I had a 72 camper van with a pop up top.
I was a young kid and would take friends and family out in this thing and we all loved it.
Had the fastest seat in the back that converted to a double bed in 2 seconds.
Was a great alternative to not sleeping in the ground, but was no hotel either.
You had to not rear end a vehicle since you could loose your legs in one of those. They were also top heavy.
I love camper vans. I have miniatures in alcoves around my house. Here in the Tucson area many come to live life slowly. See them on the streets all the time. Always wished I could have slept in a pop-up. Thanks for this article. Sniff.
It needs to be loaded up with shovels, rakes and other implements of destruction.
(fella: Your recognition of this reference will validate your claim to have been in college in ‘68.)
Oh, no! They've got heaters?? That ruins all the fun.
If you want a thrill try driving that POS across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with wind gusts at 50 MPH.
Or try passing anything in that underpowered turtle on a two lane highway
for those of us who came of age in the 80's.
CC
We bought a 1965 camper through a VW dealer in the US and picked it up in Germany. This was the last model with a split windshield.
It had its deficiencies—only the front seat was heated, and the louvered windows let in the cold air during the winter. However, it was great for camping, with a built-in sink and even a clothes closet, and we kept it for 17 years.
Back in 1974, I bought a VW THING. It practically fell apart setting in the driveway. I had nothing but trouble with it, but it was great when it did work.
I learned how to drive in one of these. I took it to a parking lot and found some gravel. I wanted to spin the wheels. I floored it and popped the clutch. She chugged away with nary a bit of gravel moving. It was truly an example of the minimalist movement. I believe it had a speedometer with a high-beam indicator light, and that was it for gauges. No fuel gauge, but it did have a spare fuel tank. It had brown curtains for the windows. My Dad pulled a snowmobile trailer with two snowmobiles with the poor old camper. I remember one time when he was passing a farmer on a tractor pulling a load of hay. The retaining pin broke on the snowmobile trailer and the back end of the trailer dropped onto the pavement. We were in the left lane, doing probably 25 mph and leaving a trail of sparks. I looked at the farmer’s face as we went by and he was terrified. Yes, we were the model for the Griswalds.
One of our friends still has a Westfalia VW Camper Van. Drives it everwhere.
We now have a big Winnebago motorhome.
If you take a front end hit, you will definitely be the first one at the scene.