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.

MPG Survey Summary

Year and model	What is the MPG on your Eurovan?	Comments about the Eurovan's MPG (driving conditions, maintenance, gasoline, etc.)	City MPG	Highway MPG	Transmission
1999 Eurovan	19	The 99 GLS sees 19 MPG at 75+ MPH driving on flat Texas roads fastest MPH ever driven in the loaded GLS is 115.
2001 Eurovan Weekender	17.1	Always premium. Mostly short trips under 40 miles. current miles 83410
2001 Eurovan Weekender	18	Includes four days driving at 75-80 MPH on Interstate and 11 days around town for 2555 miles, all with 93 octane gas. Accumulated miles = 159,000
2003 Eurovan	16 city   20 highway	Using Conoco if available, premium +
1999 Eurovan Camper	20	Pretty much highway probably on the fast side 70+ MPH.  Some Mountains - live in Denver and need to get through the Rockies on the longer trips to the coast.  No racks or awnings, straight body work.  Pretty loaded with gear on the inside though. Typically use 87 - 89 octane	17	22
1999 Eurovan Camper	21	Premium And exclusively driven on highway		21
1997 Eurovan Camper	20.038	Most all of LHTCC's miles are highway miles.  I am a gentle driver (except when merging onto interstate highways) and actually obey speed limits -- no fudging for speedo error (like I sometimes do with my other car, a '97 Honda Odyssey).  We use premium gasoline.  Oil change every 5K	?	20.038
2003 Eurovan Weekender	18-20		18	20
1999 Eurovan Camper	19	I've gotten as low as 16 MPG and as high as 23 MPG in CO when I was driving very conservatively just enjoying the beauty.  Most of my driving is in a very geographically large city, San Antonio, TX.  I'm usually careful to keep to speed limits and 60 MPH or less, but I do admit to hitting 80 MPH occasionally when on a trip and really wanting to get somewhere.  Maddog is my only vehicle and since its an election year (I am very active in politics) and my great grandsons now live in this city, not CA, I haven't been able to do much long distance trip driving.  Hoping to get back on the road in 2013. BTW, I have owned a VW Camper continuously since 1971 when my husband & I bought a new 1971 which we drove for 20 years.  Then I had a 1981 (bought in 91) Vanagon camper.  In 2000 I bought Maddog and drove her until an 18 wheeler ran he off IH 10 in far west Texas and down a ravine.   I wasn't hurt, but she died.  Maddog II is my 4th Camper.	18	20
2002 Eurovan Camper	17		16	18
1997 Eurovan Camper	19		16	20
2003 Eurovan	23
1997 Eurovan Camper	20 don't you want milage?	Miles on van   163,000    -   after a long trip - 7,000 plus miles  - The avg. for the trip  will be 20 mpg    I live in Mich. - drive to the west coast & back - mpg better coming back (west to east ) but avg together will be 20 - Most driving is off freeway - but when on the freeway I have a hard time driving under 70mph--I write down my miles & gallons as I am going  - mileage will vary between fillups as much as 4 mpg	probably about 16	guess - 21
1995 Eurovan Camper	22.1	This was all highway driving.  This MPG was westbound, in the mountains West of Salt Lake City on Highway 80.  I was on my way back to the bay area in NorCal and doin' between 65 and 75 mph.  I was alone w/o any gear in it.  This was generally on the down-hill side of the mountains but there's plenty of up-hill too.  I use the middle priced gas all the time.  My EVC has 93+K miles with stock wheels and tires.  It had 800 miles on a full servicing.  There were snow flurries which slowed me down to the 50's for a little bit of the time. The tank before that was between Phoenix and Salt Lake where I got 19.8 mpg @ 65 to 75 mph. Daniel	?	22.1
2000 Eurovan Camper	20	Sometimes 23 hwy except 26 2 years in a row from Reno to Death Valley.  Two thoughts: A: The wind is nearly blowing from the north through western Nev in March, and B: It's net downhill no matter where you start in North America.	15	22
2000 Eurovan	20	This is a 110K Mi 2000 GLS Eurovan I run a set of stock replacement Goodyears tires at 42 Lbs. Most of the vans driving is under 80 Mph Both "Get In" and "Get In 2's" speedometers are wrong by 5+ mph above 60.	18	22
2000 Eurovan Camper	18.6	Usually drive 70-75 on the highway.  van has a fiamma awning which may increase wind resistance slightly?   Premium gas always.  van has about 85000 miles.	15	18
2003 Eurovan Weekender	18
2001 Eurovan Camper	17
1999 Eurovan	160000	Use Techron to peak the mpg.	16	20
2001 Eurovan	18		18	18
2003 Eurovan Weekender	20		19	21
1995 Eurovan Camper	22.2	Much better mpg at high altitudes where the partial pressure if oxygen is lower.	19	25	Manual
2000 Eurovan	10	higher mileage on premium, as much as 12%	17	22	Automatic
1997 Eurovan Camper	13		10	16	Automatic
1995 Eurovan Camper	30	I have to add that my camper is a 5 cylinder diesel and i live in canada	28	35	Manual
1997 Eurovan Camper	19	We run premium. Our highest mileage has been 22.5 up and down the hills in Arkansas running about 70 going back to Texas. It was up and down but the overall trend was downhill. Our mileage does not vary radically. Van is meticulously maintained.	18	20	Automatic
1993 Eurovan	19.7	Sorry..don't do much city driving		19.7	Automatic
2000 Eurovan	13		13		Automatic
1995 Eurovan Camper	18		15	21	Manual
2003 Eurovan Weekender	21.6	The 21.6 mpg was an average for the entire trip combined on a recent trip of over 2000 mi for the entire trip, from N.J. To the U.P. in Michigan., so a combination of mountains and hills and flat, and all speeds. There wre 2 adults and luggage.  I use regular gas and Amsoil oil, run a trans cooler and keep well tuned. I have 109000mi. In town I take all short trips ( 4 mile) with lots of lights about 17 mpg.   :)	17	22	Automatic
2001 Eurovan Camper	22		18	23	Automatic
1999 Eurovan Camper	21	Just bought the EVC, drove it from San Diego- Phoeniox. Never exceeded 70 mph,  then flew home to Alaska. That's the extent of my experience so far. I am flying to Phoenix in March to pick it up and drive points north.		21	Automatic
1995 Eurovan Camper	21		17	23	Manual
2000 Eurovan Weekender	17	mileage seems the same whether I use high test or medium-test gas	?	17	Automatic
1993 Eurovan Weekender	267 K	5K on new motor and Trans. She purrs like a kitten. New eNtyre 205 65R 15 Long flat trips to the desert, one big hill there so I figure it balances out on the way back. Took out almost 300lbs of seats and wood structures that came stock with the Wekender, just added a small light weight work bench and 150 lbs in tools and toys. Steady average 65 mph, hot and sunny.	17/18	21/23	Automatic
1995 Eurovan Camper	17-20	Highway MPG is very directly related to speed in my case.  If I keep it at about 65 mph I usually get 20 mpg, but, I'm out in the west where most of the speed limits are 75 mpg.  That'll usually cost me a mpg or two.  I generally average 18-20 mpg per tank.	18	19	Manual
1993 Eurovan	21-26	City driving for us is 1/2 stop and go and 1/2 straight 60 m.p.h.  Highway includes several stops during trip and two very steep mountain passes as well as some heavy traffic for the last short portions. Speed is kept below 70 (app. 67-68 m.p.h.)	21	23-26	Manual
1995 Eurovan Camper	22	Generally accelerate gently, but on the highway I might cruise above 65 if there's no traffic.	19	24	Manual
1993 Eurovan	21.5	MPG from recent 1300-mile trip from Reno to Las Vegas, including trips over Tioga Pass (10,000') and through Furnace Creek (-168'). Primarily using 91, but also a tank of 87.			Manual