The Vanagon Dictionary

The energy consumed by a vehicle's electrical systems when the engine is off

• battery
• load

a low gear ratio, typically used for heavy loads or steep inclines

• gear
• low

Idle speed, the speed of an engine when it is not under load

• idle
• speed

a running gear system designed for heavy loads and off-road use

• suspension
• off-road

Small, flat washers that help to absorb thrust loads on the front bearings

• bearings
• thrust
• washers

The German nickname for the original VW buses . loosely translated, it means "work horse" or "oxen" (some sort of strong animal used for pulling heavy loads).

A model of bus that had a flat load bed with no fixed roof over the rear half of the vehicle. Optional canvas tents were available to cover the rear flat bed area. (See Single-cab and Double-cab .)

The 12-volt battery supply used for camper electrical loads such as interior lighting, the water pump, and controls on the documented Vanagon Westfalia. Whether a particular vehicle has a separate auxiliary battery depends on its model and later modifications.

• camper
• electrical
• battery

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.

In Gerry’s preserved FAQ alignment article, “Camper model” refers to the heavier Vanagon Syncro camper configuration, with separate alignment values from lighter non-camper vehicles. A Gerry discussion on 15 October 2003 about the “official” Syncro alignment specs quotes the chart for 1986–1991 Syncro campers with dual batteries up front; a 1999 thread separately asks about an almost-empty 1986 Syncro. These historical sources show why the exact load and configuration matter, not a current alignment specification. Use service data for the specific vehicle.

• model
• variant