Date:         Mon, 14 Oct 2002 12:44:10 -0600
Reply-To:     Andrew Fox <afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Fox <afox@CNR.COLOSTATE.EDU>
Subject:      Making a pickup truck a vanagon!!!
In-Reply-To:  <148.64f663.2adc6473@aol.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Interesting thread but here's my idea:
1.  Get a cheap full size pickup truck and a non running vanagon westfalia.
2.  Take the bed off the pickup.
3.  Remove all mechanical stuff from vanagon (driveline, wheels, engine,
    etc).  Its all crap and has never working right anyway :)
4.  Mount the resulting "vanagon camping box" on the pickup.
5.  Somehow make it look nice.

One problem I see is that the vanagon would be a little high.

Andrew



On Mon, 14 Oct 2002, Ben T wrote:

> Chris,
>
> I had the same thought before buying my 89 16" Syncro Double Cab and most
> recently the 82 RHD Single Cab. I got both for the price of regular. The Doka
> of course cost almost 50% more to transport and license here. Still turned
> out to be cheaper than cutting and welding a Vanagon into one.
>
> However, I still feel that there is room in this world for a converted
> Vanagon. I have actually been contemplating on doing this very thing to my 82
> GL which has a stripped interior anyway. Doing this to a Vanagon will makes
> it a less cargo friendly IMHO. You lose all weather protection afforded by a
> van body. The only practical advantage would be the ability to load cargo
> that would be too big for a van. That's hard to justify considering the
> Vanagon can swallow a wide variety of cargo w/o complaint or difficulty.
>
> OK, with that aside, my thoughts were as follows. Cut the victim van at the
> high beltline just below the windows. Then take the edge and finish off by
> welding a pipe or square section tubing of the appropriate diameter. Another
> alternative would be to make a hardwood rail which goes all the way around.
>
> Roof cut can be at C pillar for a double cab look. Or at B pillar for single
> cab look. Or how about a cabriolet fair-weather pick-up and cut at the A
> pillar? I thought of leaving the roof section with an overhang so that it is
> more like those firetrucks for the Doka and single styles. An old rear hatch
> can be cut and welded to finish off the back end. If you are a truly talented
> welder, you ought to consider welding in the entire rear hatch and opening so
> you still have a functioning rear hatch.
>
> As for the sliding door, I thought of keeping it as a slider for low lift
> height. Sorta like a Corvair ramp side but w/o the ramp. This will all depend
> on what you do with the bed. For the Doka-style, you can cut the slider so
> that you can still put a half window in ala' Doka.
>
> Well, anyway, this too much rambling for a Monday. After you've done all
> this, you would have expended as much energy as I invested in getting a real
> Doka. Cost about the same too. What the heck I still plan on doing this once
> time permits. I need to learn how to weld anyway.
>
> BenT
> <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/bentbtstr8/myhomepage/index.html">Vanagon
> Cafe</A>
>