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Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:53 am

Hi all,

I have recently started getting very interested in getting a VW bus and as such this is my first post. If I buy a bus I am planning on using it for long term road tripping with my wife.

I have looked at lots of different pictures and there seems to be all kinds of different variants of VW buses - I can't tell if some are stock or modded extensively. What I think would suit me best would be a split window (love the look and hence posting in here in the split window forum) with one pair of side doors (in addition to the driver/passenger doors). This is a 'barn door' I think? Would be a bit easier to have a bit of internal privacy with this vs a double door or the multi window ones I would think. Easy so far I am sure.

Is there one of those 'barn doors' as described above with the sunroof I see in the multi window ones (21 and 23s)? I would think it would be great to then have roof racks on either side which would then also serve as holders/support for a small awning (saw this on one bus picture). Is that a combo standard for a split window? Would I be a really bad non purist VW guy if I wanted to cut myself one anyway? I am more about functionality than having a pristine all original restoration I am a bit embarrassed to say. I also saw a picture of one with what I believe was called a 'submarine port' - this wouldn't be quite as nice as the sunroof but would add some airflow as well as light. Is that a fairly easy combo to find with a split window?

I am also wondering about how realistic my expectations for what I can get fitted into one of these. I figure I will need to do an extensive refit/modification of anything I get - especially in the interior. I gather a fridge and sink is pretty straightforward? What about cookers? Do people use small 2 burner stoves? What powers them, propane? I figure at worst here I would also want to just have a small stainless steel barbeque to use with a propane tank loaded up on top of the roof providing the fuel.

Heaters will be easy - of course the effectiveness may be a bit hit and miss I gather. Given I figure we would go to warm places, how hard/realistic is it to want to aid a small air con?

How easy is it to get enough power? I am thinking here in terms of internal lighting + powering/charging a notebook computer/mobile phone + a lcd display of some form + a couple internal mounted small speakers for some decent stereo sound. Is this a realistic expectation? Can you just 'double up' on a battery system in order to ensure having enough power?

Thanks for any advice and thoughts.

Regards,

Scott

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:14 am

Scott F wrote:
I have looked at lots of different pictures and there seems to be all kinds of different variants of VW buses - I can't tell if some are stock or modded extensively. What I think would suit me best would be a split window (love the look and hence posting in here in the split window forum) with one pair of side doors (in addition to the driver/passenger doors). This is a 'barn door' I think?
Scott

From the samba dictionary:

Barndoor - Any Bus produced through February, 1955. The term Barndoor is credited to Jeff Walters and is in reference to the large decklid found on those vehicles. Barndoor Type 2's can also be recognized by the lack of an overhead fresh air vent over the windshield, 16 inch rims, the lack of full dash on non-deluxe models, non-opening rear window hatch (a few exceptions); not to mention miscellaneous switches, latches, seats and body panels that are unique to the Barndoor bus and no other. The term is often mistakenly used to refer to the 2 cargo doors on the side of a Bus.

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:17 am

well, that's not really a barndoor. a barndoor bus has a massive engine bay lid, and they were only made until march of 1955.

What you're looking for is a panelvan with a sunroof.

heaters are standard with buses. you could easily buy a camper interior and bolt it in. The propane tank would got under the stove in a cabinet or such, at least in the marketed camper interiors.

With a panel, double doors (meaning cargo doors on both sides) are equally as private as single-sided doors. Since panels have no windows.

However, if you buy a camper, they typically only have windows in the doors, and you can put up curtains, and come with a ready-made interior.

So, I suggest simply buying a camper, I think it'd satisfy all of your needs.

Also, you could add an extra battery and setup for a power outlet to charge a computer, tv, etc.

Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:26 am

Campers also usually have sunroofs. well, not really, but they often have pop-up portions of the roof that allow more air and light in.

Check out this bus:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=613749

more expensive than you'd like, I'm sure, but shows what a camper interior typically looks like. as you see, it has almost everything you described.

a bay camper interior would often have a stove. you could buy a bay's interior and install in your bus if you wanted.

Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:05 am

This page will help you identify the various bus models...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/

Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:38 am

It's kind of confusing, isn't it? There were so many options. Of course, that is one of the cool things about buses.
While it's nice to have a dream list of the ideal bus, if you want to find a decent bus to go camping in, it might be better to not so so specific.

Ie, cargo doors one side works fine. (These are not barndoors, ) This widens the options loads.
Sunroof buses tend to be more expensive and rustier. You may want to get a pop-top instead.
Poptop also have bug screens. :P
Hacking in a sunroof is probably not going to end well. I wouldn't do it.
The flip tops are nice. those are on the earlier westys. But the buses are old and the wood around them is rotted ~95% of the time. (I have a couple with a need to fix that) Oh ya, early westys are very cool.
I personally like the hard top campers, as I like roof racks. But the sturdy HWE rack interferes with the westy tent, so I have an unresolved issue there.
There are a variety of campers... both Westfalia (official sold through the dealerships) and other kits. look in the FAQ sticky for the id the camper thread to see a wide variety. What set up works for you? Many people find an SO-42 very practical, and it is a well buildt camper kit. They made between 13K and 14K of them, and there are still lots around.

I use a two burner camping stove while camping.
I use a cooler (the kind you put ice in)
I love the westy tents. they are awesome for shade and privacy. There are other styles as well.

I really like the eberspacher heater in the '56 westy. toasty! (until below about 0 F, but the bus has drafts)

Air conditioning has been done. But not often.

Some peopel do run dual battteries with isolators for extensive electrical use while camping. If they need to run a fridge and power cell phones and laptops and 12V blender and 12V expresso maker and stereo and lights etc. But I've managed without that (but I don't have a lot of electrical accessories)

I recommend
1) looking through the gallery. Particularly of pics of shows/ campiouts.
2) going to a VW show and checking out the bsues and talking to people.
3) You could even go to a campout! even if you just drive a non vw and take a tent. Do a survey of what are good points and bad points.

Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:19 pm

If you keep your expectations simple then you will be fine. My wife and I enjoy camping in our bus and don't miss the electrical plug ins, pop top, electric fridge, tv, laptop, etc., etc. We have a propane stove and grill and an icebox. We just set up our stove and grill outside on a table. On longer trips we bring a Coleman cooler, as the icebox only lasts about 3 days with a bag of ice.

If we don't have it with us, we figure we didn't need it anyway. :) Take a look in my gallery for camping pics. Good luck in your search.

Arthur

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:00 am

Some good info, thanks!

Looks like a barndoor isn't what I was thinking of - more a panelvan with a few windows (rather than a huge number of them) along with a sunroof.

I have seen shots of sunroofs with a rollback cloth cover - are these huge reliability problems in the making? If I didn't know better, there is no glass under the cloth? That doesn't seem right but I haven't seen a picture showing a cloth cover over a glass window yet.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:40 am

Scott F wrote: I have seen shots of ...

Have you been browsing the gallery? :?

There's pictures of absolutely EVERYTHING!!! Stock, common, unique and hacked! 8)

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:52 am

I may have seen a hacked but the 'panel vans' generally have no windows other than back/front/driver/passenger.

If I could call for ideal windows, it would definitely be a hack of back/front/driver/passenger/sunroof/one on each of single side door entries. That I haven't seen.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:15 pm

glass sunroof, excellent idea! 60 years too late pity.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:47 pm

Hmmm, I have seen pictures of 6 foot long expanses of glass so I gather that is aftermarket then? So originals only had what looks like a tarp covering the opening when they were made?

Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:54 pm

There were none with glass roofs.
If you want a fully custom bus and don't care about destoying its value, start with a panel and cut what you want. You won't get the sunroof though. A sunroof bus (they were all slide-back cloth roofs) has a different roof assembly. You need to start with a sunroof bus. There were some sunroof buses without all the additional windows down the side of the roof, but they were rare and if you hack one of those, I will form a posse to locate you and take the bus away.

So, if you're dead set on a sunroof bus, then I would find a deluxe sunroof bus that was missing its interior, and install a custom interior which meets your needs. This will be costly, as these buses are highly sought after.

I think you would be happiest with a camper conversion from one of the companies that converted buses in the 60s. There is a thread in the FAQ which explains the differences of all these campers. Read that.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:19 pm

Cool, I will go take a look!

I didn't know that the glass roof wasn't standard so forgive me on that one. It makes me wonder what made it not happen back then as it seems very logical - probably difficult and expensive to fabricate that large of a piece of glass back then? Thats a sideline discussion anyway.

I am just thinking about rain days and being stuck in a van with minimal incoming light and seeing either me or the wife staring in a scene from The Shining :) :agrue: Hence looks like a Kombi version is a better route than a pure panel version with a good system to block out that light during the morning when someone wants to sleep in.

So the good thing is there must be something to suit. Its just a matter of finding a solid bus, swapping out all the interior for a nicely done new one and dropping in a new 1600cc engine, upgrading all the electrics and hitting the road!

Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:21 pm

Here's Kennys' factory sunroof standard for sale. I suppose you could stuff a camper kit in there but then you'd suffer the wrath of Major Woody and his posse :twisted:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=650466

Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:49 pm

Scott F wrote: ...... a good system to block out that light during the morning when someone wants to sleep in.

I think they call those curtains. :wink:

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:07 pm

Scott F wrote: Cool, I will go take a look!

I didn't know that the glass roof wasn't standard so forgive me on that one. It makes me wonder what made it not happen back then as it seems very logical - probably difficult and expensive to fabricate that large of a piece of glass back then? Thats a sideline discussion anyway.

I am just thinking about rain days and being stuck in a van with minimal incoming light and seeing either me or the wife staring in a scene from The Shining :) :agrue: Hence looks like a Kombi version is a better route than a pure panel version with a good system to block out that light during the morning when someone wants to sleep in.

So the good thing is there must be something to suit. Its just a matter of finding a solid bus, swapping out all the interior for a nicely done new one and dropping in a new 1600cc engine, upgrading all the electrics and hitting the road! I think you're oversimplifying a bit, but I think you're on the right track and I do think either a kombi or an old camper conversion with a pop-up roof is the way to go for camping.

The curtains will do fine, and as Clara said, the Hehr louvered windows with screens are very nice.

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:08 pm

you probably want a combi camper, theres a bunch with most of the stuff u want

Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:34 pm

Hehe, yup, that is a beautiful bus...which would be really sweet with a camp setup in it :oops: I love the safari windows and that huge opening is just gorgeous. I can see thought the opening could be a downside though in terms of bugs and I can only imagine that it is prone to leaking.

The ideal I would envision would be something like that with a glass insert, slotted/tilt opening side windows and yea, fold down bed for two with a fridge/stove and lcd/bookshelf speakers. Sorry, I am not a bus purist, I am a 'practicalist' :) I like this one too - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=647216 but again, with bed/fridge/stove which probably gets the posse on me he he. I gather camper kits just weren't put in these types of buses.

Something like this though looks probably about the best fit - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=635893 - but there are not a lot of them kicking around I don't think. I even like the color of this one!

Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:36 am

From what you are saying it sounds like you would ultimately be happier with a post-67 camper bus.