The next generation of Van lovers

[Hooptie Love]

So some of you might say this is sacrilegious and I hope it doesn't disturb anyone to much but I parted a van and I was thinking "What do I do with the hulk of metal when I am done?" Well I made the HIPPY HIDEOUT. My kids are having a blast and it seems to be gathering a following of people who's kids have told them they have to come see. It isn't quite finished I still have a couple of final touches to put on but I thought I would share. My girls already think that there is no better vehicle in the world that daddy's van. Check out the pictures.

Amateur paint job we did it on the cheap but I think it turned out good. The deck really is a stage. My kids have been performing. Scary how many pop songs they already know all the words to.

There will be white lattice around the bottom shortly as well as some planted shrubs.

We had to keep the steering wheel. The rest is covered in wood and painted the best we could to make it fun. The front seats are still there as well. Otherwise the van is completely gutted. The walls are done in panel board that can be written on in white board markers. We also have some curtains going up when I get off my lazy butt and hang them.

Here is the kitchen. The dogs also think this is great.

Finally the back bed. The kids will get more use out of this thing probably than anyone driving it. The future hopefully will see a deck on top with a zip line coming off. I have a good tree on the other side of the yard to make an end point out of. Hopefully that will come next year. The funny thing is that we have been calling it the Hippy Hideout and my 5 year old asked me what a hippy was. I told her you are now kiddo. She seemed satisfied with that answer for now.

[Honuak]

Love it. I've been thinking that an old van would make a great chicken coop. Theres was one (split) on craigs a few years ago for free, totally beyone repair for the road but what a great piece of lawn art, beats the heck out of a knome.

[Hooptie Love]

I always say everyone should have a spare VW. Besides it also makes it easy to store my replacement glass as well. I can always stick some plexi in there and use the windows if the ones in my syncro need replacing. It has been a lot of fun. We can also change the paint whenever we feel like making something new. They are two very girly girls but I was happy when they both declared that the skull and crossbones was their favorite thing on there.

[syncrodoka]

You really put some effort into making a unique playhouse for the kiddies.

If that was in my town someone would try to live in it shortly.

[D Clymer]

Very cool! I'd much rather see a cast off Vanagon become a playhouse than just sent to the scrapper. When I was about 5 years old I used to ask my mom to unlock our bay window Westy that rarely got driven so I could climb around in it and play in it. I've always thought that is where/when my almost life-long affinity for VW vans developed. If that's the case your girls will no doubt become VW van fans And who knows, in 20 years someone might come knocking on your door wanting to buy the "playhouse" to restore and put back on the road.

David

[BillM]

My kids would have loved it at their age. Now their just into their teens I have had second thoughts about my daughter driving a vehicle with a bed in it. My son no problem (you go boy!). My daughter no way. It not fair I know but I don't care.
Seriously though that's a great play house for the kids. Just keep an eye out for wasp nests. It's these things that you do for your kids that they will never forget.
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Bill M
87 Westy

[POS]

Great Job!

I can see somebody in twenty years pulling it out and rebuilding it, what a find they'll think!

[GrindGarage]

Best fort ever.
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-cliff

91 Vanagon AUTO
97 Single Port EJ22 all smallcar.com

[FNGRUVN]

You're the coolest dad ever!

I got a kick out of the paint job. All flowery then out of nowhere a skull. If everyone had a dad like you, the world would be a better place.
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"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

[debbiej]

I think you are a genius and a great daddy!!

[WestyBob]

This is not meant to criticize Hootie Love's arrangement but it always amazed me to see vanagons parted out when their carcasses were still viable. We have several in my 'hood happening right now. It's a contrast to the older air-coolers which were usually thoroughly rotted by the time they made it to the vw bus graveyard. An old timer mentioned this to me years ago ... how in auto wrecking yards the vanagon shells look fine but many folks must have thought when it don't work anymore then .... part it out.

But then I'd much rather see such innovation and attractiveness like Hooptie's shell in my neighbor's back yard than the usual rust and burned out rigs In fact ... an entire community of dwellings could be developed using this method

[RCB]

[photogdave]

That's super cool! If you tried that around here though, the neighbors would probably call the bylaw police and fine the $%&# out of you and make you remove it, like the poor dad who built a tree fort for his kids.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/07/18/bc-treehouse-house-court-ruling.html
I've been thinking that if my Tiger Van doesn't sell by the end of the summer I'll keep it parked behind my building as a guest house for visitors.
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89 Syncro GL Westfalia 2.1 WBX/WBXaustSS

My Westy Movies:
photogdave On Vimeo
photogdave On YouTube

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[Hooptie Love]

Thanks for the nice comments. I bought the van with the intention of fixing it up but after getting into it and realizing the costs of fixing it I decided to spend my money where I really wanted to and that was on my syncro. I guess I rationalized in my head that it was an organ donor and is going to help many vans with the sacrifice. I have used myself or sold or donanted almost every single part on the van to another van owner. It has been a lot of fun just to meet all the people who came for parts. I have made some new friends because of it. Overall the van seemed better in pieces that it did as a whole. I know there are quite a few vans that are benefited from me parting it out. Besides my syncro sits in the driveway with a few hours of travel every week. The hippy hideout has been used 8-10 hours a day for the last 2 months. I really do think it has a higher calling here. With any luck it will be around for the grand kids to use when they are grown. I don't have to worry too much about the biddy nation wanting it torn down. It is in my very private back yard.

[RCB]

Do you happen to have some peppermint oil jars placed in some strategic
hot spots. Perhaps a cat or two...

[Hooptie Love]

I guess the humor might be lost on me here? If you are talking to keep bugs and mice out I sealed the van up pretty tight and we live in Utah. We have the pretty good fortune of being dry enough not to have to worry too much about bugs. Wasps might be a problem but they are easily remedied. We also aren't letting the kids take food in there. If you are talking hippy we prefer incense and reggae music.

[RCB]

The topic of Peppermint oil to keep mice at bay has been talked about here on Samba many times. I ment no dissrespect. It seemd with the Van being out in the open like that, it might be subject to a mouse or two. The peppermint oil really does work....all kidding aside.

[Hooptie Love]

You have to worry about mice in pretty much any structure outside. I have never seen any in my yard or my house for that matter but I am sure they are there. I sealed up every hole into the van really well. The dogs seem to sniff out anything and everything that will make it under the van. I really do think that is the beauty of living in the desert. We don't usually have the problems that other areas have. I grew up here and I had never seen a cockroach in my life until I started traveling. We don't usually get fleas and we do have ticks but they aren't a huge problem like they are back east. I think if we keep food out and keep it clean we won't have too much trouble. It is under a tree and it may take a hit from the birds on occasion. My worst fear is spiders. We have been good about vacuuming it out once a week or so and that seems to keep them at bay. I guess well see when the weather changes. So far in the two months it has been up we have had no troubles. Not even a cricket thus far.

[Syncronicity]

Awesome idea and cool paint job Dave. They have the second coolest Dad that I know of : ) Their imaginations will take them farther and faster than the real thing.
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Tom, Juanita, Iggy & Abbey the Dirty Desert Dogs
2.1 L 87 Syncro
KD0ALU
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