Camping out in your Z

[billcapp]

What's wrong with a motel?

[beezee]

GM had this option in the 70,s http://h-body.org/library/hbodyscans/1976_Chevrolet_Accessories/GEN0005.HTM

[Carl Beck]

Hello TomoHawk (everyone):

I realize that your original question had primarily to do with finding a way of sleeping in your Z. As someone else mentioned... to make that work, you would need to find a passenger seat that would not only fit in the first place, but fold forward at something close to the level of the rear deck area. Then you would have to craft a couple "hole fillers" perhaps from Styrofoam and then unroll perhaps a 1" thick foam pad over the top of all that. It could be done... Some of the mini-van passenger seats that fold forward might work..

As to the subject of Camping-Out while taking your Z on long road trips...

In 1975 I was working at the local Datsun/BMW Dealer here in Clearwater. As a sales incentive the Dealership offered a Car-Top-Camper to whoever sold the most cars during the Summer. Our Parts Department sold them at the time.

I won it. It fit on top of a Z.. and was actually pretty trick - although it was a bit thick and presented a pretty good additional drag on the car at speed. Today that could be solved with the addition of some "aero" device...

It looked and worked pretty much like this one:

<a href=http://www.autohomeus.com/products/overland.php TARGET=NEW> CarTop Camper</A>

This at least gives you a place to sleep, off the ground, with a tent over your head - and it only took a minute to set up. It mounts on the Z's drip rails, and they are plenty strong to support the tent and two people. The older style had a canvas cover over the unit when it was folded down, I see they are using a PVC cover..

The only problem is - this one isn't too cheap...

FWIW,

Carl B.

[Carl Beck]

Camping Out In America:

In 1971 I was stationed at Fairchild AFB outside Spokane, Washington. Originally, I had lived in Columbus, Ohio. So when it was time to take Leave... it was time to jump in the Z and head East to Ohio! Driving pretty much straight through - it was a 36 to 42 hour drive, depending on how much time was spent stopping to eat, get gas or to take a catnap.

About 20 or 25 hours out - I found myself becoming overwhelmed by the need to sleep. I was at that point out in the middle of no-where and it was around 3:00 AM. The night was clear and sky filled with brilliant stars - and a moon that light the highway ahead. You could turn off your headlights and see for miles and miles down the freeway. I was either well into North Dakota, or just into Minnesota at the time, I'm not sure which.....

So I started looking for the next freeway exit... and in that part of the Country freeway exits could be a hundred or more miles apart!! As I looked off to my Left I could see gently rolling farmland, most with bails of hay laying in the freshly cut fields. As I approached the next Exit.. I could see a road running off the highway crossing the freeway.. and back along the fields. So I thought this would be a good place to stop and take a short nap.

I exited the freeway, and then turned back down that little county road.. a 1/2 mile or so later, I pulled the Z off on the road... Took the sleeping bag out of the car, jumped the wire fence and walked out into the field. There were about 10 bails of hay grouped together, waiting for later pick-up (you farm boys will know what I mean)... It was a warm late Summer night, so I just spread the sleeping bag out on top of a couple of bails... and laid down on top. Last thing I remember was how impressed I was with the night sky... I guess it took me about three seconds to fall asleep.

As I awoke, noticing that the sun was in my face, I could hear a tractor running in the distance, and guys yelling at one another over the noise of the tractor... At that point I sat up, looked at my watch and it was about 10:00 AM !! I then realized that the ten or so bails of hay that had been there when I laid down - were now gone! Only the two bails I was laying on were left. Looking around, I realized that the all but the entire field was now cleared of hay bails!!!!!...

The tractor and people that I had heard, were way down by the freeway exit now... Once I was fully awake.. I rolled up the sleeping bag and headed for the car. Jumped the fence, loaded up... broke out the thermos for some hot coffee... and headed back up the county road toward the freeway..

As I passed my "Hosts" - I blew the horn and waved - they looked up from the tractor and the now all but full hay trailer - and all waved back...

It may have been in another time - and most certainly in a very special place in America... but the culture or values of the people in Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin... is the bedrock upon which America was built. Courtesy and freely extended kindness to a complete stranger... all without a word exchanged... nor any expectation of recognition or reward... Good people just being Good People.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[1 Bravo 6]

Carl,

GREAT story mate, makes you think there's hope for the human race.

In general terms, country people ARE friendlier than city types.

Your story brought to mind one of our camping trips.(BEFORE I saw the light and bought a caravan).

At the time we had a type 3 V.W. (Sedan, not fastback). Back in those days it was reasonably safe to pull off the road and set up camp. It was getting late in the afternoon and Barb suggested we turn onto a dirt road and find a spot to camp.

As we drove along I'd say, "How about there?". Barb would say "No, keep going, we'll find a better spot".

Now, ... this went on for quite some time. "How about there?". "No, keep going". The night was pitch black, not even a glimmer of moonlight when, in the car's headlights, we saw a cleared area beside the road. "This'll HAVE to do", she said. (Ever noticed how a woman can make it seem as though it's all your fault, just by the tone of voice?). So, with the car's engine running to keep the charge up to the battery, we set up the tent by the car's headlights, had a quick sandwich and a luke warm coffee, crawled into the tent and went off to sleep.

Now, it was only an orange, nylon, 2 man tent, (that's because there was only two of us Bill), so there wasn't a lot of room to move around in. According to my old memory, it was around 2 in the morning when we were rudely awakened by a loud, roaring noise and a VERY bright light which gave everything in the tent a horrible orange tint. The light was so bright I couldn't look at it. Through closed eyelids, I could see the light was getting brighter and the roaring was getting louder. Close encounters of the third kind ????????????????????????????????

Barb was scrabbling at the zipper to the tent flap while I was struggling to get out of my sleeping bag while entangled in Barb's 'cause she'd chucked it over me in her rush to get out of the tent.

Just when I thought the light couldn't get any brighter or the roaring any louder, the driver of the coal train gave a long blast on the whistle as the train roared past.

With the coming of the dawn, we discovered that our campsite was about ten feet from the train line.

That was the LAST TIME we went camping in a (ugghhh) tent. It was also the last time Barb suggested "There might be a better spot just around the corner".

Well, ......... for that trip anyway.

Rick.

:devious: :devious: