The back hatch of the Vanagon does not include lights and we decided to solve that little problem. Whenever you open the hatch to get something out of the back it’s just too dark to see. I’ve stored flashlights and magnet lights back there for years, but we came up with a better solution. I purchased a couple of dome lights from Go Westy, and some LED interior lights from Van Cafe and we were ready to go. Click through to see how we did it.
The Vanagon lighter plug has always us because it was loose. Even after installing a new plug it still felt loose when you pulled out an accessory. Searching the Internet gave us few clues about how to solve this problem. Some people have tried adhesive, or clamps behind the dash, but none of the suggestions seemed right.
We finally found the fix, courtesy of our friend Joel. By removing the plug assembly and placing an O-ring around the outer green assembly, the problem is solved. The O-ring sits behind the dash and keeps the lighter plug in place. Ideally, the plug should have a threaded nut behind the dash instead of clips, but the O-ring is a nice substitute for the nut. Hit the jump for more the rest of the fix.
Everyone who owns a Vanagon should have the GoWesty Auxiliary Battery Kit installed. The kit allows you to have a second battery to run your lights, stereo, etc., while parked without draining your starting battery. We installed the kit with an Odyssey PC1200 battery (44ah) and it works quite well, but the battery is pricey ($250) and it only gave us 44Ah. Ken from Van Again has a brilliant hack for using the GoWesty Kit.
As you can see in the video above, Ken uses deep cycle wheelchair batteries in parallel along with the GoWesty kit. He is able to get more amp hours for the buck that way. There is room to add 4 batteries under the driver’s seat which gives you a total of 88Ah — double the GoWesty battery.
We have purchased several things from Van Again. Check out their website for accessories, and their Facebook page for more videos.
Here are the batteries used. You can buy them from Amazon and have them shipped right to you. I love this hack!
66 amp hours (or more) depending on how many you buy.
This isn’t really a hack, but a nice addition to the Vanagon. We have all sorts of lights in the van just in case we need them. We decided to mount a MagLite next to the driver’s seat for those emergency situations. We bought these mounting brackets and screwed it right in. It works very well!
People use Vanagons and Buses for all sorts of reasons, including food trucks. We have featured food trucks and lunch wagons in the past and here is another one. If you’re in the mood for crepes you can visit Delice Crepes in Haleiwa Hawaii. There are so many hacks on this bus that we won’t list them all. Instead, we will simply admire the view!
The bar has been raised for what is possible in a Westy. You thought you had custom cabinets in your Westy? Check out this gorgeous custom wood interior. They were designed and built for a Vanagon named Nacho and they look awesome! For more pictures about how they were designed and installed, check out the source link below.
I just installed the interior LED upgrade kit from Van Cafe and it is fantastic. These new LEDs use 90% less energy, but provide amazing light. The new bright white light is so much better than my old interior festoon bulbs, and I can clearly see the entire interior of my Vanagon during the day or night if the lights are on. Unfortunately my camera cannot adequately capture how great the improvement really is. The picture above doesn’t do it justice, but trust me, they are awesome!
The kit was easy to install and makes a big difference. The new bulbs are just slightly larger in some cases so you have to squeeze them in there. It’s really not a big deal at all and well worth it. I bought the kid for $30 and the improvement in the map light is almost worth the entire kit. I can finally see in my glove box! I would highly recommend this upgrade to every Vanagon owner. Your eyes and your battery will thank you.
If you’re looking for an upgrade kit you can get one from Van Cafe or GoWesty. I order from both companies on a regular basis and both are fantastic!
Anyone who owns a Vanagon knows the lighting situation isn’t ideal. I have a fluorescent light, but sometimes you need more discreet lighting options. Sylvania makes the DoT-it LED lights that are magnetic, and can be place almost anywhere.
I use these lights for indirect lighting when I’m in some kind of stealth situation. They provide enough light to get around, but cannot be seen from the outside of the van with my 5% tint. If I draw the drapes, there is no way anyone could see the light in the van, yet I can see perfectly well. Read the rest of this entry to see examples of how we use these lights.
Frank Grunthaler has created his own custom TDi instrument cluster. By combining elements from three Passat clusters, he came up with something much more complete than the standard Vanagon dash. If you’re a do it yourself guy, he has a website that outlines the steps he took to create the cluster. I wouldn’t call it a detailed “how to” instructional, but he spells out his process pretty well. Hit the link below for more pics and his story.
« Older Entries | Newer Entries »
