1967 Vw Volkswagen Bus Riviera Camper Walkthru Type 2 on 2040-cars

The history of the Riviera camper goes back to an age-old problem facing VW dealers in the 1950s and 1960s. "Gosh, we really want those Westfalia campers, but the factory won't give them to us until we also buy a bunch of those panel vans!" Riviera Motors was based in Beaverton, Oregon, about 10 miles outside Portland. The Volkswagen Distributors and Dealers in North America booklet, dated January 1965 lists Riviera Motors' address as:

Riviera Motors Inc.
1737 S.W. Morrison St.
Tel. CA 6-3831

Some of the earliest and best information on the origin of Riviera campers comes from Fred Stormer and Charles Lukey, courtesy of the type2.com archives. Fred Stoermer writes:

"Riviera Motors was the Beaverton, Oregon based regional distributor of Volkswagens. At some point they decided to contract with ASI (Automotive Services, Inc.), based in the Vancouver, Washington area, for Type 2 camper conversions modeled after Westfalia Campmobiles. Why Riviera decided to do this is a puzzle, because Campmobiles sold like hotcakes in the Pacific Northwest."

Charles "Luke" Lukey responds:

True - they sold so well that Riviera Motors could not keep their downstream dealers supplied. VW offered the following take-it-or-leave-it deal: You get X number of Westfalia campers when you buy Y number of pickups and panel vans.

This posed a problem to Knute Qvale, owner of Riviera Motors. VW pickups and panels were slow movers, prone to "lot rot." Knute knew a cabinet maker named Lasko and assigned him to design and build a camper conversion that would work with the VW panel. He then imposed a new regime on his downstream dealers: You get X number of Westfalia campers when you buy Y number of my "Riviera" campers.

The dealers were hesitant at first, but once they'd seen the workmanship of the conversion, they got on board. This was in 1965.

So the first Riviera conversions began in 1965. But there's documented proof of Riviera campers made from buses as early as 1963 and perhaps even 1958! In the case of the 1963, it was delivered into the east coast and presumably came west before being converted into a Riviera camper. Does that make these "early" campers any less Riviera than one built in 1966? Of course not. But if you are looking to buy a Riviera camper or establish the history of your camper, remember that official production began in 1965.

1965 through 1967. Three model years of split window buses that became Riviera campers. Sadly, no one at Riviera Motors nor ASI (so far as we know) kept accurate records of Riviera production numbers. Look over any confirmed Riviera and you won't find a body badge or ID plate anywhere. It's very disheartening as a Riviera owner to be unable to say "This here's Riviera #456." or something of the kind. We simply have the ability to say "This is a Riviera".  

While Riviera produced camper initially based on the Westy campers, you can tell there are some very unique differences. If you're wondering what those are, check out the guide here on the site. A handful of Riviera camper were also fitted with Sportsmoblie pop tops courtesy of Travel Equipment Corp. in Elkhart, Indiana. As of yet, I have never found any original literature pertaining to the early Rivieras. I cannot imagine that a dealership would market a camper without doing some promotional work for it, but the only literature out there that I have seen is for bay window Rivieras.

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This 1967 Volkswagen Bus Riviera Camper has spent the last 20 years of its life down here in sunny Southern AZ. I picked it up 3 years ago from the 4th owner. Over the last three years I have put a lot of work into this beautiful Bus. I have strived to keep as much original as possible. I doubt I could even list all of the work done over the last few, but I will try. This is my dream Bus and I would love to keep it, but I am soon to be married and other priorities have worked their way into my life.   

Engine:

Engine is a well-built 1776cc, w/ 90.5mm bore x 69mm stroke. Stock 1600 cam, 1.25:1 ratio rockers, recent valve adjustment and oil change. Dual Weber IDF 44mm carbs w/Gene Berg Linkage recently cleaned and adjusted. AS41 dual relief full flow case w/ remote filter and new oil lines. Berg hemi-cut heads w/ 35.5 intake and 32mm exhaust valves. Fresh plugs, wires, points and condenser. Excellent power and torque, runs great, very nice to drive in town and on the highway. Reliable and quiet, heater works, no overheat problems or smoke whatsoever

The Bus also has an upgraded 15 Gallon Fuel tank from a later bus.

Transaxle/Tires/Brakes:

Freshly Rebuilt Transaxle and gear reduction boxes, fresh seals, syncro rings & bearings. Has warranty through January of next year from Arizona Transaxle. I have warranty and paperwork. The rear tires still have the hairs on them and the fronts have less than 1000 miles on them. The brakes have been gone through and are within spec.

Body & Trim:

The great thing about Southern Arizona is that none of the old cars around here get rusty.  Conversely, all the rubber and seals generally dry out. That said, I have replaced every last window and door seal in the bus. Both the passenger and driver's side windows have had new felt channels installed as well.  All of the doors open and close beautifully. The Bus has had very little rust through out its lifetime. The rocker panels are clean and straight. The Bus has all of the original aluminum window trim and all the of the latches work. There is a crack in the Picture window on the driver's side. I never replaced it because of all the cool old state stickers that are still on the window. The front and rear bumpers are straight and in solid condition. The Front head lights were taken apart and rebuilt/restored. The Bus has a custom off-set antenna to accommodate the Safari Windows. The wiper arms have the off sets as well so they can be placed out of the way on the one-eyed duck. I windshield wiper jets are functional and work off of the manual push button reservoir under the dash.

Interior:

Originally, the bus had some worn linoleum for flooring in it. I thought long and hard about replacing it with more linoleum, but in the end I decided on Bamboo Wood Floors. The Camper interior was removed for the floor install. While everything was out, I insulated the roof and the bulk of the paneling in the bus. It drives much quieter now. I had all of the cushions re-upholstered as well. The rear bed actually has memory foam in it. It is super comfortable. The driver and passenger seat springs were also rebuilt when the reupholster was done. All of the cabinets are functional and open and close nicely. The inside of the ice box was restored and looks almost new. The water siphon pump/faucet is functional and the 5 gallon tank is leak free. The Spice rack, table, and cargo door tables are in fantastic original condition. I wanted to restore the face of the Ice Box as well but I decided to leave the patina with the awesome vintage stickers. I have the original two keys for the Bus which work with all of the doors/ignition. I also have the key for the optional original shift lock accessory.  I also had custom window curtains made for the bus. I have the original Tent that came with it which is pretty awesome. The tent has been used but it is in pretty good shape for being 46 years old. The heater boxes are intact and the heat functions very well.   

Electrical:

The horn, turn signals, headlights, interior lights, lamps, brake lights, window wipers, fuel gauge, dash lights etc. all work. The Bus has also been outfitted with a tachometer and oil temperature gauge. The stereo in the Bus was upgraded to a RetroSound Deck. It looks vintage but has all of the modern stuff. (Two Aux in, USB, SD Card etc). There are two 6.5" speakers in the front kick panels of the bus. It can handle (I-Pod, I-phone, satellite, jump drive, etc.).

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I'm sure there are things I haven't listed here. The bus runs great and I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across the country. Feel free to e-mail me and ask any questions. My name is Shawn & I can be reached at 520-548-4235. I love this bus and I want it go to a great home. I can assist with helping to find an auto shipper but shipping is still responsibility of the buyer. Happy bidding!