VWers?

[wadeinater]

I am going to camp in my 67 VW camper van: just have to get it running. Are there any other VWers I can camp with?

Mike

[Shambala]

I know there is a VW camp, however, it's sounds like you should be seeking out Tow Truck Camp!

[Captain Goddammit]

There couldn't be a more well-suited camp!
Here's the link:
http://www.vwbuscamp.com/

[ygmir]

My new MV is VW powered.......

[Joe Buck]

Hi Mike! There is indeed a VW Bus camp (the good Capt gave you the correct web link too). Go there and get on our mailing list to find out all the sundry details of this years camp.

I have camped in VW Bus camp several years and can say that it is the one and only place to camp if you have a VW BUS, mostly because you are going to need the help of the crack mechanics in the camp when you are ready to leave and the damn thing won't start! HA!

Well, there are other, more compelling, reasons to stay with us, not the least of which is that we have a really fun camp full of great people. And last year we had our very own VW Bus art car - Buszilla!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgG0O1Qs0wE[/youtube]

Heather had the E-brake on, hence the jerky stuttering start

Last year we had a record 58 VW Buses all lined up pretty in a row!

We have folks driving from all over the US so it is possible that someone in camp will be travelling from where you live. It's a good opportunity to caravan with other VWs to Burning Man, helps a lot if you break down on the road too!

John

AKA the Rev Joe Buck
'78 Westy "Otter"

[Captain Goddammit]

There's approximately a zero.0 chance I'm going to BM in any VW, because my American one-ton dually is pushed to it's limits hauling and towing everything, but the garage here does include a convertible Beetle and a VW camper. It's a late model Eurovan "weekender", water-cooled and wrong-wheel-drive. Are those considered VW bus enough? I think it comes with some high-tech coating that won't allow flowers or fluorescent paint to stick to it.

[Boijoy]

I just sold my VW vanagon camper bus. The main reason was that the single lane road thru the desert for two hours with NO cell phone coverage & NO shoulder FREAKED ME STRAIGHT THE FUCK OUT.
But if you make it there in the Bus , they are amazing to camp in.

Not a good time waiting in a 4 hour line on the desert watching the heat gauge go up either.

[Joe Buck]

When driving a VW Bus to BM, the radical self-reliance begins once you pull out of your drive way!

:wink:

[Boijoy]

true dat!

[wadeinater]

When would be a good time to show up at the gate, in order to minimize sitting out in the heat-waiting to get in?

Mike

[robotland]

When would be a good time to show up at the gate, in order to minimize sitting out in the heat-waiting to get in?

Mike

Anytime after sunset.....


I made some very handy shade/reflector panels the other year- Took cardboard and applied mylar "space blankets" using 3M Spray Mount adhesive. They're VERY tough and light, and in a VeeDub you'd have plenty of room to stow them. Deploy along the sunward side to create a shady porch! The entrance line generally runs "northish" unless you're WAYyyy back, so the sun'll be arcing overhead instead of broadside to your ride.

[TomServo]

Is it a transporter? Good to see Hitler's cars are still running. Have owned a few bugs, and must say, they are the best cars ever! Unless your a lazy fuck who relies on a mechanic.

[wadeinater]

TomServo: I turn my own wrenches. Not too many people know how to manually adjust valves on an air cooled engine.

[TomServo]

TomServo: I turn my own wrenches. Not too many people know how to manually adjust valves on an air cooled engine.

Good! Is it a transporter though? 11 window wonder?

[mdmf007]

TomServo: I turn my own wrenches. Not too many people know how to manually adjust valves on an air cooled engine.

Good thing about a Volkswagen though, is you will get lots of practice adjusting valves.

[wadeinater]

Is a camper van. It has ten windows and a pop-up top (a small one) in the middle of the roof.

[Victorian]

VW Fan here. I definitely V-Dub.
But I'm new school--2003 Color Concept special edition Red Beetle

I was quite nervous about taking him to the playa, fearing the dust and what it would do to my leather seats, etc... but I'll be taking everything out of the beetle, shutting and locking him up, and not opening his doors again until it's time to pack up and go home...

Just keep an eye out for the BRIGHT RED beetle, with the TRANSFORMERS symbol on the rear hatch window. I'll be sure to stop by the VW BUS camp to say hello and swap VW talk.

[Shambala]

Deep down under my art car is a 1975 Beetle. It doesn't look like a VW, but it is.
Some things to note about bringing VWs to the playa: If the heater intakes are exposed in the engine area, they must be plugged up. Bring a few extra air filters with you if the car will be driven any amount of time on the playa. If you are driving to camp, but not using this for the week, you can go easy on the air filters. Also, you must change the oil once you get back to civilization. The fine playa dust gets into the engine via the carburator and then works its way to the oil. Don't do your scheduled oil change until you leave the playa.

[Victorian]

Deep down under my art car is a 1975 Beetle. It doesn't look like a VW, but it is.
Some things to note about bringing VWs to the playa: If the heater intakes are exposed in the engine area, they must be plugged up. Bring a few extra air filters with you if the car will be driven any amount of time on the playa. If you are driving to camp, but not using this for the week, you can go easy on the air filters. Also, you must change the oil once you get back to civilization. The fine playa dust gets into the engine via the carburator and then works its way to the oil. Don't do your scheduled oil change until you leave the playa.

I was going to do a routeine maintenance before I go.. it's a 15 hour drive from here to Reno. Tires, oil, filter, blah blah blah.
Should I just wait to do afterwards, it wouldn't benefit the gas mileage and a safe trip to do so before AND after? Just curious.

[Captain Goddammit]

If you have a nice car that you're concerned about keeping nice, I'd strongly recommend you don't bring it to the playa! Not only is the micro-fine blowing dust going to get everywhere, it's also very corrosive. I've brought 4 different trucks to Burning Man, and every one of them has a rusty engine compartment and chassis parts because of it.
My "Land Yacht" mutant vehicle requires a new electrical system every time it goes to the playa.

It's not like you can take a nice car to Burning Man, keep the doors shut, and hose it off when you get home with no ill effects. I'd buy a beater, rent something, whatever else but I wouldn't bring a nice car to the playa.

[Victorian]

Renting a Vehicle all the way from here to playa: 800$ alone without gas.
I could spend half that on preventative maintenance, and the clean up afterwards.

I drive an 03. Not a "Nice" car. But not a beater... I do take care of it.
If I had a beater to drive, how could I get the 15+ hours to BRC in the first place??

The only main concern for me is the leather interior. Which I could give a good "pre-treatment" and a good "deep clean" when I get home.. NO?

Thanks for the feedback

[Captain Goddammit]

Well... a beater in excellent mechanical condition...
Your car will survive. It's just hard on it. If you gotta take it, spend a lot of time with a pressure washer (or at a car-wash place) and blast the living hell out of the undersides of it, everywhere. You want ALL that corrosive playa dirt off of it! I like to empty several cans of WD40 all over my engine and chassis after doing that... to "neutralize" the remaining dust. I don't know if that actually helps... I just do it anyway because I've seen several vehicles get real rusty after coming back from the absolute hell-hole we like to party in.

[theCryptofishist]

Is a camper van. It has ten windows and a pop-up top (a small one) in the middle of the roof.

Now, this is a Camper Van
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdvrJbNYXOg&feature=related[/youtube]

[TomServo]

When my band was on tour, we used a VW van. Had some cooling issues, so I cut up a 5 gallon bucket, and fashioned scoops on both air intakes. Ran across the U.S. and back, with no problems after that.

[dinks]

For you beetle owners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56XL0TysIn0

[wraith]

Reminds me of back in the day. My best buddy used to drive a '66 microbus with the barn doors, painted bright orange. We got to the point he had a spare engine in the garage, and we could swap the thing in under an hour. 400k+ miles on the frame and no issues, though!

[jella]

Tooo funny. Brings back memories of helping my little bro stab his engine while he held up his bug up for the 4th time one Saturday

We got waaaay to good at it for our own good.