Beetle Off Road camper build

[Jrally]

I built up a similar car starting back in 1998, 1500SP, bus boxes on a bus swing axle/torsion housing welded into the Beetle chassis, ball joint front end converted to 5 lug w/ '67 drums. That car was a tank, but if you beat anything hard off-road, you will hurt it eventually. I chipped the fulcrum plates on the driver's side axle one trip. It made a ton of noise, but kept on going. That's what I get for trying to keep up with the 12-15" travel desert rails in a 40 mile long wash trail. I later converted the rear to IRS 3 rib Bus tranny and disk brakes in back along with a 1776cc engine, made the car a lot funner. Roof rack seemed like the best storage solution, never could sleep inside the car. There are fairly cheap 20 gallon long range tanks available for replacing the back seat, just make sure it's well supported and leak free before you install it. I also got comfortable and supportive seats for it, out of a Honda Prelude, best $50 I ever spent...

-Jon

 

[Photog]

If you are going to use the stock Solex carb, you need to work on the fuel inlet tube (where the fuel line connects to the carb). This tube is pressed into the carb. The vibes of off-road travel will eventually loosen this tube. Then it will leak pressurized fuel, and make for an unstoppable engine fire.

The tube can be replaced with a threaded tube (just tap the carb body). Or you can knurl a piece of copper tubing, and epoxy it in the carb body.

There are a great many little improvements, but this one can save your car or your life.

 

[INSAYN]

If you are going to use the stock Solex carb, you need to work on the fuel inlet tube (where the fuel line connects to the carb). This tube is pressed into the carb. The vibes of off-road travel will eventually loosen this tube. Then it will leak pressurized fuel, and make for an unstoppable engine fire.

The tube can be replaced with a threaded tube (just tap the carb body). Or you can knurl a piece of copper tubing, and epoxy it in the carb body.

There are a great many little improvements, but this one can save your car or your life.

Very good point!

A cheap fix that will get you by until you can do a solid fix like mentioned by Photog, is to clamp a "J" hooked stiff wire under the hose clamp, and secure the other end of the wire to the carb body elsewhere. Tighten it all down with light constant positive pressure keeping the hose pulled towards the carb body. This is only a temparary fix, so treat is as so.

 

[67bajabug]

car has a bocar carb on it.

once i got the body off i built this stand for it so i could move it out of the way and work on it.

and some of the rust i need to repair

 

[67bajabug]

and the only bad spots on the pan are the 2 patches that were horribly welded in. the patches are also 22 gauge and the rest of the car is 19 gauge. i am going to make a new patch out of 19 and fix it right.

anyway i cracked open a beer lit up the wood stove and started stripping the pan so i could sand blast it.

also got the trans up on the table so i can build the new mounts for the "rgb"s .

list of things to do

 

[Photog]

Why a body lift?

Proper Baja fender choices will provide plenty of room for tires and wheel travel.

Your rear track width is wider than stock, moving the tires away from the body.

You are using a king pin front beam. To adapt this to the floor pan, the beam will be moved forward, making room for larger tires too.

Is your kingpin front beam wider than stock, to match your rear track width?

With a body lift, you will need to raise the seats too; raising your CG. Same for gear on the roof rack.

Unless you are 7 feet tall, and need more head room, a body lift is not necessary. Just my opinion.

 

[haven]

I've always been interested in converting a Beetle to a mini-flatbed.

VW built a flatbed work truck for the German Army during WW2. The photo is of a replica of that vehicle, called the Type-825. I think it would make a great ExPo vehicle!

Here's the story of the replica, which is owned by NR Boutin of Tallahassee FL http://www.allaircooled.com/others/other_3.htm A New Mexico company called Kooble Kar built this vehicle. http://www.kooblekar.com/T-825_Truck

 

[67bajabug]

Why a body lift?

Proper Baja fender choices will provide plenty of room for tires and wheel travel.

Your rear track width is wider than stock, moving the tires away from the body.

You are using a king pin front beam. To adapt this to the floor pan, the beam will be moved forward, making room for larger tires too.

Is your kingpin front beam wider than stock, to match your rear track width?

With a body lift, you will need to raise the seats too; raising your CG. Same for gear on the roof rack.

Unless you are 7 feet tall, and need more head room, a body lift is not necessary. Just my opinion.

i am not doing the body lift to lift it higher i am doing it to have a strong attachment point for tree/rock sliders and a simple cage. it will also give the pan more rigidity. the only reason i am doing a 2 inch and not smaller is because the die for my tubing bender is 1.75. so i have to use 1.75 tubing for the sliders and i am not going to get another die just to go an inch or half an inch lower. i plan on welding the sliders directly to the lift. i will probably put comfy seats out of a small car or minivan in so they will probably sit higher anyway.

i think the extra 2 inches of room in there will pay off when i am trying to fit everything needed and still have room to sleep.


i am going to make the beam 4 inches wider to match the rear. and i am going to modify the frame head to make the link pin work without spacing it out further. i am also going to brace it off the body lift with 1.75 dom tubing.

also with the body lift i may not have to make the lift spindles. it will probably clear fine without them and i can just rotate the portals backward until the bug sits level or at the desired rake.

i plan on setting up the rear like this

but instead of the unadjustable lower control arms i will make a set with thread in heims so i can adjust the rotation and the height/length of the rear.



thanks for all the comments and criticism, it really does help a lot. keep the opinions coming.

 

[greg mgm]

All right! Another baja bug! (See my avatar)

I'd like to add that a rack above the engine wouldn't get too hot, as long as the exhaust is something like this-

http://cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=377

Of course make the rack quite a bit above the engine.
Add a roof rack and you'll have plenty of extra storage room.
I've had no problem getting around in snow but ice can be challenging. Tire chains/ cables can be your friend!

Thanks for posting pics. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Mamontof]

I've always been interested in converting a Beetle to a mini-flatbed.

VW built a flatbed work truck for the German Army during WW2. The photo is of a replica of that vehicle, called the Type-825. I think it would make a great ExPo vehicle![/url]

Type 93 even better

http://http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprints/trucks/trucks-cars/25593/view/volkswagen_kdf_wagen_type_93_ambulance_1944/

 

[67bajabug]

the more i think about it i dont really need a cage, as long as i can figure out a good way to mount the side bars i may ditch the body lift idea and save myself a ton of work

 

[Hill Bill E.]

...... If you do a 3" lift spindle, you will have to do set up a different speedometer system. .............. You might be able to use a magnetic speed sensor similar to those used on bicycles.

Another option would be a GPS speedo. They make them to fit the dash just like a regular speedo.

Or, you could do like me, and use a regular GPS.:snorkel:

I have a Garmin E-trex mounted in my Jeep, as my gears are still stock, the 33" tires throw the speedo way off at
hwy speeds.


Nice project! I always liked the modified Bugs!

 

[bobDog]

The VW portals or redux boxes as I'm used to hearing them called, are some good stuff. They will literally turn at VW bug into a tractor with all kinds of low end torque.

In my opinion having CV's being your weakest link in the drive train can save you from having to walk if your drive train breaks down. If you break the tranny, or goober up the gears, your walking. CV's are easy to swap out, and easy to carry pre greased spares sealed in a Food Saver bag.

Break the ear off the axle of a swing axle and your walking, unless you carry spares. Also not as friendly to replace in the bush. :Wow1:

A person can up their CV relability by using Type 4 (Thing) or Porsche 924/944 CV's axles, stubs and Type 4 tranny output flanges. Everything will bolt right up under a stock bug with IRS spring plates. You can cut down the swing axle spring plates and drill and notch them to accept the IRS trailing arm. All that is left is to add the pivots to the torsion tube for the IRS arms.

Also with the Type 4 CV's, you can run them at the max of 22 degrees before binding. Type 1 only get about 12 degrees, and Type 2 about 17 degrees.

If you keep your HP down, and be careful with your trail manners, the swing axle/redux combo will do you right for years.

Be VERY LIGHT on your reverse gear. Never load it up and pop the clutch. The way that transaxle works, does not give the reverse gear mesh much to hold on too. With big tires, rocks, mud or backing up hills...you will destroy reverse very quickly. If you have to, liberally slip the clutch whenever you need to back up in the rough. Better yet, just pretend that you don't have reverse already, and plan ahead for parking, and trail travel to avoid ever needing to use it. :smiley_drive:

Oh my gosh you're bringing tears to my eyes....I'm missing the old Baja Bug days now. sniff....sigh. It was so simple then and they went anywhere.:coffeedrink:

 

[IdaSHO]

While a bug can be set up pretty well for off-road travel, I dont miss MY air-cooled days at all....:Wow1:

Subpar heat, no AC, and with the basic 4-speed transaxle, 70mph was about the limit....

The last one I had was a '73 Squareback, running a nice built 1904cc dual port. Fairly quick, and I felt like I needed earplugs for those dual Webers :snorkel:


Eh... no matter....

Carry on with the thread!

I like this thread. Being a very minimalist camper myself, Ill be watching this thread closely!

 

[INSAYN]

I vote for no body lift as well. Like mentioned already that if you are really tall, you may benefit with the extra leg room but that's about it. If you go with a taller seat height to compensate for the new windshield height, you will now be that much further from the pedals. Short legs won't be happy.

As far a adding rock sliders, you have other choices.

You can cut out your pan halves and replace with thicker material, thus reducing the need for stiffening the pan with a 2" lift. The body itself if structurally sound will be all you need. Baja's are very abuse resistant from the factory, and body flex isn't usually an issue. Sound front and rear torsion tubes, and the back bone down the center are really all that matter to keep the car running true.

Another option would be to add a set of nerf bars. They are easy to install in place of the running boards, and if you plate the bottoms, they will function just fine for rock sliders. You need to remember that your car will be somewhere around 2000 lbs give or take 500 lbs, and you won't need 1.75" tubes anywhere on the car for protection. 1", and 1.5" are traditionally the main tube sizes needed for cage's, bumpers, and nerf bars.

On a baja build it is really easy to over estimate what is needed to have a sturdy, functional car that can take a serious beating.
Take for example, my '74 Orange bug. Built and drove this car hard for 5 years. It was my weekend forest basher, dune runner, and daily driver all in one.

Factory stock B/J beam with 2.5" lifted spindles that I made, factory stock rear suspension bits with the spring plates moved 1 spline for a 3" lift. Factory stock 4spd transaxle, balanced 1641 DP single 34mm Solex carb. Stock seats and seat belts, and no roll cage.

The car took a beating over and over and over, and never let me down.
I lost count on how many times I jumped the car, but it was ridiculous.

The only upgrades I did to the car was to swap out the front beam with a '74 Thing beam after I landed hard on the drivers side and slightly bent it. Then changed out the transaxle for a '73 bus 3 rib (002) to give a better set of gear ratios, and to run Type 4 CV's.

That's it!

Unfortunately it looks like this now after it was recovered from theft. Sold it and everything I had VW to my buddy to resurrect.