nipper Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Health issues aside, single after 8 years, i love weekend camping, past the backpacking years. Been doing alot of research, and i keep coming back to VW Westfelia. It will ever be me and a dog, or me and another and a dog. Lets put aside a sooby powered one for now. Ive ruled out the Deisel. I am leaning towards a waterboxer, though thats a price jump. The auto box while slow looks stupid silly in its simplicty, and everything I read doeasnt have anything bad to say about them, but has a few bad things to say about the manuals. Synchros are WAY out of my price range. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Dear Nipper, So, no more Convertible for you? Well, besides that there's a whole sub forum here @ USMB, regarding the Subaru Vanagon conversion, which is Here: ~► http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/forum/29-vanagon-conversion-discussion/ I bet that you might find a perfect one for you, for sale in your Area, in this site: ~► http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=55 Despite that I live in a country where Diesels are so abundant that even Corollas, Kias and other small sedans are sold in Diesel versions, I dislike Diesels, So I understand why you ruled 'em out. Good Luck! ... Kind Regards. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 Well this is (oh god please be was) a life threatening illness. i love car camping. icamethisclose to having a free A6 cabriolet for just transport costs but then it cracked it oil pan. Maybe a sign. I looked at camping trailers. Too single purpose. I started looking at Westy's, the 85-91 are tough. They look different. They have tons of storage. They are on a known platform easy parts. I would sell the Justy to aid in getting this. VW Vanagon D with a auto takes 18 seconds to get to 65, possibly longer. I dont want to do a conversion. I just want easy and cool camping for now. Camping 20 times a year is a challenge for tent and gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 For now looking for a runner as well, i have a killer disease, or not they still dont know. If not a project is good, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 I really, Really hope that you will be Healthy soon.. also that you'll find the Camping car of your dreams. Have you looked at the page on the second link I shared above? Kind Regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferox Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 I am guessing a Sambar camper is too small. I was set on a Westy for the longest time, but I finally went with a 2003 Chev Astro AWD (16-20 mpg). Since I live in hipsterville, Westys are kind of expensive here because everyone wants one. So that was a big factor for me...I don't like camping vehicles to be precious. I also insist on either 4WD or AWD, so another factor, and the Astro came with a factory rear lsd. Since the last Westy was built in '91, I figure some parts are going to get hard to find soon. The last Astro was built in 2005, so they are on their way to becoming old, but there are tons of them on the road and in the JYs still and they were built on the Chevy 3/4 ton truck platform so many of the Chevy truck parts swap over. However, the Astro is not a camper conversion, so it's a project. One other consideration for me was safety. The Westy just doesn't have much up front. I like the airbags and more substantial mass of the front of the Astro. Not trying to discourage you from the Westy, these are just some of the considerations I had before I purchased my van. I still really like Westys, but I doubt I will ever own one. A couple of my relatives have Roadtrek conversion vans (13-15 mpg). They are really nice, and as far as I can tell, they are the smallest RV that has a toilet. For that matter, you can buy any van you like and have it converted to a camper. I don't expect you to go for an Astro but if you want to look around, make sure you are looking at the 2003-2005 MYs. There were many desirable upgrades to the Astro/Safari line in 2003. http://www.coloradocampervan.com/Camper_Van/Chevrolet_Astro_Van_Conversion/chevrolet_astro_van_conversions.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 I researched it well, and only the Synchro stuff is getting hard to get. A gazzillion of these things are still around world wide and and parts are all affordable ( as opposed to the Justy where im collecting spares before they disappear ). The premium for the synchro is crazy. The Westy looks bright and airy on the inside. I didnt know Astro vans had conversions, but most conversion vans from that era I have seen do not feel cheerful inside. The T3 does decently in a crash test for it's day. And I can fix it in my driveway, which is key. I sort of like Aztecs but i doubt the camping package survives today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 Doing more research a "weekender" would be cheaper and suit me too. Hrmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now