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Volvo: Safety Beyond the Star Ratings
The Volkswagen Vanagon is the classic camper van complete with a pop-up tent, kitchenette, and charm to spare.
The OG Camper Van
Volkswagen Type 2 Camper Van – media.vw.com | Shop Volkswagen Vanagon on Carsforsale.com
The Volkswagen Vanagon hails from a time long before #vanlife took over your Instagram feed, back when a camper van wasn’t so much about making a peripatetic escape from the 9-to-5 doldrums for twenty-something couples and their photogenic dogs but rather about, well, camping.
The third generation of the Type-2 Volkswagen van, the Vanagon, as it was dubbed in the US market, captures all that was by turns charming and flawed about VWs. And, as is often the case with VWs of the era and those prior, a good part of that charm stems from that flawed nature. The weak and temperamental engines of the Vanagon are the automotive equivalent of a beauty mark. Like Cindy Crawford’s mole, they are the imperfection around which the truly exceptional revolves.
Make no mistake, the Volkswagen Vanagon is something exceptional. Just consider its current pricing compared to its contemporaries. In production from 1979 through 1991, a roughly 35-year-old Vanagon in good condition will run you anywhere from $25,000-$50,000 depending on condition and upgrades. This is because the Vanagon is more than the sum of its parts.
Getting There When You Get There
The first thing to know if you’re shopping a Volkswagen Vanagon is that, like all other pre-Eurovan VW “buses,” they were more than a little underpowered. The first of the small boxer engines, positioned in the way back under the cargo floor, was a 2.0L air-cooled flat-four making around 80 horsepower. In 1983, Volkswagen turned to water cooling with first a 1.9L and later a 2.1L that raised the output to a thundering 90 horsepower. The diesel varieties came as inline-fours, with the 1.6L offering naturally aspirated or turbo flavors and the 1.7L exclusively NA. Even with this evolution, the Vanagon was hard pressed to make it from zero to 60 in less than 20 seconds. Rumor has it, it was a Vanagon that Ludacris was imploring to “get out the way.”
But what makes the Vanagon great is that you won’t care about your leisurely pace. The Vanagon most desirable configuration was the Westfalia camper van series which came in two varieties: the Campmobile and the Weekender. The full fledged Campmobile came equipped with a propane stove, refrigerator, and a sink with on-board water. The Weekender traded out this kitchenette for a simpler 12-volt cooler and a sink located in a removable cabinet. Both got the built-in pop-up roof tent.
Our Cool Car Find: 1982 Vanagon with Subie Swap
A great example is this listing of a 1982 Volkswagen Vanagon that is not only in very good condition but gets bonus points for a common upgrade in Vanagons, a Subaru engine swap. That’s right, this Vanagon has a 2.5L Subie boxer to up both the horsepower and the reliability. If you’re seriously planning on taking your Vanagon any further than the nearest campground, you’ll want to consider this kind of upgrade. There’s also a small solar panel on the roof for added electric power that won’t drain the battery.
Given these improvements, the good condition of the vehicle, and the snappy red accenting on the classically ‘80s beige paint job, we have no doubt the seller will get their asking price of $29,995.
1982 Volkswagen Vanagon – carsforsale.com | Shop Volkswagen Vanagon on Carsforsale.com
That’s because the Volkswagen Vanagon is more than a camper van or a lifestyle choice, it’s an ethos. The Vanagon forces a perceptual reorientation that says motoring is neither just about getting from point A to point B nor solely about 0-60 sprints and track times. Instead, the Vanagon’s leisurely pace and outdoorsy personality allow owners to literally slow down and experience the world around them. In this often frantic digital age where out fleeting attention spans continue to be sliced, diced, and monetized, the opportunity to simply enjoy the journey in an old Volkswagen seems pretty attractive indeed.
