The Vanagon Dictionary

Sloped roof rack version used on pre-1961 Westfalia models

• westfalia
• vw

A camper roof section that lifts above the body, usually with a flexible fabric enclosure when raised, adding standing room while keeping a lower profile when closed. Gerry’s 1998 camper-conversion discussion contrasts pop-top layouts with the fixed high-roof Adventurewagen conversion; they are different body configurations, not interchangeable names. Roof design and interior details vary by builder and model year.

• pop-top
• canvas

A table that can be folded up for storage or transport

• furniture
• interior

arms that support the roof when it is raised

• roof
• mechanism

Device for carrying a spare tire on a vehicle

• storage
• accessories

A pump that supplies air to the combustion chamber

• pump
• air

A fabric or metal cover that provides shade or protection from the elements

• awning
• vanagon

Liquified Petroleum Gas. The stuff that the stove and refrigerator use for fuel in the campers.

The belt-driven pump that circulates engine coolant through the water-cooled Vanagon engine and cooling circuit. It is different from the small electric pump used to deliver water to a camper sink.

• engine
• water-cooled
• cooling

A procedure to improve the air supply pump on the refrigerator

• refrigerator
• maintenance

Universal cover for all Vanagon models, including high roof and campers

• vanagon
• cover
• accessories

Adventurewagen was a Fort Bragg, California conversion builder, not a Volkswagen model or Transporter generation. In a December 1998 Gerry thread about camper conversions, a contributor describes its high-roof conversion as common on the U.S. West Coast and distinguishes that fixed high roof from pop-top layouts. A 2001 thread also identifies Adventurewagen as a maker of Vanagon high-top conversions. Roof, interior, and equipment vary by build and vehicle year.

• camper
• conversion

A fan that helps to circulate air inside the refrigerator for better cooling

• refrigeration
• airflow

A strap for finishing the roof of a Westfalia camper van

• strap
• roof
• finishing

Canvas attached to 2 metal poles at each end with hooks at each end of the poles

• canvas
• cot

Another name for camper versions of the VW Transporter . For whatever reasons, this term seems to have been dropped for the Vanagons , except in Canada.

An RV manufacturer chosen by VW to convert basic EuroVans into full camper units for sale within the United States. Winnebago also manufactures the Rialta from the standard EuroVan body.

A temperature-responsive valve in a water-cooled engine's coolant circuit. It regulates coolant flow as the engine warms; the correct part and installation are engine-specific.

• engine
• water-cooled
• cooling

A small radiator that transfers heat from engine coolant to air for the cabin heating system. Vanagons may have front and additional rear heat exchangers, depending on equipment and market.

• engine
• water-cooled
• heating

The front-mounted heat exchanger in a water-cooled Vanagon's engine-coolant circuit. It releases heat from circulating coolant to outside air. Air-cooled Type 2 buses do not use an engine-coolant radiator.

• engine
• water-cooled
• cooling

A heat exchanger that removes heat from engine oil. Air-cooled Type 2 engines use an oil cooler in the engine cooling assembly; design and mounting vary by engine. It is distinct from a Vanagon coolant radiator.

• engine
• air-cooled
• cooling

The pressurized tank in the water-cooled Vanagon cooling circuit that accommodates coolant expansion and provides a fill and bleed point. It is separate from the low-pressure coolant refill reservoir; the names are sometimes confused in parts listings.

• engine
• water-cooled
• cooling

The accessible coolant container used to replenish the water-cooled Vanagon system as coolant moves between the pressurized expansion tank and the reservoir. It is not the pressurized expansion tank itself; verify the part by the vehicle's cooling-system layout.

• engine
• water-cooled
• cooling

The housing around the engine cooling fan that directs airflow across the cylinders and cylinder heads on an air-cooled VW engine. Type 2 shrouds differ by engine and model year; this term does not describe the liquid-coolant radiator used on water-cooled Vanagons.

• engine
• air-cooled
• cooling