Camping in a Tin-Top Vanagon?

[buspor63]

I really like my tin top Syncro for travels and camping with spouse and three kids. We use a tent for whoever in the mood (three kids) and two in the bus. With a canopy and propane stove, I'm all set.

I had a five seat Westy from 1994 to about 2011 or so. I really liked that camper, but there just wasn't enough space and too much redundancy for my needs. Now if I was still a single man and chasing the ladies......
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Imagine that, theres not an "h" in either Westfalia or Syncro?

[Emmitt]

If your Tin topping with kids as am I you NEED this Mod. It really cost maybe 50-100 bucks

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1987 Synchro Vanagon GL "Passenger Van".
Boosting RG4, GoWesty Syncro 2in lift Springs, Custom Paint and Interior.

[DeezUU]

How we do it. I have a LOT less into this than a full on Westy but have everything a pop-top does EXCEPT standing room. It sucks getting dressed in the AM, but after we're up and out... it's business as usual.

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1964 Beetle

[DeezUU]

BTW... the yutes sleep up top, me and the lady are below in the boom-boom-room. Nice having a full width bed as opposed to a Westy's chopped matress and cabinets. May end up building a trailer in the next year (already have trailer, thinking of setup) to house a full kitchen and bathroom setup with extra aux power and even more storage.
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1964 Beetle

[Merian]

Here is the official Tintop Camper Icon:

Have you thought of getting a Weekender?

[borninabus]

[borninabus]

[geodude]

I love camping in our Carat. We have a nice queen size bed and can close the doors and windows for peace and quiet. The kids can sleep in the tent!
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1988 GL Camper
1991 Multivan — the basket case

[chachi]

three kids here, 12, 8 and 1.5. we have the folding bed but other than that just a regular tin top. the two older kids sleep in tents with their friends and the baby sleeps in a popup crib in the main cargo area. plenty of room to fold the bed out. we're still trying to figure out a good working curtain system for the crib but by the time we work it out it won't be a problem anymore. with a pod you can get an ungodly amount of crap onboard. do wish i had the weekender package sometimes.

we are going to add a similar setup to the OG westfalia cot over the two front seats, but a hard platform instead of the cot.
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'74 transporter panel
'91 vanagon carat NAHT

[jchughes05]

[greggearhead]

It's totally doable. My wife and I and our 5yo camped in our 1990 tin top last summer. For a first test, and with the little one, we used a campground - and we are ready for something a little further out next time.

Anyway, the things I learned - the front cot I made from PVC (learned on this forum - there's a great thread) was perfect for a little one. She can likely use it for several years. Leaves the back fold down to me and the wife. I removed the middle seat. That is the best mod for any Van that doesn't have a family of 6+ traveling in it. Lots more room.

A side tent, or drive away tent is great - I used a Bay Window circus tent for this camping trip because I found it in my stash, and it was in great shape. It allows you to put a lot of things out of the van, and have a private place to stand up, or go potty (if you have one) in the middle of the night, keep all your gear inside if you leave the site, etc. I wouldn't camp in a tintop without a side tent. When it was raining one night, we had our fold out table in the tent and cooked in it - easy-cheesy.

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1972 Porsche 911E
1973 VW 412
1984 VW Doka
1991 Vanagon Syncro Westy


Period Lights, VW & Porsche wheels and Recaro/Scheel Seats for sale

https://www.facebook.com/greggearhead

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[2wdvanagon]

[jchughes05]

[2wdvanagon]

[pinetreeporsche]

It depends on your camping style, I was an asst. scoutmaster years ago, and slept in the van at campsites rather than in tents with the (noisy) kids. But when it started raining, the kids abandoned their tents and joined me. Thjose who mentioned the fold-down r seat/bed in the later tintops are steering you in the right direction. Options for the kids include 1) the VW camper hammock of the bay window era, that goes across the dashboard and the upper part of the seat backs of the front seats. Works till the kid is bigger than the van is wide. 2) the "add-a-room" that hangs off the open rear hatch door. With a two-step mini-ladder to climb inside without going around to one of the doors, it gives sleeping space for two if they're not too big. Further option: since the rear seat-bed overhangs about 9 inches, a shorty air mattress running toward the walk-through can provide for another kid lying on the floor, with his/her pillow on the walk-through floor. These options could get 4 of you into the tin-top, six even with the rear add-a-room. Adults share the bed with the smallest kid, make it 7.

[vanagon1991]

prlizzle....did you buy that tin top?? It's no longer listed

For longer trips where there will be excursions during the day in the van, not to mention bad weather, I would recommend very very small pop-up tow behind camper.

I too two week trip out west with two kids and van packed, in my 84 with stock 2.1 engine. Pulled it just fine...but yes slow up steep hills, but was in no hurry.

Tow behind gave us extra storage during travel that does not take up the van interior too (of course w stove, table etc...) Allows for adults to sleep in van at night, w kids in pop up, and to take day trips without total revamping van interior from bedroom to travel van and back again each time. And if bad weather comes...a place to hang, eat, stay dry, walk around...and its light weight and cheap for the little ones.

A tin top allows it to be a daily driver, and camper, without carrying the entire camping package around with you all the time. Take out the middle row of seats and tons of room to move around while traveling on the road, or lay down. Way more vertical room than stock US van as well.

And you'll love driving sitting over the front wheels.
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1991 Tornado Red Vanagon Carat
(2003 Subaru 2.5 conversion/Smallcar kit)

[Merian]

a Weekender is the better vehicle for camping & daily driver over a tintop - I camped in a tintop Bay Window for many years but a poptop is nicer, esp. as you get older

a full Westy is not going to be a problem as a daily driver - I used mine that way for years - the Vanagon has the length & width of a Jetta

[Jens Brownstar]

With 3 kids I prefer not having a Westy. The side cabinet makes a 2-seater out of your rear bench and the bed much smaller.

Normally I have 2 back to back seats behind the front seats. For camping I take them out and install an IKEA cabinet on driver's side an a selfmade kitchen cabinet with fridge on the other side. That's a 15 minutes conversion.

I strongly recommend a small trailer to carry all the stuff you need for camping with the family. Keeps the van empty and saves a lot of time when preparing for the night. We have all the tents, chairs, gas bottles and stuff inside and if it's not such a big and high one, you don't recognize on the road.

An awning is also very nice, especially if you can install extra side and front walls for bad weather.

I didn't like my rooftent so much. It was very easy to set up since I could open it like a Westy popup tent, a hard case like a very big ski box with canvas when opened. But installing the box on the car and always climbing up and down the ladder outside especially when raining made me selling it again after a few years. But the kids loved it.

Meanwhile I found an extremely rare Reimo Zwitter roof. That's a medium high roof, high enough to comfortably stand inside the car if closed but not too high to be such an awful windcatcher when driving. And for sleeping I can pop it up like a Westy roof. It's waiting at the moment in the garden on the kids sandbox for less snow and warmer temperatures to get restored and installed. And that's something which is always possible if you start with a tintop for the beginning!
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'87 Caravelle GL
Blue Star Hannover Edition Interior
Ex JX, now Subi EJ22 powered