Buggeee's 1966 Sportsmobile Camper by Travel Equipment Corp

[70bus]

Ah, thanks - I see the 'object' is a hook, coupled with perspective... made it look like an oval thingamajig.
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Craig K
70 Neunsitzer
65 Pritschenwagen
"If Von Dutch was alive, he'd walk in there with a pistol and shoot these people." - Robert Williams

Raoul the 65 singlecab

Karl the 70 nine-seater

[Buggeee]

[70bus]

BarryL might be asking about the light fixture. It looks kinda silvery overall. What is the object to the right of it (driver's side) - looks like a mirror? And I was amused that the side light fixture shades are the same as in my 1928 bathroom; are those 'beehive' shades with the clear section stock?
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Craig K
70 Neunsitzer
65 Pritschenwagen
"If Von Dutch was alive, he'd walk in there with a pistol and shoot these people." - Robert Williams

Raoul the 65 singlecab

Karl the 70 nine-seater

[Buggeee]

[BarryL]

[Buggeee]

Just a quick note that Krankenwagen is out and about enjoying life even with its little 6v heart. This weekend it made it an hour and a half in each direction at 60 mph, approximately, depending on wind direction to the Geneva on the Lake Bug Infestation, where it made it to the top 25 among hundreds of awesome VWs (there is no accounting for taste among airheads).

And the loyal dog was wiped out after a big day in the sun.

And here is an awesome chopped top bus with a mid-engine Chevy dragster engine for good measure.

What a great way to spend a day
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Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[Buggeee]

A great day for a dog bath at Tractor Supply. Drive 'em if you've got 'em!

_________________
Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[Buggeee]

[clockworkbox]

Nice build thread! I'm curious to know how the Xion Labs rust converter has held up now that it has been in use for awhile. Would you still recommend it?
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'69 Beetle (pieces)
Learning the hard way is still learning...

[Buggeee]

Krankenwagen at it again, hauling 1,000 pounds of oil to fuel the furnace keeping that barn warm this winter. A little 40hp 6v engine pushed this whole thing!

_________________
Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[vamram]

[Buggeee]

My spirit guide Athena loves this bus.

It never feels like work when a buddy comes along for the ride.

_________________
Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[Buggeee]

I did eventually find a used 6v 9 pin relay in clean looking condition, and it kind of worked in all respects, except when it didn't. Sometimes everything would be fine, then sometimes somethings would not. It was historically Aircooled in nature being some combination of headlight or hazard usage would get things working again, or a left turn or a right turn or hit the brakes, or whaterver. Anyway, it was buggy buggy. So I tried cleaning the insides with phosphoric acid. Here's some pictures of the Buck Rogers laboratory going on inside a 9 pin relay.

Wow, no user servicible parts in there for this guy! The cleaning helped, meaning it was less buggy... until it wasn't.

So I had to find another solution and stumbled on a Samba 9 pin relay thread that contained a post with a link to instructions to build this contraption out of typical 6v automotive relays and a 3 prong flasher. (its the same logic for 12v fixings too) This worked!

I just plugged all the 9 pin wires into that contraption and it all functions. At first it only functioned properly when the rpms were up above 2,000 and so I figured the generator was struggling to generate enough amps to make all those relays open or close. Then I simply cleaned the tail light sockets with phosporic acid to get cleaner contacts, and then the relay system worked fine even at idle so it must really be on the fringe edge of what that generator can deliver... but it does work.

I also sprayed the inside of the tail lights with metalic paint and it throws out a reasonable amount of light, even at just 6 volts.

_________________
Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[Buggeee]

A little bit of catching up to do....

This year was set to open with Krankenwagen at the Cleveland Piston Power Show (Autorama) in March. In historically gracefull Aircooled fashion, she threw a rod about a mile and a half from home before I could get into any real trouble.

I found this rod bolt sitting on the breastplate tin, which is never a good sign.

in this one you can see the little escape hatch in the top of the case, which the bolt punched through in a run for freedom...

So home she went on the trailer. I really cannot complain. I have beat the piss out of this engine like its a sports car ever since I built it. Drive it like you stole it! Its all fun untill it isn't.

Thankfuly, I had a roughly period correct 6v engine in very good condition, rescued from a friend who graduated to a monster engine/trans combo. The day has come little friend, into work you go...

So... swapped the 6v bulbs in everywhere and a new 6v battery. Not pictured is a new 6v starter that Amazon had in stock for delivery to my door the next day. Bizarre.

However, these 9 pin relays that run the turn signals and brake lights are seeming hard to locate in a 6v form as a very limited number of VWs used them, so it was just local daylight driving for a little bit until I could find a solution for that.

Still, the fan club was happy to see Krankenwagen back on the road, even if even slower than before.

_________________
Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[Buggeee]

[BarryL]

Thanks for the explanation. The atomized oil I did not know about. Is there a lot of smoke coming out the roof? I love being warm when it's cold too.

[Buggeee]

[Buggeee]

[Don66bus]

I like that flexibility to remove the interior and have a big space for various loads. I wouldn't want to do a dump run or carry my kayak inside in a Westfalia (much as I love them).

[BarryL]