Modifications to my Camper Van, Beethoven |
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Beethoven is my 1990 Vanagon Westfalia Camper. This page contains information on improvements I've made to Beethoven. Other folks might like to do these things to their own vans, or not.
Note that the following design goals drive all of my modifications:
I bought my van from Hoch Motors in Santa Rosa, California. Hoch Motors
is about an hour north of San Francisco, the Shining City by the Bay.
They specialize in Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia campers, and though
they charge a premium, they can get some great vehicles through their
contacts.
Beethoven had only 32,000 miles when I first bought him, and he had been
very well cared for. While installing the second battery, though, I came
across a business card that seemed to hint that Beethoven had been to
Alaska. I'd love to hear the story of that trip.
If you were the previous owner, drop
me a note!
Here's a quick index to the modifications:
Electrical system Paulchen Rack system CB radio Westfalia tent
I've finally got my ideal electrical system installed in the van. Under the driver's seat, I have a Optima Deep-Cycle 12-volt battery. This wonderful battery has 52 amp-hours of power, doesn't vent, and is nearly leakproof. The Optima is wired into my Propex propane heater, the amplifier for my stereo, and an inverter sufficient to power (and charge) a laptop computer.
I've also installed a 1.5 amp trickle charger. This charger plugs into the extra electrical socket under the sink, and quietly charges the battery whenever the van is plugged into the electrical grid. This effectively allows me to run my propane heater off of the grid whenever I'm connected.
The Paulchen rack system was designed specifically for the Vanagon and other hatchback automobiles. It grips the rear hatch both at the top and the bottom, and doesn't interfere with opening the hatch. Being rear-mounted, it also allows you to carry bikes and other things without lots of wind noise or drag.
It is a little heavy, and my hatch struts won't support the door with the rack mounted. You can get little 'struts' from Paulchen to hold the door open, even with bikes on the rack.
After my first trip with the California Camping Crazies, I realized that a CB was a good thing to have. It's fun to chat while you drive, and makes the trip to the campsite seem much quicker. It's also handy for negotiating fueling and snack stops. On the Inuvik trip, the CB units were very useful in finding one another, handling emergencies, etc.
I wanted to install the CB into my van, so that I didn't have a lot of wires running through windows and across the floor. I ended up getting an antenna mount put onto the outside of the van, and a Cobra handheld CB unit installed into Beethoven's dash. The end result looks pretty good.
I've been coveting a Westfalia tent for some time. With the Deutchmark hovering around two to the dollar, I finally decided to buy one. Tents for older busses pop up occasionally for sale, but you rarely see Vanagon / Eurovan tents for sale in the states. I ordered the tent directly from Westfalia and walked it through customs myself.
