There is really no excuse for this. The Vanagon windshield washer bottle is located beneath the driver side pedal area in a triangular space between […]
DIY Cabinetry
I thought about this for a while. The choices were many. Purchase a set of Westy cabinets from a european source. Very expensive, lengthy lead […]
Shore Power
One of the scariest actions you can contemplate on a perfectly good bus, is to cut the body. Whether it is for a sunroof or […]
Wheel Enhancement
The black wheels were new, but looked like they needed something to finish them. After looking at trim rings and VW hubcaps, I came across […]
Cool and Quiet
The floor of the bus is corrugated, so in order to put down a floor, the valleys need to be addressed. In this case, some […]
Cooling the caBin part 2
With the windows tinted, the next step was the interior insulation. First was the walls and sliding door. After a lot of research I decided […]
Cooling the cabin part 1
The easiest summer cooling mechanism is to reduce the impact of the magnifying glasses called windows, that surround the Vanagon. A local tint specialist did […]
Roof Storage
A combination of craigslist finds, a little fabrication, and an amazon deal provided a Yakima roof rack (actually 2 of them) and storage box for […]
Pressure Points
The various alerts produced by the monitoring systems continue to be at once effective and intrusive. In this case, an early morning ride resulted in […]
Wagen Trail
A relatively nearby event provided a good reason to get the Bus out for some exercise. A nice cool morning made the early run to […]
Eureka!
Finally, after years of work-related cancellations and botched logistics, I make it to the BMW 2002 Mid America event. It is held each year in […]
Sanding Begins
The first step in the process is getting some sanding done. Here are the very beginning stages…
A Hazardous Switch
There is something about the German approach to turn signals and hazard lights in the sixties and seventies that is worthy of study. Our 66 […]
The House Battery
The Westy is equipped with a second battery used to power accessories appliances and other items inside the bus. in preparation for the maiden camping […]
Center Console Removal
It is the plans to make quick bursts of progress that most often go astray. An hour to get something knocked out in the garage. […]
The Drain
The Westy has a suspect starting battery. It seems to absorb a charge, but then rapidly falls in voltage over a few days. A test […]
Break In Miles
A business trip allowed for completion of the 1000km needed for break-in. There were many discoveries along the way. The engine is magnificent and reminiscent […]
A Barrage of Firsts
A first year of a new model Following spy shots and pre-production information A deposit before even seeing one in person An hour sitting on […]