Date:         Wed, 08 Jan 1997 21:20:40 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         WERNER SCHIRMER <werner.schirmer@snet.net>
Subject:      Re: Vanagon high-roof sighting

lbart wrote:
> 
> Hey all,
> Today while driving by the local VW dealer I saw a Vanagon sitting in the
> lot apparently awaiting servicing.  Why anyone would take it to the dealer
> is beyond me, but that's another story :) .  This Vanagon was an air-cooled
> model and had a non-Westfalia camper coversion.  It had a white fiberglas
> roof similar to the roof on David Schwarze's Safare camper, with the
> sliding windows on the sides of the high-roof.  The camper was beige and
> the roof was white, looked like it added a couple feet to the van.  Anyone
> know what company made this type of conversion for Vanagons?  Could it have
> been a Safare?
> 
> I've not seen this one around town before, thought it was kinda interesting
> :)
> 
> Sean

When I was in Germany this summer, I finally figured out the deal with VW 
campers:
We in the US have an unfortunately limited idea of what it is to own one. 
While some Europeans buy a Westfalia converted VW, most people do the 
conversions themselves, from countless conversion kits, to homemade 
installations.  There are do-it-yourself books for Bay-windows, Vanagons, 
an EVs.  Unfortunatly I don't have the publishers or titles :( but if 
someone is on his or her way there, take a look in the automotive section 
of almost any bookstore...
I have been thinking about importing a used hightop from Germany (I saw 
some in a junkyard in Bremen near the airport).
The advantages of the hightop include, obviously more (permanent) 
headroom, more insulation for winter camping, and, depending on the 
shape, lower wind resistance as compared to the regular hard-top. The 
westy pop-up has a higher drag than the hard-top...

Mark
'85 retrowesty  "Duckmobile"