rare customized 94 European Westfalia Eurovan camper - $25500 (oceanside) CL

Waltzing Matilda

Adventurer
Not mine. San Diego craigslist post. Photos at link.entertaining read.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/cto/3892467662.html


ABOUT VW CAMPERS

I started restoring VW campers for family and friends 7 years ago. After completing a handful of Splittis and Bay Windows from the 60's and 70's I moved on to restore 20+ Vanagon Westy and Riviera conversions from the 80's and another dozen Eurovan variants from the 90's.

When our family treks cross country, we generally load up a Eurovan. Air conditioning is a wonderful thing in the desert - cruise control a lifesaver for gobbling up thousands of miles of highway. We generally take a Westfalia weekender with a pop top, cafe seating, an interior cooler and a pop up table. With the grandkids seating for 7 is a bonus and the family likes the extra room. For explorations of the Pacific Northwest, particularly if we're headed off road, we jump in a water cooled Riviera or Westy. The clearance allows us to venture down dead mans gulches, to brave the Baja and rutted logging roads. If the kids get to pick and we're headed off to a VW enthusiast gathering, a local concert, the Drive-in, the Peninsula, or a host of skate and bike parks we pick a social butterfly with personality plus - a transporter camper from the 60's or 70's.

Traveling and living in Europe and Canada, I'd come to admire the European variant of the Eurovan full camper - the CV - that was sold only outside the US. Back in the early 90's, Winnebago negotiated an exclusive contract with VW to convert Eurovans into campers for America, and unlike Westfalia, a German conversion firm owned by VW, Winnebago chose the longer wheelbase commercial Eurovan which is 15.5" longer and 1200 pounds heavier than the CV. We've owned several of these Winnebago variants and they are fine campers with two exceptions on the earlier models - 93-95 that had the 2.5 liter 5 cylinder power plant. Due to the added weight and their limited horsepower, they are a bit on the sluggish side and have a tendency to eat transmissions. (@nearly $5,000.00 each) In 1997 VW installed the VR6 motor in the Eurovans, further upgrading it to 4 valves per cylinder in 2001, which solved part of this problem. The power was there, but now the mileage was not, and the transmissions - all automatics in the VR6, (earlier models had an optional 5 speed) were still problematic. By 2003, VW stopped importing all camper variants, which makes all these campers quite rare and desirable. They are the only recreational vehicle I've come across that if maintained properly, appreciates from year to year. Several vans I restored 5 years ago are today changing hands for $5,000 - $10,000.00 more than when they were initially acquired.

FINDING NEMO

I wasn't the first to find NEMO. His original owner was a Canadian Physician. Somehow he made his way to America. I acquired him from an IT professional employed in the space program. NEMO required a bit of physical and mechanical attention as his rear bumper had lost an argument with a blunt object, and over the years, he'd accumulated a few maladies that the Physician and the Rocket guy were unable to attend to. With 226,000 kms on his odometer, (125,000 miles) he had exceptionally low mileage for a 20 year old classic - just under 7,000 miles/year, and he was all there.

You're unlikely to find another NEMO south of the border. I've searched high and low for them and have acquired only three in 8 years - two in Canada. There are precious few up north in Canada as Canadian Dealers had to compete with the rest of the VW world for their allotments. Dealers had to sell substantial quantities of Golfs, Jettas and Passats to qualify for a single Westfalia CV camper. As a result, they sold for a premium, few have left their initial owners and their ownership is coveted. As Westfalia production ceased in 1995, from 95 on, even in Canada, only Winnebago units were available. High demand. Low production. Rare.

NEMO is not only rare. He is a superb specimen of fine German engineering. Not to detract from the fine work of the Winnebago folks, but there's something unique and endearing about the way Germans make things. Germans build things to last. There's a level of fit and finish - of care and craftsmanship, that that you won't find anywhere else. For 100+ years Mercedes, BMW, VW, Audi and Porsche have made the ultimate driving machines. and For 60 years Westfalia has converted selective offerings from these great marques into the ultimate caravans.

In a short wheelbase Eurovan, Westfalia has cleverly packaged everything you need for the open road short of a toilet (a chemical toilet is available if you prefer one) and shower. ( a clever black bag up top heats water and a curtained rear hatch provides privacy if you wish to shower in the woods) The CV provides you seating and sleeping for 4, (you can slide in an additional seat to seat 6) a two burner stove, a 12 volt refrigerator/freezer, a self-contained water system, on-board computer, plenty of storage for camping supplies, bedding and clothes.

If he were simply a stock Westfalia CV, NEMO would be the most compact, complete class C RV on the planet. He is a whole lot more.

FINDING NEMO"s MAGIC

PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING
NEMO's handling has been enhanced by the replacement of his 15" steel wheels with 16" light alloys and oversized Blizzak tires. His suspension has been widened by 2 inches and raised by 1". His Blizzaks run quite and have tenacious grip for cornering and running on the wet and slippery byways of the northwest and he has added clearance for off-roading. One of the finest VW mechanics in the Northwest has ensured that NEMO has been fine tuned for ultimate performance. He's available to the new owner to ensure he stays that way. Everything works on him just as it should. All his fluids have been recently purged and replaced. He underwent a complete tuneup in March of 2013. He starts immediately and without complaint, revs easily, shifts smoothly, stops quickly.

SAFETY AND RELIABILITY
Inside NEMO you will discover an on-board navigational system that will guide you safely and securely to your destination. Up front are European ultra-bright headlights accompanied by driving lights to ensure you safely navigate our byways without surprise introductions to the creatures of the night. Inside is a compass, a thermometer and a digital clock to keep you comfortable, on time and on track.

At the end of the day, with a 20 year old vehicle, safety and reliability comes down to proper preventative maintenance. NEMO has lived a charmed life. Doctors and IT managers are bright, meticulous folks with the resources to properly service a sophisticated vehicle. Good fortune has smiled on th green freedom machine.

CONVENIENCE AND LUXURY
Consumer electronics has come a long way since NEMO's engineers installed his factory in-dash tape deck back in 1994. Today, he features a premium Kenwood sound system including inputs for ipod and a charging port for cell phones and other USB devices. Overhead is an integrated Legacy drop down 17" DVD unit with SD, video and audio inputs to view the photos and video you shoot on your holiday, or to relax and enjoy your favorite movie once the embers die down on your campfire. Up top is a memory foam mattress in place of the standard Westfalia fare - a delightful companion for a nights rest. Incandescent, fluorescent and LED lights are sprinkled throughout the interior - some of which are removable if you decide to go out for a tinkle with the Grizzlies.

WHAT YOU DON'T SEE
With NEMO, part of what's best you sort of see and don't see. Eurovans are notoriously noisy, but not NEMO. Noise is one of the reasons VW purists often prefer the Eurovan's predecessor, the Vanagon, a rear engine rear wheel drive variant. The VW 2.5 liter motor is a high revving motor sitting directly in front of you . The axles and transmission are up front as well. Great care has been taken with NEMO to mitigate noise and vibration. Around his lower body panels he's been sprayed with a rubberized undercoating to protect him from chipping and water intrusion. He's fully coated underneath as well as in his wheel wells to ensure he's protected from road grime, dirt and salt.

Camp in the winter and it takes only a few minutes to make him toasty warm, and a small parabolic electric heater attached to his on board inverter driven by his Optima auxiliary battery will keep you comfortable throughout the night. (that and your companion)

WIERD AND WONDERFUL STUFF
The Apollo awning is a delight. It's light, easy to deploy in a few minutes, made of indestructible sunbrella fabric, and won't tear, mold or mildew if properly handled. Out back is a 2" hitch to attach your bike rack or a rear shelf to store goodies for extended holidays or to bring the scooter along. There' also a shower screen and a hot bottle and spray nozzle. Along the driver's side is a Fastrack molding that you can attach a variety of hooks and clamps and trays to to transport everything from a pop up tent to boogie boards to bicycles.

FINDING NEMO's NEW PARENTS

Do you have a desire to journey beyond your imagination - to seek out the wild and wonderful and to be safe and secure in your self contained fortress regardless of where you trek? Do you have 275 Gentle Bens and a General Grant burning a hole in your bra or wallet? Is nature calling you, expecting you to arrive in a sweet compact green machine? If you answer yes to any or all of these questions you may be a viable candidate for adoption.

NEMO and I are currently trekking through California on our final outing before he finds a new home. we're in Oceanside through the end of the week if you'd like to visit the little green traveling machine.

Give us a call at 206 two two seven 622nine if you'd like to connect.

Keywords Westfalia VW Camper RV Caravan Eurovan CV MV Weekender
 

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