It is high time to introduce our house on wheels: "Popo". If you read our page about you already know a little about him.
Our van is a bit like a member of our family. Our adventurous companion takes us everywhere, when he is not grumpy and we share 90% of our time with him, it's our little cocoon. So we can say that we love a crazy love our little "block". Blocking? Yes because let's be clear, it is not at all contoured so as to be aerodynamic, if you see what we mean ...
Anyway ... We show you so many pictures of him on social networks (it's a little "Popo on the beach", "Popo in the mountains", ...), it's really time we present it to you correctly.
The "living space" is not huge and requires to perform a daily ritual (folding the bed, tidying the table ...) but we find everything we need, all in one "room" multi-functions .
Basically, living in a van is like playing Tetris every day!
Interior design, improvements, ... We tell you everything. You will be able to better imagine our daily life!



Here is "Popo" our faithful steed! A 1984 Volkswagen T3 (or "Vanagon" in North America) from California with original Westfalia campervan layout. Good for connoisseurs this nickname, "Popo", is very basic since it is simply that of this model in Europe, but in North America nobody knows and necessarily it makes them laugh!
We found it painfully on the Montreal side two weeks after our arrival.
We were looking for a T2, the "real" combination of hippies like our Toaster in France but fitted out motorhome. The task has been very, very, very complicated in Canada. It must be said that rust is a big problem here and in addition the North American layout, which is a little different from what we are used to seeing, is not very suitable for long road trips.
So we ended up finding Popo. With its 4.57m long and 1.99m high, it goes everywhere and knows how to be discreet when necessary.
For the record, we are the fourth owners, the first lived in California, the second in Missouri and the third in Quebec. He passed recently the 300,000 miles or about 460,000 km ... just that ...

This is one of the first T3 water cooled (we easily recognize them thanks to the grille under the grille), not many options therefore, but it suits us very well! It's fewer potential failures! No air conditioning, no power steering, no power windows or centralized condemnation, ... Bas base what!
The engine is at the back, it is accessed from the inside via a large hatch that is located under the mattress. Here is a 1.9L 84h with the famous 4-cylinder flat. The transmission is 4-speed ...
Volkswagen has thought of everything: to make levels just pull a small hatch hidden behind the license plate, no need to open the trunk, to remove the mattress, the big hatch, ... phew.
That's fast for mechanics.

You see it in its v2.0 configuration. Yes, because when we bought it and we went directly with it in July 2015, it was far from being so clean and especially less equipped!
This is the original Westfalia development, type "Berlin". So there is a kitchen cabinet with a sink, two gas hobs (the 3-gallon tank is under the chassis, it's specific to American models), a refrigerator that works at three energies: gas, 12V and 110V (yes we are in the US) and storage. On the front we see a small led control panel that allows you to know about where we are in our consumption of water and electricity and a witness operation for the fridge.


The rear seats are transformed into a bed like a sofa bed. The bed is 120 x 190 cm, not very wide so especially with the walls on each side but it is done. Under the storage bed and original the rear heater (which only runs engine on), which we have recently replaced with a stationary heater (ie, which can also work when stopped) . Yes, it's a small luxury but really what a pleasure to be warm! Before that, we covered ourselves like two Eskimos! We also see the box that controls the charge of the solar panel, which is placed here, easy to access, but so it is not visible from the outside.
Above the bed, storage and side: storage again! We can also see the swivel table. Below, two hatches ... storage (well yes), with a double bottom in which is located among other 55L water tank.



The front seats swivel and you can install another table in between.
Yes, we see you coming with the "wooden balls" ... Yes, yes, it smells like that! We call them "the balls of Pakistani taxis" (without a thought of course!) To tell you the truth, we bought them with the van and the first thing we said was that the we could not keep such a thing ... But after trying them, you will never believe us but it's really very comfortable, especially when it's hot! We love them so much that we bought nylon thread to tweak them twenty times and then lately we spoiled and bought new ones for $ 9 US each at Walmart (by seat huh, not by ball!).
Finally, above the seats, optional, we can install a hammock as a children's bed. Under the passenger seat, the main battery and under the driver's seat we have just installed an auxiliary battery for this version 2.0. When we tell you that we went economy mode at the beginning of the trip and it for a year and a half ...


The main feature of the Westfalia model is its roof! Here, the liftable model, which can stand when it is open and also access two additional beds, basically it's the guest room! Yes, because for our part, we tend to sleep down! The mattress is thicker and we feel less claustrophobic ... The canvas, original (vintage huh?!), Can open on the front and has a mosquito net integrated (not stupid!). The new replacement canvases have the advantage of having two more openings on the sides!
It would have changed, but it will be for later ...



We have added to all this small world a home made furniture behind the passenger seat in which is a chemical toilet (in case of urgency only haha and only for the small commission one specifies!) And storage (one can never have enough ), as well as a small shelf that unfolds outward in the manner of previous models of combi, just to take a drink outside more easily ...
We also just installed a soft vinyl floor in the back. Not that the original carpet was in bad shape, but it's a lot easier to clean. No need for a vacuum cleaner, a brush and rags and it's impeccable! It is not that we are maniacs, but in a small space it is quickly the B% # $ @ L so we always make sure that it is tidy and clean.


It's a real little house on wheels that lacks just the shower ... And yes, for that it's outside that happens! Go hop, we go out! River, lake, beach shower, ... Otherwise it is under a small tent Quechua provided for this purpose, just to be safe from the wind and have a little privacy when necessary. We add to that a solar shower: basically a pocket of black water (so that it heats the sun, but it is rarely the case ...), and a pipe that goes with it!
We recently, thanks to one of our partners Leisure Leader (specialist equipment for van and camper), could have a lot of extra equipment. The shower is now with pressure thanks to a 12V electric pump system and a knob at the end. We put the pump in a container of water, we plug on the cigarette lighter and presto, a shower almost like home, hot water in less haha! In any case it's really practical, no need to find a tree or do I do not know what mount to hang the solar shower on the roof of the combi ...


Earlier we told you about the solar charge controller. It works well with a solar panel that we installed on the roof. It is a flexible model of 100w that sticks directly with a silicone specially designed for this purpose. Everything is included in the kit from Leisure Leader. We are now autonomous, we can stay put for several days and recharge our devices, switch on the light serenely, etc ... without risk of power failure! We will soon give you an editing tutorial for that 😉

Outside we also installed an awning, because we were tired of literally baking in the sun, and we are heading further south now, so no it is not a luxury! The clothespin towel technique is not very effective, tested and NOT approved!
This is a Fiamma F35 Pro, we chose this model for its lightness (in our opinion more suitable for a small van), compared to the model F45, although it is a little more practical since it takes place with a crank like a classic home awning. Leisure Leader we ordered it to measure: choice of the size, the color of the canvas and the case! We had a good laugh to carry it on the plane, it went like a letter to the post office.
The bike carrier is also a Fiamma model, we are often asked to do so, that's it. It was negotiated (hard), with the purchase of the van. It is aluminum so very light but very strong! This is a specific model for the VW T3. It has resisted the many stony, muddy and sandy paths that have put it to the test with the 2 bicycles permanently attached.


Many people asked us if we were not afraid of the risks of asphyxiation with the new heating ... No, for several reasons:
- First we do not leave it on all night. It is started as soon as one settles and until one goes to bed. Then we programmed it to turn on automatically a little before we wake up.
- Secondly because we installed a harmful gas detector. It is a small box that analyzes the ambient air and emits a light and sound alarm in case of problems: butane / propane leak, CO2 level too high, narcotic gas introduced by someone malicious. We did several tests and it works very well!
At the top of the photo that follows we can also see the 300W inverter that converts the current to 12V generated by Popo 110V (we are in North America do you remember?!). You can then charge any device with a conventional outlet. There are several power, more or less big fact, but for us the 300W is enough to load all our equipment. Transformers of these last being planned to work in 110V / 220V there is no problem of compatibility except the card of the catch.

You may also have noticed that there are three small hatches on one side of the van. From left to right there are:
- permanent water connection (at the campsite for example), never used.
- the electrical outlet (allows to use the refrigerator in 110v and feeds 2 taken inside).
- the filler neck of the 55L water tank.
Depending on the year and the origin of the model (Europe, USA, Canada, ...), traps are not necessarily placed in the same places and do not have the same shape.

On the roof at the front, there is a luggage rack. This is the part that stays fixed when you open the roof. It is not very deep but practical to put some stuff. At the beginning we had installed a waterproof bag with straps found in Canada at Canadian Tire (one of Mister Eric's favorite stores). It was good, but not very practical to get what was in it ... So we recently invested in a rigid box.
It's actually a rifle box (it's easy to find in USA haha, in Outdoors stores like Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop), which is totally waterproof and with a system that regulates the pressure history it does not have. do not explode taking altitude and vice versa that we can open when we go down. In short, it is very convenient, there is no big catch in the wind and it is very easy to access even without getting off the roof. It is secured with a secure key strap and the foam delivered with it has been used to wedge it into place.


Finally, the other question we are often asked: the wheels / tires.
On the first models, like here, it's the original 14 inches. Volkswagen subsequently installed larger diameter wheels (15 and 16 inches). We had All Terrain 4 × 4 tires fitted for several reasons. We travel in all seasons and in all weathers. So we needed tires that hold the road also in the rain and snow. We are also very often out of the box. Bye bye bitumen, to us pebbles, sand and mud. This type of reinforced tires also limits the risk of punctures. The first time we had BF Goodrich All Terrain ridden, but unfortunately production in 14 inches was stopped. So we upgraded General Grabber All Terrain A / T2, a little wider by the way, but still available in 14 inches and just as well.
So much for Popo v2.0! We have probably forgotten things, so do not hesitate to ask questions in comment, we will answer with pleasure.
Ah yes ! The color ... big debate between us ... you see it rather orange, brown or caramel?
All the products that have been supplied to us by Leader Loisirs are useful products that we have chosen according to our needs after more than a year and a half in van. These are not "just gifts" but items that improve our lives, so we talk about it. No language of wood, our opinions are and will always be honest with respect to the products mentioned here!
This van is definitely way too cool 🙂
Super amenities, a real house on wheels!
The small shower kit looks good!
It's small but everything is there, or almost 🙂
Yes, the little shower kit really changes your life!
Bonjour Joana et Éric!!
J’espère que vous allez bien??
Je souhaiterais ajouter un vieux coupleur/séparateur sur mon t3 et souhaiterais savoir si vous avez conservé le petit relais gris d’origine ou si on peut l’enlever pour tout rebrancher sur une boîte à fusibles.
J’aimerais savoir comment tu as fait ça sur popo et si tu as des conseils?
Merci beaucoup
Bon road trip en Amérique du Sud 😉🚐
Too good your article! It's nice to see your house on wheels from the inside, it makes us travel a little with you (and it makes us want to have a small T3 ...) <3 And the toilet is still too much class !
It was time for us to show you around 🙂 We realized that we rarely put photos of the interior so we fixed that…
Do you expect to be unfaithful to Tikal ?! haha
The class we don't know, but you know what it is: it's practical and it saves your life 😉
HANLALALALA POPO <3 C & #039; is really the most beautiful of popo! We dream about it so much, and it is thanks (because?) To you friends! C & #039; is super cool to be able to see it up close like that! 😀
Haha, we understand that you were tempted by a T3 friends 😉 It's still smaller than Harrison!
Delighted to have visited you, hoping that it can help you in your choice.
Thanks for this article! It's awesome ! I wonder more and more about the fact of also leaving in a Van like you, but the question of the budget for the purchase and the renovations worries me a little ... Could you enlighten me on this subject if it does not bother you not ? Thank you very much ! 😀
Hi Stéphanie! We have planned an article on this subject 😉 but we will already take the time to answer you by email. It remains a difficult question because each person / van / project is unique but we will try to answer you as quickly as possible ...
Super article and super popo!
I would like to know if you have plans for your furniture wc?
Thank you and have a good trip to you!
Hi Jean Marc!
Thank you very much, unfortunately we can not ...
You see there one of the prototypes of furniture on which we worked this winter to propose them in definitive version with the plating and the moldings of origin. They will initially be available in North America and then running next year in France hopefully.
But do not hesitate to send us an email if you are interested.
It's great I'm discovering your article
Do you have contact details for this practical piece of furniture in France?
Maxim
Thank you ! We designed and manufactured it ourselves 🙂
Wow this is the first time I read such a complete article on these little vans! I do not know anything about it at all, and the question I often asked was, "but how do they shower?" Lol! Here is the mystery is solved! (must be brave sacrament to shower with cold water !!! it's really the thing that would bother me the most!). I discovered your blog via threevanlifers.com, it's a nice surprise!
Thanks Milla! We have certainly forgotten things but the main thing is there 😉
The shower is always a bit complicated depending where you are ... At this moment in Mexico we appreciate the cold showers haha!
We just discovered their great article on their blog, do not hesitate to go see the other Vanlifers of their selection, they are all great!
Great your amenities! Clear that to cross South America, a heating that works even when stopped, it is not a luxury (we paid for it in our T3 roughly in the north of Argentina until the Cordillera Blanca in Peru!). We are interested in information on this little jewel of technology and even advice on its installation 🙂 Your Popo is really pretty!
Have a good trip to you and enjoy crossing the American roads ...
Thank you for Popo 🙂 It's not much but it changes your life, we try to keep it as original as possible…
It is expected that we will make an article on the installation of heating when we will be a little more laid in the fall.
If it is urgent send us an email, we will send you other photos with some explanations!
Hoping to meet you on the roads!
Hello. We have a te and desperately search the shelf above the gas would you know where we could get it? Thank you
Top development????
Hello! Most of the specialized garages keep this kind of part where they sell them at a high price 🙁 Have you tried forums like T3zone and the various Facebook groups?
Hello to you,
First of all thank you for all these tips and ideas, we discover our t3 and with explanations, photos etc ... like yours this gives us even more desire to travel with.
For tires, did you keep the original sheet metal rims or did you go with 15 inches?
Hello !
With pleasure, if you have any questions or questions do not hesitate to send us an email, we are starting to get to know these little beasts well 😉
Yes, we kept the original sheet metal rims in 14 ". The All Terrain tires we have are easily found across the Atlantic. At first it is more complicated in Europe in this size ...
Good evening to you both!
First of all, congratulations on your adventure and especially for sharing it with us. You are truly inspiring.
Recent owner of a 1989 T3, I'm looking to make improvements to go further and longer, so I spy on Popo 😉
I have a big question about the extra battery, to which I would like to couple a flexible solar panel and take the opportunity to change the fridge for a more efficient compressor fridge. René Caux does not want to install a deep cycle battery under the driver's seat… I insist because I want a smaller and more efficient lithium battery than a “normal” battery and keep my other storage spaces… Are you satisfied with your installation? or did you do it?
Have you changed the fridge?
And do you take a tour of Popo? I try my luck ... 😉
Nathalie (French from Montreal)
Hi Nathalie, first thank you for your compliments!
We will answer you by email, otherwise it may be a bit long here but quickly:
We did the installation ourselves, basically with AGM batteries under the seat that we recently replaced with a much more efficient Lithium battery!
We have also recently changed the fridge for a compression fridge, much more space and less energy consuming!
We plan to do a Van tour on video very soon 😉
Hello
I have been following your trip for some time and I congratulate you on your work, your journey.
I have a question about your heating layout because we have with my small family an interior t3 westfalia 1.9 Df petrol and I would like to know which brand of heating you have installed.
Have you connected it directly to the tank?
We don't have much choice for petrol models
Thank you for sharing and especially staying the course
Hi, thank you again for the note, we answered you by email but we also answer you here, if it can be used for others:
It is a “Webasto” type gasoline heater directly connected to the tank with a T 😉
Hello, wow !!! after learning about the trotters mariolles, and you exceptional. Congratulations to your minimalist, indeed travel makes people more beautiful from the inside, living with simplicity, superb travel ... I have always had the fiber of discovering Mother Nature, after having raised my sons, I bought a little piece of paradise in the woods near the River, I decide to make my dream come true to buy myself a van, I will go alone my husband likes comfort too much… maybe he will join me? ..
My question for the gasoline canister wheel carrier, which brand, where can I buy it… and where are you currently?
Thank you
Thank you for your message 🙂 It's important to make these dreams come true, whatever they are!
We are in France, in the South a few more days before continuing our tour of France.
The wheel carrier comes from Rocky Mountain Westy in the USA, it is specific for the VW T3 (called Vanagon there), and the attachment for the gas can is a house modification. Nothing very complicated 😉
Hello,
Unless I'm mistaken, it seems to me that we passed each other on a spot above Ste Eulalie a few days ago. We are the Sprinter 4 × 4. Indeed, we started 43 years ago with a Combi 1600 from 1978, which accompanied us for 11 years. Since then, we have never stopped walking as soon as possible. The must-see was the Pan-American Ushuaia / Fairbanks / Gaspésie / Washington in 2015-16. Bravo for your images, for your projects.
Good follow-up to you, and the pleasure of crossing paths.
Jeans
Hey! But yes !!! Such a pity that we did not have more chatting on the spot… A Combi from the same year, and this same Pan-American project with our T3 (twice aborted) but which is still there. We have a lot in common 🙂
Looking forward to meeting again and chatting more about it all!
Hi Popo !! I find the adjustments you made very well. There is the essential and the practical while adding a touch of comfort. Very nice swivel front chairs!
Hello ! Thank you 🙂
Yes, the seats that turn around are great, practical in a small space like this one!
About your auxiliary battery, I would like to know the type, model number, where can we buy this model, and according to your experience, is it effective?
Hi, we changed a few years ago to a GoWesty lithium battery, much more efficient than these models 😉 We have almost twice as much autonomy for the same battery size and after 4 years it is still as efficient. If you are interested send us an email, we have a promo code of -10% with them!
Hi,
I also recently invested in a vw T3 where there is a lot of work, but already running. I am looking to arrange it for weekends and holidays. I watch all your videos on youtube, I love them, keep it up.
I wanted to know on your left and right mirrors if they were indeed blind spot mirrors that I see on the videos. If so, and if you are happy with them, where did you buy them?
Hello, welcome to the club 🙂
Thank you for all these lovely compliments!
Yes, these are indeed concave mirrors (on the offset mirrors there is no version with a flat mirror to our knowledge).
They come from Mecatechnic:
https://www.mecatechnic.com/fr-FR/retroviseur-deporte-gauche-pour-vw-transporter-t25-de-1985-a-1992_KA148007.htm
https://www.mecatechnic.com/fr-FR/retroviseur-deporte-droit-pour-vw-transporter-t25-de-1985-a-1992_KA148008.htm
We really love them, they don't vibrate with speed, fold down easily, the rear vision is great and not too distorted, in short, it's not cheap but it's worth it!
Good morning ,
thank you for all this information,
I would like the reference of your lithium battery, please, thank you very much.
Muriel
Hello, les batteries au lithium ne peuvent pas être transportées ou envoyées par avion donc nous avons acheté sur place une batterie chez GoWesty. Il s’agit d’une batterie de 50Ah qui rentre parfaitement à plat dans le compartiment sous le siège 😉