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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got the wheels back from the powder coater and mounted two new tires. We picked the white with a hint of cream. It looks pretty good next to the Iceland green. Can't wait to air these down and get back out there.

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Got the new larger LP installed and the gas lines hooked up to the stove and fridge. I left an extra port under the sink to hook up an extension to run the catalytic heater off the LP tank versus the little disposable ones.

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1973 Campmobile http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=524511&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
20th AE VW GTI - 369hp 340tq @ 26 PSI
1982 Rabbit Pickup - German AAZ 1.9TD - daily with lots of MPGs
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geopanoramic
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 02, 2013 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dedication, beer, skill, and creativity. Awesome!
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Stuartzickefoose
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

did you buy that tank new, or refurb it? it looks amazing!
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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for good words guys.

I bought the tank new after looking into the cost to refurbish all the valves and the regulator on the smaller stock tank i had from the parts bus. All the parts were gonna cost ~$150 and then the tank needed to be sand blasted before painting. Too save the time and hassle I went ahead and purchased the larger tank. Its the same diameter, just longer so it doesn't reduce the ride height to less than stock. I did manage to ding the guard pretty good in a rocky dry river bed... oh well it would have looked outta place on this rig if it stayed shiny and new.

In the past month i have installed an ARB air compressor and fitting so that the hose plugs right into the side of the bus. Its been super convenient for after trail drives and it should be much better than manually blowing up floats this summer.

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We just got back yesterday from our first long road trip which was 1200+ miles. Initially I was very nervous venturing that far from home with the first motor I built back when I didn't know anything. The whole way out to San Francisco I was trying to recall if I followed every step of Tom Wilson's book. The little 1776cc did a lot better than I imagined. We cruised at 65-70 MPH on the flats and even light grades. Since things went so well cruising across the Mohave desert and through California's Central Valley Down we decided to take the long way home and cruise the PCH from Santa Cruise to San Luis Obispo. Down near the coast the A/F ratio was perfect and the motor loved the lower elevation. Even with little 28mm venturis and small 120 mains the 40 IDFs want to run rich at higher altitudes. The only issue we had was that the gasket between j-tube and the header on #3 developed a leak again. It seams that the heat is warping the flange. I went ahead and ordered 1.5" v-band flanges to solve that problem for good, no more gaskets, no more leaks Wink .

Just south of Monterrey
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Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Going over Bixby Canyon Bridge
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Nacimiento-Fergusson Road - smallest tightest road ever and completely beautiful.
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Santa Raby came while we were outta town and left supplies to build a Camper Special clone! Still have more parts to research before the build starts. Anyone have opinions on the best piston/cylinders for a type4?

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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1973 Campmobile http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=524511&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
20th AE VW GTI - 369hp 340tq @ 26 PSI
1982 Rabbit Pickup - German AAZ 1.9TD - daily with lots of MPGs
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udidwht
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

levi20AE wrote:
Thanks for good words guys.

I bought the tank new after looking into the cost to refurbish all the valves and the regulator on the smaller stock tank i had from the parts bus. All the parts were gonna cost ~$150 and then the tank needed to be sand blasted before painting. Too save the time and hassle I went ahead and purchased the larger tank. Its the same diameter, just longer so it doesn't reduce the ride height to less than stock. I did manage to ding the guard pretty good in a rocky dry river bed... oh well it would have looked outta place on this rig if it stayed shiny and new.

In the past month i have installed an ARB air compressor and fitting so that the hose plugs right into the side of the bus. Its been super convenient for after trail drives and it should be much better than manually blowing up floats this summer.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


We just got back yesterday from our first long road trip which was 1200+ miles. Initially I was very nervous venturing that far from home with the first motor I built back when I didn't know anything. The whole way out to San Francisco I was trying to recall if I followed every step of Tom Wilson's book. The little 1776cc did a lot better than I imagined. We cruised at 65-70 MPH on the flats and even light grades. Since things went so well cruising across the Mohave desert and through California's Central Valley Down we decided to take the long way home and cruise the PCH from Santa Cruise to San Luis Obispo. Down near the coast the A/F ratio was perfect and the motor loved the lower elevation. Even with little 28mm venturis and small 120 mains the 40 IDFs want to run rich at higher altitudes. The only issue we had was that the gasket between j-tube and the header on #3 developed a leak again. It seams that the heat is warping the flange. I went ahead and ordered 1.5" v-band flanges to solve that problem for good, no more gaskets, no more leaks Wink .

Just south of Monterrey
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Going over Bixby Canyon Bridge
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Nacimiento-Fergusson Road - smallest tightest road ever and completely beautiful.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



Santa Raby came while we were outta town and left supplies to build a Camper Special clone! Still have more parts to research before the build starts. Anyone have opinions on the best piston/cylinders for a type4?

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



Best Cylinders...Nickies if you have the cash to spend. As for a combo set go with the AA P/C's.
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1972 Westy Hardtop/Type-4 2056cc
96mm Biral AA P/C's~7.8:1CR
Headflow Masters New AMC 42x36mm heads w/Porsche swivel adjusters
71mm Stroke
73 Web Cam w/Web solids
Dual 40mm IDF Webers - LM-2 - 47.5 idles/125 mains/190 air corr./F11 tubes/28mm Vents - Float height 10.45mm/Drop 32mm
Bosch SVDA w/Pertronix module (7.5 initial 28 total @ 3400rpm)
Bosch W8CC plugs
Pertronix Flamethrower 40K coil
S&S 4-1 w/Walker QP 17862
3 rib 002 Trans
185R14 Hankook tires
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Stuartzickefoose
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PostPosted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

levi20AE wrote:
Thanks for good words guys.

I bought the tank new after looking into the cost to refurbish all the valves and the regulator on the smaller stock tank i had from the parts bus. All the parts were gonna cost ~$150 and then the tank needed to be sand blasted before painting. Too save the time and hassle I went ahead and purchased the larger tank. Its the same diameter, just longer so it doesn't reduce the ride height to less than stock. I did manage to ding the guard pretty good in a rocky dry river bed... oh well it would have looked outta place on this rig if it stayed shiny and new.

In the past month i have installed an ARB air compressor and fitting so that the hose plugs right into the side of the bus. Its been super convenient for after trail drives and it should be much better than manually blowing up floats this summer.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.





how much did the tank run> i just got a tank that size that i gotta rebuild and have two others to rebuild still, so if its easier id rather just get new ones....

and i have bottomed mine out more than once...Very Happy


that air compressor.....more details please! wheres it mounted, how much, and thats super awesome! i love that idea. i like how you setup the outside hookup for it too! Very Happy
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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

the tank is was from GoWesty, kinda pricey but it was crucial in order to make the planned camping trips.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=2447&category_id=380&category_parent_id=

My girl got the compressor from GoWesty as a birthday gift after cruising home hella slow and getting blown around by the wind after an offroad adventure with very low air pressure. Turning the steering wheel to 90 degrees in order to go straight is no fun on the highway for 50 miles of desert winds.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=23617&category_id=342&category_parent_id=
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1973 Campmobile http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=524511&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
20th AE VW GTI - 369hp 340tq @ 26 PSI
1982 Rabbit Pickup - German AAZ 1.9TD - daily with lots of MPGs
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GeorgeO.
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 9:57 pm    Post subject: Where did you obtain the trailer? Reply with quote

What I like to know is where did you get that trailer?

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Stuartzickefoose
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 1:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

levi20AE wrote:
the tank is was from GoWesty, kinda pricey but it was crucial in order to make the planned camping trips.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=2447&category_id=380&category_parent_id=

My girl got the compressor from GoWesty as a birthday gift after cruising home hella slow and getting blown around by the wind after an offroad adventure with very low air pressure. Turning the steering wheel to 90 degrees in order to go straight is no fun on the highway for 50 miles of desert winds.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=23617&category_id=342&category_parent_id=


very cool to see these in action. thank you!
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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 30, 2013 7:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Where did you obtain the trailer? Reply with quote

GeorgeO. wrote:
What I like to know is where did you get that trailer?


George, I picked the trailer up on craigslist a few years back. We were camping at Lake Tahoe and we had to make a day long detour coming home to pick-it up in Redding, CA. Its an Coleman Pack Horse from the early 80s, don't recall the exact year. I like it cause its not one of those tiny Allstate trailers but it is still single wheeled and easy to back into small camp sites. Its great for keeping all the camping gear stored away so when the weekend comes you just push it like a wheel borrow to the vehicle and go. It came in handy for towing behind the caddy when the dogs took up all the space in the bed.

http://www.singlewheel.com/Auto/ColemanFR.htm

Stuart, the compressor is mounted under the Z-bed and the hose is just routed around behind the cabinets and the water tank. The compressor has a tiny little tank on top and kicks on at 70 PSI and off at 100 PSI. It fills the tires pretty fast for a little compressor. I mounted it to the house battery but it took alot of driving to recharge after filling all four tires. It would probably be better to wire up to the starter battery and just keep the engine running when filling tires.

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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

udidwht wrote:
levi20AE wrote:


Santa Raby came while we were outta town and left supplies to build a Camper Special clone! Still have more parts to research before the build starts. Anyone have opinions on the best piston/cylinders for a type4?

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



Best Cylinders...Nickies if you have the cash to spend. As for a combo set go with the AA P/C's.


I'll probably be getting a set of AA P/Cs but may do more research on the piston rings. Did Adrian at Headflow Masters build your engine? How was the experience dealing with him? I'm considering having this motor professionally built for the piece of mind.
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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got around to buying a grease gun and getting under the front end to lube things up because she sounds like a carriage wagon over the bumps with all the creaks and groans. While under there I found that the boots on three of the four ball points were completely gone... sure makes it easy to grease them that way!

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We made it out to Death Valley this weekend for some camping and hiking.
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On the way out we met up with a few guys from Vancouver who were caravaning together. It was cool to drive through Badwater Basin with a few other busses.
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We camped out along a 4x4 trail to avoid dealing with RV generators and reservations. The trail was rough but luckily we got through in the evening without any issues but getting out was different story. The trailer hitch caught on a rock and we ended up digging in pretty good. Luckily I had bought a Hi-Lift jack for Christmas and remembered to throw it in the bus before leaving.

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All that said we still fared well and better than others...

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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2014 7:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Haven't got a lot of new work done on the bus this semester with school, work and we bought another house. Did find time to replace the front rotors and get matching wheels and tires on the front. Last weekend we decided to go up to a local mountain and try some trails.

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Link

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Bala
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PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice bus, and I love this picture!

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PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 8:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

levi20AE wrote:
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Those slicks seem a bit aggressive for a bus. Hankooks?
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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

eazyvw wrote:


Those slicks seem a bit aggressive for a bus. Hankooks?


Haha, that would be fun. Think... These are an old set from the GTI for track days, 245/40/17 BFG R1s. I did throw a set of worn 225 slicks on my old beetle for fun and damn it was scary in the corners once the rubber got warm. No seat bolsters or sway bars, thought it was gonna either flip or toss me out the window.
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77 Riviera Owner
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PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 12:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great bus, and solid work. I love the air compressor setup. And is that a Dometic refrigerator out of a Vanagon? Nice.
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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 4:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, all the cabinetry and bed are from a vanagon.
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levi20AE
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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Took a short getaway to Williams AZ and the Grand Canyon this weekend. Bus did not like towing the trailer with a headwind and 100 degree heat. The CHTs climed to 400 at points going 55. Once we got to higher and cooler elevations things were much better. We took extra main jets to swap to smaller 110s at altitude but unfortunately one of the ears on one of the mains snapped so we drove with the 115s and suffered with 10:1 A/F when loaded up. Buying a set of in illusion tubes jet and air correction jets before the next trip so we don't have that problem again. I've been struggling with shitty exhaust gaskets that leak after a few hundred miles. Already replaced the j-tube to headers flanges with v-Bands and just got the 1 3/4 v-band for the header to muffler the morning we left. Should have welded it in but oh well... Got home and one of the three bolts managed to back itself out even after being double nutted.
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Aside from the exhaust leak on the way home the trip was a success. Didn't get many photos, it's actually really hard to take a picture of massive canyon and a little bus at the same time...

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PostPosted: Sun May 18, 2014 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice, overall, levi. I have a '73 as well.
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