THE VAN APPRECIATION THREAD

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Messages 1 - 76 of total 76 in this topic
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 10, 2013 - 10:53pm PT
Was just reminiscing about my old van today. Then I just started thinking about how fuken cool vans actually are, especially to climbers, especially in NA. They seem to be a very important part of our wacked out little subculture. All day I've just been seeing vans everywhere, maybe it's a sign. Anyways. Enough poetic BS- lets see some Vans, I know u lurker dirtbags have been waiting for this one.












AP

Trad climber
Calgary
Oct 10, 2013 - 11:10pm PT
The best family trips ever were the ones we took to the desert when my girls were young. I think we lived for a total of a year in our 82 Chev camper van.
Many good trips to Baha, J Tree, Cochise Stronghold, Tucson, Moab, Canyonlands etc. My kids did their first climbs in J Tree.
We sold the van to our mechanic this summer. It owed us nothing.
Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Oct 10, 2013 - 11:34pm PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 10, 2013 - 11:39pm PT
Ekat, lets see it!

Really ward? U can do better, try this:



chalkfree

Trad climber
Claremont, CA
Oct 10, 2013 - 11:44pm PT
I just feel good in my van!
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 10, 2013 - 11:45pm PT
^^^^^^^


Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn!


That's the stuff right there!


Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Oct 10, 2013 - 11:54pm PT
Really ward? U can do better,

Okay... How's this?



Make & Model: VW Van Morrison



He was born in 1979 and has the 'Super Viking' interior which was the largest sleeping capacity camping interior ever fitted to the T2 Vans, which is brilliant for the larger parties although our 2 and 3 birth vans may be more spacious for 2 or 3 occupants.
He sleeps two adults in the main van and has 4 single beds in his massive pull out pop top. So, along with our 4 man awning, which can be included in the hire at a small cost he will be able to cater for lots of people!

And... I wish it were mine...
Just a photo
Damn
MH2

climber
Oct 10, 2013 - 11:58pm PT
Here's what a VW Bus makes me think of. From travels to the rocks with Toby O'Brien.


http://www.jessewinchester.com/third.html#midnight
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 10, 2013 - 11:59pm PT
Ok here we go. Killer stuff y'all!


Thanks Ward, I knew u had something up ur sleeve :-)


Just lookin at vans on craigslist, thinking about writing a letter of resignation here, lol.
WyoRockMan

climber
Flank of the Big Horns
Oct 11, 2013 - 12:02am PT
Road trip in the van.

http://www.supertopo.com/tr/How-I-flew-from-the-nest-or-using-a-hammer-to-start-a-microbus/t11651n.html
Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Oct 11, 2013 - 12:05am PT
Thanks Ward, I knew u had something up ur sleeve :-)

Hopefully a "Van Halen" model out soon.
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 11, 2013 - 12:09am PT
You & me both Ekat!


Funny how vans can take on a personality better than any other vehicle, or inanimate object for that matter. I was cracking up reading wards description of his van. It sounds like a vital part of his family & I believe it!

Edit- Ward again with the dual etendre, I'll pick the song this time!


[Click to View YouTube Video]






SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Oct 11, 2013 - 12:11am PT
Y'all are killing me.
I got Outbid on a similar Sportmobile a few months ago. Broke my heart. But I still covet a Sports Mobile and hope this winter some good wheelin and dealin will get me in the driver's seat.

Boo hoo,

Susan
Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Oct 11, 2013 - 12:24am PT
You blew it again Ryan.

I'll take care of the music from now on .
Here's the Van Halen vid:

[Click to View YouTube Video]

"Jump"

"Go ahead and give me a jump"


"....I got my back against the VW machi-ene"

"You know what I me-een"


crøtch

climber
Oct 11, 2013 - 12:57am PT
Home sweet home

came from humble beginnings

took us far

and wide
tornado

climber
lawrence kansas
Oct 11, 2013 - 01:06am PT
^^^mmmmm.....pancakes.
Ward Trotter

Trad climber
Oct 11, 2013 - 01:08am PT
Yeah and washed down with Bourbon. Double yuummmmm

Seriously--- very nice ride though.
MisterE

climber
Oct 11, 2013 - 01:20am PT
Speaking of Camper Van...

[Click to View YouTube Video]
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 11, 2013 - 01:38am PT
Seems van related to me, awesome.


Ward, if we are ever in a van together you can control the stereo.

































I'll drive!
Pennsylenvy

Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
Oct 11, 2013 - 02:59am PT
[url=http://s243.photobucket.com/user/tetontim/media/IMGP4999_zps79b911bf.jpg.html]{{img}}h~~p://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/tetontim/IMGP4999_zps79b911bf.jpg[/img][/url]My $800.00 Van that was originally owned by my good buddy Chris. I roadtripped in the early 90's with him in this van. He sold it to giood buddy Dan.......whom I bought it from last year for $800.00. Got up to Jackson Hole with the $$ and Dan insisted on buying me a lift ticket to the ski resort (which was my stomping grounds in the 90's). First day they opened the whole mountain and a 12+ in powder day to boot! Ticket was $100.00 so this van cost me $700.00. Not fancy but I LOVE it! Took it almost immediately to Mexico!
Chaz

Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
Oct 11, 2013 - 03:09am PT
SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Oct 11, 2013 - 12:01pm PT
Crotch.....oh nice....lusting here at your conversion....yes yes

Susan
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Oct 11, 2013 - 12:33pm PT
Give it up for the All-Time Van!

guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
Oct 11, 2013 - 01:33pm PT

I miss mine.... ready to sleep, when you are.
wilbeer

Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
Oct 11, 2013 - 01:35pm PT

Guyman, they are the best!
guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
Oct 11, 2013 - 02:00pm PT
Will.... Yes they are. But I gave up on mine at 265,000.... it was really used up, almost all road trippin miles, dirt roads, 4x4 roads...

after spending $1,700 on the motor managment system... and it was still running very hot and getting like 2 MPG!!! And Fritz said... it might "cost a lot more" ... I just threw in the towell.

Been thinking about another one....

and all the new stuff is well.... not the same.
wilbeer

Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
Oct 11, 2013 - 02:05pm PT
Guyman,this ones getting a tdi motor[its being blueprinted]and a 5 speed.They are worth rebuilding,IMO.

I had a 72 in the late seventies early 80's,they just do not last forever,I hear you.
Phil_B

Social climber
Hercules, CA
Oct 11, 2013 - 02:14pm PT
We got Sunny Jelly Bean from an Israeli couple in Auckland. An 85 Nissan Vanette, she was perfect for a couple on the run from the Real World.


Of course in NZ, there are heaps of campervans. Many of them are older than the hippies in them. Good thing that Sunny is younger than me. She'd have classic car status.

We got a semi-usable car tent from the Kathmandu outlet. Semi-usable in that we had to take it down every time we wanted to move Sunny. Pretty damn useful when it rained though.
apogee

climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
Oct 11, 2013 - 02:23pm PT
Hey, crotch...tell us more about that rig, it's features, and your experience doing the conversion?
guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
Oct 11, 2013 - 02:39pm PT
Will.... Like a new TDI???? Got any pics????

Kris Solem was telling me about a Syncro he was checking out at the Needles a few weeks back.... Subi 6 cylinder!!!! he said it sounded really healthy.

I like that Nissen, why don't these get imported???
wilbeer

Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
Oct 11, 2013 - 04:32pm PT
Guyman, yep ,a 1.9 alh TDI motor,being rebuilt in a friends garage.A 5 speed tranny on the way from Go Westy.Some mods including motor mounts,exhaust,oil pan,bell housing from an 82 diesel,beefier clutch /pressure plate.

A buddy in Colorado has one ,it gets near 40 mpg with ALOT more power.

I will post up some pics soon.
mooser

Trad climber
seattle
Oct 11, 2013 - 04:45pm PT
wilbeer

Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
Oct 11, 2013 - 05:44pm PT
Nice rig Mooser!
nevahpopsoff

Boulder climber
the woods
Oct 11, 2013 - 05:45pm PT
you're either on the bus, or off the bus......
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Oct 11, 2013 - 06:30pm PT
Dang chalkfree, nice van!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My 4x4 van
guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
Oct 11, 2013 - 06:33pm PT
Nice rig Mooser

Nice rig, SLR.

Will.... was yours originally a Diesel?

And the TDI is from something newer????

wilbeer

Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
Oct 11, 2013 - 06:34pm PT
Nice van Harry.

Love your bumper sticker!

Guyman ,mine has a 2.1 boxer in it ,the diesel motor came out of a 05 jetta .

Not new ,but when my friend [a diesel mech] gets done ,it will be something!
StahlBro

Trad climber
San Diego, CA
Oct 11, 2013 - 06:40pm PT

Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Oct 11, 2013 - 07:28pm PT




Tarbuster pics(?) from Camp 4, known VW graveyard.
wilbeer

Mountain climber
honeoye falls,ny.greeneck alleghenys
Oct 11, 2013 - 07:36pm PT
Loved that "how to keep your volkswagen alive" book.HA.
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Oct 11, 2013 - 07:48pm PT
Cool side note to Billy photo: I think that is a jumpsuit from the Yos jail!
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Oct 11, 2013 - 07:49pm PT
Love my twenty year old Sportsmobile!
Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Oct 11, 2013 - 08:04pm PT
guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
Oct 11, 2013 - 08:10pm PT
Russ, a closer look....

Is the bumper held on with perlon?????

And up thread... the blue van with me "sleeping" in it... I bought it from Lechlinski. He junked the brown one in the pic of yours and got the 87 water boxer, put 100,000 on it and sold it to me.... that was a climbers van till the end.

Russ Walling

Social climber
from Poofters Froth, Wyoming
Oct 11, 2013 - 08:21pm PT
Hammer might be a Stubai... Grossman would know.... too light anyway. I got it from Lynn Hill (name dropper!) to do the NA wall. Somebody stole my sh#t from the talus after fixing.

I remember that blue van... and his brown one before that... and the red panel sided one before that. He had a few! I think I drove that blue one to the valley when he first got it since he had a broken ankle and was in a cast. Bumper thing is a bungy cord... no idea what it is doing.

How about the Bullwinkle 56 VW bus? Something like that anyway. Faded green with macrame in the back window? Ha! And the Dave Evans bus that he put a real motor in... something like 2.0? There have been a few, that's for sure. I still have mine, the same one. Needs a motor... big surprise!

Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Oct 11, 2013 - 10:21pm PT
Good to see that I'm not the only one who spent a large proportion of his life at the back end of his VW.
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Topic Author's Reply - Oct 11, 2013 - 10:47pm PT
Serious van envy going on here. Killer stuff everyone.

That Baja approach shot & some of Russ' photos crackin me up.

And a whole bunch of the rest of ya are seriously lucky to have/had some killer vans!
F10

Trad climber
Bishop
Oct 11, 2013 - 11:00pm PT
Nothing better than a van

BITD


Now

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MisterE

climber
Oct 11, 2013 - 11:06pm PT
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
Oct 11, 2013 - 11:08pm PT
Stand by your van.
MH2

climber
Oct 11, 2013 - 11:17pm PT
Sportsmobile! Envy.


But the right van must be chosen like the Dalai Lama is. It must be The One.





ionlyski

Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
Oct 12, 2013 - 12:01am PT
2008, the year we took off.
SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Oct 12, 2013 - 12:16am PT
Sportsmobile! Envy.

They have just come out with an "Ultimate Adventure" model which they did a bunch of road testing on the Moab trails.
What I wouldn't give for one..,,maybe not this color but certainly tricked out like thus one.
White Rim Trail here I come....

Susan

Edit: ionlyski....NICE use of a Sprinter....very!
Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber
moving thru
Oct 12, 2013 - 12:34am PT

It's not tricked out but it does have all wheel drive. I love it. A home away from home.


I've looked for a better ride for several years. Hard to replace this one. If anyone has suggestions, I'm open.







mechrist

Gym climber
South of Heaven
Oct 12, 2013 - 01:07am PT
I had an'83 Econoline for years. I miss that rig. Vans are far, far, far better for road tripping than ANY other option on the market... FAR better.

MisterE

climber
Oct 12, 2013 - 01:17am PT
This was a pretty fun night in the van...

crøtch

climber
Oct 12, 2013 - 01:26am PT
Apogee -

It's a mid-2000s E-350 V10 that lived its first life as a passenger van for children judging by the remnants of crayons and jolly ranchers that we found in the upholstery. We got it with 14K miles.

I pulled out the seats and trim, cleaned it up. The 4x4 conversion was done by Advanced in SLC. Then brought it to Van Specialties in Portland where they installed the high top, insulation, LED lights, bed platform, solar panel, sink, stove, refrigerator, rotating passengers seat, table, batteries and inverter.

I built some cabinets and shelves, added insulation to the refrigerator, installed a faucet and foot pump, and plumbed it to accept standard blue WalMart 7 gallon cubes. I added some interior lights, an extra 12V plug, and a third brake light.


We had a set of lockable drawers fabricated to fit under the bed so that we could keep our laptops and cameras reasonably secure, but still have tons of room for multiple bins under the bed.

My wife and I lived in it for a year in comfort and without any problems. It's a fantastic road trip vehicle. It gets about 11 mpg so we try to stay in one place for a while when possible.

4WD wasn't necessary that often, but on a couple of occasions it made all the difference.

Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber
moving thru
Oct 12, 2013 - 01:28am PT
Think you nailed it, Mister E. Vans provide Fun! (Or provide enough room for fun) Smiles in your pic are the proof.

Nice. Maybe I'll just keep mine.....
pud

climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
Oct 12, 2013 - 02:37am PT
Vans rule!
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
extraordinaire
Jan 1, 2014 - 10:21pm PT
Murphy's Gulch, Mammoth.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Apr 3, 2019 - 08:26am PT
When did you take that down to JT?
climber bob

Social climber
maine
Apr 3, 2019 - 09:14am PT
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Apr 3, 2019 - 02:43pm PT
always bums me out when people give vans a bad name with the pedophile jokes... Total buzz kill...
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Apr 3, 2019 - 03:01pm PT
Worse than pedophilia is association with the "white van speaker scam"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_van_speaker_scam
big ears

Trad climber
?
Apr 5, 2019 - 08:47am PT

1973 ford supervan. Lifted and 4wd converted. Just slapped a Sniper EFI on it along with a full rebuilt Ford C6 transmission and a new Transfer Case
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Apr 5, 2019 - 09:49am PT
super cool supervan. where is the dog going?
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Apr 5, 2019 - 01:40pm PT
The driver any good;)
mastadon

Trad climber
crack addict
Apr 6, 2019 - 08:27am PT

hooblie

climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
Apr 6, 2019 - 01:58pm PT
https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Tie_Down_Anchors-pt-E/Track_Parts.aspx

jon, this link redirects to general tie down stuff.
when you get there, filter for or click on e-track parts
NutAgain!

Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
Apr 6, 2019 - 03:29pm PT
OK, posting a few pics to get me motivated to head out and drill the last few holes to get my sliding bench/bed mounted in the back.


tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Apr 6, 2019 - 04:32pm PT
d-know

Trad climber
electric lady land
Apr 6, 2019 - 08:02pm PT
Vans are the best skate shoes ever.
Aeriq

Sport climber
100-year Visitor
Apr 7, 2019 - 06:56am PT
Don, that is hilarious! LOL!
big ears

Trad climber
?
Apr 7, 2019 - 07:45am PT
TradmanClimbs lol, yea he is good at lapping up any beer that gets spilled driving down those washed out Sedona roads 😂😂
tradmanclimbs

Ice climber
Pomfert VT
Apr 8, 2019 - 03:59am PT
I love how you can tell your stealing the dogs co piolet seat in someones rig because there is an inch of slobber on inside of the passenger side windshield :)
Bad Climber

Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
Apr 8, 2019 - 07:47am PT
@Mastadon--HILARIOUS! Made my morning.

BAd
Messages 1 - 76 of total 76 in this topic
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