The Vanagon Dictionary

Condition where the vehicle turns more than intended, with the rear end swinging out

• handling
• safety

Front or rear lift-up portion of an auto body for engine or trunk access

• auto
• body
• engine

A Carat with a Westy poptop for extra sleeping space and a smaller rear cabinet.

• vanagon
• variant

Basic Bus model without seats or windows in the rear compartment, often used for commercial purposes.

• bus
• model
• variant

The horizontal line defined by the lower edges of a vehicle's windscreen, rear and side windows and pillars.

• body
• interior

A component that contains the parts that supply power to the rear wheels, located in front of the engine.

• vanagon
• transmission

Term referring to the smaller rear axle nut and reduction box design used in pre-1964 VW Buses

• bus
• vw

A device in the front differential of a Syncro that provides the switching action between the rear diff/wheels and the front.

• syncro
• viscus

Special model of the bus , based on the Standard bus , first available in 1951. The most notable feature was the smaller engine lid than the previous Barndoors , and a rear hatch hinged at the bottom, which allowed stretchers to be loaded into the interior of the bus . The gas tank and spare tire were moved in order to accomodate the rear hatch.

System designed to reduce the risk of injury in rear-end collisions by coordinating deceleration of the torso and head.

• safety
• comfort

A type of rear axle that is 'fixed' at the wheel (that is, it is not able to flex up or down), but is able to move up and down at the transmission end. It required the rear wheels to move in an arc, rather than vertically, when hitting bumps. in some cars (beetles and corvairs and some early porsches), it could cause the wheel to tuck under the car during high speed cornering.

Buses made before mid-1955, whose major characteristics are the oversized engine lid and the lack of a rear cargo hatch. These also did not have the ventilation eyebrow above the windshield/windscreen.

Any Volkswagen Transporter of any model and any year. Specifically those VW Transporters from 1968 to 1979, distinquished by a large one-piece windshield and rounded body contours. all had double-jointed independent rear suspension. also called T2 Transporter .

Any of the Volkswagen Transporters from 1992 to present. some were sold in Europe in 1991. generally characterized by their engine located in the front of the vehicle, driving the front wheels, and their very rounded shape and huge rear hatch.

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 folding or sliding sleeping platform fitted beneath a camper pop-up roof on equipped models. It is stowed when the roof is lowered and is distinct from the lower rear bench bed.

• camper
• bed
• interior

The four-wheel drive version of the Vanagon , made between 1986 and 1991. using a viscous coupling arrangement, the front wheels could be made to automatically provide pulling power (at any time the rear wheels began to slip or spin). This term also applies to the four-wheel drive EuroVans , which are unfortunately not imported into the United States.

An accessory package originally available on the Vanagon that bridged the gap between the passenger van and the camping-oriented Westfalia model. With the included rear bench that folded into a double-bed, fold-out table, and privacy curtains, an owner could easily move seven people during the week and provide sleeping space for two on the weekends. This idea and name have just been reintroduced as a model of the revamped Eurovan called the MV Weekender .