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Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:54 pm

So I have heard this term and I have heard mine called this but......
Mine simply seems to be a 1987 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Edition. I have a table and two jump seats as well as a back seat that turns into a bed. But thats it. So what is it?
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Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:57 pm

the weekender is condsidered a van with a pop top, a rear closet, but no stove or fridge. people seem to like these because there is more room than a full westy, but still has the poptop. yours technically isnt a weekender, its a wolfsburg, unless it has a poptop. they did make wolfsburg weekenders. a wolfsburg, or carat, has the rear facing jumpseats, the driver sider flip up table, and the rear "rock n roll" bed.
hope that helps some.

Sun Aug 17, 2008 7:01 pm

I have an 85 weekender. I have also asked the question what is a weekender and get different responces. My wolfs weekender has

-pop top
-fridge
-one jump seat
-full back bench
-linen colest
-table between jump seat and bench

Sun Aug 17, 2008 7:01 pm

freshintulsa wrote: the weekender is condsidered a van with a pop top, a rear closet, but no stove or fridge. people seem to like these because there is more room than a full westy, but still has the poptop. yours technically isnt a weekender, its a wolfsburg, unless it has a poptop. they did make wolfsburg weekenders. a wolfsburg, or carat, has the rear facing jumpseats, the driver sider flip up table, and the rear "rock n roll" bed.
hope that helps some.
It does. Gustav is a Carat not a weekender. :D

Sun Aug 17, 2008 7:02 pm

vanagon john wrote: I have an 85 weekender. I have also asked the question what is a weekender and get different responces. My wolfs weekender has

-pop top
-frig
-one jump seat
-full back bench
-linen colest
-table between jump seat and bench
I have a jump seat and table. No pop top or closets.

Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:45 pm

freshintulsa wrote: the weekender is condsidered a van with a pop top, a rear closet, but no stove or fridge.

I have a westy syncro wolfsberg weekender that came with a removable Dometic fridge, or what I would call a plug-in cooler, located behind the front passenger seat although I took it out a long time ago. So it came with one rear facing jumpseat behind the driver seat.

What mine doesn't have is the stove or sink.

Sun Aug 17, 2008 9:02 pm

I have the 87 Wolfberg Vanagon the same as you and looking at regular Westfalia's around cannot see any difference inside and out. I t would be interesting to find out what we have????????

Sun Aug 17, 2008 9:04 pm

The term weekender has gotten applied to any number of Vanagons shy of the full Westfalia camper furnishings. And that's fine because it is a good description of all these partial campers.

However, the truth is, a true Vanagon "weekender" is just a Vanagon GL equipped with a rear seat that folds into a bed. VW introduced the Weekender Package on the 1984 Vanagon Wolfsburg Edition and then it became optional on GL models in 1985. In the final years of the GL it was standard.

The other vans that people have started calling "weekenders"

1985-1987 Westfalia base model camper

1987-1991 Vanagon Wolfsburg Edition/Carat

1990-1991 Multivan

David

Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:37 pm

Taken from Wikipedia (for what its worth). Among other things, this discription omits the Multivan model, which (per David above) is the Westy-lite described here as a Westy Weekender. Actually, the more I read the wikipedia entry, the more I see wrong with it. Any Wikipedia editors want to clean it up?

There were several Vanagon models available in the US. Early models included:

Vanagon, which featured vinyl seats and a very spartan interior.
Vanagon L, which had optional cloth seats, more upscale interior panels and an optional dashboard blower.
Vanagon GL, which had the nicest amenities (mentioned above).
There were also Westfalia pop-top Camper Vanagons, with an integrated kitchen and bedding. Westfalia campers came in two variants, the standard model and the 'Weekender,' which lacked the propane stove, sink, and Dometic refrigerator of the full 'camper' versions. A removable cabinet with a 12v. cooler and a self-contained sink was an option for a Weekender.

Wolfsburg Edition "Weekender" models had two rear facing seats behind the front seats in place of a centre bench seat and a table that popped up from out of the wall. There also existed "Multivan" models, which had the Wolfsburg Edition trim and interior with rear-facing seats, but the Westfalia pop-top. All Wolfsburg Edition and camper van vehicles were specially converted for Volkswagen by the Westfalia factory, and it si these campers and converted vehciles that are still so desirable today, due to their udoubted design and build quality.

There were four wheel drive Vanagons that were branded by Volkswagen as "Syncro." This full-time four-wheel drivetrain should not be confused with the system that was used in Volkswagen Quantum station wagons. The Quantum Syncro wagons had a system identical to that of an Audi 4000 Quattro. The manual transmissions in the Vanagon Syncro had an extra-low-ratio 'G' or 'Gelande gear' for slow off-road use, thus giving the appearance of a 5-speed transmission (Gelande = countryside). 'G', 1st and 2nd are often used off-road.

Top-of-the-line Wolfsburg Edition Westfalia Campers, which had all options, were at the top of the price range. Syncro-equipped examples in exceptional condition can command up to $80,000 USD today.

In addition to the camper models, a Carat trim level was available for 1990 and 1991 model years. This model included all options available for the transporter configuration.

Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:27 am

I've read that the Z-Bed was called the "Weekender" package.

Vanagon.com wrote: Weekender package (rear seats folds into bed, cushion over engine)-------- $265

Both my '85 GL and my 87.5 Wolfsburg have a Z-Bed. I would never call them "Weekenders."
"Overnighters" at best.... :D

Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:53 am

I think we can almost all agree a true weekender must have a pop top.

Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:25 am

meyervw wrote: I think we can almost all agree a true weekender must have a pop top.

And all true Westfalias must have stove/sink?

How do we feel about that?

Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:36 am

McVanagon wrote: meyervw wrote: I think we can almost all agree a true weekender must have a pop top.

And all true Westfalias must have stove/sink?

How do we feel about that?

I don't know about that one. I had a camper but wanted the extra seats and looked far and wide for over a year before finding an acceptable Multivan. It still says 'Westfalia' on both the poptop and the badge on the seat. I wouldn't call it a Camper though - despite the fact I go camping in it all the time - I just prefer a prefer a coleman stove and a cooler. In my mind it's the maker of the poptop that makes it a westy - the other stuff is just a further subdivision.

Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:44 am

McVanagon wrote: meyervw wrote: I think we can almost all agree a true weekender must have a pop top.

And all true Westfalias must have stove/sink?

How do we feel about that?

I think that it works for the "weekenders", however I also think that the "weekenders" are Westfalia's since that is who modified them and put the pop-top on them. I think that Westfalia Campers must have the sink/stove. As far as I'm concerned there are Westfalia Weekenders, and Westfalia Campers.

Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:41 am

A Westfalia Weekender is a Vanagon or an Eurovan, fitted with a poptop and a basic camping outfit, consisting mainly of a full width folding bed and a simple fridge unit and extra seat.

A Westfalia Camper is a Vanagon or Eurovan fitted with the very same poptop, but with a full camping unit, folding bed, sink/stove, fridge, water tanks, more battery power and (not always) stationary heater. No extra seats by the way.

A Westfalia full camper based on the Eurovan is commonly called a Westfalia California in Europa (never imported to the US).

Any Vanagon fitted with a poptop and a folding bed is not always a genuine Westfalia, only the one with the usual lettering on the poptop and some Westfalia ID tags on the cabinets can be called Westfalias

Mon Aug 18, 2008 12:45 pm

Ok so what is the difference between a regular Vanagon, an L and a GL?

Some Westys that are not marked GL or L actually do have the dashboard blower.

Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:43 pm

Zanza wrote: only the one with the usual lettering on the poptop and some Westfalia ID tags on the cabinets can be called Westfalias

Mine has the ID tags on the front side of the rear bench near the sliding door. Anyone can buy the westy lettering and put it on the poptop

Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:02 pm

vanagon john wrote: Zanza wrote: only the one with the usual lettering on the poptop and some Westfalia ID tags on the cabinets can be called Westfalias

Mine has the ID tags on the front side of the rear bench near the sliding door. Anyone can buy the westy lettering and put it on the poptop

well, they could do that I suppose, but aren't the westy poptops pretty unique in and of themselves? It's a wacky vw world out there and hardly a month goes by before I see something I've never seen before, but all the poptops I've see that are not westfalias look pretty different.

Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:18 pm

Of course they are unique and recognizable even without their lettering as are the Westfalia cabinets and enclosure.

You can even put a whole Westfalia outfit and a poptop on a "basic" VW van and name it a Westfalia (but perhaps the ID tag sticker located near the dashboard will be missing...)

Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:35 pm

So we should be able to punch in the VIN and it SHOULD tell us what we have. It doesn't matter if its modified but what it was as it left the factory. I have this with BMW but I do not know anybody at VW that can do this. Anybody try this at the dealer?