Westfalia is to the van camper what Victorinox is to the pocketknife. It's amazing how many features can be folded into such a compact package. But unlike Victorinox and their Swiss Army family of knives, Westfalia only made a single 'one size fits all' model. That's ok if all you're doing is heading out during fair weather for a few days. But what if you're heading out to Arizona for a couple of weeks in March. This would not be considered by most to be an example of extreme camping, as opposed to a trip to Death Valley in July or Yellowstone in January. Nevertheless it can turn out to be a journey of similar extremes.

March is considered by many to be the best time to backpack to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona. While you're climbing up out of the canyon the temperature might be very pleasant, but by the time you reach the rim the temperature could be down in the teens. Not only would a heater keep you comfortable while camping out before and after the hike, but it would also keep your possessions from freezing rock solid while you're away hiking for a few days. At the other extreme March is typically the best time to see the Sonoran desert in full bloom at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. But daytime temperatures can climb into the 90's. In this situation it would help to have an awning and insulated curtains to minimize solar gain. For example, a Thermal Systems 6000 BTU Platinum Cat power vented catalytic heater,  portable reserve propane tank and extend-a-stay fitting, Warm Window insulated curtains and a uniquely designed self-supporting awning.

With a heater and insulated curtains you've transformed your Vanagon Westfalia into a warm cozy retreat from inclement weather. While weathering out a storm or enduring the long nights of winter it might be nice to listen to some music while reading a book or perhaps watch a little television. For example, a Sony SAT-B3 DSS receiver under the drivers seat, a portable collapsible Winegard satellite dish that can be stored in and used from the roof top luggage compartment, a Sony Trinitron AC/DC color TV that stores neatly in the space under the rear bench seat, front & rear Boston Acoustics Pro Series speakers, an Alpine AM/FM cassette receiver with wireless remote control and a compact disc changer under the passenger seat.

As anyone with a motor home (or yacht) will admit, having a dinghy can be very convenient. Once you've found a campsite, leveled the camper, got the pop-top up, snapped all the curtains into place, rearranged all the furniture and baggage, erected the awning, situated the solar panel, dialed in the satellite dish, hooked up the television, and put out the gray water bucket you really don't want to move the beast until your stay is complete. Many of our National Parks and Monuments are quite large. Oftentimes the only way to see all the sights is by driving to them. With a small motorcycle you can get over 100mpg and always find a parking place. So the impact on the environment and infrastructure is minimal compared to using the Westfalia to drive around in. Besides, they can be a lot of fun! Find here an example of how to build and install a motorcycle carrier for a Honda CT70.

There are basically two kinds of campers, civil and wild. Civilized campers typically like to settle in at the big 'parking lot' style resorts with all the comforts of home and the full hook-ups to support them. Wilderness campers like to move around and explore the national and state parks and forests where the campsites are typically small and have no hook-ups. Westfalia van campers have an affinity for boondocking and dry camping. Thus far you have seen how it is possible to equip one with most of the comforts of home, but how about an environmentally friendly and self-sufficient personal power grid. For example, a Sonnenschein group 27 dryfit Prevailer deep cycle sealed gel cell battery, Surepower Group 3 battery isolator, 90-watt roof mounted BP solar panel, Morningstar Sunsaver photovoltaic controller, Exeltech XP125 true sine wave inverter, and a power distribution panel with the meters and switches to monitor and control it all.

At last, by the time you've added everything you need to transform your Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia van camper from a fair weather weekender into a four seasons recreational vehicle suitable for extended traveling every nook and cranny will be filled with stuff and you'll need to add some external storage! For example, storage in the unutilized space under the sliding door and on the rear of the van using a class II frame mounted receiver hitch.