I noticed oil spots in my parking space one day and was worried that I had a serious problem. I was told by one mechanic that my oil pump was leaking and needed to be replaced. Several automotive friends of mine told me not to worry because “Vanagons leak oil.” I couldn’t figure out why a car would simply leak oil for no reason, and that mechanics would not be worried about it, or offer a fix.

As it turns out they were all wrong. Oil was leaking through the drain plug, but it didn’t have to. After weeks of relying on other opinions I finally found a guy who had a suggestion. He said, “use a fiber washer.” We changed the oil and used a fiber gasket instead of a plastic or metal washer, and the oil leak is gone. I have no spots in my parking space and it’s been over a year. Problem solved.

Vanagon owners find all kinds of ways to create storage areas on the Vanagon. As you can see, this owner mounted a toolbox on the front bumper. This provides lots of room for tools that are out of the way until you need it. This will put some weight up front, but the Vanagon should be able to handle it.

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This 1984 VW truck looks like it started as a Vanagon. The middle of the van has been removed with the rear vent pushed up against the front. The rear of the Vanagon has been removed to turn this into a truck of sorts. The seller is seeking $4800 for this unique vehicle.

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This Syncro panel van looks plain, but has a lot going on. For starters, it has a lift kit installed and it looks great. The 16″ wheels and tires give it a solid ride. The owner says no expense has been spared and this one looks to be a full restore. I like the South African grill and the rear tire mount with extra fuel. Click through for more.

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This is a nice homemade Vanagon center console with cup holders and storage. If you want the job done right do it yourself. You can see how this Vanagon owner planned out the build and made it happen by visiting Vanagon Geek.

What if you could get your sliding windows to open further back in the vanagon? This hack comes courtesy of The Samba user mzalac from Waikiki who reversed his sliding windows. There isn’t much to say about this hack other than, awesome!

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If you’re looking for privacy while camping, check out this custom front screen wrap. GoWesty sells something similar, but these custom covers come from the UK. The best part is, they are black! You can find them at UKCustomCovers.com. While you are there, check out the van they use to show off the wrap. Those wheels just complete the package.

This van looks fairly stock except for the nice Porsche wheels, but it hides a very nice camper interior. She has what appears to be a cooktop / sink combo on top of a small cabinet. Of course it also features a pull out bed and swiveling Ricaro seats. Check it out.

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How’s this for a gorgeous VW Doka T3 camper? The camper says “Road Ranger” on it, but it looks homemade. This camper is very well put together and has a unique look. Everything matches, and the whitewall tires on the classic wheels add a lot to its beauty. I like the semi-truck side view mirrors too!

The camper has a lot of windows and a roof rack for luggage. Great job!

This Vanagon owner did some work on his cluster. He added trim rings to the speedometer and tach and added blue LED backlighting. What a nice upgrade to the dash! Click through for a demo video of his installation.

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