Vanagon Life

Let's talk about oil!

2011-05-12T09:18:00.000-06:00

Many people have different ideas as to what kind of oil to put in their air cooled VW. John Muir says in "How to Keep Your VW Alive" that detergent oil should not be used. He explains that the detergent oil collects dirt which will cause problems in your oil cooler. My mechanic disagrees. He thinks that detergent oil is just fine. For a long time, I only used non-detergent oil but have since switched with no ill effects to my engine (none that I can detect anyway). So, synthetic or regular? What weight should I use?

Well, the weight will depend on where you live. I learned the hard way that I should have changed the weight of my oil before winter came here to Colorado. I had my starter replaced by my mechanic as I simply didn't have the time. I asked him to adjust the valves and do an oil change while he had it. This was toward the end of the summer when temperatures in my area were over 100 degrees. He used 15w30. The engine ran great until the first cold morning. Then, my car really did not want to start. The oil was too thick at such low temperatures. The strain on the starter was so strong that my battery died trying to start the van. A quick oil change to 10w30 and everything was back to normal.

Do I use synthetic or regular? I use a synthetic but haven't had much feedback from anyone that professes a preference for either. Why do I use synthetic? Well, the summers here are hot and I do a lot of driving over the mountains. High temperatures on the flat lands and the tough chore of climbing the mountains makes me want to have an oil that will not break down if the engine gets hot. Am I buying into marketing? Possibly but the price difference is minor. I usually stock up on my oil at Costco or Sam's Club making the price the same as regular oil at my auto supply store.

What do you use? Any feedback on this oil discussion?

GPS Navigation

2011-05-02T11:21:00.000-06:00

I'm in love with a new navigation software. On my iPhone, I'm using a free app called Waze. Aside from being free (I love that), it is a user generated/social app that allows you to edit the map, record road hazards, and travel in groups or communities. It works everywhere and is fun to use. I have installed on my iPhone as well as my iPad.

Another great feature for campers is that it allows you to go online and look at the routes that you have traveled. It even lets me view my trips on Google Earth. Soon, once I figure it out, I'll start posting these routes to the site.

I've tried several GPS navigation programs. As far as a free program goes, it cannot be beat. It isn't a Garmin but it gets you where you need to go and is fun to use. My advice is to check it out.

The weather is finally here!

2011-05-02T11:13:00.000-06:00

It was a cold winter in the Westy here in the Rockies. The heat is not the greatest, as many of you know, and I wasn't able to find a great solution to heating the entire cabin while driving. That is a definite goal before next winter. So far, as I wrote before, my best idea is to hook up a small electric heater directly to the auxillary battery. My budget will not allow for anything fancier.

When parked, I had great luck with a "tent-safe" gas heater that ran off of propane cylinders. I've read about others who directly hooked up the heater to the camper's propane tank but I didn't want to deplete my cooking/refridgeration gas. The Mr. Heater Big Buddy propane heater works great as long as you are not in motion. The heater has several sensors to make it safe for indoor use including a tilt sensor. Driving triggers the tilt sensor and turns the heater off. Has anyone come up with any better ideas for heat while driving?

By the way, I have yet to find a heater that works off of the cigarette lighter. There are many models out there but NONE of them do what they advertise. My advice, save your money on these contraptions as I tried many and returned them all.

Long time No Post!

2011-01-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry to whomever might actually check this blog, but there has been very little to post lately. Winter has set in on Colorado and camping trips haven't been had in a long time!

The major problem is HEAT! The aircooled vans are notorious for poor heating and I cannot afford a propex heater just yet. I would LOVE to buy one but at $700 plus, it isn't happening any time soon.

I did learn a few key things about heating the vanagon that I thought that I would share.

First, on the driver and passenger side doors are plastic vents that should be open. I thought that was counter intuitive but having them open helps with air pressure and the circulation of the *hot* air.

Second, the fresh air intakes on the front of the van are always open. When you switch to defrost, the cool air mixes with the warmer air for the defrosting option. Unfortunately, when you want to have heat only, the cold air is still coming in from the front. After reading many posts and speaking to my mechanic, the best option seems to be to block the front air intake in the winter. My mechanic specifically recommended that foam not be used as it has the potential to trap moisture. I have not done it yet, but I plan on using some some vinyl or other heavier fabric like material.

My other idea, which I have not yet implemented, is an electric heater. I purchased the secondary battery kit to be installed. I plan on purchasing a high end inverter that is made to have connections direct to the battery terminals. I will then use the inverter to power a small electric heater to help offset the cold. I've spoken to my mechanic and even an electrical engineer friend who thinks this should work well. Note, I will not be hooking this up to the primary battery. If the heater pulls more than the alternator can replace (my guess is that it will), I don't want to be stuck somewhere unable to start the van.

Anyone out there solve this heat problem? I'd love some ideas!

New Seats!

2010-09-15T19:31:00.000-06:00

I got the new seats back last week from J & R Custom Upholstery in Montrose, CO. I could not have been impressed with the quality of their work. It took 10 days and the seats were completely transformed. Here are the before and after pictures.

The total cost for both seats at $700. I had hoped to spend less than this but it turns out it was a bargain. Finding original seats for replacement is very difficult and the Recaro replacements are a small fortune. I wrote about those before and just could not find a way to afford them.

There are several advantages to these seats over the incorrect aftermarket models that were installed when I purchased the van. These actually lock into place! I never realized how important that was until driving in a car that caused the seats to travel backward while in motion. Also, they sit more than an inch lower than the others. This didn't bother me too much but Cody is 6'3" and had a difficult time getting comfortable.

The padding is excellent. I don't know how long these will last but I was assured that it will be quite a while. I'm referring to them as the posture correctors as I have no choice but to sit properly while driving.

It is amazing what a difference that new front seats can make.

The next step will be to make new curtains and a matching covering for the the bench seat in the back. I have a shirtless cowboy fabric that is a contender. I post more on that as the project nears.

I've been home for two days unable to do much with a pinched nerve in my neck. Otherwise, I'd be sewing like a maynad... I love how each step of improvement or modification encourages me to do more. Now, if I only I could muster that same feeling toward my house.

The VW theater system

2010-09-10T09:40:00.000-06:00

How could I possibly consider an extended road trip without some sort of entertainment system? While I love to read and enjoy the outdoors, I also love my "stories." I'm not sure how long I could last without a few episodes of Futurama or American Dad. Cody and I were talking about what would be best. We thought it would be amazing if we hooked up a projector inside the van for movie watching with the option of moving it outside for warm nights. It seemed impossible as projectors are a fortune and the replacement bulbs are almost as expensive as the machines themselves. Well, it's not impossible. Enter the Pico Pocket Projector from Optoma.

I did a lot of research before choosing this model. There are different versions but this one seemed to maximize benefit with cost. From Amazon, I paid $280 including overnight shipping which was only $4 with my prime account. The advantage is the size and type of bulb. The projector uses LED bulbs with an estimated lifespan of 20,000 hours. The size is similar to an ipod. It can take a connection from a smartphone, ipod, laptop, or portable DVD player. My android phone has tv out but I'm still waiting for the cable to arrive that I need to connect. The projector came with many cables but the phone specific cable is up to me to locate ($5 is not too bad). It has a small amount of internal memory but accepts microSD cards up to 16gb in size.

I tested this in my home at several points in the day. This will only work in the evening or in a very dark room. It operates at 20 lumens which means it is not for daytime viewing. Ambient lighting will diminish the quality and visibility. In the evening, the picture was fantastic. This is not an HD television but the quality surpassed my expectations.

Now, I need to figure out the specifics for setting it up in the VW or outside. It will not be difficult in the warm weather to hang a sheet from a tree, or the VW, to use a projection screen. During colder evenings, we'll want to use it indoors. My thought, so far untested, is to have the poptop up with a screen hanging down from the cross bar. This should give us a decent size viewing screen (the projector will produce a picture up to 66"). Once I've figured this out, I'll post a photo of our setup.

Why did I choose this over an LCD television? Easy, the projector weighs less than a pound, has rechargeable batteries, and is as portable as anyone could want. When I was considering televisions, I was deterred by their power consumption, weight, and storage when not in use. The VW is not too big for full time living and every inch is going to count. Plus, who doesn't think that it would be great to sit outside, under the stars, watching a movie while roasting marshmallows?

Next post is about the new seats. I got them back two days ago and they are excellent!

Practice Run

2010-09-09T10:27:00.000-06:00

Labor Day weekend was the perfect opportunity to do a practice camping run. Cody and I left early on Saturday morning with the goal of camping at Half Moon Campground outside of Leadville, CO. According to Don Wright's book, the campground is typically empty and only $10 on the holiday weekends.

The drive was beautiful. We left Montrose and headed on highway 50 through Gunnison and then north Buena Vista. The VW ran wonderfully, albeit slowly uphill, and we arrived in good time. First problem, the directions in the book were incorrect. If you are using this book, you might want to make a note that the campground is 4.5 miles south of Minturn, NOT Leadville. The directions also say to turn on FR707 or Tigiwon Rd. Again, this is not accurate. The road is now called Notch Mountain Rd. It is a 2wd accessible dirt road with many potholes and a lot of washboard. It is narrow and required pulling to the side several times for oncoming cars to pass. Google Earth does have the site listed under Half Moon Campground for easier navigation.

There are several campsites off the side of the road that looked pretty good. The actual campground has seven sites all spaced nicely. We managed to grab the last spot (reservations are not taken). I can imagine that this would be a terrific campsite when the campground is empty. Being a holiday weekend, it was packed. Our neighbors were a rowdy group of college kids that were up late and then up early to get going. Remember when you were 20 and could have an evening of drinking and still get up in the morning for a hike? I don't...

The pressure cooker was a success. I purchased a medium sized Fagor pressure cooker years ago but rarely used it. Being able to make a full meal in one pot in less than 40 minutes was terrific! We had Mexican style chicken and rice. The recipe, which will appear in the recipe section once it's up, was enough to feed five. I'll cut it back in the future since there were only two of us.

On day two, we headed toward Denver and Colorado Springs. We made a few shopping stops since we were in the big city and then headed to a campground about an hour from Colorado Springs. I cannot remember the name of the site but it was just passed the Buffalo Springs campgrounds. This was not a memorable campsite although we did have a good time.

Different from when I was a kid, firewood gathering is not encouraged. We've encountered several sites, all of which were run by the park services, that offer wood for sale if you haven't carried it in with you. This wood seems to be treated with something. We have a terrible time getting it to burn well. Perhaps it is just our imagination but we were frustrated. Just before arriving at our campsite, we stopped at a gas station and purchased firewood for $3.00 a bundle (this is the half the price of the ranger station). It burned beautifully. I'll be bringing wood with us on the next trip but for a prolonged adventure, carrying your own wood isn't really an option. We'll be trying to figure out a good way to make firewood gathering efficient and legal.

This was the first time that I was able to try the solar battery maintainer that I purchased. We were parked in the shade the first day so I did not hook it up. When I went to start the car in the morning, it groaned. The battery was very low. On day two, I plugged in the solar charger before going to bed so that it would catch the first morning sun. It worked like a charm! The battery indicator never dropped below the half way mark even after many hours of listening to satellite radio with the lights on. For less than $30, it cannot be beat.

During the trip, we encountered another Westy. This was a 1985 that had been converted to a Subaru engine. Needless to say, we were jealous. The vehicle can go up the passes in 4th gear without any problems. Speeds can average around 75mph which leaves us in the dust. The catch? Well, their conversion cost approximately $10,000. As much as we'd like to make this jump, it's not going to happen any time soon.

I'd be curious if anyone out there has any tricks to beef up the horsepower on the air cooled VWs. I'm okay with the slow pace but it might be nice to not be the guy that has a tail of 20 cars waiting for him to pull over to let them all pass...

Upcoming trip and showers

2010-09-02T09:12:00.000-06:00

Yesterday began the home improvement projects for my house so that it will be rentable when the time comes. Cody began the bathroom remodel. The shower was a nightmare. The previous owner had a large step cut into the tub and the shower attachment was meant to be temporary at best. I won't be able to shower in my home for two days. This got me to thinking about the VW and bathing options.

I've read many posts on the subject. Some people have become very inventive with their solutions. Some Eurovans had an outdoor shower equipped as part of the camper package and it seems that a modification to the Vanagon is a possibility. In-line RV water heaters can be utilized but the propane tank is so small that I'm worried that it will use my supply too quickly; this will be especially true if I do equip the van with a Propex heater. The next best solution seems to be the Zodi camp shower. The price, less than $200, seems reasonable. Utilizing the one pound propane canisters that normally go to stoves, it can provide a decent five minute shower. I'd be very curious to know what others think of these. For short weekend trips, bathing can be optional, but if a long term trip is planned, it will be essential. Any bright ideas out there?

On Saturday morning, Cody and I are heading to a campground outside of Leadville. Don Wright's "Guide to Free Campgrounds" lists a spot just south of town that is free. The road is supposed to be 2wd access with no amenities. We're going to hope for the best. There is the possibility that Labor Day will fill all the campgrounds but I'm hoping this one is far enough off the beaten path that there will be availability.

The book also mentions that it is free to camp on BLM land for up to 14 days. Unfortunately, maps of BLM land are only available for purchase at the BLM offices. I would love a free resource but cannot locate one. I'll be sure to post the locations of BLM sites we camp at for others to follow. I haven't worked out the mapping part of the site yet it is my intention to tag all my photos with GPS coordinates so that they can pinpointed exactly as a reference for others.

I'm thinking of bringing my pressure cooker on this trip to change up the cooking. Coleman has a great little camp oven for $30 that everyone says works perfectly. It isn't exactly roughing it but neither is camping in a Vanagon! I do like the idea of baking a little when on extended camping trips in the middle of nowhere. Blueberry muffins or cornbread would be a nice treat on a cold morning.

I'm thinking of making a recipes page for all the goodies we concoct in such small quarters. Any submissions of past successes would be greatly appreciated!

First round of repairs

2010-08-31T12:42:00.001-06:00

Well, the VW passed with flying colors at the mechanic. I'm lucky that I have a VW expert near to my home. Grand Mesa Imports, in Delta, CO, has handled my VW's for the last four years. Bob is amazing, very affordable, and seems to know just about everything. I'd love to spend a few weeks in his shop learning whatever he could teach me.

I dropped off the van on Monday of last week. I asked Bob to go over the van carefully and tell me everything he thought it might need. I had noticed that my driver's side window was not functioning properly. How did I notice that? Well, I rolled it all the way down and it didn't roll back up. I fixed it a few times but the riser was damaged. I wasn't able to find a replacement part anywhere and was worried it was going to be an expensive fix. Bob has a few parts vans on his property and fixed it for $40. That is hard to beat.

Neither of my front seats would lock in place on their tracks. It turns out that these were after-market seats that were not correct for the van. They couldn't be fixed properly. Aside from sliding, they were terribly uncomfortable as I mentioned before. Bob gave me (for free) two seats out of a parts van that were in very poor condition. Still, having them reupholstered is cheaper than purchasing new seats. I do have dreams of the Recaro seating available from www.gowesty.com but that won't happen for a while...

Bob gave the VW a big thumbs up! He had worked on the van with the previous owner and seemed to know it well. The only advice he gave me was to let the engine cool down before disengaging the ignition. Apparently, the valve seat is known to fail in these models and this will help to prevent that. I have no idea if this is true or not but my faith in Bob's knowledge is high so I will abide.

We discussed installing an oil temperature gauge but have not yet gone forward with it. I'm trying to spread out the costs to make this a comfortable road home. I don't foresee a huge amount of repairs prior to leaving but there are some modifications I would like to make.

I ordered and received a few parts from GoWesty. I purchased a complete fuse replacement kit for just a few dollars to keep in the glove box. I also ordered the "water thief" which will allow me to fill the water holding tank from water sources that do not have threads for hose attachment. I noticed several faucets and pumps in the national park campgrounds that a hose could not use. This little gadget was only a few dollars and will most likely save me several trips of hauling water in bottles.

Busdepot.com also has a great selection of parts. I quickly received new inlet covers and the relay kit for installing an auxiliary battery. The relay came with generic instructions which were not that helpful for me. I'll have to enlist the help of Cody for the install. I plan on purchasing an Optima Gel battery which has received excellent reviews on other VW sites. With a second battery and the solar trickle charger (also available at GoWesty), I'll stay powered up even after an evening of listening to Sirius...

I'm planning another three day camping trip this weekend to work out a few more kinks and find inspiration for modification. Sewing up some new curtains might be next on the list as well as working out the most efficient kitchen set up. Anyone have any suggestions?

The Beginning

2010-08-29T12:06:00.000-06:00

Well, after scanning Craig's List ads for a long time, I finally found the Westy that met all my needs. Two weeks ago, I purchased a 1981 Vanagon Campmobile for the bargain price of $4,000.00. I was hoping to spend less but this one seemed perfect to me.

The previous owner was a mechanic who had taken very good care of it. The engine runs like a champ and all the major systems work well. I'm pretty sure that John Muir, author of "How to Keep Your VW Alive" would have approved. While I would have loved one of the more modern versions, this model falls in line with my mechanical abilities. Air cooled and low powered, it will get me where I want to go without ever having to worry about traveling too quickly and missing something. Let's just hope I'm not ever in too much of a hurry.

Like any used vehicle, I purchased it (I'm working on a name for the VW), knowing that many things would have to be fixed. I decided to take a trip in order to bond and make a list of things to be modified or repaired.

My friend Cody and I took a four day drive two days after purchase. We left Montrose, CO, headed north past Grand Junction, with the intention of making it to Rocky Mountain National Park by night fall. Leaving town took much longer than expected and several stops were needed for supplies. By 10:30pm, we were just past Steamboat Springs. We made camp at a State Park, name unknown, alongside a reservoir.

First thing we noticed was the cold. Although it was August, the night air and elevation brought very chilly temperatures. The VW is not equipped with any kind of heater when parked. The gas burners have a warning that is hard to miss stating not to use them as a heat source. I slept in a very tight ball under my inadequate blanket. First thing on the list is a heater.

The consensus among other VW sites is that the Propex heater is the best. At just under $800 before install, I will have to keep that on the dream list. I'm researching more affordable options at the moment. Any thoughts?

The next day we continued on and made it to Rocky Mountain National Park before evening. Much to our surprise, it was a free weekend to the park and the campsites were completely full with one exception. We found a spot in what seemed to be a parking lot. The ranger advised us that it wasn't much to look at but that it was the only place available. For future reference, we will make reservations when camping with intended designations. The National Park System allows for online reservations with 48 hours notice.

I thought that my neck and shoulders were hurting due to my poor night of sleep. It turns out that both the driver's and passenger's seats are terrible. The track system is broken preventing either seat from locking into place. This is only slightly frustrating unless I'm in an accident. I have graphic visions of the my seat belt cutting into my body during impact. Seat repair is high on the list. Aside from the track issue, the padding is poor causing a strange posture when driving. This is, of course, not ideal on long drives.

The kitchen worked wonderfully. No problems there with the exception of the notoriously finicky refrigerator. When we arrived at camp, the food was nice and cold after many hours of running on DC. Switching to propane was a challenge that took no less than 30 minutes. I've read about a fix that I will investigate soon. List item number two...

After setting up our camp, which took less than five minutes, I enjoyed watching everyone else in the area struggle with their tents. Perhaps I was just being a proud parent, but I was certain I caught a few jealous looks our way.

Cody brought his Sirius XM receiver for the trip. I'm hooked. Between the music, OutQ, and Jason Ellis, I remained thoroughly entertained the entire drive. There were a few moments where I laughed hysterically while creeping up a mountain pass at 15mp. Satellite radio is also high on the list.

One of our goals was the avoid the freeway. The trip was meant to be a leisurely drive through Colorado and getting passed by every other car on the road was not something that interested us. We meandered through the mountains from the park exit at Estes Park to Blackhawk and then down to Florissant. Again, our camp site preparations were poor. We finally ended up at a nice campsite in Mueller State Park. I managed to get the fridge to kick in after fifteen minutes. Had I thought ahead to bring an extension cord, I could have plugged into an RV outlet at our site. That and a fresh water hose will be essentials for the VW.

On our last day of driving, the rain came. The VW was pretty much leak proof with one exception. There seems to be an opening in the windshield seal that causes some water to drip on the passenger flooring. Fingers crossed that a little bit of silicone will take care of that.

We made it home by 10pm with no major incidents to report. We climbed five passes and put on more than a 1,000 miles without a single mechanical issue. The van is headed to the mechanic for a thorough inspection so that I might make repairs that I haven't noticed before the big day. All in all, an excellent purchase!