The Volkswagon Bus

People love em', and people hate em'. I am a big fan of the older Volkswagen's, I currently own two but have had more in the past.
In today's blog I will focus on the functionality of the bus, what to expect if you are a new owner or someone who plans on getting one someday, and I will share a few story's from our travels with this incredible vehicle. I claim not to be an expert by any means, but I have traveled considerable distance's in my 1979 Campmobile. I will start by saying there is a great difference between Air Cooled VW people and Water Cooled VW people. Air Cooled people usually have to be more resourceful than newer model VW owners. Our vehicles are finicky and more prone to breakdown.

But, in some respects the air cooled buses are easier to work on, although parts for the older ones are getting harder to find. New buses like the Euro van have everything a modern R.V. has, including lots of computerized circuits that can fail. Folks with the newer vans are the type that just don't want to fool around with some old junker that is gonna break down, usually sooner than later. Us air cooled folks are OK with fixing up a junker and making the best of it. Two different kinds of owners. Of course there is collectors and restorers as well as many other types of VW lovers out there.

The important thing here of course, is the journey. We prefer a stripped out bus. Meaning we took out the back seats and got rid of all the extras that we feel that we don't need. Fridge, sink, counters, etc., we removed. We use a cooler, a five gallon jug of water, a Coleman stove, and a small fold up 2 pound plywood table for cooking on. We built a lightweight bed out of plywood in the back that works nice. Honestly, when you go light it is way easier on your vehicle and will extend the life of your motor. The best part of these vehicles is their ability to get around and the space available for actually living is small but adequate. Another advantage over more modern vehicles is the window visibility. It is very handy to be able to see in all directions as you drive around. Modern car windows are getting smaller and smaller, leaving several "blind" spots for the unwary driver. Doors, latches, and tailgate lifters are made of quality steel and usually last the life of the vehicle. Air cooled motors are relatively simple and easy to access. We have done several month long trips in our bus and have had some of the best times of our lives! Nothing like pulling up to a spectacular location and simply opening the sliding door and calling it home for the night! Driving across the Golden Gate bridge was a bit dicey on one trip. Also I don't recommend getting lost on the streets of San Fransisco as we did a few years back. I burned my clutch trying to get out of that congested rat race! At a gas station in Los Angeles I was offered $10,000.00 for the old heap (as my father in law calls it). I was ready to make the deal, but my lovely bride would have no part of getting rid of our beloved Neptune! In Ventura, Ca we were treated like royalty among the surf crowd. Everywhere you go with an older bus, people have story's to tell about their time behind the wheel. A lot of folks say they got tired of working on the buses as they do tend to break down a lot. Mostly because you have to keep up on serious maintenance on these older rigs. We have been stranded a few times ourselves. My friend Matthew Price says it best in his song,"Home is where the Van Breaks Down"! I never knew a vehicle could be so much fun to drive. There's just something about sitting over the front tires, gripping that wheel in the wind, and just cruising with no particular place to go. It is magic! I can't wait to get out on the road again. Hope you've enjoyed this post. Please subscribe to my blog, "On the Lookout" for more randomly interesting story's. Until next time, keep going and doing. Cheers, Joey River    You can check out our original rock band here: http://www.reverbnation.com/thelookoutsband?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav