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dobryan
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ZsZ
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epowell
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Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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 Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:33 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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  ...so the "Adventurewagen" was a kind of aftermarket camperization "kit" sold in N.America which contained a hightop, plus kitchen hardware etc with the idea of converting tintops to a "Westy-type" camper van?
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ZsZ
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Location: Budapest Hungary, Europe
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:38 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| epowell wrote: |
| ...so the "Adventurewagen" was a kind of aftermarket camperization "kit" sold in N.America which contained a hightop, plus kitchen hardware etc with the idea of converting tintops to a "Westy-type" camper van? |
exactly
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Zoltan
1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
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9.5isCanadian
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Joined: September 16, 2017
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Location: In your blind spot.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:46 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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Westfalia was / is an RV building company (Coach builder) contracted by Volkswagen to convert the passenger van into a suitable vehicle for camping.
Get Away is an RV building company (Coach builder) that took Volkswagen vans and built them into a suitable vehicle for camping.
https://www.getawayrv.com/customize-your-utility-v...-away-vans
Adventure wagon was the same.
The fact that Volkswagen did not contract either of these companies to build them is an irrelevant distinction.
I believe the current crop of VW camper vans are built by Winnebago, an RV building company (Coach builder)
Karman Ghia was, at one time, contracted by VW to build a camper van.
With all that said, the Westfalia unit was sold through the company's dealer network, I do not know if any of the other players in the camper van market were sold via the dealer network or via an RV dealership network. Other's will chime in with suitable information I'm sure.[/url]
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9 1/2 - missing a few pieces.
1987 Getaway Hightop
1980 Sunroof Vanagon
2018 BMW R Nine T
2012 Golf tdi
Last edited by 9.5isCanadian on Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:48 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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epowell
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Joined: September 23, 2015
Posts: 4733
Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:48 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| ZsZ wrote: |
| epowell wrote: |
| ...so the "Adventurewagen" was a kind of aftermarket camperization "kit" sold in N.America which contained a hightop, plus kitchen hardware etc with the idea of converting tintops to a "Westy-type" camper van? |
exactly |
And the "GETAWAY" is the same idea, but a different company? And this is all the same idea as what the European MOSIAC "kit" was?
So what is the history behind AW and GA --- when did they go into business? Are they still in business? How successful were they? Are they the on N.American "kits" available?
So I am starting to see that the most realistic hope for getting a used hightop for a reasonable price is going to be to find a scrap van which has had one of these conversion: AW or GA, correct?
Am I correct to assume that AW and GA were the first such kits, and the likelihood of getting something cheaper would be one of these rather than one of these more recent and extremely expensive aftermarket hightop options?
And finally I guess the only way to get a postal top would be to import one?
Sorry for all the questions.... I AM researching as I write this.
At the end of the day, I really do want a hightop as opposed to a poptop, but I don't want to pay for it as much as paid for my whole van > that is too weird.
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9.5isCanadian
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Joined: September 16, 2017
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Location: In your blind spot.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 12:58 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| epowell wrote: |
At the end of the day, I really do want a hightop as opposed to a poptop, but I don't want to pay for it as much as paid for my whole van > that is too weird. |
Hi tops can be pricey. There was four on the market this past fall, I believe the least expensive was the Adventure Wagen my brother bought for $7500
There's still a pretty nice one listed but IMHO they're asking too much for it but, like am forever explaining to my BIL: What I'm willing to pay is a reflection on what it's worth TO ME darn it. Stop telling me these things "aren't worth that much........" its not about you.
pisses me off ..........
I digress, you may find a unit that needs work, like I did, but you need to be willing/able to do that work.
Good luck and enjoy the hunt.
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9 1/2 - missing a few pieces.
1987 Getaway Hightop
1980 Sunroof Vanagon
2018 BMW R Nine T
2012 Golf tdi |
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epowell
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Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 1:07 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| 9.5isCanadian wrote: |
I digress, you may find a unit that needs work, like I did, but you need to be willing/able to do that work. |
Yeah, at this point I already found my "van", but what I want/need is just a hightop - so it seems that my search will be for a crashed/trashed parts van that had previously been converted to a hightop, and in Canada it looks like the best chance of finding something will be an Adventwagen or a G.away.
This is inspiring because I started to figure that NOTHING can be available.
Seems there is hope, and what I have noticed is that when the search can be refined to pinpoint precision, the likelihood of success is greatly enhanced.
Of course I intend to just buy the 2nd hand hightop (probably have to remove it myself from some junkyard corpse) - then install it myself.
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Gruppe B
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 1:20 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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3dig from here was making an aluminum hightop for sale in Washington State that looked really cool.
Construction photo, not finished |
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9.5isCanadian
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 1:47 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| epowell wrote: |
| 9.5isCanadian wrote: |
I digress, you may find a unit that needs work, like I did, but you need to be willing/able to do that work. |
<snip>
so it seems that my search will be for a crashed/trashed parts van
>snip<
buy the 2nd hand hightop (probably have to remove it myself from some junkyard corpse) - then install it myself. |
A word of caution. I too had that intention. Paid $1500 bucks for my "parts van" but it was in such great shape inside and 95% of the body ...........
I now have two vans in my driveway with no intention of parting out anything.
"Honest honey, this one is just too nice to rip apart and we have way too many memories in our other van to get rid of it............"
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9 1/2 - missing a few pieces.
1987 Getaway Hightop
1980 Sunroof Vanagon
2018 BMW R Nine T
2012 Golf tdi |
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epowell
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Joined: September 23, 2015
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Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| 9.5isCanadian wrote: |
A word of caution. I too had that intention. Paid $1500 bucks for my "parts van" but it was in such great shape inside and 95% of the body ...........
I now have two vans in my driveway with no intention of parting out anything.
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Yeah I know this vibe... recently in North Van there was a wonderful Westy going to $1800CAD with only a bad gearbox...
My hope however will be to find something like what this guy found:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=513449&highlight=getaway
The cool thing (that many American's might not know about) is that GETAWAY is a B.C. company and made hightops years and years ago > the likelihood of finding an old derelict shell right here in B.C. for cheap is realistic.
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syncrodoka
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:41 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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Adventurewagons and get-away vans weren't kits, they did the conversion process themselves.
The difference between westfalia and the aftermarket companies is that westfalias were designed and built by VW in the assembly line and there is roof strengthening engineered into them. VW only licensed westfalia to do their camper kits and they went through the same crash and rollover testing as any other vw does.
If you just want to install a hightop or mosaic type kit yourself or have it done those options are available, a search should yield several different options.
I would even start asking around at junkyards for a old european donor that got imported into canada that is no longer road worthy as a donor. |
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epowell
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Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:47 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| syncrodoka wrote: |
I would even start asking around at junkyards for a old european donor that got imported into canada that is no longer road worthy as a donor. |
Yes this will be my action plan... it may take some time - but I'm sure I'll find *something* eventually. Afterall, what happens to all the old hightop vans when they die?
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vanagonjr
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 6:59 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| epowell wrote: |
| Yes this will be my action plan... it may take some time - but I'm sure I'll find *something* eventually. Afterall, what happens to all the old hightop vans when they die? |
There just wasn't /aren't many high-top vans here. I've been to various VW shows, some with 60-100 vans/busses. Some of those had zero high-tops, the others...perhaps 2-4?
Will you find something eventually? Well since eventually effectively means no time limit, I'd say yes. Are you going to find something reasonbly close by in the next year?
As Clint Eastwood said, "Well, do ya feel lucky, punk? Do ya?"
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FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798 |
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epowell
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Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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| vanagonjr wrote: |
Will you find something eventually? Well since eventually effectively means no time limit, I'd say yes. Are you going to find something reasonbly close by in the next year?
As Clint Eastwood said, "Well, do ya feel lucky, punk? Do ya?" |
I get your point, but I've made up my mind that I want a hightop. I will also look into the possibility of shipping one from Czech or Poland to Vancouver because I think I can find a cheap used one over there quite easily.
In the worst case I can always buy a new one....
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epowell
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dobryan
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epowell
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Location: Czech (mostly) Vancouver (sometimes)
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| Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 9:49 pm Post subject: Re: "Postal" HIGH TOPS in Canada? |
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Does anyone know what this is? It is from a site called VANAGON HACKS.
Did someone adapt a hightop from a different type of van to fit a Vanagon?
Has any crazy bugger out there attempted to MAKE a hightop?
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epowell
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nemobuscaptain
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