Great VW Bus/Camper Cover

Unless you have a garage or carport you’ll probably be parking your bus outside. It’s sad to watch the elements wear down all your hard work to keep the old van in good condition for next season. Water and debris traps, like the gutters or luggage rack, are some of the worst. Enter the Deluxe Bus & Vanagon Cover which appears to originate from Just Kampers in the U.K. I love mine so much I bought a second for my project bus. Dirt seems to fall right off the material, and as it advertises, it breathes so you won’t get any moisture build up on your paint or inside the vehicle. The zippers for the side doors are truly useful, I often pop into the van to start it up or simply recover from winter Type II withdrawal. No sticky tree sap, bird droppings or dust, my Westfalia looks just like it did after I washed and covered it in the fall. I got mine at the BusDepot.

LEGO introduces VW Camper Kit

How can you not love LEGO, or for that matter a VW bus. In this case the legendary toy maker has come up with a very accurate representation of a 1962 split window VW camper. With over 1300 pieces I imagine this would take a while to construct, after that you’d probably never want to take it apart again. Check out this official LEGO video featuring the toy van’s designer John-Henry Harris.

1977 VW Bus Drive By & Walk Around

If you’re like me, it’s tough to grasp the full experience of a VW bus if you’re always behind the wheel. I guess that’s why splittie and bay window drivers  always wave at one another. This 1977 Volkswagen transporter is now sold, nice to see the full drive by. Thank you Sunset Classics. Nice paint job.

UPDATE: The van was sold on eBay for U.S. $18,000.

Country Homes Campers California

Country Homes Camper - VW Cross Section

It was too good to be true, Country Homes Campers in California stopped doing van conversions years ago, but they still maintain their website for posterity and parts supply. What really impresses me is the frugal and sensible layout of their VW campers. They’re most like the old Riveria conversions from Oregon. Here’s a cross section look at the layout, with closet/sink/fridge tucked up behind the drivers seat where it won’t block the view. The ’70s style flip up table, and three full seats at the rear which also makes for a bigger bed.

You can tell someone really put a lot of time into this design, taking the best and simplest ideas from past decades.They also converted Ford Aerostar vans and VW Eurovans. Here’s a shot of their Aerostar sink/fridge set up with table. This is great design, located away from the sliding door making for easy entry/exit and cargo hauling.

Here are some other shots of a 1985 conversion recently for sale.

’63 VW Bus Sells for $198,000!

Hold on to your wallet as you watch this video taken at the famous Barrett-Jackson auction in the U.S. It might make you feel better about all the money you’ve put into that old bus of yours. This 1963 Volkswagen bus is arguably better than new, and at this price (USD $198,000) you probably wouldn’t even want to drive it outside. I’m told that for some people who attend these high bidding events, money is certainly no object.

A '63 VW bus fetches $198,000 at auction

Volkswagen Van TV Commercial – Spanish 1990

I’m reasonably sure this 1990 VW bus commercial is from Mexico where they started with water cooled Kombis much earlier than Brazil.  Brazil  is the only place in the world where they’re still made.  Whether you’re transporting ballerinas or businessmen there’s a lot of room in a Volkswagen van.

Diesel Heater Mod for VW Bus

If you live somewhere cold heating your air cooled Volkswagen van can be a problem. This Youtube video comes from Canada and shows the clever installation of a Mikuni diesel heater.  The great thing about this heater is that it vents exhaust outside unlike, for example, a Coleman Sportcat heater which is not for use when the vehicle is moving.  Also, the Coleman camping heaters generate a lot of moisture and use up oxygen, instructions recommend proper ventilation. The Mikuni requires it’s own fuel and the performance looks amazing pumping out a lot of heat, maybe there could be a control vent that would aim some of it at the engine compartment before starting the engine on a snowy day. 

Footnote:  below is a warning from the Coleman Sportcat heater manual.  Great little units, perhaps best suited to tent use.

COLEMAN SPORTCAT HEATER WARNING

VW Replica Camper with Pop top Roof

From Japan, I believe this is a Subaru Sambar van dolled up to be a mini VW replica camper.  Although unusual, I know the Sambars are done up new as campers in Japan for somewhere between 25 to 30 thousand dollars without the VW customization.  I saw one at a Tokyo RV show a few years back. This faux Volkswagen treatment seems appropriate as the vehicle design was obviously inspired by VW years ago.  I love the deluxe style rear bumper and the pop top which actually has a bed you can lie down on.

VW TV Spotlights Terry’s Yellow Westfalia

Terry loves her Volkswagens, she has four of them, however the real attention grabber is her 1976 camper. Most everything fits the yellow color pallet, even her dress, but I think she should get a set of 70′s Butterfly Gold dishes to complete the look. This video is from VW TV which is another great site to soak up VW culture.

VW Bus Erupts Into Flames – Fuel Line Safety

This is a sad and graphic example of a Volkswagen van with a fuel leak which took place on the morning of February 4th, 2011.  The lone driver, who escaped the vehicle safely, had been alerted by B.C. Ferries staff about a fuel leak while en-route to Vancouver Island in Canada’s westernmost province of British Columbia.  He was only going a  few more miles to have the van serviced in the small town of Sidney, but the unlucky Westfalia never made it.  Check your fuel lines, check them again and be acutely aware of any unnecessary gas smell.  If you’re restoring a van the first thing you should do is replace the fuel lines, even before you start it up you should make sure everything is safe and in order.  This short video is not fun to watch, but it is a good warning.