WHY IS THE STEERING WHEEL LIKE THAT?!! So stupid.
The origins of the #vanlife hashtag
The Atlantic tracks down photographer Foster Huntington to find out the story of how he has turned the hashtag #vanlife into a worldwide phenomenon depicting travel and adventure (often in a Volkswagen Vanagon or similar).
In this video, Foster and a couple of other travelers in VW Vanagons talk about how the van and the internet have brought about an entirely new community of outdoor enthusiasts willing to get out of the office and spend some time with family and friends. It harkens back to a simpler time unplugged from the internet -- while at the same time keeping the internet abreast on all the happenings via the #vanlife hashtag. I love this video. :)
For $130,000, you can have an all-electric VW Microbus
I've been thinking about buying my dad's 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon and restoring it for him. The trouble is, I have no idea where to start. What I do know is that all of the VW specialty shops seem to be on the West Coast (mainly based in Portland or Southern California).
Zelectric Motors might be something I should keep in mind. From this video, it doesn't seem like they would be interested in restoring or converting a 1986 Vanagon, but it might be worth asking in the near future. This company takes vintage VW Beetles and Microbus vehicles and converts them to all-electric vehicles. The range isn't quite that impressive but the power and reliability might be worth it. It ain't cheap though, with a rough cost of about $130,000 just for the conversion.