Buy a Bay Window or Vanagon for a family camper?

[?Waldo?]

The decision is personal, but simple. If you think that STYLE is the most important factor - above safety, power, comfort, reliability, interior space, handling and ease of operation - AND you feel that the style of the bay bus so suits you that you MUST drive one, then the bay bus is the choice to make. If you feel that STYLE is not the most important factor in your vehicle choice OR you feel that the style of the bay bus is not EXACTLY what you need then choose a vanagon. The vanagon is better than the bus in every way that it is different except that it weighs more. Personally I don't find the styling all that different but inasmuch as it is different, I vastly prefer the style of the vanagon over the bus. This is coming from someone who has owned and extensively worked on both.

[sped372]

I love the early Bays. I'd take a Vanny over a late Bay in a heartbeat. They're all Type-2's though and I wave at 'em all, we're all in the same family.
_________________
1971 Karmann Ghia - 1600 DP
1984 Westfalia - 1.9 WBX

[SGKent]

Buy a Bus - they are more fun -

[img]

[/img]
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[Bala]

Go out and drive both. If possible, go to local shows and club meetings and get an up close look at them.
I've had one Vanagon (Rivi), and did not like it. Nothing against Vanagons, it just didn't "feel" right. On paper it looked great, but I mesh better with bays. Early bays especially, but adding in safety factors and interior set-up a late bay makes me happy. In the end I have to like what I drive or else I can't enjoy the restoration/maintenance experience.

Oh, and I'd wave back at a Vanagon, Ferrari or Fiesta.
_________________
1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

[skills@eurocarsplus]

wow, looks like i stirred the shit pretty good truth be told, i usually wave. vanagon's are nice for sure. my buddy had a automatic that he beat the piss out of.

fwiw, in the unlikley event i ever choose to procure a vanagon, it would be an engine swap for sure. the cooling/head issues for a vanagon are enough to keep me away.

why drive something "modern" if every 60K you are into it for heads etc?

there are very few vanagons out here and when they do pop up for sale, every last one of them has cooling issues, or leaky heads. no thanks

i guess what i'm saying is i wouldn't kick one out of the driveway, but i wouldn't pay for one either
_________________

[Stuartzickefoose]

[chazz79]

[morymob]

SKILLS< where did u get the 'facts" u just said of Vanagons,dream it, or the internet'truth' source?? Having owned 5, 1 for 12 yrs/350k+, 1/10yrs and others for at least 3yrs, my opinion of 'yours' is mostly 'bullshit. Been a bay owner, drug it home, refurbed and froze my a== off inwinter and took 2 to handle it in a good crosswind. Diff kinds for diff people, u makes your choice.my 2-cts.

[ccpalmer]

[Mal evolent]

everybody waves at everybody in NM. out of state Harley riders only wave back at other Harley riders. insecure male tourists think you're waving at their wife.

smart alecks drive with their fingers on top of the steering wheel and extend them up at the last possible moment. if the other guy waved, you waved back; you're cool. if he didn't wave, you waved at him; he's a dick.
_________________
73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[ccpalmer]

The other day some motorcyclists gave me the cycle-wave, extending their left arms out as I passed. I was honored! Air-Cooleds Unite!

I was riding in my friend's convertible Miata a few weeks back. We passed another Miata and they each waved at eachother. I was like "how cute! Miata's wave too!"

In college I met a dude with a Mustang. We were both engineers - he was conservative, I had the longest hair in all my classes. After hanging out a bit the dude was like "Buses are cool. When two Mustangs meet at a light, they drag race. When two Buses meet at a light, they wave."

I might wave to a Westy Vanagon, but only a Westy.

My neighbor, after seeing all the fun I have with my Westy, bought a Eurovan Winnebago. We both know who has the cooler car!
_________________
'71 Westy

[Stuartzickefoose]

try it with any VW, if the person is paying attention, it doesnt matter if they are in a new jetta, a mk2, or a splitty, they still throw up a peace sign or wave first 2 years i drove my bus i waved at every vw owner...now i save it for aircooolers, but still
_________________
Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

[Juancho]

Like many members of Samba, I too have owned both; roughly 6 Bay Window campers of various vintages and a 1985 Vanagon Westy. Truth be told, the Vanagon is a superior product in almost every way, except for looks of course. I still regret selling my Vanagon Westy. Can't say the same about my Bays.

I currently own a ’75 ASI camper. However, it will be my last Bay Window. A Vanagon Syncro with Subaru conversion is pretty much Nirvana in my mind. No other vehicle on earth even begins to compare.

[Batan]

I have a feeling everybody is discussing this for nothing. The OP has one post count, this one, and hasn't been heard from since, so he might be long gone. LOL
_________________
'69 Riviera Bay
'03 20th Anniversary GTI
'74 Super Beetle
Badzak Creative – Still and Motion Pictures

[ccpalmer]

[Batan]

It's called trolling!
_________________
'69 Riviera Bay
'03 20th Anniversary GTI
'74 Super Beetle
Badzak Creative – Still and Motion Pictures

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

Now that we got everyone's view point can we move back to the topic at hand?
_________________
Toby http://www.aircoolednut.com/
Did I mention that I'm an original Darksider?
'72 VW Squareback, 2007cc, GB 5-speed, rag top; '76 VW Riviera Penthouse Sundowner 2.0L; 2015 Audi S5 Cabby w/Stage II APR; '06 Ducati Sport Classic 1000; '14 Ducati Diavel Strada
The First Invasion

[Batan]

[Montana74]

As for what to buy, it was stated that either in low milage will be hard to find, so just buy the first one you find, that suits your needs!
As for waving, I wave to everyone! Lots of folks in boring cars wave to me, and I always wave back! I feel that when in my Bay or Beetle, I "Gotta represent" and I am happy to be the nice guy!
You never know how many VWs they may have anyway. They may have 1 of each kind!! Or more!

edit: also, the folks in the Vanagon are a LOT more likely to be the ones who stop and help me when I am broken down on the side of the road, as opposed to the folks in the Escalade
_________________
1974 Standard Beetle.

[Tom Powell]

I live in Hawaii and I have a Vanagon hardtop here. I have shipped it interisland and used it for camping. In heavy rain it is stuffy and confining, but comfortable and pleasant near the ocean with the slider open. The Vanagon has had some mysterious problems, but I've cleaned grounds, replaced fuel lines, and thrown parts at it.

I also have a '69 camper at my parent's house in CA. I plan to drive to the east coast next year and am planning to purchase a Vanagon poptop weekender. The '69 camper has been an excellent vehicle for skiing in the Western US. In thirty years 98% reliable. Not warm on the road, but cozy overnight in a snowstorm.

I'm usually a solo traveler, but for the comfort and safety of passengers I would prefer to drive a Vanagon.

Aloha
tp