I ran across this custom Vanagon restoration job by accident. This guy took an old Vanagon, created a custom high top, then dropped his own entertainment center. He has led lighting strips up top, with a TV, DVD player, and speakers mounted. The TV actually flips open to access storage above the cockpit. Click through to see the rest of the high top.
What do you do when you purchase a 1986 passenger Vanagon that does not include a table or rear facing seats? You head on up to Rhinelander Wisconsin to have your Dad fabricate a table and bench for you. That’s what this Vanagon owner did. His name is Alex and he runs a website called Bike Jerks. He says he had two options given my budget: buy a camper that was shaky mechanically, or buy a non camper that ran well. He chose the non-camper and immediately started pestering his father to make a table and a bench with storage space underneath. Click through to see another shot.
The center console is such a challenge for Vanagon owners because of the position of the shifter. It’s simply too close to the dash to get any meaningful console to fit. Here is an example of a DIY center console by some guy named Leon. Featured on Vanagonauts, this console provides lots of room for your food and drinks. This hack is especially interesting because the shifter had to be moved back about 8 inches to make it fit. Yikes! Click through for another pic.
We received this submission from someone who does not want to be identified by name. He has however, posted this inverter installation on The Samba. We considered a similar installation location for our van, but chose to use the space under the seat for storage, and a battery charger. Click through to see how this guy installed his inverter, and mounted a set of outlets behind the front seat.
What happens when Audi creates a special support vehicle for a race? This Vanagon is described as a “VW / Audi T25 Quattro Support vehicle, for the Paris Dakkar rally circa 1987.” The body kit incredibly interesting. The curved lines make the 1980’s Vanagon look modern, and it gives the stance a completely different look. The wheels are almost certainly Audi rims and along with the emblem make this vehicle an Audi-Vanagon.
Everyone knows the limitation of the Vanagon air conditioners. If you have A/C in your Vanagon, the vents are likely behind you, or over your head. There is (was?) an aftermarket solution called Dash Air for Vanagon that attempted to solve the issue. As you can see in the photo the kit moves your stereo over and places vents in the dashboard. Unfortunately, the kit is “out of stock” and we have no information if it even still exists. If you can afford it, Dash Air is an interesting solution. Click through to see the entire kit and get the price.
One of the accessories the Vanagon lacks is front seat cup holders. All Westy owners have had to figure out a way to hold cups while driving. Many of us purchase small consoles that contain cup holders, but others find ways to add front cup holders to the Vanagon. We have featured our cup holder solution in the past, and here is another creative solution. The Samba user, freesurf, posted pictures of his arm rest/cup holder/bunk bed step table. Click through to see another picture.
Some Vanagon owners use a BEHR Air Conditioning System to get cold air in the van. The Samba user, presslab, posted this picture of a vent that apparently came with his BEHR unit. It mounts right in the ash tray. You can see his A/C controls just below his stereo. Some users have to remove the stereo to put vents in its place. Click through to see an example.
We installed a backup camera in the Vanagon last year, but we had several issues. First of all, the camera was big and more fitting for a large bus. We could not find a spot to mount it easily because the cable was too large. We mounted it under the bumper but the aspect left a lot to be desired. The camera stopped working all of a sudden, so we decided to replace it. This time, we went with a simple license plate backup camera. The installation was fairly straight forward, and the picture looks amazingly good. Click through to see how we did it.
The Syncromobil is a 1989 Swedish Doka (Vanagon Truck) that has been converted into very nice camper that includes a shower. Samba user volkmar posted pics of his creation. This rugged camper can go just about anywhere and keep you self contained. The camping quarters are not roomy, but include a toilet, shower, table, and cooking facilities. Click through to see just how he did it.
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