These rock and roll bed hinges are being offered on eBay for T25 camper owners who want to rebuild the bed. The listing says, “Camper van rock n roll bed hinges. Quality Italian hinges designed for the use in camper vans. Can be used in either T2, T3 even T4 and T5. These are not westy copies like JK hinges. Brand new and in stock.” The link probably won’t be good for long, but have a look here.
Several Vanagon owners have mounted TVs inside their van, but this one has to be one of the best we’ve seen. The Samba user ChilliConCarnage, has posted several pictures of his Westy, but his use of an articulating TV mount caught my eye. He basically dismantled the mount, and clamped it to the front table leg. It works perfectly! The best part is he can hide the TV behind the driver’s seat for theft deterrence. Click through to see how he hides his TV.
The center console is such a challenge for Vanagon owners because of the position of the shifter. It’s simply too close to the dash to get any meaningful console to fit. Here is an example of a DIY center console by some guy named Leon. Featured on Vanagonauts, this console provides lots of room for your food and drinks. This hack is especially interesting because the shifter had to be moved back about 8 inches to make it fit. Yikes! Click through for another pic.
Some Vanagon owners use a BEHR Air Conditioning System to get cold air in the van. The Samba user, presslab, posted this picture of a vent that apparently came with his BEHR unit. It mounts right in the ash tray. You can see his A/C controls just below his stereo. Some users have to remove the stereo to put vents in its place. Click through to see an example.
I’ve heard of bike racks on Vanagons, but this is the first time I’ve seen a motorcycle rack. This guy made a rack to carry his 1995Kawasaki KLR 250 on the back of his Vanagon. It fits a 2″ receiver hitch he installed on the van, but can it hold the weight of his bike? He has a warning below.
I made this motorcycle carrier and it fits in a 2″ receiver hitch which I installed on the van. The original bumper fits on the original bumper brackets, although the bumper is off in this picture. Motorcycle weighs 300 lbs wet, full tank of gas. I only used this carrier a couple of times, I don’t think a vanagon hitch can be made strong enough to be used like this.
Notice his rear bumper is removed.
If you’re a serious camper you may find yourself running out of propane on a regular basis. Your stove and refrigerator run on propane, and the stock tank may not satisfy your needs. F. Griffiths faced this problem head on and came up with his own hack. After considering several options, including using disposable propane cans, he opted for installing a second propane tank under the van. His install required purchasing a used propane tank, and using a tee to hack into the existing propane line. He hung the second tank under the van and now he has twice the amount of propane. This hack is not for the faint of heart, but it is doable. Click through to see how he did it.
Some people like the look of truck mirrors on the Vanagon. They provide a better view of what is behind you and offer a specific aesthetic that some people like. The user above grabbed some mirrors off a truck to create his own look, but several after market options are available. Going with the after market options are a no-brainer, and make installation a snap. Click through to see some options.
Blogger Chojin Chef has a 1984 Westy and has come up with a few good hack ideas. This hack enables him to open and close the rear hatch from the inside. He installed a handle and a knob on the inside of the rear hatch. The handle allows him to pull the door closed, while the knob allows him to release the latch and open the door. How many times have you been laying in the back of your van and wished you could open the rear hatch for some fresh air? Click through to see how he did it.
Soon after purchasing my Vanagon we installed the GoWesty Auxiliary Battery Kit. Along with the kit, we installed a Battery Tender charger under the driver’s seat to keep the auxiliary battery topped off after prolonged use. We ran the charger’s cable out the front of the driver’s seat battery compartment, then attached an extension cord each time we wanted to charge the battery. The extension cable would have to run out one of the windows which meant bugs could get in the van. It became clear we needed another solution. Click through to see how we installed a retractable extension cord reel.
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