New wheels and tires for my 1993 Eurovan

After a long search and multiple attempts to buy some 16" VW Eurovan wheels to upgrade the 15" steel wheels on my 1993 VW Eurovan, I finally found a local seller on Craigslist.

Every time I found some wheels/tires online, the cost to ship was prohibitive.  So I started looking only within driving distance.  Luckily, I found a gent nearby that has a 2003 VW Eurovan, and he had recently upgraded to the GoWesty wheels/tires and suspension package.  Thus, he was selling his OEM 16" wheels with three matching Kuhmo tires (rated 104).

We met, and I bought them.  I picked up a 4th tire from Amazon for less than the local tire stores.  A day later (and within 30 minutes at Discount Tire) and for $33 (for the odd tire - tire mount, balance, disposal, and putting all four on the van).

Looks much better now.  I'm happy.

VW Eurovan Transmission reset procedure...

This was required after the "re-wiring" of my melted wiring harness going to the transmission.

Photo of the melted wire leads and connector (to transmission)

Subject: Resetting the Eurovan Adaptive Transmission Sequencing

The Eurovan uses an electronically controlled transmission which sets shifting points based upon engine load and RPM information that is "learned"

from your specific driving habits. 

This information, which is stored in the transmission's electronic control unit, can sometimes become garbled and may need to be reset to the

default pattern,so that it will "re-learn" your driving style.

In order to perform this reset, do the following:

1. Turn on the ignition, without starting the engine.

2. Turn the ignition back to the off position.

3. Turn ignition on again without starting the engine and depress the accelerator all the way to the floor, holding the pedal there for a 

minimum of ten seconds.

4. Release the accelerator pedal and then start the engine in the regular manner.

5. Drive the vehicle making sure that the transmission shifts through all four gears.

Recent festival photos

Yes, I love music, camping and hanging out with friends.  Thus, music festivals are a yearly adventure as the weather starts to warm.  Eurovan & friends.

Here are a few photos

Jabba barge music stage

Packed and ready to go

Continued sound insulation

One ongoing project that I've been working on is to create a quieter ride inside my 1993 VW Eurovan Weekender.

I've finished installing FatMat insulation on the driver, passenger and sliding doors.  I also added a layer of closed cell foam on some parts of the doors (where it wouldn't interfere with the mechanical parts or panel).

The installation process was quite easy once you understand how to remove the panels.  I didn't have to disconnect any wires on the doors.  I simply rested the door panel on the foot rest and secured it with a bungy cord.

I didn't do any sound level testing before or after.  Yet, I can confidently say that the noise level is reduced somewhat, and it seems to make for a more comfortable ride.

Here is a photo of the drive door off with the closed cell foam secured with duct tape shown on the top part.  FatMat was already sticky'd to that portion of the door.

Some photos

 

My VW Eurovan upgrades

NOTE: Photos will be added to this story asap.
It has been quite a while since I've posted here. I thought I'd share a list of the upgrades I've done to my Eurovan with my thoughts on how easy/hard, useful or lack thereof, etc. For your reference, my Eurovan is a 1993 Volkswagen Eurovan MV Weekender (automatic, white with grey interior, poptop, no kitchen).

New Headlights - The poor quality and low light from the standard headlights was one of the first issues I noticed about my Eurovan. I bought my EV in the Berkeley/Oakland area and drove it back to San Diego. It wasn't quite a white knuckles drive, but I was certainly having issues seeing the road well at times. I researched and found this post describing an upgrade to the headlights - How to install E codes. Ironically, the author, Matt, lives in San Diego. At the same time, I was in communication with a friend that lived in Germany. I found the headlights on ebay.de, and he shipped them to me. I bought the wiring kit mentioned in the post. Installation was fairly simple. This is by far the best upgrade for more comfortable and safer driving that I've done.  ~$200

New Eurovan Floor - As you can see from my post from 2012, the new floor I put in looks pretty good. I live near the beach, and I surf. So, sand, dirt, water, etc. all make their way into my van. My carpet was quite shoddy. With some elbow grease, I was really pleased with the way the floor turned out. It has held up very well to the elements with over a year passed. I receive compliments on it frequently.  $120

Sony Stereo, amp and subwoofer - I'm kind of an audiophile.  I like my low end bass.  And vans and good sound systems just seem to go hand in hand.  The previous owner has replaced the (4) speakers in the van with decent cones, yet he pulled the sub to install in his newer Eurovan (yes, he was a double EV owner).  I hit up Crutchfield and decided on a new head unit, amp, and subwoofer.  I knew already that I wouldn't be using the refrig cooler under the jumpseat, so I removed it and anticipated installing the subwoofer in its place.  I also noticed that the amp could fit in between the jumpseat and the wall (driver side) of the van.  In addition, I wanted to be able to use the stereo when the key wasn't in the ignition so an began to think about creating a circuit to the Aux battery (under the driver's seat, I believe this is standard in Weekenders).  Around this time, I had visited a junkyard in San Diego and located a bunch of parts, one being a rocker switch ($5) that I'd use to handle the switch to the Aux battery.  I installed all parts, and the sound rocks.  Yet, I've found that if I run the Aux battery down too low (like I typically when attending a festival or camping)... that when I turn the EV back on the power surges through the circuit and can blow a relay.  I stopped at a car audio place that was super cool (I'll try to find the name to give them props) where the guy simply diagnosed the problem and had an extra relay that he popped in for me for free.  It has happened a second time (at Coachella 2013) and the relay was about $45 online.  I need to get a few spares from the junkyard or stop by the car audio shop to resolve the issue.  Still, the sound (when relay hasn't been blown) is great.

Swivel seat adapter (passenger) - This is a no brainer.  I don't have a jumpseat behind the passenger seat.  Adding the swivel seat adapter for the passenger seat turns the main seating area into a more social area.  Easy to install.  I did find a different seat belt adapter ($30) at the junkyard in order to make it work.  $200

New driver seat - This was a lucky find.  Like I said, I had hit up the junkyard, and they just happened to have a 1993 Weekender (almost identical).  My driver's seat was a little soft and had a few small cigarette burns.  The new seat was about $25, but well worth if for a firmer and cleaner seat.

Windows tinted - This is another no brainer.  I took the van to California Tinting in Vista, CA.  The guys did a great job and include a 1 year warranty.  After a bit, the slider window tint began to peel back at the corner.  I took it back, and they redid the window promptly.  The driver and passenger windows are a lighter tint to comply with state laws.  The other windows are darker and provide a good amount of privacy and light reduction during the day.  $220

Trailer hitch 2" square - My EV had a ball hitch when I bought it.  But I swapped it for a 2" square hitch in order to attach a cargo carrier or bike rack.  Unfortunately, the new hitch wasn't a perfect fit and required that I adjust the exhaust a little.  I'm still not completely happy with the fit, but it works.  $80

Cargo carrier - The addition of the 2" hitch allows me to use a cargo carrier.  The cargo carrier is great for camping and trips.  I use it nearly every time I take an extended trip.  The Rubbermaid totes fit perfectly on the cargo carrier, and I just put a few straps on to secure the totes.  I've dramatically increased the storage.  When I arrive at my destination, I typically remove the cargo carrier and slide it under the van.  Now the rear of the van is easily accessible for getting at gear or hanging out.

Thule Roadway 964 (4) bike carrier (hitch mount) - The Thule (4) bike carrier is simple to attach to the hitch and works great.  $250

Thule (2) hatchback bike carrier - I also have/drive a 2005 VW Gold TDI, and I own a Thule (2) bike hatchback carrier.  With the Golf, it attached to the hatchback door with straps and rests on the bumper.  For the Eurovan (when the cargo carrier is in use), I can use this bike carrier on the Eurovan hatchback door and rest the carrier on the black plastic/metal crease near the handle.  Boom, cargo carrier and bike rack.  I've used this many times without issue.  Proper adjustment of the bike carrier straps is important.

Thule roof rack and mounts - I had it professionally installed at Rack-it.com in San Diego, CA.  With the poptop, I wanted to be sure that the racks were installed properly.  I requested that the racks be spaced spaced more (longer/wider base) in order to carry my longboards/surfboards and other longer loads.  $200

Removal of various plastic - The Eurovan has a couple of magazine racks on seats and the bench seat front plastic cover.  I've removed those.  I don't use them, and I don't need them.  Email me if you want them.

Bench seat in forward position - The Eurovan is not the quietest vehicle, and talking to passengers on the bench seat is nearly impossible while driving.  The storage area is not contiguous.  I thought "why not move the beach seat forward?"  This would keep rear passengers closer and create a larger storage area in the rear.  I have a created system in which I can move the bench seat to its forwardmost position.  Then I put pins/bolts in the sliding track (required drilling a hole in the sliding track) to keep the bench seat from sliding back.  Finally, I use a webbing strap to support both sides of the bench seat back rest.  Honestly, I rarely drive in this "mode", but I have used it to transport.

Other misc items
- New driver's side mirror (somebody nailed it)
- New Sony faceplate for stereo (someone ripped it off, lame)  $115
- Ignition switch - don't let the dealer install this, they'll rip you off.  $18
- Hacked small crack on dash fix.  $3 of glue and plastic

Fixes needed
- MPG issue (low mpg maybe caused by faulty temp sensor)
- Coolant leak (pump and hose, I think)
- Stereo relay and isolator to prevent future issues

Upgrade Items I'm considering
- FatMat sound dampening
- Front carpet cleaning
- New paint or creative paint job
- 16" alloy wheels and new tires
- Diesel conversion

New Eurovan floor

I completed the new floor for my 1993 Eurovan Weekender. Here is a photo (I've since put back the thresholds and added pinstripes (black silicone caulking in the seams):

Nearly complete

Starting the project

I will post more photos soon. As far as the work, I started by ripping/removing the old carpet. I required that I use pliers, my hands, a scraper/chisel, a utility knife and a belt sander. I first pulled up the carpet in large pieces trying to peel it off. I'd use the scraper/chisel to get started. Then use pliers and my hand to peel it back. Once the piece was too big/unwieldy, I'd cut it with the utility knife. Then start again. Once I had the wood floor mostly exposed, I used the belt sander to remove the rest of the carpet remnants and adhesive.

Carpet nearly all removed.  Ready to belt sand with heavy grit.

Next, I used large sheets/roll of paper to create a template for each side piece. I did a fair job, but the more care you take here... the better your end result will be. With the long strips (3) of oak veneer 1/8" that I used, it is important to align your wood pieces because just a little offset can make a big difference.  I started with (2) 4' x 8' sheets of the 1/8" oak veneer, pretty inexpensive at a local hardwood shop.  I ended up with extra, but one sheet simply wasn't enough.

Next, I rough cut the wood. Then I placed the side pieces in and adjusted as needed. It really helps to have a Dremel/rotary tool to trim/sand the edges. A better template will minimize this effort.

Once the side pieces were in, I measured the for the center piece width. I anticipated leaving a gap between the wood pieces to give it a nice look that I filled in with black silicone caulking (not show in this photo). It give a pinstripe look at the seams between the 3 pieces of wood.

Then I finished with some cleanup and three coats of a floor grade clear varnish. The rear plastic threshold fit right on the wood nicely. But the side door is somewhat unfinished, as the threshold is curved. I intend to cover it with some rubber/plastic at some point.