Olivier sent me this image of the original tag from his privy tent. A rough translation:
The "Foyer" Tent (1958? - 1965)
For detailed illustrations and setup instructions for these tents, click here.
I originally thought this was the earliest style of Westy tent, mainly because of this photo, which appeared in the FYI section of the September, 1986 issue of Hot VWs (p.26) in a
short article about the "oldest and best" Westfalia being sought at the time by the
Henry Ford Museum. I've since learned that it was available at the same time as the privy tent but was a separate option. Apparently (as suggested by the Crandalls) more of the privy style were bought, making this one rarer. Mine is the only one of its kind I've seen in person. It's yellow/grey, just like the common privy color (the Crandalls also report seeing these in red/white).
The Foyer tent is a one-piece affair made of heavy canvas, with a strip of vinyl along the bottom acting as a
reinforcement and splash guard. It fits over the side-door opening (it has a little gap for the leg of the roof
rack) as a sort of foyer or vestibule. It's big enough for two adults to stand inside, but little else, and was probably intended as a means of getting in and out of the camper in cold or wet weather.
(As you can see, the purpose of the hatch on early Westies was to provide a smoking porch.) The fabric (on mine) has yellow-orange and blue-gray vertical stripes, each
about four inches wide. The tent itself is about four feet wide by three feet deep, and inside headroom is well over six feet. A long white zipper runs up the middle of the front, while the back is open and contoured to fit the bus.
The frame consists of four metal poles which fit into pockets inside the top of the tent and lock together to form a square. Legs on two of the poles
fit into brackets which were bolted to the camper's roof. Two additional poles dogleg into the top frame and have small chain-hooks to hold the doors open. The lower ends of these poles fit into holes in the jack supports. Rubber grommets help protect the paint on the doors and the jack points. (Thanx to Steve Mighetto for correcting me on this setup and supplying these excellent photos.)
The lower edge of the tent is secured to the ground with about a dozen metal stakes. Each stake is about six inches long and is formed from hardened 1/4" rods with a loop at one end. On mine, two storage bags made of grey and blue canvas with leather straps are supplied for the tent and poles. ("Beach Blanket Bulli" dealer lit image ripped off from Olivier. I always did think it looked like a cabana.)
The Big Top (1965-67)
Check out the article on Ross Harmon's beautiful '67 Westfalia in
the February 1987 issue of Hot VWs (p. 52) for some great photos of this
beauty. It's the largest and most colorful of the Westfalia side tents, hence the
name I've given it. Although it still has no floor, it does have
screened windows, which I'm sure make it a much more comfortable tent on
humid nights.
The Big Top probably came along at the same time as the "caboose" poptop. The Crandalls say 1966, while I have a note from Jim Rolston saying 1965 (from his personal experience with a one-owner '65 westy).
The style continued up until the second-generation Type IIs were introduced. There's a great
improvement in this model over earlier ones: the tent is free-standing,
allowing you to leave your campsite relatively undisturbed while you take
the Campmobile into town for groceries or sightseeing.
Like the earlier tent, it has an internal frame and large, zippered flaps. A boot fastens
between the vehicle and tent for a weatherproof, bugproof connection.
The gigantic
screen windows have flaps on both the inside and outside, and the whole
tent is constructed of canvas in bright colors. The top is deep blue,
while the sides are yellow and the front flap has red, yellow, and blue
stripes. You can't help looking like a happy camper in this one!
Here are some more detailed shots from 1998's Bulli Brigade and Dade City Bug Jam (two excellent events, BTW).
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The reinforced beaded edge of this flap normally slides into a metal strip on the bus to effect a weathertight seal. Here the flap has been pushed back over the tent to get it out of the way. |
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You can easily see the zippered door that closes when the bus is away from the campsite, as well as the connecting flap shown above. |
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Interior shot shows how the zippered door can be rolled up and tied off when the bus is docked. Note the internal frame; the next design will hang from an exterior frame. |
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Here are two variations on the straps used to hold up the front door when it's rolled up -- ties vs. fasteners. One may be a kludge, or they're probably year variations. Collect the full set! |
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