What Van "Specials" would you like to see?

If Truckin' were to do a special issue coming up on classic vans, which would you like to see most? An Econoline special? An A100 special? A Chevy Van special? How would you feel if they did a special on the VW Microbus?  

I might get hung out to dry with this but here goes, I have a friend at work that loves the VW 21 and 23 window buses, so I have spent some time checking them out online and they are really cool.  I would love to see something on them, as an enthusiats who doesn't really know much about the van scene, I would personally like to see some of the history on vans, what vans started the trends that are still cool today.  Stuff like that.  I also like to see new vans Caddy clipped and laying frame, so for me I guess maybe the evolution of the van scene in general.  
-Cody

I like the old VWs, too, but it seems to be a polarizing subject among the van guys here. I'm not sure what the rules are at the big van shows in terms of VWs. I'd assume they'd have a separate class for them, but I think a lot of the shows might be American vans only. Not sure.  

I would like to see one done on the early Econolines. Then one on the VW 21 window which is one of my favorite vans of all time. 01Yukonrollin if you really want to know about the history of the vannin scene go here: http://inlandvansberdoo.com Inland Vans was the first van club and is credited as such. We are in the Route 66 Hall of Fame for our contributions to the van scene and to custom mods we started back in 1969, Tons of pics there. There is also a plaque at the National Hot Rod Museum in Pomona, Calif. honoring Inland Vans Berdoo. There is a book being written right now telling Inland VAns Berdoos story.  
Mike Cook
Vice President
Inland Vans Berdoo
2008 Route 66 Hall of Fame Inductee

I never realized that you guys have such a history in the custom world.  That is very cool. I will check it out.  
-Cody

I agree. I think an early Econoline special would be cool. Let's see if Bob & Dan are listening.    

Dan once said that I shouldn't be surprised if he hits me up for for help with an article sometime. This would be one I could help with since I have built several.  
Mike Cook
Vice President
Inland Vans Berdoo
2008 Route 66 Hall of Fame Inductee

Hey yukonrollin, Inland Vans Berdoo has also received awards from the United States Senate, The House of Representatives, The California State Senate and Legislature and the city and county of San Bernardino, Calif..Over 40 years of vanning and still 65 members strong.Our members started out with next to nothing now some  have become doctors, asst prison wardens, self made millionaires, businessmen and well known contributors to our community. To think we got our start as a bunch of teenagers that just wanted to party to being the successful bunch we have become is surprising even to us.  
Mike Cook
Vice President
Inland Vans Berdoo
2008 Route 66 Hall of Fame Inductee

That is awesome!  I looked at some of the photos on your site and its cool to see middle aged guys still hanging out.  Thats the true spirit of customs, brotherhood.  Thanks for opening my eyes to some of the early van scene.  
-Cody

A "Special" on Econolines would be neat. If you coincide this with the annual EconOwest held every April at the Rosebowl in Pasadena that would be even better. They've been doing this event for 22 years now. That way you could get 20 early Econos and likely more (if they know Truckin' is coming) in one spot and take all the pictures there.  
Vannin.com staff, showtrux.com/paneltruck.com webmaster
Member Van Azur, ACVQ, OFV, National Truck-In Board support staff and occasional contributer to this fine magazine going back to 1982.

I would personally like to see a feature on the Econoline vans, any generation of them, as I own a customized 1987 personally, so..... bit truthfully any van actually are great in my mind.. and on that note, THANK YOU for all the recent Van features! I would like to make a suggestion there too. Run two van stories a month, one on a new/newer van and rerun a older van feature too... from a older (70's/80's) issue of Truckin' , maybe call the article "BACK IN THE DAY"  just my 2%  

I think that a special is required on vans from around the globe. They advertise Truckin' as the WORLD'S leading truck publication so I think a special each month looking at different styles of vans from all over the world would be brilliant.

Most people know the old Austin Mini's, but not many people are aware that there was a van variant made of them (which I would love to own!!) and the Mini's still are the vehicular icon of England, so the van would be awesome to see in the mag!!

Also things like the Ford Transit, the van that literally built this country from the ground up, the van that was advertised racing round a dirt track overtaking the race cars. I think the Transit deserves a spot because of the fact that in the 80s in the UK, something like 90% of bank robberies involved a Ford Transit!! LOL  

I doubt that articles on vans around the globe would sell many issues here in the USA and that is where most issues of Truckin are sold. Japan has several mags dedicated to the wildly customized vans that are popular there but most vanners I know just laugh at them. We want to read about the vans that we drive. The vans that started the van craze in the first place which coincidentally gave Truckin Magazine it's start.  
Mike Cook
Vice President
Inland Vans Berdoo
2008 Route 66 Hall of Fame Inductee

Yea, true, but the van culture in the UK was absolutely massive years ago and it's still there behind the woodwork of the Fast And Furious style car scene and Ford Transits were the ones that started it off.

This is one that is rather well known in the van scene in the UK - 3001 A Space Oddity - and is currently being restored to it's former glory and even better by a member of one of my van clubs.


 

One of my Econos was in Fast and Furious. I know a lot of vanners having been into vanning for 36 years and I have yet run into one that is in the least bit interested in European vans. The ones I know in Europe  own American built vans and wouldn't be caught dead in a European van. I can see if you have lived your entire life in Europe and only know European vans then you might think that what we call station wagons or cross overs are vans. Maybe someone should start a magazine dedicated to European vans like the Japanese did. I doubt that it would go over well though. My whole point is that for Truckin to be successful it needs to print what the people who read it the most want to read or their mag will lose sales and their very existence would be in jeopardy. If your van is considered large where you are then that Transit must be a behemoth. Keep your ideas coming, they are interesting even though some would not be practical. We may not agree on what is or is not a van but we both agree that vans are fun to drive and customize. Keep on TRUCKIN.  
Mike Cook
Vice President
Inland Vans Berdoo
2008 Route 66 Hall of Fame Inductee