Evolution of my Eurovan Weekender

[VeeDubn]

Lookin' good!

[VanGeek]

Brilliant! Westfalia & Winnebago folks are darn good at designing these sorts of things but surprised they didn't do the same in the factory versions!

[bigfoot_ev]

Another van upgrade!

We got out camping recently to test out the addition, traveling to central OR and WA. These wheat fields sure have a nice view!

I added a Gary Lee rear hatch spare tire rack from evrack.com. I had a few reasons to do this.
- One, I wanted to have the spare more easily accessible instead of dropping it from below. Think about changing the spare while on rutted muddy forest service road.
- Two, and this came from an off-roading 4x4 van buddy. Imagine being way out off-grid enjoying life when you get a flat. Fine, I have a spare. Well as soon as you put that spare on you no longer have a spare. Best to head straight home and keep your fingers crossed. TBH, I don't find myself in those kind of camping locations very often, but at least now I have options available.
-Three, I now have space under the van for a larger diesel tank and more room available for a water tank, should the need arise. The diesel tank under the hood actually got warped, probably from the heat and the cap would leak ever so slightly. So, that needed a fix.

In this next photo I forgot how to van camp and brought too much stuff. I added a place to hold my tables to the kitchen cart and had 2 boxes full of stuff. When I got home I removed the table holders and everything fits into 1 box now.

The diesel tank sits in a custom holder bolted to the spare tire carrier. The white object up behind the tank is the new location for the heater pump. It is super quiet in this new location.

The tank slips out easily for refill and it has a quick release for the fuel line. Based on past experience, I will fill this tank once maybe twice a season.

Here are some rack close ups. First is how I travel around town, when not camping.

A look under the cover.

Here is camping mode. This most recent trip we stayed at multiple pack it in pack it out places so the 'trasharoo' knock off was very useful.

Of course you need to upgrade the hatch struts. In case you are wondering, changing hatch struts is very easy.

Here is something I always carry but don't use that much. A couple of tweeks by adding a small pizza stone and draping welding fabric over the top makes this work really well. Hot biscuits!

And a significant milestone for the van! Hehe, what this really means is I got a lot of fluids that need to be changed now.

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2003 Westfalia Weekender, AXK, 01P

[bcolins]

Excellent upgrades!!!

[HeyCrutch]

@bigfoot -- Great rack setup. Just curious ... does that rack & tire setup obscure your license plate at all?

I've been noticing lately around where I live (NC) just how many Tow Hitch bike racks completely obscure license plates. The various European racks made for the Eurovan are all designed to hold bikes above the plate - something I think is required and enforced over The Pond.

I would assume that in states like North Carolina where only a rear plate is issued, that the plate should either be visible in its regular position or relocated to an aft position of the bikes & rack when used, but I never see anyone doing that.
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-2003 EV MV Wk - Forest - 51k
-2002 EV Camper - Ghost - 82k
-2003 EV GLS - Fluffhead - 176k

-1997 EVC - 12vVR6 (SOLD 5/2025)

[bigfoot_ev]

[gesoffen]

[HeyCrutch]

[bigfoot_ev]