1975 Volkswagen Bus/Vanagon

Minivan/Van

4 - Cyl.

Manual

Gasoline

I call this a hybrid camper because when I got it, the entire Riviera interior was gone, but a friend gave me a Sundial camper interior that I could put in it. There is also a Sportsmobile tag on an interior trim piece. The previous owner had installed a nice platform in the rear that is suitable for a full-size bed. The floor and platform are done in a matching carpet. Where the platform extends into what would be the rear seat area, it has a nice lid to a storage compartment and large speaker boxes which you can see a little in the pictures. In this sense, the interior is in good condition. The original headliner is also in good condition. (Grateful Dead stickers included free of charge ;-) What I really like about the Riviera pop-top is that it raises straight up to make a nice penthouse-sized area for the top bed. Riviera also uses a synthetic cloth material for the upper tent that is much more durable than Westfalia canvas, so the tent is also in good condition. Reviewing the pictures, I see some cloth hanging down from the penthouse area. I'm not sure what it is, but it is not the tent. It might be trim from the bed. I'm not sure. The worst part of the camper is the front seats, which need new upholstery. The right battery tray also has a large hole, so right now the battery sits on a piece of plywood. The trim over the sliding door rail is inside. The door was off when I got it, so I had to remove it to install the door. I didn't get to adjusting the striker plate, so it needs to be adjusted so it will close smoothly. So, if the bus just came like this, I would say the condition isn't too bad. But then comes the issue of the Sundial camper kit. This kit is highly sought after on its own, but it is not in good condition, so you can just think of it as a free bonus that comes with the camper, but I did not have time to work on it or install it. I had a couple of thoughts when I accepted it from my friend. The main problem with the kit is that the wood paneling is rough, especially near the lower parts near the floor. But, the Sundial was a hardtop camper, and so it had big, long headliner panels in good condition that match the Sundial cabinets. So my thought was that I could either: 1) Use pieces of the headliner to replace bad pieces of the cabinetry. 2) Or maybe there is enough headliner material to completely redo the cabinets. 3) Or I could have used the original Sundial pieces as templates or patterns to make new ones with fresh material. Alternatively, just forget the kit and use the previous owner's concept, keeping the interior platform as is. I started my efforts on the mechanical condition of the bus. I was almost finished when I was no longer able to work on the project. On the last day I worked on it, I just got it put together and drove it home from the shop where I was working. The only thing remaining is that the brake lights were not working. This is generally caused by the switches getting gummed up with brake fluid. Some people report success in soaking them in solvent, otherwise new ones are only about $3 each. On the drive home, it also felt like the front shocks were too soft when I went through a dip. The previous owner reported that a problem with the fuel injection system put the bus out of operation not very long after getting the engine rebuilt. He had also had a Westfalia camper that he was more interested in repairing, so he took the transmission from this one. I had a 1976 transmission in good condition that I installed. If I recall comments correctly from that time, I think I was told that the 76 tranny is more desirable because of higher gear ratios. I was concerned that the engine seals would not be good since it had been sitting so long, so I installed all new seals, as well as a fresh transmission input shaft seal. With the engine and transmission out, it is also convenient to replace the fuel system rubber, so I changed all of that too. That includes the main filler hose, the filler neck beak, the fuel supply hoses, and the rubber hose portions of the tank vent lines. A VW engineer also told me that since the engine had sat for so long, that the engine would have to go through the break-in period again since the rings will have taken a set while sitting. I was not interested in the fuel injection system, so I replaced it with new dual Weber ICT carburetors. This model does not include a choke, so if the weather is very cold, you may have to warm it up a bit. Also, if it's hard starting in cold weather, the air cleaners pop right off for easy priming with starter spray. Note that this is a 1975 vehicle, so it is not subject to California smog inspection. I also installed an extractor exhaust. The one thing I regret was installing it with a glass pack muffler. I had heard that glass packs flow well and would be good with the extractor exhaust, but I forgot that glass packs are loud. It is installed with standard exhaust "U" clamps, so no welding is required if you want to replace it with a generic standard muffler. I also installed new tires, but since it has been sitting since I left three years ago, I would drive it cautiously for short trips around town before you decide if the tires are going to work out okay. I am no longer in the area where the bus is stored, so I will answer questions as best as I can, but I can't go and look at it for things I don't know off the top of my head. The camper comes with a clean California title. Of course, this is a vintage vehicle that is not in top condition, so all sales are final. I have done my best to accurately describe the item, but it is always possible there are issues I am not aware of, so the item is sold strictly as-is. Paypal payment is expected within 72 hours. Vehicle is available for pickup by you or your shipper anytime during normal business hours.