Whatever happened to conversion vans? If you are smiling right now, you probably owned one. If anything ever needed to come back, these are it.
I never owned a conversion van. I’m a bit too young for those, but my older brother had one. He also had a moustache, silk shirts and a belt with his name on it.
If you don’t recall what a conversion van was, let me help you out. They were essentially cargo vans that were decked out, typically by a third-party company but also by a generation of do-it-yourselfers. Popular full-sized models that were used for the base included the Chevrolet Van, the Dodge Ram Van, the Ford E-Series and my personal favorite, the GMC Vandura.
Trendy features included shag carpet, captain’s seats, luxury lighting, 8-track players and lots of oak trim. The cool ones had fold-down beds, fiberglass bubble tops and gas stoves.
Conversion vans started to become popular in the 1960s with the hippies, and those Volkswagen models really were groovy. But the ones I recall were in the 1970s — and the more custom paint they had, the better. Think nature scenes, flames and lots of Americana. Those were the days of Evel Knievel, after all. The side windows were also a signature feature, often in small circles, rectangles or diamonds — and almost always tinted.
Few things are as identifiable with the 1970s era as conversion vans. Unfortunately, they went by the wayside along with dark wood paneling, crochet throws and mood rings.
Some say the demise of conversion vans was due to the federal government and vehicle manufacturers demanding new safety guidelines be adhered to. Others say the vans priced themselves out of the market with extravagant features. In reality, the rising cost of fuel made these gas-hogs less attractive for the average American.
Regardless, conversion vans were the ultimate vehicle for road trips, and they looked really cool in the driveway. You know the saying, what goes around, comes around. Well, don’t call it a comeback, but you, too, may be driving one soon.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707