Vanagon or Eurovan? ...somewhat Newbie needs help please :)

[PNWesside31]

First of all, we've just had a new addition to the family. There's now 4 of us, and that's what sparking this whole topic....We basically need a car that can carry the 4 of us plus a couple of friends or family members. I've had a couple of Vanagons, but they've only been for myself, and not really a transporter of people per say, and now that I'm looking for a transporter, I'm wondering if I should go with what I'm somewhat familiar with (Vanagon) or step up to a Eurovan, start from scratch learning wise, and have all the modern amenities.

What should I do? Is there any help or experiences out there that can help me sway one way or the other....I'm total 50/50 right now. Thanks in advance.

[Williamtaylor33]

Stick with what you know.
You can have a vanagon multivan that will haul 7 passengers.
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89 Bostig powered syncro westy

[PNWesside31]

When I say "know" it's more like "familiar with a little experience"

I'm assuming parts and maintanence can be easier for Vanagon, is that true? What about reliability? What can I trust more with my family?

[dhaavers]

Mileage & other things being equal-or-similar, you can expect:

1) Engine trouble sooner on the Vanagon;
2) Transmission trouble sooner on the Euro;
3) More people look at & love the Vanagon;
4) AC works better on the Euro;
5) Gravel &/or off-roading easier in the Vanagon;
6) Highway cruising easier in the Euro;
7,8 & 9) Everything costs money.

Check the GoWesty articles; it helped us decide:
"Vanagon or Euro?" http://gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=98
"Model Overview: Bus/Van/Euro" http://gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=54

Oh yeah - and you gotta consider your budget, I guess...Good luck!
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[pinealservo]

I had a '93 Eurovan. I liked it, but I sold it and got an '84 Vanagon with a Subaru engine. I like the Vanagon much better, but only because I *want* to work on it. It's a lot easier to get to pretty much everything I might want to get to, with the conversion it's got more power (though the late model Eurovans got a nice engine upgrade), and it's roomier inside thanks to the cab-forward layout and rear engine.

The Eurovan handles better on the freeway, the seats are a bit more comfortable, and you can get one that's not terribly old. Mine and many I've seen locally had huge rust problems, automatic transmissions had a high failure rate, and exhaust manifolds tended to develop cracks. There's not a lot of love in the VW community for Eurovans, and I had a hard time finding sources for repair panels and such, so mine stayed horribly rusted. The Eurovan is a front-engine FWD with a stubby nose, so everything is super cramped and it's way harder to work on than a Vanagon.

I don't know if you could say one is more reliable than the other, but going with a late-model Eurovan would sure give you newer parts than an early Vanagon, and things tend to wear out with age. Doing an engine conversion takes care of some of that for a Vanagon, but there are still plenty of old bits that could fail still unless you update those, too. Either way, they're all old enough to warrant a thorough inspection of engine, brakes, suspension, hoses, etc. to make them safe. Even though I tried to stay on top of that, I had my Eurovan water pump blow on me on the way back from a road trip. Fun times.

[Zero419]

2 kids, full Westy.
2 cars seats.
3 year old sleeps on top with mod to keep him in.
1 year old sleeps in pack-N-play on 1st floor with room to fold out lower bed.
Other then camping it's a 3rd car, drive to work once in a while, 3,000-4,000 total miles a year.
Gets stored in the winter.

If I were to be starting over I'd be asking Vanagon or pop up trailer.
Euro wouldn't be an option.

Not sure why, maybe because it is just a van, which to me is like a pop up trailer with a motor. I keep the westy because it's classic, I get to work on it and upgrade it, my wife is OK with throwing money at it,

She probably wouldn't let me get an older Mustang to do the same thing.

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1987 Westy Auto Bostig 2.0 Ztec