TheSamba.com :: View topic - Coachbuilt campers on Vanagon platform (Karmann Gipsy et al)

Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:46 pm

I decided to start a thread on coachbuilt camper conversions on the Vanagon platorm, like:

(edited)
- Karman Gipsy
- Tischer
- Kranish
- Foster and Day from the UK
- and some homebuilt ones.

I find them very interesting!! Some are nice, some are weird looking, but their interior is very practical. I know its not everyones cup of tea, but my wife and daughter really appreciate the bathroom/shower... My son and myself, its less "critical"...

Please post pictures here of what you find, exterior pictures, interior pictures, how they are built and all. Links are appreciated too, but over time their website closes and then all info is lost. I read many older threads and their links don't work anymore.

Karmann Gipsy (Karl Mulendores ex) I know there is more interior picks, but I'm so slow downloading them, I need Help:

Here is one fine example from Bernd Jaeger. This is his personal expedition syncro:

I got these pictures from news letters that I received from Bernd Jager:
http://www.syncro-bernd-jaeger.de/ENGLISH/home.html

I did ask him more info about its building stages, but all I got is that there will be more in his web site... waiting for two years... He is a busy man building amazing syncros like here:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=534722&highlight=bernd+jaeger
There is probably a german website with more info on it?

Thanks everyone!!!!

Sun Nov 25, 2012 7:12 am

If you want to see the ultimate beast of a VW...Google "VW LT distance wide"

Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:48 am

found this at Brickyard

LT Distance Wide

Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:05 am

I have tons of photos of Gipsy/Cheetah models, if you'd like to have them. One of the biggest problems with all of the coachbuilts is rot - all have wood frames and all leak eventually when exposed to heavy rains. This applies to all of them, including the larger LT-based models. Mine had a lot of rot (the new owner discovered more than I had expected) and required many hours to rebuild. These wood-frame campers are also not so great for off-road travel because they may literally fall apart on rough roads. I've thought of building something similar to what Bernd has done, but have come to my senses and will build a larger camper on a more robust 4wd platform. The T3 has serious limits and to increase these limits decreases the reliability.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:21 am

you might want to find a copy of this book. many one-offs and unique euro conversions.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:42 am

Hey Pedro, did you buy one?

Sun Nov 25, 2012 10:01 am

If you really want one, there are some cheap ones out there right now - like this fixer in Germany:
http://suchen.mobile.de/wohnwagen-inserat/karmann-gipsy-vw-t3-münchen/171066954.html
More: http://suchen.mobile.de/wohnwagen-inserat/karmann-cheetah-gipsy-wedemark/168909357.html
http://suchen.mobile.de/wohnwagen-inserat/karmann-gipsy-bissendorf/168997333.html
http://suchen.mobile.de/wohnwagen-inserat/vw-vw-t3-karmann-gipsy-grüne-plakette-düsseldorf/168632155.html
http://suchen.mobile.de/wohnwagen-inserat/vw-karmann-gipsy-budapest/169643590.html
Shipping over is about $2000. Anything older than 15 years (Canada) and 25 years (USA) can be easily imported.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 11:29 am

westyventures wrote: I have tons of photos of Gipsy/Cheetah models, if you'd like to have them. One of the biggest problems with all of the coachbuilts is rot - all have wood frames and all leak eventually when exposed to heavy rains. This applies to all of them, including the larger LT-based models. Mine had a lot of rot (the new owner discovered more than I had expected) and required many hours to rebuild. These wood-frame campers are also not so great for off-road travel because they may literally fall apart on rough roads. I've thought of building something similar to what Bernd has done, but have come to my senses and will build a larger camper on a more robust 4wd platform. The T3 has serious limits and to increase these limits decreases the reliability.

Absolutely!!

Yes if you want to send the photos to me its ok, I'll work on it to put it on the samba. Unless you have them ready for the samba format, just post them here... Thats what I'm so slow doing :oops: :oops: :oops:

When I "discovered'' the Karmann Gipsy around 2005 or something, I was ready to sell my soul to get one. It was that bad. Around 2007 I found one in germany that I really liked, all white like yours, but syncro!. I called Mike Plompen at Busman.de. We were the 3rd caller and it was sold to the first caller... I was so bummed...

Then I found out they were made out of wood, like two years later, and that dream was shattered... :cry: :cry: I did not want something that would desintegrate during a round the world trip in Bolivia per exemple...
Just look here:
http://www.karmann-coachbuilts.com/restorations/caravansupplies.htm

Now I believe that the only way is to make one like Bernd Jaeger 8) ...

I had a syncro for 3 years and know their limits now. For the kind of trips I want to do this platorm totally suits my needs. Thats why I love the vanagon.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 11:31 am

jsmitch11 wrote: found this at Brickyard

LT Distance Wide

Thanks Uberhare and Jsmitch11, yes they are pretty nice! I saw one 4x4 once too!

Sun Nov 25, 2012 11:33 am

hazetguy wrote: you might want to find a copy of this book. many one-offs and unique euro conversions.

I like these kind of books! Tx, I`ll look in buying one.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 11:43 am

syncroluvr wrote: Hey Pedro, did you buy one?

Hi Syncroluvr! I almost bought a syncro one in 2007, like I wrote to Karl Mullendores a couple post earlier... Right know I`ll go for a highroof, or a homemade one like Karman Gipsy. I`m thinking of getting the outer shell made by a specialist, then build the interior myself. Thats what Bernd Jaeger did.

This is another reason why I started this thread. To get more ideas... Post what you find!!

Sun Nov 25, 2012 11:45 am

pedrokrusher wrote:
Absolutely!!

Yes if you want to send the photos to me its ok, I'll work on it to put it on the samba. Unless you have them ready for the samba format, just post them here... Thats what I'm so slow doing :oops: :oops: :oops:

Then I found out they were made out of wood, like two years later, and that dream was shattered... :cry: :cry: I did not want something that would desintegrate during a round the world trip in Bolivia per exemple...
Just look here:
http://www.karmann-coachbuilts.com/restorations/caravansupplies.htm

Now I believe that the only way is to make one like Bernd Jaeger 8) ...

I had a syncro for 3 years and know their limits now. For the kind of trips I want to do this platorm totally suits my needs. Thats why I love the vanagon.

I can email the pics to you if you will send me your email address. My old 1986 Gipsy is on the Karmann forums now, almost totally restored, under the username 'midwesty'. It was a LOT of work for him. For me, I think that the weak links of a built-up Syncro are too many, so I am going to build a larger, more comfortable camper on a real 4x4 truck chassis like the Mitsubishi Fuso FG - 2 crazy dogs and two people means more room needed, for me.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 11:56 am

I'd love to have one of these but with young kids it seems it'd be 1. kind of tough to have 'em close enough to cater to them while driving. 2. I would imagine that the rear travel compartments are nowhere near as crashworthy as a Westfalia. But damn, they are cooool.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 1:59 pm

westyventures wrote: I can email the pics to you if you will send me your email address. My old 1986 Gipsy is on the Karmann forums now, almost totally restored, under the username 'midwesty'. It was a LOT of work for him. For me, I think that the weak links of a built-up Syncro are too many, so I am going to build a larger, more comfortable camper on a real 4x4 truck chassis like the Mitsubishi Fuso FG - 2 crazy dogs and two people means more room needed, for me.

You can send them at [email protected], and I'll take care of it during the coming week. Can you ask midwesty to post something here? Well, something, you know, like everything!!! :D :D :D

I really love the fuso one, but its slightly out of my price range... like 200,000$: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvVYQkrTxbA

Sun Nov 25, 2012 2:09 pm

pedrokrusher wrote:

You can send them at [email protected], and I'll take care of it during the coming week. Can you ask midwesty to post something here? Well, something, you know, like everything!!! :D :D :D

I really love the fuso one, but its slightly out of my price range... like 200,000$: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvVYQkrTxbA

I doubt midwesty would want to be bothered to post here, but if you are a member on the Karmann forums you can read about it there: http://karmann-coachbuilts.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rest1&action=display&thread=5898

A Fuso Earthcruiser would be nice, but unless I win the lottery I'll have to buy a used truck to build exactly what I want - and for a lot less money. On Expedition Portal there are some interesting builds. The whole thing could be built for the same as a really nice Syncro Westy, including buying a 1999-2007 truck.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 2:50 pm

After considering to build a Bernd-Jäger-Style Camper I finally decided to use a Doka instead.
It's not exactly what you are looking for, but also a way to squeeze a toilet and a shower into a Vanagon :wink:

Find more pictures here...

Volkmar

Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:13 pm

westyventures wrote: pedrokrusher wrote:

You can send them at [email protected], and I'll take care of it during the coming week. Can you ask midwesty to post something here? Well, something, you know, like everything!!! :D :D :D

I really love the fuso one, but its slightly out of my price range... like 200,000$: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvVYQkrTxbA

I doubt midwesty would want to be bothered to post here, but if you are a member on the Karmann forums you can read about it there: http://karmann-coachbuilts.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rest1&action=display&thread=5898

A Fuso Earthcruiser would be nice, but unless I win the lottery I'll have to buy a used truck to build exactly what I want - and for a lot less money. On Expedition Portal there are some interesting builds. The whole thing could be built for the same as a really nice Syncro Westy, including buying a 1999-2007 truck.

Thanks Karl, I'll contact midwesty later if he's willing to send me pictures.. Unless you already did?

If you have a link for that fuso thread on Expedition Portal, please post it here! There may be some good ideas from it. I have not joined that forum yet, but I really should. I did read some good travel storys that I did not need to be a member.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:14 pm

volkmar wrote: After considering to build a Bernd-Jäger-Style Camper I finally decided to use a Doka instead.
It's not exactly what you are looking for, but also a way to squeeze a toilet and a shower into a Vanagon :wink:

(deleted pictures...)

Find more pictures here...

Volkmar

Thanks Volkmar. I saw your pictures from the doka thread. Your syncros are amazing!!!!! Sooooooo nice!
If you can, post pictures here from the built can be very usefull here, since your doka camper is built like a box too.

Since you are in Germany, you must have seen other unique coach builts... Any pictures? :wink:

Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:29 pm

Here is another custom built one from South Africa, found on the SA yahoosyncro group. Very interesting built!:

Since the air filter was getting clogged from SA roads, the owner had to add later a homemade syncro snorkel because the shop did not install one in the firts place.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:39 pm

pedrokrusher wrote:
If you have a link for that fuso thread on Expedition Portal, please post it here! There may be some good ideas from it. I have not joined that forum yet, but I really should. I did read some good travel storys that I did not need to be a member.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/9299-Mitsu-Fuso-Camper-examples