Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (November 1998, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Tue, 17 Nov 1998 10:31:32 -0600
Reply-To:     Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Blue Eyes <lvlearn@MCI2000.COM>
Organization: Vexation Computer
Subject:      Re: Vixen
Comments: To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Gary,

You wrote:

Does anyone remember the Vixen camper? Only a limited number were built in the MidWest. One was a van only conversion, the others had the "pop tops". Sort of looked like a vanagon. One model had a BMW diesel engine. If anyone has book marked the Vixen page please post the address so that we can take another look.

I nearly bought one from the dealer in Cedar Rapids Iowa before Vixen went bankrupt. What would you like to know about them? As a diesel nut, I was only interested in the TD model, and this motor was sold in the US in only 3 vehicle lines, the BMWs naturally, Lincoln Continental and Marks in 1983 and 1984, and the Vixens.

You wrongly called it a van conversion. It absolutely was NOT a conversion. It was designed from the very beginning as a fast fuel efficient motorhome. The later models with the GM gas motor and the non-motorhome interior were the

derivations. A friend of mine, Don Sherman who was then with Car & Driver Magazine tested one, and if you found a library with all the old C&D back issues, you could read that test.

The Vixen was a genuine clean sheet design, and it had a .30 coefficient of drag developed through wind tunel testing and modifications, which was why at 55 mph, despite its 21 foot length and about 4900 pound weight, it could get 30.55 miles per gallon with that diesel. That claim was derived from independent testing performed by a certified testing corporation. That Cedar Rapids, Iowa dealer still makes a used market in Vixens, and if you look at the Auto Trader magazines nation wide, you'll find their advertisements regularly. I've looked at several used Vixens in Florida, and they are never sold for as little as their "book price" shown in the Recreational Vehicle Used Price Guide. If you ever elect to own one, be prepared to perform lots of little corrective measures as the normal fine tuning of the design was incomplete because of the low production numbers. Most mechanical parts were adopted from other major manufacturers, so parts are generally available for wearing items. Even with the 114 hp. BMW TD, the top speed was slightly over 100 mph! I know of no other vehicle that even approached it in terms of basic

design excellence for an efficient compact class A RV. The Westy aims in that

direction, but isn't nearly as efficient. Somewhere I still have the original

color advertisement. The dealer offered me his demo vehicle for his cost and showed me his invoice on it. It had about 14,000 miles on it and was over a year old, so I passed, thinking I'd pick up a used one. A few years ago, since he was the most active dealer Vixen had, I paid the Iowa Department of Transportation about $37 for their computer time to research and print out a list of all Vixens registered in the state of Iowa. There were something like

15 to 20, but I never chased it. I don't know of a Vixen I-net site, but one of the Vixen owners to whom I talked in Florida said there was a loosely formed club of Vixen owners.

All the best to you, John


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.