Questio on Vw Bus

[jedimastergary]

I just got a Revelle VW Bus model and want to make

a camper out of it. I was wondering how wide is a real

bus I want to put a scale 6 foot couch in the back.

Also how many inches is it for 6 foot in 1/24th scale?

[RodneyBad]

6 foot in 1/24th scale?

3 inches

Ya know they did make a VW Camper Van.

it is newer tho.

[Jon Cole]

[jedimastergary]

Nice I was wondering should the couch be where the back seat is or run along the side wall

I want make it from the older kit of the samba bus

[Aaronw]

Nice I was wondering should the couch be where the back seat is or run along the side wall

I want make it from the older kit of the samba bus

Are you trying to build a custom camper or a factory built camper?

If you are trying to build a factory camper they didn't have a full size couch / bench. The ones I've seen the back was beds, and the side had a counter / sink / fridge / stove, and a little breakfast nook / table. I've only seen 70s and newer camper conversions though, I'm not even sure they offered that in the 60s.

The standard seating in a bus was a full width bench in the back, and a 2/3 width removable bench in the middle. The rear bench of the 70s VWs could be folded down allowing the rear area to make a nice sleeping area.

I'm also quite sure the bus is less than 6 feet wide.

Edited April 15, 2010 by Aaronw

[jedimastergary]

My dad had a VW shop in the 1980's and I remember they worked on putting

a porsche engine in a bus that had been custom built into a camper by the

guy for shows. i am going to make it custom and add a surfboard or 2 to

it like the owner converted it to be a weekend surf rig/camper.

going to do it inside like a pimp my ride type with a fridge,sink,stove(?),and

cabinets with a fold out rv couch/bed and a TV.

[VW Dave]

I'd guesstimate the interior space of a splittie to be just under 6 feet....my '66 Deluxe Micro had a full-width middle seat, and I could lay right out on it with the cargo doors shut(I'm 5'8" on my tallest day).

I've never seen a camper based on a Samba Bus, but I suppose it is feasible; if you plan on adding a pop-up like Westfalia did, filling the skylight windows could be a pain; you'd almost be better off starting with the '67 panel bus kit in that case. However, many independent camper installers(like Sundial) would 'camperize' almost any Bus thay got their hands on.

I like to fall back on www.TheSamba.com for reference pics if I'm ever stumped, and here's a link to their gallery for '55-67 campers....there's over 1,000 pages of images for the campers alone :

TheSamba.Com gallery

And here's a nice lowered RHD Westy from the gallery:

[jedimastergary]

Thanks will check out the site I have a samba bus model

and was going to do it to be diffrent than others.

Just going to leave top alone might add a clear part to

the insert or spray it with smoke tint i have some

[Junkman]

There were no 'factory' campers, but there were factory approved camper conversions. The company who made most of these must be Westfalia.

Here is a website about an unrestored original one:

http://www.ev1.pair.com/VW/SO44_1.html

Edited April 16, 2010 by Junkman

[Art Anderson]

Are you trying to build a custom camper or a factory built camper?

If you are trying to build a factory camper they didn't have a full size couch / bench. The ones I've seen the back was beds, and the side had a counter / sink / fridge / stove, and a little breakfast nook / table. I've only seen 70s and newer camper conversions though, I'm not even sure they offered that in the 60s.

The standard seating in a bus was a full width bench in the back, and a 2/3 width removable bench in the middle. The rear bench of the 70s VWs could be folded down allowing the rear area to make a nice sleeping area.

The Westphalia camper version started in the 1950's, a variant of the Type 2 Transporter Samba Bus. As for width, the Samba is the same width basically, as the VW Beetle, having a 56" treadbase, so no, a 6' wide couch would not fit across the interior.

Art

I'm also quite sure the bus is less than 6 feet wide.

[CAL]

There were no 'factory' campers, but there were factory approved camper conversions. The company who made most of these must be Westfalia.

Here is a website about an unrestored original one:

http://www.ev1.pair.com/VW/SO44_1.html

Winabago did the later ones.

[Tony T]

There were a number of companies that converted VW Type 2s to campers, usually based on the Kombi (cargo van with some side windows, 3 per side). Sundial, EZ-Camper, and Westfalia were the most common (there were others), and I believe that Westfalia was the only company that was authorized by VW, as they were sold through VW dealerships (later versions, anyway).

I don't think any VW bus was 6 feet wide inside.

[jedimastergary]

Found out that the one I remember was converted with parts the guy

brought to the shop my dad owned and the seat was turned sideways

to make it fit and fold out it was in the early 1980's so I do not remember

much about it I was only about 6 years old. Think I am going to do it as

if I were building it if I had one