I remember back in the 1980s, I purchased my first used Volkswagen Eurovan. I was in my 20s without as much as a care in the world. I always considered myself a hippie at heart, and the Eurovan just added to my laid back, carefree lifestyle. I took that van everywhere. I gallivanted all around the US exploring and creating memories with friends and family.
I’d take a camping trip every year with a group of my friends. We’d load up the VW with mountain bikes, food and luggage, and head off on the trails. We’d jam out to some of the best tunes of the ’80s, ready to explore uncharted territory.
Those were certainly the days. Setting up camp, cooking some chow, and playing games outside of the camper. No wives or kids to tend to. No pressing jobs bogging us down. Just the open road, a few friends and lots of laughs.
That old VW van lasted me eons. Whenever I needed a repair, I’d simply find a shop to buy the replacement Volkswagen parts from and then I’d have one of my mechanic friends do the labor. They weren’t too hard to find, as it usually wasn’t too long before we passed auto parts stores in our travels. And that was before the Internet. One of the best pros of the Internet we have today – even for an old hippie like me – is how it has increased convenience and accessibility to numerous things we use in daily life, including auto parts. Think about it. If I was to journey around the USA today like I did back then, if anything in my van ever broke – even on the road – I could go online and immediately find a shop selling highly reliable Volkswagen parts. Shops like eEuroparts make it possible to get the right car parts at the best prices shipped to somewhere close to wherever I am at a given time.
Though it was a van, it was very affordable, reliable and repairable, and fit my lifestyle at that time perfectly. Oh how I wish I could go back to when life was simpler and more affordable.
Relive Your Hippie Days with a New Volkswagen EuroVan
I’m sure some of you remember those old hippie VW Eurovans. They were great for traveling, carrying cargo, and just toting friends around as you spread peace, love and happiness. It seemed like those vans would last a lifetime, as they were fairly easy to maintain, repair and could take a licking and keep on ticking. Well, now you can relive the “van life” without the need to invent a time machine, because the Volkswagen Eurovans came back in the 2000s!
There have also been reports that a retro-inspired Volkswagen bus is set to hit the market the year 2017. Designed with the hippie lifestyle in mind, the new VW bus will be modeled after the original microbus models available in 1949 through 2013. The design in part will look very similar to what you might remember from the 2001 Microbus.
The retro components, however, will only be in the design of the vehicle. Automakers hope to mix old with new concepts by creating an all-electric drivetrain for battery-powered models. Though all the technological designs are still in the works, the vehicle is said to have a maximum driving range of about 250 to 310 miles.
Bro Trip in the Near Future
When I tell you the very thought of the Volkswagen bus making a comeback makes me smile on the inside, I’m already putting away funds to secure one when they hit US sales floors. If there was ever an opportunity to jump at a chance to experience “the good old days” again, this is certainly it. Once I make the purchase, I intend to call up all my old buddies and hit the road again. We’ll likely go on a cross-country adventure, doing some hiking and just reminiscing about the fun we had all those years ago. While I’m a lot older and less agile than I once was, I’m hoping that we can have a great time. Who knows? If the wife allows, I might be able to swing an annual bro-cation.