1990 Volkswagen Vanagon CAMPMOBILE

Vehicle Description

Ruby is a 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia camper van, with the original 2.1L engine and automatic transmission. She was located in the South for her first 25 years; I’ve owned her for ten years and have enjoyed many adventures all over New England, throughout upstate New York, and into the Midwest. I garaged her during the winters and drove her daily until two years ago when I needed to step up and care for my aging mom. Ruby has not been getting the attention she deserves, so I need to let her go on to her next home, just in time for Fall camping -- in my opinion the best season to hit the road!
There’s nothing like cruising around in Ruby with the windows open, enjoying the unobstructed view from the giant windshield, while drivers smile and give you a thumbs up. There’s a whole community of people who love these vehicles (find them on The Samba website, VanAlert app, FB groups). Vanagons aren’t just transportation, they’re part of the family. Ruby has brought me so much joy for the past decade; is it your turn to own this vintage beauty and live your own vantasy?
DETAILS

The odometer was replaced by a prior owner at 63,186 miles, and currently shows 101,074, so total mileage is 164,260.

Has top bed and bottom bed, pop top with zip window, two tables that swing out, swiveling front seats, built in cabinets, all original curtains, and rear hatch snap in bug screen. Includes heavy duty electrical cord to connect to shore power at campsite, which allows you to use the electrical socket inside the van.

Refrigerator was removed, replaced with Go Westy Fridge Be Gone kit. I never installed the shelves, they’re new with all hardware, ready for you to put in the position that works best for your needs.

Stove disconnected (stove pipe included if you want to reconnect), I planned to modify the set up to use a green bottle of propane inside the van rather than the outside tank, but never got to it. Honestly, I much preferred setting up a camp stove on a picnic table to avoid spills and smells in the van.

Sink has never been used by me or prior owner.

Pop top in very good condition, Go Westy pop top lift assist struts installed, they make opening top a breeze. There are small tears in the top two corners (see photos) which were there when I bought the van ten years ago, but they’ve never gotten worse and don’t leak.

New rear hatch struts, front window rubber seals, skylight seal, front window wind/rain deflectors, heavy duty floor mats.

Upgraded 16” wheels

Pioneer stereo with USB input so you can connect your phone for GPS and tunes.

Bus Depot EZ Awning included, only used once.

Go Westy sliding window rain deflectors, never used.

Original VW manuals and the Bentley guide included.

Mechanical - some highlights from the past decade,I have all the receipts for the work I’ve had done and many from the prior owners.

New Battery (8/25)
Coolant pipe (10/24)
PowerSteering Rack (5/24)
Ignition wires, distributor cap and rotor, spark plugs (5/24)
Engine valve cover gaskets, oil pressure switch (6/23)
Transmission Seal (4/23)
Front tires (6/23)
Water pump (5/22)
Lower control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, front brakes (1/22)
Instrument cluster circuit board upgrade (9/21)
Alternator (8/21)
Muffler (9/20)
T3 upper control arm bushings, upper ball joints (8/20)
New fuel lines, fuel tank (9/19)
Rear tires (7/18)
CV boots (4/18)
Heads and head gasket (2/17)
Exhaust system (12/16)

Body

Louis Restoration in Salem Ma repaired the seam rust on the driver’s side of the van, all cabinets were removed, rusted part was cut out and new metal welded in and painted. (02/21)

There are some rust spots here and there, a few dings and scratches, but nothing like the seam rust mentioned above.

Rear bumper corner is damaged, front bumper has crack.

Quirks. All Vanagons have a few :)

Power windows work, power locks do not. Back wiper, cruise control, and power mirrors do not work.

Back speakers work well, front have never worked since I’ve owned van.

Oil pressure warning system was giving false alarms that a couple of mechanics could not resolve, so after verifying oil pressure was fine, buzzer was disabled. New owner should revisit issue or install gauge.

Heat is great. I had the AC recharged when I bought the van, but never used it because it was weak and I’d rather have all the windows open when driving.

There is intermittent hesitation when accelerating. I had three mechanics check the transmission and they all said they couldn’t find anything wrong. My workaround is to remove my foot from the gas and reapply it, and then the van accelerates fine.

This Vanagon is sold as-is, with no warranties expressed or implied. Buyer responsible for pick up or coordinating shipping. I’ve aimed to represent the van transparently and fairly, sharing both the strengths and the quirks. Ruby is a 35 year old vehicle and I've put a lot of money into her upkeep. She has never left me stranded in 10 years of adventures. Please expect to either fix her yourself or be acquainted with an experienced mechanic to keep her rolling along.

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