The Vw Camper Van of Yesterday
Many people consider Chrysler to be the pioneers of popular minivans, but this is inaccurate. Volkswagen of Germany was building them over 30 years before Lee Iacocca ever lifted a finger to turn the once-ailing Chrysler Corporation around. In 1950, the same year in which the iconic Type 1 Beetle officially reached US shores, VW had another vehicle in their lineup. TheType 2 Transporter, popularly known as theVolkswagen Bus,was the first true minivan.
When the Second World War ended, Allied occupational forces stumbled upon some rather funny-looking cars in a mostly-bombed-out factory in Wolfsburg, Germany. The first Beetles were actually produced as far back as 1938, but when Adolph Hitler decided he wanted to conquer Europe and ultimately the world, production of the “Bug” was halted and the focus was shifted to military vehicles. In 1946, British forces resurrected the Beetle, and by 1949, a Dutch auto importer named Ben Pon brought two of these odd cars to the United States. While touring the factory in Wolfsburg, Pon noticed that some stripped-down Beetles were being used to transport parts all over the complex. This gave him the idea to produce a van on the Beetle chassis. Heinz Nordoff, chief executive of VW at that time, liked Pon’s idea and soon thereafter, the Type 2 was put into production.
The Type 2 Transporter proved to be a very versatile vehicle and was built in many different forms, including milk carriers, cargo vans, postal trucks, flatbed trucks, ambulances, and ultimately, camper vans. The idea of a camper van dates back to the 1950s, when the popular bus version was being produced. In 1951, Westfalia, a German coachbuilder, converted the first Transporters into campers. When the standard seats were removed, appliances such as a sinks, stoves, refrigerators and beds could easily fit. Among Volkswagen enthusiasts, these converted campers came to be known as “Westys.” Over the years, other coachbuilders such as Dormobile, VW Sun-Dial, VW Riviera, and Danbury Motorcaravans also did transporter camper conversions, but Westfalia was by far the most popular choice.
These vehicles were a hit among the hippie counterculture of the 1960s. Many a senior citizen today can tell you stories of traveling to Woodstock in a VW Camper Bus. Despite a major facelift that involved eliminating the split-window buses and going with a bay window design by 1968, camper versions continued to be popular. Interestingly, as far back as 1963, VW “buses” were designated as “station wagons” to avoid extra import tariffs.
The earlier bay-window campers were underpowered with the same engines employed by the Beetle, but a bigger air-cooled engine used in Type 4 VW models arrived in 1972. The original VW “Bus” remained in North America until 1979.
From 1980-1991, the VW Bus was known as the Vanagon in the US. Westfalia continued to build camper versions. In 1983, the air-cooled engine was dropped in favor of a more modern water-cooled powerplant. More detailed information on the Vanagon’s specs can be foundhere.
From 1993-2003, the Eurovan replaced the Vanagon. These were larger, more powerful yet still-lethargic, modernized Volkswagen vans. Although not as classic or revered by VW enthusiasts as the original Buses or even Vanagons, the camper versions of Eurovans were far superior in every aspect. The Weekender package included a pop-up roof, front and rear air-conditioning, a double-bed, refrigerator, and screened, curtained windows. Theultimate VW camperwas built by Winnebago and converted to a true motorhome, complete with a fully-equipped kitchen, sleeping area, dining area, and even a bathroom. This conversion was known as the Rialta and was also quite pricey.
Sadly, Volkswagen no longer offers a camper conversion in its current lineup. A van is still produced and known as the Routan, but it’s really a Chrysler Town and Country minivan with a VW badge. Ultimately, somebody will likely offer a camper conversion for this model, but at this writing, it hasn’t happened yet. In theory, it would also be possible to convert either the Tiguan or Toureag SUV models into campers, but it would prove to be a very expensive proposition.
