Van Life vs Creeper Life

[vegpedlr]

The whole #vanlife thing kinda crept up on me while I wasn’t paying attention. Here in CA, vans have always been part of the landscape for surfing, skiing, climbing etc. So I got my van for my own travel purposes. I chose a Vanagon for other reasons. Then, suddenly, it became a THiNG. Even the girl at the drive thru praised my van.

But it wasn’t that long ago that Van Life meant Creeper Life. I think most people seeing someone driving a van that wasn’t clearly a work van were more than a little suspicious bout what was going on in there.

But before Creeper Life, there used to be quite a bit of van conversion fun in the 70s and 80s. Remember that show the A-Team? I used to love that van when I was a kid.

I wonder if Van Life will stay cool, or go back to being seen as Creeper Life.
_________________
1985 Tintop 4 sp GW 2.3 “Connie”
2006 Mk V GTI 2.0 FSI “Penelope”

[Abscate]

It never ended being creeper life. You just became a creeper.



At least your not a Bay Lifer though. Thats really Creepy.
_________________
.ssS!

[vegpedlr]

[SCM]

I think you're paying too much attention to internet memes. Of course, I grew up camping out of a pretty sick converted Econo-line in the late 80s so never knew vans were seen as "creeper" in any serious way.

The two times locally that someone was observed creeping around elementary schools, and had the cops watching for them, it was a Dodge pickup truck and some type of car.

Along the lines of your OP though, I wonder if camping out of a tent will eventually be looked down upon. Frankly, I would LOVE to take a trip or two in my super plush Alltrack and sleep in a tent instead of fighting crosswinds in the van but my wife ain't having it. It's getting to be where you can't go to a camping area or trailhead without it looking like a Sprinter convention or rooftop tent expo.
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'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine

[Sodo]

Who owns a Vanagon and no creeper?
....maybe the folks with a gravel driveway etc.
_________________


'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[Buggeee]

[SCM]

[E1]

In our recent experience, in many camp hosts and RVer's eyes, it's already creeper life.

And in those same eyes, those in tents are already seen as "poor."

Their loss, Viva la Vanagons!
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[campism]

[vegpedlr]

For awhile when I was a kid we had brown Ford van with typical “conversion” for the time. Not a typical passenger van, back seat folded into a bed, two swiveling middle seats, lots of carpet and fake wood paneling. No camping equipment. We used it to tow a small pop up trailer to the Grand Canyon. Frequently on the verge of overheating, we limped into Vegas, using my sister’s doll clothes soaked in ice water wrapped around our heads because there was no AC. And the sunroof leaked . And the cig lighter in the back smoked.

And people say VWs are a mess.
_________________
1985 Tintop 4 sp GW 2.3 “Connie”
2006 Mk V GTI 2.0 FSI “Penelope”

[jlrftype7]

[kamzcab86]

Sorry, but the only "Creeper Life" vans are these:

Volkswagen vans/Buses have only ever been known in my world as the free-loving, open-roading, totally rad modes of transportation and traveling that seemingly everyone adores... when stopped/parked; out on the interstates, all bets are off.
_________________
~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子

[vegpedlr]

[childofthewind]

[shagginwagon83]

have the Workahloics mentality..

_________________
Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[dobryan]

Everyone knows that VW busses are #hippylife.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[E1]

Kamz, please never post pics of our van again.

TIA. (👍🏼)


_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[shagginwagon83]

I've had many girls say my van is cute. I don't feel creeper at all. Like Dave said, more of a Hippie life than anything.

Oh I was at a gas station in the hood once and this guy said he likes my "doobie van*
_________________
Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[jlrftype7]

[alaskadan]