Vanner Hoodies

Hawaii is the ultimate destination for many, and living there with (or in) a killer Street Van is the icing on the cake... a true Hawaii vantasy.

Maybe the first font isn't your style, maybe this one is.

The '80s were a great time for over the top custom four-wheel drive vehicles and while there were plenty of shops in the greater SoCal area to get your ride tricked out, there were none greater than El Centro's Ultimate Off Road. While other guys were just adding lift kits and chrome bits, UOR was building rigs that actually performed off road as well as they looked, so if you were rolling in a UOR build, you were doing so with confidence as they were as bulletproof as they come.

Something for us vanners.

SuperVan is a 1977 American vansploitation film that features a very heavily modified van central to the storyline. It is an action adventure comedy road movie and is rated PG. The story follows Clint Morgan as he goes to The Invitational Freak-Out for custom van enthusiasts intending to enter his van, The Sea Witch, in a contest. In saving a runaway, Karen, from a bike gang, Clint loses his van. He goes to his friend Bosley, a rebel designer, who lets Clint and Karen enter his solar-powered laser-firing custom van, Vandora, in place of The Sea Witch. Based on a stock Sportsman van, some of SuperVan's most unusual features are solar panels, the ability to emit laser beams, and a complete custom body.

Custom vans were all the rage in the ’70s, and there were shops catering to boogie van lovers from coast-to-coast helping vanners build their dream ride, and one such shop was Calivania Customs. This west coast custom van shop was based in Los Angeles and made sure their signature California style was reflected in every van they built, no matter how wild or mild the project may have been.

There's just something cool about hopping in the van and truckin' down the road as wherever you're going, it will be a vantastic voyage.

During the custom van craze of the '70s, there were plenty of local shops as well as larger builders that for some reason were all based in the Midwest. Grand Systems was on of these larger builders that worked both consumer direct and with dealers to build the conversion van of their dreams.

R.F. is a grotesque green rat with wild eyes and sharp teeth – an intentional antithesis to that super wholesome mouse that everyone knows all too well. He’s recognizable for his crazed look, unattractive body, gaping mouth, and overalls with his initials on them. He became a familiar sight among hot rodders and the kustom kulture scene and was – for a time – one of the most recognizable characters around.

Perfect appreciation gift for gypsy vanner horse lover , gypsy vanner horse owner, equestrian and horse rancher : loved one or friend !

Excellent!

In the '60s, Rodco made a name for themselves as one of the biggest snowmobile dealers in Vermont, but when vanning blew up on the West Coast, they decided to get into the custom van game. Based in the town of Randolph in Orange County, Rodco Custom Vans turned out hundreds of unique rides with multiple interior options, custom exterior styling, and most notably, hand painted murals and artwork that made every single van an original. Rodco primarily worked with the Tradesman platform, and were a customizer to many dealers, but they did create a few one offs from other makes. Given the harsh Northeast winters and overall regional weather, few of Radco's rolling rooms have survived, and those that have, were usually taken west.

Excellent!

The Motocross Super Van was released in 1975 and is probably one of the coolest diecast vans Hot Wheels ever released. There were a few variations on the livery, including one that was branded for a Japanese motorcycle maker, but the colors and basic look were pretty consistent.

A Little something for my fellow custom vanners, not to be confused with vanlifers, no hate to them, but we are not the same lol.

First-generation Chevy Van refers to the first G-10 half-ton production years 1964 through 1966. There was a market for a compact van based on a modified passenger car platform to compete with the already successful Econoline and A100 vans. The 1964 Chevy van had a cab-forward design with the engine placed in a “doghouse” between and behind the front seats. Engines and brakes were sourced from the Chevy II, a more conventional compact car than the Corvair which was used as the basis for the Chevy Greenbrier vans. The 1st Gen vans were available in only the short 90-inch wheelbase and with the standard 90 hp 153-cubic-inch straight-4 or straight-6 engine. A first-gen is quickly identified by its single-piece flat windshield glass.

Do you love your Gypsy Vanner and are a real horse lover? This design has the horse saying ''Gypsy Daddy'' and was created with a beautiful drawing of an Irish Cob. Do you own a horse and can you call yourself a Gypsy Daddy? Then this is the perfect horse motif!

Custom vans were all the rage in the '70s, and there were shops catering to boogie van lovers from coast-to-coast helping vanners build their dream ride. By the mid '80s, many of those shops had either gone under, or shifted their focus as vans fell out of favor, but for those who kept on trucking, a few standouts kept the flame alive. Miami's Contreras Customs is one such shop that kept building show quality rolling rooms well into the '90s. Sure, they did lots of other custom work too, like traditional lowriders and restomod muscle cars, but continued to support vanners, even going so far as to manufacture many custom parts that could no longer be found.

During the custom van craze of the ’70s, there were plenty of local shops as well as larger builders that for some reason were all based in the Midwest. Grand Systems was one of these larger builders that worked both consumer direct and with dealers to build the conversion van of their dreams. While they did full custom, they also offered several packages that were offered turn key or as starting points for further customization, including the 'Blue Diamond' package reflected here.

Retro MOD inspired repeat design.

Another retro inspired design to show off your love of custom vans.

Retro inspired repeating design.

A Little something for my fellow custom vanners.

This beautiful Vanner horse is playing on a daisy filled meadow on this beautiful sunny day. He feels the breeze through his mane as he rears up to show his prowess.

original oil painting on canvas

Dapple Gray Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

The A100 is a range of compact vans and cab over trucks were made from 1964 to 1970 in the United States and Canada. These vans are without question a vanner favorite and this retro gasser inspired design shows the 'Kalifornia Wagon' A100 with a 426 Hemi mounted midship gettin' some on the way to the beach to catch some tasty waves. 

In 1976 a line of trucks and vans dubbed ‘Adult Toys’ was launched. Don’t be gross, these ‘Adult Toys’ were a series of factory vehicles that included the Street Van, which rolled off the assembly line outlandishly customized in what would become a staple of late '70s automotive culture – custom mag wheels, wild paint schemes, and plenty of shag carpeting among others. Despite the rich host of custom options the Street Van rolled off the line with, the true intention was for it to serve as an enticing platform for even more customization. To get buyers headed in the right direction, every Street Van came with a customization kit that included detailed instructions and plans to further style their van to their individual tastes.

Proud to add Lord Creedence to my growing number of Gypsy Vanner Horse designs. This art is a combination of photos by Roxy Werner and splatters from Graphicstock and Photoshop.

During the custom van craze of the ’70s, there were plenty of local shops as well as larger builders that for some reason were almost all based in Elkhart, Indiana. Van Vinyl wasn't a full custom builder or conversion shop, but rather a manufacturer of custom interior components, many of which were used by the larger conversion shops, but also sold directly to consumers. So whether you want royal blue captains chairs and a matching sofa that folded out into a bad or just want new door panels and a customer matched dashboard cover, Van Vinyl was the go-to place!

White Gray Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

Long before online colleges and distance learning were a thing, correspondence courses were the way people could get a degree or certification without having to ever set foot on a college campus. One such institution was Auto Upholstery Institute of Orange, California. In an attempt to ride the car and van customizing wave of the early '70s, A.U.I. set up several correspondence courses to teach auto upholstery and customization. Advertisements in automotive magazines and comic books advised readers to send in the included form for a free course catalog. Once registered, schools sent training materials, lesson worksheets, and the tools and supplies for the selected course. A.U.I. was even accredited by the California Department of Education.

Bay Brown Pinto Skewbald Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse Trotting in Snow

As the van craze of the '70s began was waning, Van World Magazine decided to expand their reach by retooling themselves as Van, Pickup, and Off-Road World Magazine. As the mouthful of a name might imply, the magazine still carried some van-related content, but the magazine largely shifted focus and embraced the growing interest in pickup trucks and off-roading. Coverage included new vehicle tests, reader's rides, how-to pieces, and occasional coverage of racing events and shows. Numbering continued from Van World, and a total of 11 issues were printed between May 1979 and March 1980 before the title was shelved.

Chestnut Pinto Skewbald Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE

Chestnut Flaxen Gypsy Vanner Draft Horse LOVE