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
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