1983.5 AdventureWagen!

This isn’t a someday van. It’s a this-weekend van.

The AdventureWagen is the rarer cousin of the Westfalia — high top, roomier layout, and a bigger bed than the Westy ever gave you. This one’s a 1983.5, the transition year when VW retired the old 2.0 air-cooled boxer and brought in the 1.9L “Wasserboxer,” so you get the water-cooled drivetrain in an early, increasingly hard-to-find body.

I bought it from a well-regarded Vanagon mechanic in Costa Mesa, and it’s been cared for the way these vans need to be. It’s an old vehicle — no pretending otherwise — but a well-maintained one, and it shows. I drove it clear across the country, Costa Mesa to North Carolina, and it never blinked. It runs and drives the way a well-kept Vanagon should. All it’s asking for from here is a bath and a road trip.

What makes it a true off-grid home on wheels:

Power — 200W of roof solar feeding a Renogy charge controller and a 100Ah Renogy lithium house battery, plus a shore-power hookup for when you want to plug in. LED reading lights throughout.

Water — Fresh and grey water tanks with an interior sink. Wash up, do dishes, stay out longer.

Kitchen & comfort — Propane two-burner stove and cabin heater, plus a Dometic fridge. Cook real meals, sleep warm, keep the food cold.

No A/C. But plenty of windows with screens to move the air around 🙂

For those cooler nights, there is a propane heater! Runs great. I used it quite a few times up in the Rockies.

Body & bones — VERY little rust, no holes, straight frame, and a fresh set of tires. Recent service includes a new fuel filter and new hoses.

I loved every mile in this van, but I can’t give the Vanagon life the commitment it deserves right now. So it’s going to someone who will. If you’re a thru-and-thru Vanagon person looking to disappear into the mountains or chase the coast in vintage style, this is your rig. The price is fair, but it’s gotta go — make me an offer.

Thanks for looking.