A collection of Simple Useful Mods (SUM)

[SyncroHead]

Keeping pens & pencils in the map pocket is VERY useful. Definitely simple too.

Prototype above

Finished product above

Self-promoting? Guilty

Jim Davis
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"A Vanagon? It's not a car or a van. It's a hobby!"

Check out:
www.VANAVATION.com
www.SyncroSafari.org and
www.Vanagons.org

[elizer]

Hurry get rid of that plastic straw before the internet sees.

I need to work on lighting mods. I need to do something like Jim's mod for the stove. I've been running rechargable led lights, but I might as well use the 100 ah I have under the bench.

Campervan culture rear closet storage bag is great. The tailgate and sliding door storage panels are excellent. Rear storage panels hold blankets/hatch screen and other fluff. The sliding door panel holds dog gear and other junk. I should get some pictures of them

If any of you have dogs or messy kids wet okole seat covers are great. The backrest portion slips on and the base is held by straps and clips. They machine wash and air dry. They come out perfect.

Wool seat covers for the front seat. Just get them.

Spice rack closet door from Rhino Designs. They hardly ever hold spaice but they stash a lot of stuff that we need quick access too. Send him yours. Wait a bit and he sends it back. His toilet cabinet is great. When we don't carry a toilet we use it for storage. Makes a quick seat and a footrest as well.

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91 syncro westy fas tdi

[bobbyblack]

I don't know what the bolts and nuts are in this mod the PO did, but a safety latch for the pop-top is what he made. Screw it in tight, and you can't pull the pop-top release handle down, pretty much no way it can come open.

Ya, rusty, oh well.
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[Zeitgeist 13]

I don't think a lot of the campers had a rear hatch switch, but for those that do, I installed a separate cutoff switch next to the rear hatch latch. This is so that when I'm back there to service the engine, I can turn off the dome light ground trigger without having to turn off all the lights individually. The factory should've done this. Unlike the forward door switches with the black plastic button, the hatch switch is a heavier duty metal construction and cannot be pushed all the way in to temporarily eliminate the trigger ground.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH
'01 Weekender --> full camper
NEAT, no ICE.

[Jake59]

As for good ideas for inexpensive LED cabin lighting...

Everytime we go to IKEA I look at their selection of LED lights and lamps. If the "wall wart" (transformer) states 120vac to 12vdc it is a simple install into the RV. This was a "bookshelf lamp I modified to sit on the cross pipe of the poptop. I think it ran me $10-15. The other battery ones make great outside lighting.

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Curent ride: 87 2WD Westy, 2012 Jetta Sportwagon 2.5S

Past Rides: 62 (23 window) Bus, 64 Ghai convertable, 68 single cab, 72 Super Bettle, 78 Bay window Bus, 84 GTI.

[bobbyblack]

I think late model Vanagons came with a rear hatch "escape" mechanism. There are a few threads on how to do it. I found this one to contain both elegant but complicated, and simple solutions. Mine is just a bit of wire poking through the hatch door card.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[DeLvxe]

Maybe a little less simple because you have to know how to make a drawer box, but replace the sink drain with a low profile one and build yourself a full width drawer.

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1991 manual camper with EJ25

[space]

Rear Discs
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82 westy
w:
2.5 JDM Subie
Rear discs

[dhaavers]

Posted elsewhere, collected here…

Distributor/cylinder plug wiring diagram (tape to top of air cleaner):

37¢ locking hatch latch extension for hot weather ventilation:

My (2014) DIY reminder/shortcut for heater controls (now $4.95 at GW)

- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[Bulli Klinik]

[DeLvxe]

[Timwhy]

A few of my favorites:

Spice cabinet that BillM gave me years ago. Fits perfectly over the stove.

Sink cover cutting board.

The BZ-shelf that the Canvasguy also gave me years ago. Its in use every camping trip. Also the paper towel holder with broom handle clamps bolted to it for the H bar location. It can stay in place when the top is down. I have since upgraded to a nice SS model.

Cabin divider curtain, keep the warmth in and prying eyes out.

Fresh air intake Lowes/HD gutter screen perfectly contours the shape of the intake to mount flush. No mouse will get past this when in place.

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'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary

http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMWHY2?feature=mhee

[dobryan]

[snuf]

The only interior lighting for the area behind the front seats of my Vanagon was the fluorescent light above the slider window on drivers' side. If outside, to get to it, one had to climb in order to turn it on.

I installed a small LED in the center of the upper bunk support.

Installed switch at the opposite side of upper bunk support near sliding door for easy access to turn on from outside the Vanagon.

Now I can just reach in from outside of the Vanagon and push the switch for light.

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1986 Wolfsberg Limited Edition Vanagon.
AKA: Poptop with rear corner cabinet, fold down side table, rear-facing jump seat and a 12v fridge/cooler.

[vanis13]

[campism]

Handy office door file bin screwed to the side of the passenger's pedestal. I'll post a better pic if I can find one. Also, we use the front table on the rear and parked the rear table in the garage. The galvanized pipe and flange replace the stock front table leg and comprise my step to the upper bunk.

It also supports the PVC dog gate.

Those cupholders are the usual FLAPS cheapos adapted to fit the slot in the dash.

Removable inside bike mount with fittings for either flat fork tips or "lawyer lips."

The Westy upper cabinet is famously hard to see past with the stock mirror so I cut the stalk and extended its reach with some 1/2" copper pipe.

An additional screw under the rear bench to hold the seat base up at a steeper angle. Very helpful.

Cap for the water tank was reinforced by gluing it into a PVC pipe cap.

Custom curtain caddy attached to the closet box holds the front curtain and the rear hatch screen that we always use when camping.

That's all the mod pix I can find for now. There may be more.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic, tragically crushed by a falling hickory tree in my own driveway and now gone, leaving me Vanagonless and with no plans to replace it, alas.

[MayoMan]

[MacDude]

Various mods I would do again

Custom Shift knob (old one cracked)
Cup holders screwed into dash
Vanstow holder
Dashboard rug
Fog light switch (from 944 Porsche)
Updated power plugs
Map light replaced (uniwerks)

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'84 Wolfsburg Westfalia
'90 White Multivan (currently not running)

[danfromsyr]

not really mods, but certainly useful and cheap

I keep a full sheet of cardboard (pallet liner) or some other good cardboard under the rear cushion on the engine lid
I keep 2 to 3 $Dollar Tree plastic tarps under the bench.
I keep 5 Lug nuts and 5 Lug bolts screwed together in a HD ziploc freezer bag in the glove box or it I use a vacuum bag I keep them inside the spare tire.. never know if/when you kick your nuts while changing a tire on the side of the road.. nice to already have spares.. this will need be adjusted to personal need and use of lug nuts/bolts
I keep a circle of 3/4" HD plywood in the spare for a sturdy jack base if the ground won't support the van
I also keep a cheap Knee board/pad always in the van
I keep a squeegee handy by the front seats to give the interior glass a quick swipe after dewy camping
I put package tape over my registration inside the windshield so said condensation doesn't bugger it up and cost me $fines$

I change my rear side marker lights over to 2 filiment LEDs so that they blink with the turn signals. (search there's a thread on this)
for Stock taillights I mod them to include another RED LED TAILLIGHT in the unused space using a Dorman Single socket repair piece available at most FLAPS
https://www.google.com/search?q=dorman+universal+single+socket+repair
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[pck]