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Dfk88
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2016
Posts: 29
Location: California
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 Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 3:11 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| Abscate wrote: |
A word about the forum.
Disclaimer - its not my Forum, its Everett's so I have no standing on how it is run or its content.
But, think of it like a party full of the most knowledgeable VW people on the planet in a small space, talking it up and having a good time.
If you go off on a trip, and only come in and yell when you need help, eventually, you become that guy no one wants to help.
If you share your first oil change, feeling foolish when people who rebuild transmissions post next to you, that's merely a youthful failing which you grow out of over decades.
Ive met about a dozen here, offered my home and been offered home to about half. None of us choose those at random.
Each new person who comes in, of any age, makes it easier for others to share and keep the passion alive. |
I thought of it that way too, I need some guidance with this decision because my dad passed away a couple months ago so I really don't have anyone who's that knowledgeable about this subject. So everyone in here is a HUGGEEE help |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32646
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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vegpedlr
Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2014
Posts: 774
Location: TBD
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| Quote: |
At least post a major area.... LA? SF? Eureka? Lake Tahoe? Etc?
Dave |
He did. Pittsburg/Antioch, so East Bay/Delta area.
Lots of VW folk around.
Best of luck. |
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Dfk88
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2016
Posts: 29
Location: California
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| vegpedlr wrote: |
| Quote: |
At least post a major area.... LA? SF? Eureka? Lake Tahoe? Etc?
Dave |
He did. Pittsburg/Antioch, so East Bay/Delta area.
Lots of VW folk around.
Best of luck. |
Thank you!! Yeah I'll have to keep my eye out for some people that live around here so I can pick their brains a bit |
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j_dirge
Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007
Posts: 4641
Location: Twain Harte, CA
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 6:39 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| Dfk88 wrote: |
| vegpedlr wrote: |
| Quote: |
At least post a major area.... LA? SF? Eureka? Lake Tahoe? Etc?
Dave |
He did. Pittsburg/Antioch, so East Bay/Delta area.
Lots of VW folk around.
Best of luck. |
Thank you!! Yeah I'll have to keep my eye out for some people that live around here so I can pick their brains a bit |
In September there is "Van-o-Rama" in Daly City,, hosted in years past by BenT (a Samba member) and in January there is the grand gathering known as "Burningvan" at Ocean Beach in SF. Recent years have 100+ Vanagons of all types. That may seem like WAY off in the future.. but if you want to get to know some folks.. those two events are god opportunities.
If you're ever in the Outer Sunset, SF.. shoot me a PM.. there's a dozen or more Vanagins in this neighborhood.
Several Samba members are Burningvan regulars and have LOTs of travel experience to share.. JuanB, as an example, drove his Westy to the tip of Argentina.
_________________
-89 GL Westy, SVX.. finally.
-57 pan f/g buggy with a 67 pancake Type 3 "S"
"Jimi Hendrix owned one. Richard Nixon did not"
-Grand Tour, Season 1, episodes 4 and 5
| danfromsyr wrote: |
those are straight line runs with light weight race cars for only 1/4mile at a time..
not pushing a loaded brick up a mountain pass with a family of 4+ inside expecting to have an event free vacation..
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Dfk88
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2016
Posts: 29
Location: California
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 6:55 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| j_dirge wrote: |
| Dfk88 wrote: |
| vegpedlr wrote: |
| Quote: |
At least post a major area.... LA? SF? Eureka? Lake Tahoe? Etc?
Dave |
He did. Pittsburg/Antioch, so East Bay/Delta area.
Lots of VW folk around.
Best of luck. |
Thank you!! Yeah I'll have to keep my eye out for some people that live around here so I can pick their brains a bit |
In September there is "Van-o-Rama" in Daly City,, hosted in years past by BenT (a Samba member) and in January there is the grand gathering known as "Burningvan" at Ocean Beach in SF. Recent years have 100+ Vanagons of all types. That may seem like WAY off in the future.. but if you want to get to know some folks.. those two events are god opportunities.
If you're ever in the Outer Sunset, SF.. shoot me a PM.. there's a dozen or more Vanagins in this neighborhood.
Several Samba members are Burningvan regulars and have LOTs of travel experience to share.. JuanB, as an example, drove his Westy to the tip of Argentina. |
I'm all for planning ahead, I think I do that too much sometimes actually haha, and that's quite a ways, the trip I plan on taking is going to be verrry long, I want to go from California through Canada to Alaska through Canada again, then travel through the US to a multitude of states including the east coast, then go through Mexico maybe stop in cabo or cancun, wherever I can find paradise, then go down to Central America and enjoy Panama and Costa Rica, then go into South America, I'm not sure how far in I want to go but I want to at least hit Brazil. |
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hdenter
Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008
Posts: 2754
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:46 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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When I was your age I spent the summer before my senior year rebuilding a '71 bay window tin top camper for similar adventures. I stripped that van down to a windshield, driver's seat and controls. Drove it to a body shop for a full paint job. Then spent days putting it all back together. I watched/helped my dad build it a new stock engine and fix the trans. When school started there wasn't a system on that car I didn't understand. While you may find a better van than the rusty POS I found that doesn't need quite that much work, I would highly recommend that kind of an education before you head out into the great unknown. You don't have to know how to do a complete engine rebuild, but you should be able recognize symptoms of major problems before they get critical and have a good idea of how to fix them. I didn't go international, but I covered a lot of miles and never had to worry about trusting someone else to tell me what was wrong and how to fix it. If I where closer I'd be glad to let you watch/help/learn when I work on my vans. Good luck! Have fun! Don't think twice about it. YOLO!
Hans
_________________
'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
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jimf909 
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7482
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:37 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| Merian wrote: |
it brings up another general issue: just scale up a little from backpacking (or canoe or bicycle camping) and you are all set |
This is almost a Golden Rule. Use your backpacking set-up and a motorcycle is a luxury, a van is a palatial estate. You'll eventually add more crap but you'll still have plenty of vacant space in the Westy cabinets.
_________________
- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:56 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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As noted, you are in a good spot for finding your van. There is a good guy I have used a couple of times in Sac for parts... he has a yard, and actually stores his parts in a disgustingly orderly fashion. 
I spend hours walking around Berkeley, but don't get over to The City much. Vanagons of every stripe seem to be seen all over.
Start narrowing it down to what you really want, and that will make your search easier.
 Early water-cooled Vanagon basic van, Later Digifant controlled Westfalia, Syncro, Doka, etc.
There is a very promising 1983 water cooled van that I checked out three weeks ago about 45 miles north of where I live. Check Craigslist for Madera, Ca. It might still be there. I have NO connection to him at all. It is not a camper, just a seven seat van, but pretty complete and clean. Automatic transmission and air conditioning. Dude wanted like $3,000 or something, but probably could be talked down with hard cash. Dry van, kept under a carport. Whatever, right? |
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Dfk88
Samba Member
Joined: July 22, 2016
Posts: 29
Location: California
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 12:08 am Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| Wasted youth wrote: |
As noted, you are in a good spot for finding your van. There is a good guy I have used a couple of times in Sac for parts... he has a yard, and actually stores his parts in a disgustingly orderly fashion.
I spend hours walking around Berkeley, but don't get over to The City much. Vanagons of every stripe seem to be seen all over.
Start narrowing it down to what you really want, and that will make your search easier.
Early water-cooled Vanagon basic van, Later Digifant controlled Westfalia, Syncro, Doka, etc.
There is a very promising 1983 water cooled van that I checked out three weeks ago about 45 miles north of where I live. Check Craigslist for Madera, Ca. It might still be there. I have NO connection to him at all. It is not a camper, just a seven seat van, but pretty complete and clean. Automatic transmission and air conditioning. Dude wanted like $3,000 or something, but probably could be talked down with hard cash. Dry van, kept under a carport. Whatever, right? |
does your guy in sac have full vans? And if that was a camper I'd jump right on that offer |
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Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 1:11 am Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| He ran some classified ads here on the Samba. That's how I met him. Don't know if he has full vans for sale... he might not to be messing with smog and title crap. I see he does not have any ads up right now, so I will PM you his email. |
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KristianS
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2016
Posts: 53
Location: SF - Bay Area
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 8:06 am Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| Dfk88 wrote: |
| vegpedlr wrote: |
| Quote: |
At least post a major area.... LA? SF? Eureka? Lake Tahoe? Etc?
Dave |
He did. Pittsburg/Antioch, so East Bay/Delta area.
Lots of VW folk around.
Best of luck. |
Thank you!! Yeah I'll have to keep my eye out for some people that live around here so I can pick their brains a bit |
Hey you!
I live in Dublin, CA and my wife and I just bought our first Vanagon - KISS as someone else mentioned. Keep it simple stupid!  We got a cheap good looking passenger Vanagon - blank slate for us. Put in a Z bed, take out middle seats, put in small table and the front seat on swivels and you're good! You're more than welcome to stop by on a weekend and check it out and have a talk!
Ps.
check this event out as well and get some good ideas!
NorCal busfest! - its even super close to you!
http://en.eventhint.com/events/12853868/nor-cal-bus-fest-12 |
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ThankYouJerry
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 10:48 am Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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I'd highly recommend checking in with Stephan's Auto Haus in Sacramento.
_________________
1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD |
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buildyourown
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2009
Posts: 1668
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 7:32 pm Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| You can get a 10yr newer Econoline for 1/10th the price. Spend your money wisely. These vans are for people with the money and time for project vehicles. They are incredibly fun and the community is great. However, if you goal is reliable comfortable van living, it's not the most practical choice. |
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gchristensen
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2012
Posts: 84
Location: Sacramento Ca.
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:18 am Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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here is my 2 cents. Go westy has some people that live in their vans linked on their sites. Another great sit is Campervanculture.com Jed does some epic trips in a syncro. He as well is on this site. He is probably the best source as he maintains his own vehicle as well.
Gregg
_________________
Joining now is our new 1982 diesel. This is an ongoing project under construction. |
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vegpedlr
Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2014
Posts: 774
Location: TBD
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:37 am Post subject: Re: Where to find a poptop camper in CA/ Vanlife advice? |
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| gchristensen wrote: |
here is my 2 cents. Go westy has some people that live in their vans linked on their sites. Another great sit is Campervanculture.com Jed does some epic trips in a syncro. He as well is on this site. He is probably the best source as he maintains his own vehicle as well.
Gregg |
Cheaprvliving, and related books cheaply available on Amazon Kindle from people who've done it. Not a lot of support for VW though. The general consensus is to buy a retired domestic panel van and build your own camping interior with whatever accessories mean the most to you.
More than one way to peel this potato. |
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