Vanthology | A Man & His Van

A Man …
Like many in this vast and autocentric nation, my earliest introductions to cross-country travel were spent in the back seat of the old family station wagon or a two-door Chevy Chevette, crammed together with my siblings and a large dog. With a plastic clamshell luggage box strapped precariously to the roof, a lapful of coloring books and a shared can of Pringles potato chips, our family filled the tank and ventured forth to see the world.
The long highways were often hot, the drives cramped and tedious. The food was sometimes cold, the soda lukewarm, the nights buggy. But what made it all worthwhile were the wonderous sights and sounds, the strange new places and events, and the interesting characters we met along the way.

It was years later, as a young adult on a similar roadtrip, that I noticed my first VW Westfalia camper van. Nestled among the pines at the foot of the majestic mountains of Glacier National Park, her top was popped, her sliding door open to reveal the cozy and functional kitchenette, her elderly owners enjoying a hot meal at the campsite table. I briefly chatted with them, they gave me a perfunctory tour of the van, and I strolled away with the seed of desire planted within …
Though I often wished for such a camper van of my own—admiring them in campgrounds, watching wistfully as they motored past on the highway—it was not until many more years that I was cut-off in traffic by the Westfalia that would soon be mine. I noticed the prophetic "For Sale" sign taped into the rear window and jotted down the phone number. Within a couple weeks I was a proud, first-time owner.

… and His Van
Born somewhere deep in the hallowed assembly lines of Volkswagen's Hannover production plant, which had formerly built the popular Type 2 MicroBus, my Vanagon rolled out through the factory gates and into the wider world sometime in March of 1983. Her first proud owner drove her around Germany for a bit, as part of VW's European Tourist Car Delivery Program, then turned south. The van had her first 1000-mile checkup in Zurich, Switzerland. After touring more of Europe, she was loaded aboard a cargo ship in Luxemburg and delivered to New York, where she was reunited with her owner and driven to her final home in Wisconsin.

Hannover Factory

Volkswagen's Hannover, Germany
production facility.

All records indicate she led an easy and well-fed life—racking up an average of only 4500 miles each year, primarily on vacations and trips—and was kept comfortably garaged in between. In 1998 she was sold to a couple of German foreign exchange students who wanted to "see America" while attending the University of Wisconsin. Christmas and spring breaks, summer recesses were all opportunities to hit the road and visit farflung places: the Grand Canyon, Boston, Yosemite, Toronto, Seattle. Between such voyages, she did daily battle on the mean streets of a university town, and when it was time for the Deutsch kollege kinders to return to das Vaterland for jobs at BMW, they offered her up for sale, we agreed upon a price, and I finally took the keys.

Even after numerous vacuumings of the interior, and many nights with doors and windows flung open to the evening breezes, there persisted a certain and distinctive 'German frat-boy funk'. Since then, the mysterious aroma has either faded or I've simply grown accustomed to it. My wife and loyal traveling companion, however, insists there remain the lingering scents of liverwurst and cheap hand lotion …
After poring over the owner's manual and familiarizing myself with the myriad features and functions of this ingenious transportation device, we embarked upon our first overnight trip to a nearby state park. Similar roadtrips turned into longer weekends further from home, and eventually to extended cross-country journeys.

One for the Road
I personally find traveling by Westy—as we soon learned is the affectionate term applied by owners of Westfalia Campers—to be the best compromise between car-and-tent camping and an RV. Having been washed-out and blown-out of many a pup tent—once while motorcycle camping in gale-force winds on the shore of Lake Superior—I really value the snug, dry warmth of the Westy, the convenience of her full kitchenette, and the elegant ease of setting-up and breaking camp.

The Westy's well-designed interior layout boasts compact but roomy galley cabinets and clever storage, dining tables which easily swing aside between uses, a couple of comfortable bunks which quickly materialize from the rear bench seat and overhead, while the privacy curtains and interior lighting serve to create a homey and cozy place to put up one's feet during the day and lay one's head at night. The Westy is not just another micro-camper, but a comfortable home on wheels.
Compared to a large road-condo motor home, the Westy is far lower in initial purchase price, and is very economical to fuel, maintain, and insure. With the onboard electrical generators, satellite TV, and hot-and-cold running showers found on many large RV’s, one could easily spend more time fooling around with the various household systems than enjoying the outdoor experience. The Westy is far simpler to operate.

With its go-anywhere wheelbase, easy manueverability on pavement and dirt, and voluminous cargo capacity, the Westy is the original Sports Utility Vehicle!