a suitable washer to spread the load through the front, this will pull the distorted bits back into shape. It may not look as nice, but you can paint the rivets, and at least it would look better than being distorted.

Your local metalwork shop should have off cuts of alloy or steel, say maybe a couple of inches wide and of a suitable length to fit around the curve at the front.

You could also bend up a coat hanger in the style of the original, and maybe get the metal shop to bend you a new one from proper metal rod

Cheers!

Alistair

 

[cyberdyne systems]

If you can't get the front centre bracket to work properly, try removing the part connected to the roof. The earlier vans 68 - 69 didnt have this bracket so you can get away with it. I did this on mine before I figured out what was wrong and didnt have any problems. Its seems to me by pushing the hinges forward the sides will be bent out as the centre hinge holds the centre in.

 

[lhu128l]

[/quote]
is that a wasps nest ?

 

[r73]

I have one and have not bolted it in either. I have just put some foam under the hinges to stop them marking the roof.

I have found that you have to pull the bed toward the back off the bus to allow the roof to sit flush, which does interfere with the roof supports a bit. I just move it around a bit to get it right.

The head board I support with a piece of 2x2 that runs across the roof aperture and stores nicely in the roof void when not in use.

Thanks mate - funny you mention the bit of timber - was thinking the same thing!
Bit strange that the you cant pull the bed far enough to the back of the bus without the hinges getting in the way though.
Thats what i cant understand - cos if you bolted the bed in to clear the hinges when you lifted the top and pulled up the headboard it would be at least half a foot short of the back of the sunroof opening :?:

 

[r73]

I've a genuine Westy Conti. If you're at Bus Stopover this weekend, come and have a gander (Be in the Late Bay line up!)

If not I'll do some pictures for you.

The bed does bolt to the roof though. Don't think you'll be able to get round that.

cheers bud - but cant make the bus stopover
If you had time to take some pics it would be great thanks.
mainly the clip that holds the headboard, the front hinges and how the folding hinges that hold the back of the poptop up dont hit the bed brackets when it is all down.
ta

 

[r73]

I've fitted a bed to mine, I used a few self drilling screws to locate the bracket onto the roof. I've still to make up the support so just put my wind break in the void and it rests on that, but it needs sorting so the kids can get out of a morning! I think there is an thread on the samba about it. Here is how the original wire bracket would hold the hinged part:

Also the poptop roof s shaped bracket needs to fit under the one on the roof so it holds the top down properly, I had problems with that lifting the front until it was located properly.

Here you can see my brackets in the wrong place, when the top one slips under the lower one it holds the front in the correct place and kinda looks like a figure 8, it might have become bent being in the wrong place so might need to be adjusted:

Cool thanks a lot - that pic of the middle bracket is a great help - i love the wasps nest found loads just like that all over my bus!!!
My original front hinges for the poptop were tubular and didnt shut all the way down - i have some others on there now that are flat angle - does anyone know whether these are uk spec or just slightly later ones???

 

[cyberdyne systems]

The flat ones are '73 only, and are stronger than the tube type, I have some fitted to mine

 

[r73]

The flat ones are '73 only, and are stronger than the tube type, I have some fitted to mine

cool - cos thats what i fitted to mine!! didnt know wether to keep the old original ones or flog em with the spare pop top i've got??
just probably being sentimental cos i'll never use them!!

 

[Jason]

Few piccies, if you need any others let me know

 

[Guest]

its a really clever setup.

 

[DongKG]

This is amazing.I bought an early westy poptop and will install it on m,y Bay.This one looks perfect.Thanks for sharing!

Dong