Date:         Wed, 2 Aug 2000 19:26:23 EDT
Reply-To:     Ssittservl@aol.com
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         S Sittservl <Ssittservl@aol.com>
Subject:      Re: Winnebago or Westfalia?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

>  Date:    8/1/00 1:36:06 PM Central Daylight Time
>  From:    Magic1910@aol.com (Greg Morrison)
>
>  Within the past two weeks I have seen both a Eurovan Winnebago conversion
> and
>  a Eurovan Westfalia conversion.  FWIW, the Eurovan Westfalia had Canadian
>  license plates.  I had thought all Eurovan campers were converted by
>  Winnebago.  What's the deal?

Here's my understanding of the situation in the U.S.:
- The last Vanagon campers (Westfalia conversions) were in 1991.
- I think there were no campers in 1992.
- In 1993, a "Weekender" (sometimes called a "half camper")
  conversion by Westfalia was available.  The van was a standard
  passenger Eurovan, plus a pop top, a fold-up table, two
  rear-facing jump seats, and I think (not positive) a small
  electric cooler under one of the jump seats.  There was no
  sink, stove, or cabinetry.  (This same arrangement was
  available on Vanagons earlier.)  The pop top is distinctive
  in that it goes all the way to the front of the van - there was
  no "luggage rack" over the cab.  The Weekender is also
  available in 2000, and appears to still be a Westfalia
  conversion; I don't know if it was available between
  '93 and 2000, though.
- I think (not positive) that there were no campers (half or full)
  in 1994.
- In 1995, VW started selling the Winnebago full camper.  The
  van was a panel (cargo) van, instead of a passenger van - it's
  about 18 inches longer than the passenger van, and has no
  VW-original side windows aft of the cab.  Basically,
  nearly everything aft of the cab (windows, seats, camping
  equipment, etc.) is added by Winnebago.  The pop-top
  has side windows, and has a luggage rack over the cab,
  like the Vanagon Westfalias.
- Also in 1995, Winnebago started selling the Winnebago Rialta,
  a small moterhome that uses the front section (engine and cab)
  of a Eurovan.
- The Winnebago campers were available in 1995, '97, '99,
  and 2000, but not in '96 or '98.
- VW did sell Westfalia Eurovan full campers in Canada, at
  least in 1993, and possibly in other years as well.  This is
  similar to the Westfalia Eurovan half camper, and is still
  based on the smaller passenger van, but it adds a sink,
  propane stove, top-opening fridge, and cabinets in roughly
  the traditional arrangement down the left side.  I don't know
  if it includes the holding tank, second battery, power
  convertor, or furnace that the Winnebagos have, though.

Some links:

Current VW campers available in Europe; I think at least some
of these are done by Westfalia.  Page is in German, but has
pictures; click on "Freizeit- und Reisemobile" to get to the
campers:
    http://www.vw-nutzfahrzeuge.de/deu/index1.html

Eurovan Winnebago camper pictures:
    http://www.vw.com/camper/photos.htm
Eurovan Weekender camper pictures:
    http://www.vw.com/eurovan/photos.htm
Eurovan Specifications and prices:
    http://www.vw.com/eurovan/usaspecs.htm

Rialta:
    http://www.winnebagoind.com/rialta.htm

                                                   -Steven Sittser