Vanagon reliability

[longboarderntown]

Hey everyone

I'm looking into getting myself a Vanagon. Right now I'm looking at an 85. I live up in the mountains of Colorado (Breckenridge). I haven't worked on a van before just pre 70 bugs. Do the vanagons have many problems as a daily driver? Think the 2.1 would be enough for mountain driving?

Right now I own a Subaru legacy gt. It's caused so many problems and I'm looking for something a bit more reliable and easy to work on.

What should I look for when purchasing to make sure I don't get a busted one.

Thanks !!

[Slimvest]

Every 30 year old car needs work but I think you'll find most here will say a Vanagon is pretty reliable when it's been maintained.

Having never driven a Vanagon in the Rockies, I can't comment on actual power at those elevations. The winter I lived in Vail driving a carburated '86 Subaru wagon makes me think I'd hate to drive a vanagon every day at those elevations.
_________________
'87 GL w/ Reimo top

[dougass]

You will get answers from both ends of the spectrum... In summary, the cool factor/nostalgia/quirkiness/tiny camper/etc is the biggest pull to the vanagon, not reliability.

Before getting into budget, maintenance yada yada, cost per mile of the vanagon may end up being much more than your subaru for the first few years until you get things in order. A college buddy of mine had a number of subarus, all for dirt cheap, drove them until they didnt anymore, then bought another cheap one. I've could have done the same thing 5 times in the 3 years I've owned mine and I don't drive it daily - however - i still love the thing.

Quick $$ talk. To get a winter-worthy van, you want a syncro, I don't know if you will find anything under $10,000 with a decent body that drives. Then figure another few grand for tires and the must-do's for a 30 year old vehicle. Or you could spend twice that right off the bat and get something that somebody put tens of thousands into, already done an engine swap and other upgrades, etc.
_________________
'91 GL - 2.1 automatic named Klaus for weekend adventures.

#klausvan & @thisisklausvan

[DuncanS]

Quite biased https://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=17, but remember that starting with any 30ish year old car is going to be a ton of effort to get reliability. In addition, Vangons use a 30 year old analog computer system which means it is looking for voltage values to decide what to do. Any degraded electrical component, whether connections or wire will give potential false readings to the computer and thus confuse it. Do you have any 30 year old electronic equipment that you rely on for daily use? The computers have no ability for readout failure codes and they don't know how to handle high elevations.

Vanagon are more about visibility, interior volume and versatility in terms of why we love them, not reliability although as the above link says, stuff a huge wad of dough into them and they will be wonderful.

[Robw_z]

Regardless of any opinion, with equal amounts of maintenance I feel quite sure a Subaru Legacy beats a Vanagon in terms of reliability. Anybody that tells you their van has been reliable has time and money.

-Rob

[benandmj]

[davevickery]

You mentioned an 85 but the 2.1 engine started in 86. Not too much difference but about 10 hp more.

I like this van. 86 Weekender so it's pretty versatile layout nd the price seems good with recent engine and trans work. Any van will have a couple thousand dollars worth of deferred maintenance over the first year or two if you want to get it into daily driver reliable mode. And you'll want to have AAA until you get it all dialed in.
https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/cto/d/fort-collins-1986-vw-westfalia-weekender/6769751472.html

If you are looking for just a passenger van you can find nice ones that have been well maintained for $6K or more. Anything cheaper is bound to need a lot of catch up mechanical work.

[Ahwahnee]

Mine's 35 years old, as reliable as any of my old cars and does just fine in your mountains (provided I am not in a big hurry)... but I have doubts you would be happy with one as a daily driver.

As DV suggests - any van you buy will probably have a lot of things to be resolved to get it to a status that any reasonable person would call 'reliable'.

You don't say why you want a Vanagon so perhaps there is something that trumps other concerns - but for reliable transportation a Toyota pick-up or 4Runner is hard to beat.

[macjack]

nice find, Dave, on that FT. Collins Weekender. Does seem a good candidate.
To the OP, I moved to Colorado with an 81 Westy. The first drive up I70 and through the tunnel at 25 mph told me I needed a van with a different engine. So I got prepared to get a water-cooled and put in a different engine. I have not driven a 2.1, but I think that it would be fine on most side roads, like 285, but not really for I70.
As far as winter, we can do a lot with a rear wheel van, with the engine over the drive wheels, and good tires, but there are definitely times in the high country where having a syncro will be almost mandatory to get around. If you don't need your van on those winter days, then the lower entry price of a 2wd may be just right.
Agreed with all the other posters about maintenance of a Vanagon. I don't hesitate to drive from the front range to Moab, or Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Massachusetts, or even Canada, with my family in the van. I do have a contingency plan for if something goes wrong and I NEED to be someplace at a hard arrival time, but I think after sorting out the maintenance issues, you can drive it with confidence.
Of course, bang for your buck, an awd Honda Element would probably be more reliable, slightly less underpowered, and cheaper to purchase with similar miles to a Vanagon 2wd. But you lose so much of the cool factor. And much less ground clearance. But it would be better reliability-wise than an old subaru. I don't consider a subaru a low maintenance car. But it does have a boxer engine like the original vanagon ones!
_________________
87 TDI Syncro Westy
81 Westy (sold)
80 Rabbit Wolfsburg (rolled)
Bike as primary transportation

[Zeitgeist 13]

All of my Vanagon reliability issues have been self-inflicted due to attempts to save $ and/or defer maintenance. My real world experiences with the Vanagon do not track in any way with the general unreliability memes tossed around on this site.
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[driverdave]

I lived in Breckenridge with my Vanagon for a bit. Here are my thoughts.

Snow wasn't too horrible, although if it was dumping I would not want to be in the van. I carried chains, and used them a couple of times, usually just to get out of an incline area, and not driving on the road. The back end swings way out when it looses traction. It's a bit frightening the first few times it happens. A 2WD Vanagon is not a good snow or mountain vehicle, but it's doable if you have an AWD backup plan or take the bus. Maybe snow tires would make it better, I have General Grabbers, they don't seem too good in the snow.

The van is cold. During the day it's not too bad, since the sun heats you up. At night it's cold.

The windshield wipers suck. During snow, they will stick and cease working unless they are in top shape. I've had to pull them a few times and get them working again. Not a huge chore, but can be challenging if they go out at a crucial time.

If you have a heated garage, then you could work on the van if needed in the winter. Without a heated garage, certain repairs would be challenging. The snow and ice stuck to the van would make everything harder if you can't melt it out.

I'd guess the 2.1 would be slow up the passes. I drove in van with a VW engine in it, and it wasn't too bad. Went up the passes OK. Not fast, but we were keeping up with most traffic.

As far as reliability, it's as reliable as you or the previous owner make it. These are quirky antiques. I don't know of any Vanagon shops up in Summit County, but there are some owners. Mechanics are far more familiar with Subarus up there.

Like any Vanagon purchase, you need to love these things, they are not a rational vehicle to purchase. If you love these vans, you could make it work. If you want a reliable vehicle that's good in the snowy mountains, look elsewhere.
_________________
1984 Vanagon Westy with a 91 EJ22 KEP Conversion

[?Waldo?]

[Zeitgeist 13]

I will absolutely agree with that. I serviced a van this Summer that had the idle control relay hanging down by the exhaust on the driver side. I should mention that not only the hanging part was wrong, but the side of the vehicle for this item was also incorrect. Suffice to say that it was a real CFing mess.
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[djkeev]

Define what reliable means to you.
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[candyman]

I have daily driven vanagons since 1997. All of my vans have been regularly maintained with a close eye to preventative maintenance by me and me alone. I feel they are more reliable than any car of their era. I can count on one hand (with fingers to spare) how many breakdowns i have had in 21 years. I drive my 2wd tin top all winter long in pretty treacherous conditions with no concerns, BUT i have hakkapalita studded tires and sand bags in rear. Its amazing. I have a syncro that rarely if ever sees snow since Im more concerned about someone else crashing into it, plus Missoula salts our roads now :/ The tin top is kind of my sacrificial lamb. My heat is great in both vans. I keep the rear seat heater that many choose to get rid of and within minutes my vans are pretty toasty even on sub zero days. The windshiled wipers do suck as stated above. But with good blade replacement and rainex, they get the job done.

[AZ Landshaper]

I feel quite sure a Subaru Legacy beats a Vanagon in terms of reliability.

I agree with that statement. Thats why I put a subaru legacy motor into my vanagon.
Without the ability and desire to work on the vanagon reliabiltiy will be in the Sh#tter.

My last trip was a shakedown so reliability was not expected. I blew out a tire and had to replace my thermostat. Still it was an awesome trip.

Popular bumper sticker says that VW has been making owners into mechanics since the 30s. Are you ready to be a mechanic? You got lots of $$$. Its one or the other w/ a 30 year old car unless its a driveway ornament.
_________________
Support Small Business.

-------------------------------------------------------
85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[Silverghost500]

For a daily driver I'd suggest a tin top vs. a camper/Westy model. I've driven mine (Westy) in the near 60 miles commute to my office during rush hours and it's not a lot of fun. As with any classic/vintage vehicle buy the best example you can afford.

Depending on your mechanical abilities you can get one going fairly reliably. Mine now runs at the first start attempt, and is pretty consistent with running after replacing the entire fuel system/throttle body/AFM.
_________________
1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia "Von Westy"
Honda K24A converversion-Road Testing Phase
3-Speed Automatic

Von Westy YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbhyZYxJEQrUuLnMbLleeIA

[82westyrabbit]

It’s not that a Vanagon is not reliabile. What a Vanagon is is high maintenance and if they don’t get it then they aren’t reliable. I have driven my van two hundred thousand miles and it has never been on a hook (a few road side repairs though). I listen to it. I know it. I have touched every system in it. I got married in it. Someday my son can sell it after in am gone just like my airplane. My Toyota truck on the other hand I have also driven two hundred thousand miles. It gets oil changes mufflers tires and brakes. I listen to it but it doesn’t care. If I had to drive it a cross the country tomorrow I have no doubt it would make with no problem but I would still take the van. You just have to know what witch experience you are looking for a hobbie or transportation. When I drove my van daily I probably worked on it a hour a week to keep it up. I did the math to run my van all those miles Including buying it it costs .06 cents a mile. But if I had to pay someone to work on it I would not have come out so well. Just my thoughts and you get what you pay for. John

[Yellow Rabbit]

I’d consider my Vanagon reliable but when you drive an antique, you have to be ready for surprises. To experience what it’s like to drive a stock Vanagon in the mountains, drive up Vail pass in the slow lane behind the semi trucks with their flashers on. That pretty much sums it up. If I wanted a daily driver at elevation, I’d personally pick an electric car.

[alpinweiss]

I think Breckenridge is a really pretty town. I have visited there a couple of times. But it is almost 10,000 feet elevation, which means a naturally-aspirated engine will lose about 30% of its power. I think a slow vehicle will become intolerably slow.

I own a Volkswagen that is great for Breckenridge, but it isn’t my Vanagon. I like to take the Tiguan (yes, seriously 😐) into the high mountains. It is all-wheel-drive (4-Motion) and turbocharged (almost no power loss due to altitude). It can become a great ski vehicle with snow tires and a ski rack. Nice late-model Tiguans are available at reasonable prices.

My apologies to the Vanagon purists here. I realize my recommendation won’t be well-received.
_________________
Alpinweiß
1981 Vanagon
2008 Passat 6-speed manual
2017 Tiguan 4-Motion