The Vanagon History

Info taken from Wikepedia

The Vanagon was built to be the modern successor to the Microbus. The vehicle, unfortunately, was underpowered given its curb weight. Different versions of the Vanagon were produced in South Africa from 1990 until 2002 featured a 5-cylinder Audi engine which helped performance greatly. Installing engines from more powerful vehicles — including gasoline and turbo diesel inline-4 Volkswagens, Subarus, Audis, and even Porsches — is a solution pursued by some owners.
The predominant variant to the Transporter configuration, the Westfalia camper conversion, was available throughout the production of the Vanagon. This option was quite popular, and included an array of creature comforts for a family to enjoy on a weekend outing including a pop up roof, refrigerator, sink, and stove.

1980 to 1985 vans are easily identified by round headlights and chrome-plated steel bumpers with plastic end-caps. Air-cooled models (1980 to Mid-Year 1983) lack the lower grill above the radiator of the water cooled models, except on models with factory air conditioning installed.
1986 model year vehicles received several revisions, which included a more luxurious interior with a tachometer, more fabric choices, redesigned air conditioner, larger water cooled engine with a more advanced engine management system, and redesigned transmissions including an optional Syncro all wheel drive. Exterior changes to the Wolfsburg camper include rectangular headlights, which are probably the most notable change, and different paint options. Alloy wheels, larger and squarer plastic bumpers with trim along the rocker panels were options and standard equipment on Wolfsburg Edition vans.
For 1990 and 1991 model years a "Carat" trim level was available which included all available options (except Westfailia conversion).

All 1980 and some 1981 models had 8 welded-in metal slats covering the engine ventilation passages behind the rear windows. Later models had black plastic 16-slat covers that slotted in at the top and screwed down at the bottom.

History of the Vanagon

In April 1947, the Dutch VW broker, Ben Pon, drew a sketch of a transporter bus based on a VW beetle chassis.

Actual drawing, still inexistence, of Ben Pon'soriginal concept of the transporter bus.

The public got a first glimpse of the "Vanagon" in an article in a popular German car magazine, November 1978.The article heralded the introduction of the vanagon: The VW bus, built for over 25 years, and affectionately called ”Bulli“, (German for little bull) by the public, will be replaced this year by a modern successor. The modified and stylized mini-transporter will receive a newlydesigned body with stronger lines and more interior space. VW continues the proven concept of the rear-engine bus. Air-cooled and water-cooled engines will be offered, andmany different versions will be available.

The first vanagon left the Hannover factory in the spring of 1979. The new design included much improved passive safety.Crash tests helped with the design of crumple zones, which in thecase of a front or side impact, absorb energy. The driver and passenger are protected by an impact protection beam at knee height inside the front passenger compartment. Integrated in the doors are side impact beams.

Body reinforcements. Hidden from view, additional impact beam inside passenger compartment.
Handling has been much improved, and the vanagon is less side wind sensitive than its predecessor. The first engines: 1.6 liter 50 Hp, and a 2.0 liter 70 Hp, air-cooled.In the U.S., VW sold the mini-bus, multi-van, and campers. 1981, introduction of the 1.6 liter diesel, 50 hp.1982, introduction of the water boxer motor, with 60 and 78 hp.1985, VW considerably modifies the engines. Newly introduced, the 70 hp turbo-diesel and a 2.1 liter fuel-injected version 95 hp water boxer.

History the of VW Camper

Article taken from Volk West

The history of the Camper van really goes back to the end of the 2nd world war, and the British found themselves (right) running the VW factory in Wolfsberg in Germany. To ferry parts across the massive factory stripped down VW Beetles were turned into little transporters, (below) a good idea thought Ben Pon a Dutch VW importer who in 1947 sketched his idea of a Beetle based van. (below left) Two short years later it was launched at the Geneva Motor Show as the modern equivalent to the ox and cart.

They say most ideas are simple ones, the one behind the VW bus is as pure and simple as they come. It started life off as a box on wheels and what a big box, 170 cubic feet and enough room to hold a 15 hand horse. It was meanly simple and in the next 5 years VW would turn out 90 different body combinations from, refrigerated ice-cream vans, half a hundred delivery vans from mobile milking machines to bakers bread vans, scores of milk floats, florists, vetenary surgeons , beer wagons, butchers shops, mobile grocers. Then there were the police wagons, fire engines, ambulances, the pick ups and last was the vw camper van. The first big sale was in America , in the mid 50s with dinky sinks and cozy cookers it was the home from home. By 1963 America had purchased 150,000 of these vw camper vans. The splitty was replaced in 1967 by the bay window model and what the bay lost in personality it gained in refinements with having windup windows and a top speed of 80mph. The bay window made the VW a success and by 1975 the Hanover factory had turned out 4 Million of these vehicles. Not bad for a van that started life as a box on wheels.

A different choice of engine sizes were available from the 1600cc, 1700cc, 1800cc and 2000cc. VW had been giving away gold watches to anybody who got past the 100,000 mile mark, but had to stop when the bay window model arrived after giving away 160,000 watches, because it became more reliable. But in 1979 all that personality stopped be replaced by the wedge, the comfy camper became a bungalow on wheels (hope this does not offend any T25 owners). There are 5 Million of these vehicles made by VW so they must have done something right when they made the Camper Van.