My van is a VW T3 Westfalia Joker from 1986. It blows my mind that it is one year older than I am and still being such a beautiful and useful car. With the engine in the back, the car is very spacious and hanging out in it on a sunny day, light shining in through all the windows, is just wonderful.

The motor is the 2.1DJ gasoline engine with 110 HP and a 5-speed gearbox. It’s the most powerful engine VW made for T3s. Even so it’s not the fastest car around, but it follows traffic just fine. I like to cruise at 80 km/h and enjoy the landscape, even though it easily goes a 100+. On the bright side, I rarely worry about getting a speeding ticket.

The van is fun to drive. Driving is an actual pleasure. When I arrived to the south of Spain, I was happy to have made 3500km without major issues. But at the same time I was a little bummed that I wouldn’t be driving long distances for the next few months.

As a surf van it was essential for me to improve it’s off-road capabilities by upgrading the wheels, tires and springs. This is what I am using:

“Is it a syncro?” People ask me. No.. I wish! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: One day maybe, but the the all-terrain wheels and extra clearance under the car sure has come in handy so far.

I have modernized the interior just enough for it to accommodate a technology-addicted travelling programmer, with an emphasis of being functional for surfing.

The solar panels are attached to roof rack bars in a way that let me put my surfboards and luggage on top when travelling long distance.

I absolutely love my solar panels. On a sunny day with my little setup I can run the fridge, the stereo, and charge a phone or computer running only on solar power. That is pretty amazing. During the night I have excess energy stored in my battery.

As I knew I would be using my laptop, camera, phone etc. a lot while on the road. It was essential for me to get a battery with enough capacity to never have to worry about draining it. Also I wanted it to fit in the stock leisure battery compartment under the rear seat.

After much research I found a 100AH LiFePO4 battery that would fit if broke out the cells out of the plastic battery box. Another advantage of the stock placement is that I could connect it to the starter battery with a battery to battery charger using the factory cables that run under the car. The B2B charges the leisure battery while driving and is located under the seat. I use a Victron MPPT 75/15 which I can monitor through Bluetooth on my phone.

The stock refrigerator was old so I took it out and installed a few shelves which I got cheap at the local hardware store for more storage space instead. I now have an Engel compressor fridge which is very efficient cooling and energy wise. The Engel also very sturdy and reliable.

I carry 2 x 20L water tanks in the front luggage rack, I use them for showering after surf and rinsing my wetsuit with a 12v shower head I found on amazon that plugs into the cigarette plug. This combination works very well. I use approx. 4-5 liters per shower, so it will last me a week easily.

These are the modifications so far! I have been very happy with all of them so far, and I look forward to doing much more. If you have any questions or remarks you are welcome to leave a comment :point_down: