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Volkswagen EuroVan

1235716

Comments

  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    No, the Sharan is not designed for the North American market and will probably not meet our safety or emission standards.
  • jimjpsjimjps Member Posts: 146
    The Caravelle is the long-wheelbase "Eurovan". It has a 130" wheelbase and is about 204"
    long. This is the vehicle that Winnebago converts to the Eurovan Camper for the US Market.
    So you can buy it, but only with all the Camper equip in teh US. In Germany you can
    also get the ironically named "California Generation" camper, this has all the camper goodies in the regular wheelbase model - and a 6-speed manual tranny.
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    Is any passenger (as opposed to any cargo or multivan/camper) "Eurovan" sold in Europe:


    http://www.vw-nutzfahrzeuge.de/


    Vanagons were also called Caravelle.

  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    I limited my response to Europe. That's wrong. In most other countries the passenger Eurovan is called Caravelle.

    In most other countries, commercial/cargo Eurovans are called Transporters. Just like the old days. The long wheel base cargo vans would be a Transporter.

    T4 is the designation for the current Transporter/Caravelle family. Vanagon was T3. Etc.
  • hotx3hotx3 Member Posts: 71
    My wife wants to "do" Europe, and loves to camp here in the states. Why doesn't VW offer a camping van or MV with a European delivery plan? It would heat up the market for the new Microbus among all of us who remember the '60s. Why don't they offer ANY kind of EDP?
    -Don
  • richcolorichcolo Member Posts: 81
    My guess is that VW doesn't have any EDP because the Eurovan is the only VW model sold in the US that isn't manufactured in Mexico. Eurovan numbers are probably too low to justify setting up a program. Also, I may be wrong, but I thought the "Weekender" vans were modified after arriving in the US. Maybe I'm getting the "Weekender" mixed up with the Winebego Rialto.

    If the Weekender is completed in Europe, I think a EDP would increase the appeal of the package.

    Just my $0.02
  • hotx3hotx3 Member Posts: 71
    The Winnebago and the Weekender are two different packages. I think the Weekender is finished in Germany.
    A separate program for a model that only sells a few thousand here is hard to justify... they'd almost have to get Audi to slip the Eurovan into its EDP.
    Still, I'd love to do it, and it's probably the only way I'd end up in a Eurovan here in the States.
    Well, with F&M, it'll probably be 2002 anyway.
  • georgek44georgek44 Member Posts: 81
    Ironic that VW is using the name Caravelle. That's what Renault called its answer to the VW Karmann Ghia. Sold in the US in the late 1950's, it was a pleasantly styled two seat convertible built on the rear-engine Dauphin platform.
  • zavfejzavfej Member Posts: 13
    Someone asked where they could see this "interesting sounding machine". Go to "VW.com" and select "EuroVan" and then "Other EuroVan Stuff" and you can view a few different aspects of the EV.
    I called VW HQ and there is a delay in Germany (where, btw, the Weekender is modified) concerning the tires. Wrong ones put on at plant; VW and (I think) Michelin are "working it out", so it could be months till we see anything. I have my VID and confirmed its sitting on a dock there...bummer. Sold my other car...
    I read somewhere that the Sharon was some sort of a joint venture with Ford, and there are agreements that VW would not sell it here in the states.
    Someone asked where in Bergen Cty can they find a dealership that has a 2001 EV...no where.
    Agin, the VW website allows you to "find a dealer" and I did a 150 mile sweep, called everyone and the lack of knowledge about this vehicle is astounding. Well, I guess that when the total amount sold nationwide was under 2500 last year, it explains why no one at the dealers (at least the sales reps I spoke with) have any idea whats up with this unique Van.
    I'll let you know when I get mine...someone in Colorado reported in YahooGroups that he received his and it was incredible. He used the word "fast" to describe it. Isn't that an oxymoron when used with a VW Van??
  • jjgittesjjgittes Member Posts: 54
    Contacted two local VW dealers about getting a new weekender at the supposedly reduced price. Very wierd responses. They truly seemed uninterested in selling this vehicle. I don't get VW. I have many friends who would be interested in an RV type vehicle that could be used as a second car. VW's odd attitude and past overpricing has deprived it of cornering a potential market. Their loss, I guess.
  • itchyahn3itchyahn3 Member Posts: 2
    It sure is hard finding one around LA. Are there any with the weekender option to be had out there?

    Thanks
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    You're just catching on?

    I'm convinced that VWoA exec's attempted to take one of those Japanese management seminars, but accidentally ended up in a kamikaze history show instead. They've been flying there company into the ground ever since.

    We've told them for years we want Beetles. Especially ragtop beetles. And Eurovan's. Especially poptops, diesels, and manual tranny models.

    They sent us Rabbit's, and Dashers.

    Recently VWoA's products have been vastly improved. Hopefully, the will soon make rational marketing decisions regarding transporters, Urovan or New Bus.
  • ranchero79ranchero79 Member Posts: 4
    No kidding. I've been calling every VW dealership within 75 miles of Boston for the past several weeks inquiring about the Eurovan, and the best I've heard is that it's "on the dock and should be here in a couple weeks". I even asked for a brochure from VW 0f A and haven't seen that yet. I got tired of the runaround and ordered an Acura MDX that I'll see in October. If the Eurovan comes in before that I'd love to see it, but I'll probably never know because none of the dealers I spoke to bothered to take my number!
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    isn't it? Can you imagine how well you will be treated when you bring a Eurovan in for service? VW has been selling just a thousand or so of these a year, most in California and Washington (the State). The dealership that doesn't care to sell you a Eurovan probably doesn't have a mechanic that has ever seen a Eurovan. You will have to pay $75+ an hour to teach him or her to fix your van.


    I'm holding out for a passenger Sprinter.


    http://www.mercedes-benz.com/e/ecars/transporter/sprinter/allrad/transp_allrad_sprinter.htm


    It's being imported this summer. Narrow and tall, like a Eurovan. Diesel engine gets 30mpg+. See


    http://www.sprintersavvy.com/


    The site only shows the ugly tall roof vans, but low roofs will be made after the plant fills the large order from Fedex.


    And rumors are that Vito will replace the Caravsparetrannyvan/Voyager/T&C. We can only hope...


    http://www.mercedes-benz.com/e/ecars/transporter/vito/modell.htm


    Bigger vans has remained the domain of the Detroit3. There is no reliable and (relatively) economical bigger van on the market. I wondered how long it would take for Toyota to enter the market. Or VW to make a serious attempt. It seems ChryslerBenz will be the first.


    I started a Mercedes thread, but no one seems interested.

  • 98buggy98buggy Member Posts: 1
    I also have been looking for a 2001 Eurovan GLS in the Boston area and have found nothing. They are all at the port and are suppose to be released in about a month (for VW it will probably be 2-3 months). I've had this same thing happen to me when I bought my 98 New Beetle TDI. I waited and waited. I went to my local dealer a few days ago and they did have a brochure. Not much of one though, a fold out poster, but its a start. My local dealer does want to sell me a Eurovan, but I know some dealers will not.
  • zavfejzavfej Member Posts: 13
    We just received news that our Weekender is arriving in Delaware Monday 4/9, and to our dealer a week after that. We'll believe it when we see it, but this time it seems real.
    I called VWoA HQ and spoke with some folks there; I was told that there was a tire issue that needed to be worked out between VW and (they thought) Michelin. It is apparently resolved now.
    I will post my driving impressions in a few weeks (I hope!)
  • jjgittesjjgittes Member Posts: 54
    The Mercedes Vito Marco polo looks great. I hope they bring it to the usa and kick VW with its goofy attitude re: the EV/weekender right in the ..... Only problem, the Vito will probably sell for the price of a 26 foot winnebago. Oh well, it's not like VW gives away its silly ev's either.
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    it will be as a replacement for the Dodge Caravan/Voyager/ T&C, wearing the appropriate Chrysler badges and appropriate price tags. MB will not bring Vito as a its own product, just as it did not bring Sprinter under its own name plate. MB wants to remain a high end marque on these shores.

    Vito Marco Polo (camper) and Vito F (weekender) are converted by a company some of you may have heard of, Westphalia.
  • mthaslammthaslam Member Posts: 2
    To any 2000 EuroVan owners (no 2001's available yet!) need your help on towing capabilities of the EuroVan.

    I have always owned VWs(Golf, Jetta, Rabbit and even the Rabbit Pickup) but my second car is a Dodge Grand Caravan Mini van. Just picked up a 2001 Golf in exchange for my 1990 Jetta Now looking to exchange my Dodge for a EuroVan (2001).

    According to the 2001 EuroVan Specs, it has a towing capacity of 4400 pounds, yet it only has a 2.8L V6, 201HP, 181 lb-ft torque engine (... the 2000 EuroVan has a smaller engine and less torque).

    The question is: Does anyone pull a 3500 pound trailer with a 2000 EuroVan, and if so... do you find the EuroVan meeting the 4400 pound towing capacity expectations? Can you go up a hill without getting out to push..?

    What I find difficult to rationalize, due to the fact that I can not find one to test drive or find someone who pulls a trailer with a Eurovan, is that the 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan has a 3.8L V6, 215HP, 245 lb-ft torque engine with only a 3800 pound towing capacity. Yet, the EuroVan has 4400 pound towing capacity with a 2.8L V6, 201HP, 181 lb-ft torque engine....smaller engine, less torque but more towing capacity...?

    My fear is that the EuroVan will be a great mini van, but will be disappointing when it has the trailer on the backend.

    ...As you can tell I need a vehicle that can tow a large trailer across country and not just on the flat roads from the dealer to my house.

    ...any feedback would be appreciated.....would love to stick with VW's....

    P.S. My dealer tells me that the 2001 MV weekenders are packaged in Germany, and that the MV weekenders have not arrived in the USA, however the GLS and base MVs have arrived and are in Port in Houston, Texas.

    As for brouchers...good luck....I have ordered three times from the VW web site...with no response....

    Mark.
  • itchyahn3itchyahn3 Member Posts: 2
    I just got quoted $29,911 for the subject vehicle, deliverable in 5
    weeks. How does this compare to what others are getting?

    Thanks for feedback.
  • mthaslammthaslam Member Posts: 2
    $29,911 is not a bad price...what city...? In Milwaukee, WI the going price is around $31,250, at least the price I have been quoted...little-to-none negotiations...that included destination fees but no title fees.... no delivery date.....
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    >>>What I find difficult to rationalize, due to the fact that I can not find one to test drive or find someone who pulls a trailer with a Eurovan, is that the 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan has a 3.8L V6, 215HP, 245 lb-ft torque engine with only a 3800 pound towing capacity. Yet, the EuroVan has 4400 pound towing capacity with a 2.8L V6, 201HP, 181 lb-ft torque engine....<<<


    Funny, I wasn't aware that Caravans could tow themselves around for more than 30,000 miles without requiring new tranny. Tow with one of those? No thanks.


    Seriously, there's more to towing ability than horsepower and (especially) torque. Brakes, size of the tow vehicle, coolers (tranny and engine), and many other factors all are important.


    Of course, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the manufacturers cheat a little.


    Folks here seem to be considering or trying to buy Eurovans. You may be better served by talking to the folks who already own Eurovans on the list at:


    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ev_update


    Those folks may be able to tell you how well you can tow with a Eurovan.


    Personally, I would try not to tow unless it was significantly less than the rated towing capacity, by that I mean half or so. Most people forget that towing capacities are listed for empty vans, yet most people tow with a van full of family members, luggage, and vacation gear. Those oversized American butts seated in your vehicle further decrease your the amount of weight you can tow behind your vehicle.

  • stansibleystansibley Member Posts: 6
    Looks like we lost the postings from 4/11 and 4/12. No wonder the board wasn't available for awhile... feels like I'm in a time warp. At least the "Volkswagon Euro Van" thread is gone. It's hard to spell Volkswagen.

    One person, waiting for a 2001 Weekender, asked today (4/12) if anyone had added a second, deep-cycle or RV battery, to their MV. No, I have not. I have a 2000 EVC with second battery in place. But I'm sure it's possible, with effort and care.

    J. C. Whitney (jcwhitney.com) has a "complete auxilliary battery kit" for as little as $47 (year-ago price). Does what you want to do, but it looks like it's specific to GMC and Toyota, apparently because it plugs into the alternator. Also has a "dual battery charging system," as little as $30, but the amp rating is low. I say that because my dealer has tested mine for 80 amps from the alternator to the coach battery. A discharged battery would presumably draw 80 amps, and would ruin an underrated device.

    Camping World (campingworld.com) has a "Sure Power Multi-Battery Isolator" and kit. 95-amp Isolator is $38; kit is $27. Less if you join their club. campingworld.com. Maybe there's a Sure Power web site, too.

    Then there's the battery box -- you probably wouldn't want the battery in the passenger compartment. The EVC places it in a separate compartment in the back, in a hermetically-sealed sturdy battery box, vented with a one-way flap through a large reinforced vinyl tube to the exterior. Probably because a charging battery, when introduced to the proper spark, will explode. I've seen this happen, and it ain't pretty. Secure the battery well, too, because a 50-pound hunk of lead should not be let loose in a high-g situation, and I hear battery plates don't take bad vibes gracefully.

    Then, the wiring. 80 amps max would require a sizeable conductor, with circuit breakers/fuses at each end. I've also seen a large, red-hot conductor flaming under battery charge. Spooky, with acrid smoke. Wouldn't want that.

    As far as the battery itself, the news is better. Mine came with a Trojan POJ that didn't last four months, with minimal use. The dealer eventually replaced it with an Interstate, which is faring much better, thank you -- a world of difference. Sears has had deep-cycle RV/marine batteries on sale for $53 recently, plus tax, plus exchange.

    It can surely be done, but please keep safety first. A car battery is a dense package of lead and sulphuric acid, jam-packed with electrical energy, and should be given all due respect at all times. Place it wisely, secure it well, and install the charging hardware with appropriate care, and you should be okay for a long time!
  • zavfejzavfej Member Posts: 13
    Itchyahn3,

    That seems like a really great price.Did you get any chargte from the dealer beyond the invoice cost (listed here) and the $615 destination charge?
    I got hit with approx $200 in some sort of line item that comes charged to the dealer from VWoA.

    Jeff
  • bhoughtonbhoughton Member Posts: 10
    Last I checked, neither WV nor Audi have a European Delivery program, although I believe that Passats (as well as non-Winnebago Eurovans) are built in Germany. I bought two Vanagon Campers on Euro delivery in the 80's and I wish that it was still possible to do so.
  • akarelakarel Member Posts: 1
    I've now driven the MV, MV Weekender and Camper, all 2001's, all in Southern California. One day there were none of them...then they all showed up...and are quickly disappearing. The new engine is wonderful and very noticeably more powerful. Larger wheels and very well designed wheels, make the units (except the camper which has the most boring, lowprice looking wheels ever) look great. Driving them is a pleasure.
    One incredible muck is the canvas on the Weekender. While the camper canvas is light colored with giant windows on the sides and front (great views and cool breezes) the MV Weekender has dark canvas, two tiny half circle windows in the sides...and nothing at all in front. Claustrophobic and hot. I thought Westphalia was wonderful in all things and Winnebago was second best. Certainly this is not so with respect to the poptop canvas. The Winny top is wonderful, light and airy. The Westy top is dark, dank and hot. Is there any place that resews poptop canvas?
    If they are still at your dealer...go try 'em. The 2001's are fine vehicles.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I'd kinda like to see the 2002 Microbus Concept hit the streets :-). Check out the video we've linked to in the Additional Resources box on the left sidebar.

    Steve
    Host
    Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • treknvwtreknvw Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone heard of any gas fume problems with 1999 Eurovans? I own a 1999 MV and have had problems with STRONG gas fumes during hot weather ever since I've owned the vehicle. I have taken the car to the dealer on seven separate occasions for this problem and they have not been able to fix it yet. They even replaced the gas tank!!! Any info would be greatly appreciated.

    -James
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Volkswagen Microbus

    Steve
    Host
    Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    The things are supposed to be ROUND!!! (Apparently the designers have never seen a VW.)

    So give me round headlights, a TDI, and a 5 or 6 speed and I'm all over this!
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    It's only a concept vehicle, so it is very likely that some elements will still change if it makes it into production. I hope that they will offer it will AWD and ESP. Would definitely be a cool SUV alternative :-)


    Drew
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • gdementgdement Member Posts: 4
    After looking at 97-99 campers for the last two months, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the 2001 for the benefit of HP & torque improvements, etc. Does anyone know of a dealer willing to make a cost plus deal for cash? What is the price, anyway; VW told me months ago that the price wouldn't go up from last year's, but dealers are saying otherwise. Thanks!
  • dplachtadplachta Member Posts: 109
    I really like it. The side picture is excellent.

    I would like round headlights, but it is attractive still.

    I hope they develop it, but it says it is just a concept and I've read about it before. Nothing new. Is there any news that this will become a reality?
  • mtgouldmtgould Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone with a 2000 Eurovan noticed a knocking noise (like a noisy lifter) after warm-up?

    My 2000 Eurovan has 18K miles, and I've owned it for nearly two months. During scheduled maintenance today, I asked the service desk at the dealership to look into the noise.

    They described the source of the noise as normal behavior from the Evaporative Emissions Purge Valve. When the service desk was asked if valve replacement would clear up the noise, I was told that a replacement valve would have the same problem. The noise did not come from a noisy lifter, I was told.

    Can anyone comment on this issue? What does the Purge Valve do? Should I get a second opinion, or should I live with the noise, like the dealership suggests?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    EuroVan pitched as alternative to minivan


    Steve
    Host
    Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

  • madewarmadewar Member Posts: 1
    I don't think there is a dealer in the US who will or needs to adjust their price on the EVC's. They come in, they go out. They just don't hang around so there is no need to for them to haggle. It's pretty much been that way forever with the campers...
  • sphil906sphil906 Member Posts: 6
    I am thinking about buying a new GLS. Edmund's can't furnish a TMV. So, how much over invoice should I expect to pay for this vehicle?
  • carleton1carleton1 Member Posts: 560
    looks like they modified the weird dash of the Toyota Previa, took the rear end of a Toyota Sienna, added a front end that looks like a monster, and developed a vehicle most Americans rate as UGLY #2 right behind the Most UGLY #1 Pontiac Aztek.
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    Do you really want an EVC? Do you really need a stove and sink that bad? Why not use a coleman and Rubbermaid sink when you are camping? The camper only seats FOUR. That's an awful big vehicle that seats less than a Metro.

    The weekender includes a bed in the back and a bed in the poptop. It includes a small refrigerator. With a Weekender you seat 7 instead of 4 and still can sleep 4 with the poptop. Plenty of equipment unless you're living in your camper most of the year.
  • gdementgdement Member Posts: 4
    Thanks to respondent. Last week I bought a 2001 full camper at $2,100. under MSRP and got accessories at dealer cost, and I'm extremely pleased with my salesman and the dealership.
  • sphil906sphil906 Member Posts: 6
    How much over invoice should I expect to pay for a 2001 Eurovan GLS. Edmunds does not list a TMV.
  • pltheplthe Member Posts: 3
    Eurovans can tow a trailer, and many EV_Update list members do so. You can get 1 1/4" and 2" receiver hitches from U-Haul. They're also good for mounting bike racks and cargo platforms.

    Mmimmo's point about weight limits is well taken, though. I think the new Eurovans are rated for 4,500 lb.s or so braked. But if you read the fine print you'll see it goes down greatly with both load in the van and with altitude.

    OTOH the same engine/drivetrain is used by Winnebago in their Rialta RV, which is vast compared to a Eurovan Camper. So a Eurovan can pull a suprising amount of load (as long as you're not in too much of a hurry).
  • pltheplthe Member Posts: 3
    Not all VW dealers are committed to Eurovans. Only about a quarter of them are authorized Eurovan Camper dealers who've invested in training the mechanics in the intricacies of the Winnebago conversions. Seems like they'd be the likeliest to stock normal Eurovans as well. I found the ones in my area in two steps. First I got a list of all the VW dealers near me from VW's Website. Then I called VW's sales hotline and found out which of those were authorized Camper dealers. That's the way to find Eurovan-friendly VW dealers I think.
  • pltheplthe Member Posts: 3
    Mmimmo's wrong about the Camper seating capacity. It seats six, sleeps four. Most Camper owners keep the center seat in the garage. That's why you might think it only seats four.


    We went back and forth between buying a Weekender or a Camper for a long time. We finally opted for the Camper for several reasons.


    Power: As of the '97 model VW put in a V6 engine strong enough to haul the Camper's extra 900 lbs. comfortably. In fact, we've found that our Camper can keep accelerating on any highway in California, even the steep one that swoops up the eastern face of the Sierras to Tioga Pass at over 10,000 ft. altitude. And it has a top speed of a true 106 mph (115 indicated).


    Winter camping: the Camper model's 12,000 btu propane furnace let us go camping in Yosemite in February with over 2 ft. of snow on the ground. We were toasty inside.


    Summer camping: the Camper's Winnebago poptop is vastly superior to the Weekender's Westphalia one. Our Camper's poptop has three big rectangular screen windows and a rooftop vent. The camper has two small semicircular ones. Inside on a hot day our Camper is airy and comfortable where a Weekender would be sweltering (and a normal minivan unbearable).


    Camping while it's raining: we can cook, eat, talk and sleep inside the Camper. Our first trip it poured cats & dogs. We enjoyed the patter of rain on the roof. We didn't have to venture out except to use the restroom. The extra 15.8" length of the Camper made up for the narrower space left by the cabinetry along one wall.


    Commuting: despite being longer and heavier, my wife finds the Camper is a great commute vehicle and uses it every day, leaving our Jetta in the garage. Both the Camper and Weekender handle better than other minivans (due in part to the stiff truck suspension) and the high seating position and huge windshield let you see farther down the road--even over the roofs of Jeep Cherokees. Parallel parking in the 17 ft. long Camper takes getting used to, but you learn to swing wide. The Camper will fit in a normal parallel parking space.


    We did have give up one thing in choosing a Camper: the Weekender's beds are wider, since you don't have the interior cabinets. But the space is shorter and the front seats don't swivel.


    Once we drove a Camper and found the power satisfactory it was a no-brainer for us. Especially since when we bought ours in July '98 the Camper actually cost less than the Weekender, despite its additional length, propane furnace, three way refrigerator, sink with running water, second camper battery, rear spritzer faucet thingie, ability to run everything on AC from a shoreline while camping, storage space over the cab (accessible by unzipping the front screen window) and more. Ya gotta pay for Westphalia workers' six week summer vacations I guess.


    All Eurovans do have one defect relative to other minivans: they're noisier inside. It's not unbearable, but I hope VW does something about this as some point. A hearing-impaired friend wound up with a Grand Caravan solely because of this factor.


    For more information from owners like us, join the EV_update email forum. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/ and search on EV_Update. It has nearly 1,200 members and covers all models/years of Eurovan (but not earlier VW Vanagons/busses).

  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    The camper seats four standard. But your point is well-taken. The optional center seat is available. Of course, with the center seat in place, you can barely get to the back seat and cannot access the frig and other parts of the galley.

    The weekender's jumpseats fold out of the way. The optional center seat for the camper must be stuck in your garage to camp.

    Agree with the better poptop on the camper vs weekender. And the longer body is desireable.

    I too noticed that previous EVC's were no more expensive than weekenders. BUT, now that VW has dropped the prices on their Euro's, but Winnie has not, there is a significant price advantage for a weekender. I personally don't camp enough to justify the propane and galley stuff. (Probably don't camp enough to justify a weekender)

    I'am glad you like your EVC! I recognize your comments. You are obviously a member of vanagon.com.
  • gdementgdement Member Posts: 4
    I bought my new full camper with the single companion seat, which mounted behind front passenger allows access to kitchen and seating for 5 (exactly what I wanted.) I miscalculated before; when looking at the invoice again, I paid 2,300. less than MSRP.
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    Of course, you can also mount a weekender rear facing jumpseat behind the passenger in a camper. If you don't mind it being rear facing. Kids dig 'em.


    You could also put a self contained camping module in a weekender, if your the type that doesn't camp enough to justify the kitchenette fulltime:


    http://www.zproducts.com/


    Select "Van camper kit" and "kitchenette"


    http://www.eurocampers.com/EVKitchen.html


    Happy Camping!

  • stansibleystansibley Member Posts: 6
    mtgould:
    Is THAT what that noise was? 2000 Eurovan Camper, 4948 miles, 60 mph on cruise, no A/C, and the engine lost all power for a half-second. Then the Check Engine light came on for another half-second. After stopping, the rhythmic clicking was noticable over the idling engine. It had "never happened before." After shutting off the engine, the noise persisted, and was I traced it to a 2"+/- diameter black plastic valve thing in a vacuum(?) line, had some wires coming off it, led to a fitting with a tag labeled something about "EVAP," but I did not pursue it when the noise stopped. Van is in the shop now for its second oil change, and the dealer will check for a code, which should have been recorded in its memory. I'll try to let you know if they find anything, which they typically don't...
  • stansibleystansibley Member Posts: 6
    The Eurovan Camper ("EVC") has a choice of center seats, single or double (or none). The double really restricts access to the fridge and the rear seat. Must be heavy, too, as my single center seat weighs more than I want to lift, although it is on wheels. It spends almost all of its time in the basement.

    The EVC is longer all around, which provides more room for sleeping and storing all the other stuff you can take camping, fishing, backpacking, etc., at the expense of more weight and a larger turning radius. Doubtless poorer mileage and acceleration with the extra weight, but it still handles amazingly well, with those Michelin load-rated tires.

    Consider also the features over the Weekender:

    Three-way fridge that won't drain the vehicle's main battery (one guy called it a four-way fridge when used as a cooler -- I heartily agree).

    Coach battery can be recharged from the land line (supplied). Don't know if the converter also charges the main battery. It might.

    Superior top with triple windows and a roof vent, smoke detector and CO detector. Possibly more room under the top when raised.

    Propane for the furnace, two-burner stove, fridge, and propane detector, with the requisite loss of ground clearance. Fire extingusher, too, just in case. I won't have a vehicle without one. And, actually, I prefer a pack stove or two and a cookset on a picnic table to cooking in the van, unless the weather goes south, or I'm in a hurry, or I have to prepare a larger meal.

    Very decent cabinetry throughout and storage galore, front and back.

    12 gallons of fresh water and 8 of gray, sink and rear sprayer (very handy), can run off an AC land line or that second battery.

    Possibly more and better lights in the interior (don't remember). 4 AC (when plugged in) and 2 rear DC outlets. LED status indicator for the coach battery, propane, fresh and gray water -- trick!

    Two-part dining table. Swiveling front seats. CD in 2000 vs. cassette, but "only" four speakers, and the rear ones are crummy. Removable face. Speaking of which, why on earth didn't Winnebago spend the extra thirty bucks for the next model up and get us a stereo with a remote?! Finally, a vehicle where it makes sense, and they save a few measly bucks!

    Does the Weekender offer full privacy curtains/shades? I don't know, but the EVC does.

    Of course, all this complexity means more maintenance, more things to pay for and haul around and to go wrong (don't ask me how many times I've had to take mine in to fix the Winnebago-supplied stuff, but now all the bugs seem to be worked out). Furnace, fridge, battery, seems every major gizmo but the water system and stove have given me lip. And the dealer's really slow to agree with me when something's wrong, or to fix things right the first time...

    By the by, spoke with a guy at a campground last weekend who paid $36K out the door at Niello in Sacramento for a "plain" 2001. I know it had a sunroof and climate control. And very pretty, aggressive looking five-spoke 16" aluminum wheels -- are they standard? My 2000 EVC was just under $40K out the door at Ron Price in SSF, after some haggling. I think I did okay...
  • mrnimmomrnimmo Member Posts: 271
    The weekender does have curtains and a second battery.

    No propane, kitchen items, or A/C land line capabilities.

    $36k for a plain van? Ouch. That should be more like $26k- if you pay list price! $31k for a Weekender. I haven't seen prices for the new '01 EVC.
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