What you think of a VW Transporter 4x4 for adventures?

[Pe4r]

I thought myself a VW Transporter with a bit of 4x4 older model pick out all the seats, pick up a few square meters of plywood or similar and do your own decor. A small counter sink as you can lift out and fill with water and wash up when you washed it clearly picks up the sink and pour the contents into the wild - no water during storage.

Bed should have, like a seating area that can easily be turned into bed, sleeping on a couch doing well, then you have good space on and under the table for the stuff you have most use for before and after you've slept.

To me it feels like a fun thing to translate a project like this, it is not safe I go away with the bus, rather it is used daily and that it also can sleep in it.

Or buy a small land piece of cake and builds a small cabin so you do not need to stay in the apartment.

 

[pnwkayaker]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "4x4 transporter" (actually, I know what that means, but I don't think it denotes the van in the picture).

VW made an awesome 4x4 version of the Vanagon called Vanagon Syncro. The most desirable version of those is the Westfalia Vanagon Syncro, which had a full camper setup (kitchen, sink, fridge, propane) and poptop (with sleeping room for 4 people). Some versions had a front and rear locker, and a decoupler (2WD to 4WD). There're non-poptop/non-camper versions, called Vanagon Syncro Transporter.

I have a Westfalia Vanagon Syncro (rear locker only), and I believe they're great for adventures. You can find a lot more about these vans at http://syncro.org and http://www.thesamba.org. Be careful, these two sites are highly addictive !

The van in your picture is a Transporter version of the Vanagon (no poptop) but is also a 2WD version (you can tell from the position of the gas filler, Syncro's have them in the rear, not the front). You can convert it to a 4WD (Syncro) but you'll need a full Syncro-donor to find all the necessary bits and pieces.

 

[Christian P.]

Here`s a fact, not what I think...I have owned a Syncro for over 10 years

Here she is:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17010&highlight=syncro

I picked up my Syncro Friday night from the shop where I had the tranny rebuild for the second time in 2 years because it would not stay in 4th gear. $2250 with labor.

I drove for about 15 miles on the freeway and guess what, the same problem. It jumps out of 4th gear. Then I stopped to test the 4wd to make sure they had install everything properly. I just tried to spin the wheels a bit in a gravel pit and then clunk - the rear cv-joint broke.

It's 10:30 pm, I am in Montreal and I am supposed to be in Quebec 230 km away to meet up with my friends.

I am bummed out to say the least. Since it`s a Syncro (AWD) I have an option....I engaged the rear diff lock so I will get traction on the other side of the van and I engaged the front diff so I have traction up front.

I got back on the freeway and drove the 230 km with the van mostly front wheel drive and my hand on the shifter to hold it in 4th. And the rear cv-joint half-destroyed and clunking on every spin.

I got in Quebec by 2am, I just missed all my friends by like 20 min. Luckily my friend Andre is still around, he comes back and met me at the bar. A group of VIP people had just left and leave us with all their half-finished bottle of Vodka, Rhum, Gin, etc so we stay there and drink with the staff until 4am...

I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want one...

 

[stclair]

You're making me nervous Christian!:sombrero:

 

[UK4X4]

VW campers- tough utility vehicles, I had the same jumpout of 4th on one of mine mine but it was the linkage front to rear that was the problem not the gear box !

This particular one took me from Poole in the UK via Dover and just about the whole western coast of europe -France - Spain Portugal and into Morroco and back to the UK.

1 off self done service and 1 clutch cable were the total vehicular issues.

It was 22 years old when it did this !and was the same age as me !

when I did the trip, pop top , cooker and all, windsurfers on the rack and my whole set of worldly possesions, plus the girlfriends ! I went with a friend with an almost identical vehicle, he ended up staying in portugal and I did Morrocow and ended up staying back in Spain where I worked the year before.

Even though it was 20 years old it only took 4 hours to get a new clutch cable from the local VW dealer.

I would quite happily drive one of these almost anywhere ! the later 4wdeven further !

 

[brngk]

Ah the Syncro Westphalia, the vehicle of my childhood. This Van has been in our family since it was new in 1986 (I was 6 at the time, so I might be off a year or two). Throughout the years, we've had some work done on it, but not even close to the amount a Kia of ours, and my Ford Exploder had. This van saw most of the continental US, including two trips through canyon lands, and most of northern and western europe. It's most recent long range trip, was down the Atlantic coast of europe, germany to portugal and then back home inland. Most reliable vehicle that's ever been in the family, it's still my dads daily driver. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about shipping it state side ... assuming he wants to part with it.:ylsmoke:

 

[Pe4r]

What year of the bus?

Yes, I want a transport, perhaps transported by 8-9 points, based on a husbuss itself, but how old bus I want? I will probably have a newer bus, maybe 10 years old if there is a longer trip I intend to do.

10 years back in time from today - a -2000.

My view on this: Buy a bus from -00 and building on it and equip it with all the equipment I might need for my trip, then you may well begin to make less trips in his home town and try to stay in it out of woods so you may try to use all equipment in the cold and in heat.

But if you would like to take a caravan on a trip around the world, would you recommend this? A minibus with caravan?

 

[brngk]

Not quite sure I get the full meaning of your message, but I think you are asking if you can take a mini-van/vanagon on a round the world trip. The
question sort of depends on what kind of terrain you plan on encountering,
will this be mostly A) on-road with mild offroad, or B) very serious overlanding with no roads. If A, yes, I've done quite a bit of mild off roading in mini-vans (vanagon size or smaller, AWD or 4x4 helps), it helps to have a front winch and a hand winch (if you can't use the front one) with you, this has gotten me unstuck in mongolia and thailand. If you are doing very serious off-roading then, you're likely better off with a proper expo rig, just keep fuel cost in mind.
Also think about what type of vehicles are common in the countries you want to visit. Small minivans can be found on most continents and have parts galore.

my two cents

 

[Pe4r]

My trip is is onroad

I am going on a trip "on the road" but one must expect some off-road so I would be driving all four wheels to feel safe, may require that they comply with the vehicle in the party must all be equipped with 4x4 .

And I also want a vehicle in the middle class, not a small cramped car and not one of the great coach, maybe better, a Volkswagen bus in which I both eat and sleep.

A Volkswagen syncro 10 years old mercedes or equivalent, preferably a minivan by myself based on the mobile home.

 

[brngk]

I'm 6'5" (~ 2 m) tall, and have traveled comfortably with two other friends,
none of us felt cramped in the camper.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I would love to have one with a TDI swap

 

[Michael Slade]

Yadda...yadda...yadda...

I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want one...

Ummm, I'll take that off of your hands when you're sick of dealing with it. Seriously.

 

[grahamfitter]

I had a 1984 VW Vanagon/Transporter Westfalia camper for quite a while. When I bought it a friend of mine said something like this:

"The floor line: You'll love everything above it and you'll hate everything below it."

Of course I ignored him but it turned out that he was spot on!

Cheers,
Graham

 

[Christian P.]

Ummm, I'll take that off of your hands when you're sick of dealing with it. Seriously.

I put too much love into it...that'll never happen.
I think when I die maybe I'll get it buried with me...or me inside it...

 

[T.Low]

I put too much love into it...that'll never happen.
I think when I die maybe I'll get it buried with me...or me inside it...

I know the feeling It's almost as if they were a big dog that you love but wish was just a little more obedient and would quit tearing up all your stuff.

So far the Astro platform has been very well behaved. Not quite the character of the VW, no doubt, and a little less floor space. It is lift able and can run 31"s.
We're on our 3rd year of mountain use, FS roads, easier 4x4 trails, and shuttle use and have had to do nothing to it other than routine maintenence.

It's great on the freeways, too.

The Vanagon has 16" more space from the back of the front seats to the rear doors, and every now and then certainly could come in handy. Not a big deal when we sleep "upstairs", but now that she's pregnant, the bladder capacity has been compromised, so she wants to sleep "downstairs" and it's not quite as roomy. I'm secretly hoping that she'll want to sleep downstairs with the new born and I'll get the top bunk all to myself!