Vanagons in the Wilderness Thread

[digthemlows]

One more. This is our favorite BLM camping in El Dorado National Forest in Northern California

[deaddrift]

My wife and I bought our van in Florida in 1998. It stayed stock for ten years.


This is SE Oregon. July 2020. It was hot. And spectacular.

In winter '99 we spent several months driving around the country, deciding where to move to. We ended up in Portland OR, and enjoyed our Westy for a bunch of years out here.

In 2008, we sold it (needing a new head and a transaxle rebuild) for a great price, to a friend, who absolutely pimped it out. Subaru power, solar array, bumper package, suspension upgrade, TF49 fridge (ice cream in the desert is a thing!) etc etc etc.



Here, I would really need the 4x4 and rear locker, had it rained recently... but it's SE Oregon. In July. I think we're safe.

Two months ago, we bought this camper back from him (also at a great price!) So we are the second AND the fourth owners of this van. Originally be-monikered Stanley; now Diego.

Enjoy these shots of our Vanagain.
_________________
Nat

'91 syncro Westfalia, 2nd and 4th owner

Ò,ó

[bsrad]

[kamzcab86]

West Dolores River, CO

Big Bear Creek,Telluride, CO

Clear Creek, south of Leadville, CO

Blanca Peak Sangre de Cristo Range, CO

Sleeping with cattle somewhere in NM (ended up not raining)

_________________
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子

[Timwhy]

Annual trip to Cobscook Bay, Maine

_________________
'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

[dhaavers]

[Sodo]

Moab, Utah, now.
Camped on a 600 ft cliff above the Green River.
20 miles from pavement.
Haven’t moved the van in 2 nights, probably one more night here.

Morning

Sunset

Sat out a storm. It wasn’t as exciting as we hoped.

A little bit of hail.

Changed the oil at camp.
Support staff offers sustenance.

Now the 3rd sunset, Van hasn’t moved.

5th night (van hasn't moved)
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop, EJ25, cooled filtered (original) gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

All Vanagons should do this:
Add direct starter-to-chassis cable THEN delete ground strap at front transaxle mount.
The best time to do this mod was in 2010. The second best time is TODAY.
If your starter is slow, this is MORE important.

[MsTaboo]

Yesterday above the Kootenay River.

Couple years ago. On the cliffs above the lake.

Week ago.

_________________
Currently:
'90 Syncro Westy 3 knob w/Zetec

The information age has morphed into the age of disinformation and willful ignorance. Agnotology!
When you stir up shit you're bound to get some on yourself.
Resist Kleptocratic Oligarchy (and Idiocracy)!

[VJP5]

Mt Laguna, on the way to Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree (Cottonwood)

Nightime campfire/Guitar time

_________________
1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg Tin-Top - "Elmo"

[happy2CU]

A beach somewhere south.... of France

And one of Lucy.

[Vanlife Geek]

_________________
Vanlife Geek
Current:
1986 Syncro Westy
Previous:
1983 Westy
1981 Westy
1972 Bug (Last year you could buy a new one for under $2,000)
1965/66 Bug (2 bugs from a junk yard combined to make 1 functional bug)
1959 Bug (Pre Gas Gauge Era)

[Red Ryder]

Northern California coast in December 2021…

_________________
“Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland

“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition (Tornado Red)
“Nigel” — 1999 Jaguar XK8 convertible (Alpine Green Metallic)

[Sodo]

Columbia National Wildlife Refuge
Central Washington channelled scablands.
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop, EJ25, cooled filtered (original) gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

All Vanagons should do this:
Add direct starter-to-chassis cable THEN delete ground strap at front transaxle mount.
The best time to do this mod was in 2010. The second best time is TODAY.
If your starter is slow, this is MORE important.

[E1]

Deleted, OT.
_________________
If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s

AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans
The caveman’s first question to the headhunter: “Hey, you got any coffee?”

[joetiger]

Thanks for resurrecting this thread! Even with some of the pics gone, it always gets me motivated to finish up and get outta town.

..and here's a vintage wilderness pic from Valley of the Gods, UT.

_________________
Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'91 Wolfsburg Carat "Barchetta"
'02 Baja-ish Beetle "Bubbles"

"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond

Justice for Megan: https://linktr.ee/justiceformegantrussell

[E1]

Nice!

I know that spot and sorry for going OT.
_________________
If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s

AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans
The caveman’s first question to the headhunter: “Hey, you got any coffee?”

[joetiger]

[10degnorth]

_________________
1984 Wolfsburg Vanagon (Daily): https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=773912&highlight=

1988 Microsquirted, Wolfsburg Vanagon (Sold): https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=708000&highlight=

Microsquirt Conversion Guide (Work now Discontinued): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1laXykNPbRYS8MT...2imqd2pnx7

[kamzcab86]

[Sodo]

Ancient Lakes trail, in the central Washington scablands.
These are called “Kolk lakes”.
They are leftover “plunge pools”, bored into the lava bedrock by turbulent flood waters

DEEP flood waters…..500 feet deep
Flowing from left to right in the pic.

Not really a ‘cascade’ when you consider the flood water level was
about 5x above the ledge where the van is parked.
And miles wide.
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop, EJ25, cooled filtered (original) gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

All Vanagons should do this:
Add direct starter-to-chassis cable THEN delete ground strap at front transaxle mount.
The best time to do this mod was in 2010. The second best time is TODAY.
If your starter is slow, this is MORE important.