Vanner Pins and Buttons

WTF is up with the 2% decals on everyone’s vans? The 2% movement came about after the March ’76 issue of the National Street Van Association’s (NSVA) newsletter hit the streets. The NSVA claimed that 98% of vanners felt that there was an undesirable element in vanning and that same 98% appreciated the NSVA’s list of event no-no’s which included no all-night parties, no wet t-shirt events, heavy drinking. drugs, etc. This was to ensure truck-ins would feel like suburban camping, so just like that, the 2% was born and those who wanted nothing to do with NSVA’s rules or events wore their 2% badge proudly.

Based on an original iron-on transfer, this Heavy Chevy design is about as period-correct as you can get. From the exaggerated look of the tricked out street van to the funky airbrush style lettering, this one knocks that '70s look out of the park and is perfect for any vanner of the bowtie persuasion.  

In 1976 a line of trucks and vans dubbed ‘Adult Toys’ came out. 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 70’s 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 of 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.

Back in the '60s and ’70s, Sam Radoff was one of the best custom car and bike builders in the Midwest, if not the country. Raised in Detroit, Radoff got his start at a young age by pin striping plastic model cars and after a stint in the Army, got himself a motorcycle and of course, did custom paint on it. Fellow bikers loved his style, so he started painting bikes for a living, which blew up in a good way. The next thing he knew, he was welding frames, building tanks, and doing full on custom choppers. Before too long, he was building and customizing hot rods and vans that ranged from mild to wild, but the one common denominator were his wild signature custom paint jobs.

Rolling room, stabbin' cabin, bedroom on wheels... whatever you call it, there really is nothing quite like doing it in a van.

A 19-year-old named Nick bought this cherry red 1975 G-10 from its original owner right off Van Nuys Boulevard in 1977. It was already mildly customized with gold pinstripe work and a set of mags, but Nick wanted to make it his own. Since naming vans was what people did back then, he dubbed it Wild Cherry, and added a set of flares, but didn't have the dough to get them painted. Somewhat ironically, the bright white flares are what really made Wild Cherry pop, and caught the attention of the film crew from the 1979 B-movie, Van Nuys Blvd. They asked if he wanted his van to make an appearance in the movie, and of course, he said yes, so Wild Cherry can be seen in all its glory for about 3 seconds in the movie and in the trailer.

Celebrate that Vanner Life with this fun retro design.

Vanner with splash color

Hollywood's Van World Customs rolled up their bay doors in 1974, so they were a little late to the party as far as the custom van craze goes, but they made up for it by creating some of the most outrageous vans to ever cruise Van Nuys Blvd. From mild to wild, if a customer could dream it, they could build it and it was guaranteed to be an absolute showstopper. 

The social remnants of the '60s were still vibrant in the early '70s, although they had taken on a more materialistic expression. Vans became the transport of choice for many 'counterculture' types. Their trucks, made up of equal parts of rolling interior design display and airbrushed billboard, were personalized automotive expressions and as varied as their owners/builders. It didn't take long before vanners started getting together to hang out, so truck-ins or truckin' events became increasingly common, including some hosted by VANS Ltd. that happened at the most magical place on earth... at least three times, apparently.

Cartoon of a crazy rat behind the wheel of a 1960s Chevy van. Words are Flat Glass Rat Genuine Junk Yard Parts.

Gypsy Vanner Horse by Equine Rampaige

Keep on vannin' and enjoying that vanner life with this retro design featuring the Ford Transit.

Bay Pinto Gypsy Vanner Horse

A Little something for my fellow custom vanners.

Everyone gets the blues, but no matter how bad things may be at the time, you have to keep on truckin'

Hop Cap was located in Bremen, Indiana, just 25 miles away from the epicenter of van conversions in the 1970s - Elkhart, Indiana. And yeah, no idea how Elkhart became the place where custom van dreams became reality, but that's another story... These rigs were known as Vantastic by Hop Cap and they specialized in customizing vans as mild or as wild as customers wanted. Some just have a little shag carpeting, custom paint, and a bubble window, while others were totally over the top.

One of the more ubiquitous sights from the late ’60s, this guy was still truckin’ along with his timeless message, but received a vannin' twist in 1974.

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

A Little something for my fellow custom vanners.

A Little something for my fellow custom vanners.

A Little something for my fellow custom vanners.

Something for us vanners.

original oil painting on canvas

A Little something for my fellow custom vanners.

original oil painting on canvas

Bay Rearing Gypsy Vanner

A Little something for my fellow custom vanners.

Something about this font made me want to curate a desert design.

Bay Tobiano Rearing Gypsy Vanner

Black Sabino Rearing Gypsy Vanner

During the custom van craze of the '70s, the Trademan was a popular platform for vanners everywhere and Dodge capitalized on this by creating a factory customized Trademan called the "Street Van" package.

Vanhalla Kustom Shop was one of Southern California's premier van customizers throughout the '70s and well into the '80s and provided customizing services ranging from mild to wild. So, whether you wanted something as simple as a porthole window installed or a radical custom fabricated body restyling, Vanhalla had you covered.

Black Tobiano Rearing Gypsy Vanner

Formed in 1987 under the moniker Katzenjammer, Kyuss would go on to be the coolest band during their lifetime. With scorching-hot riffs, serpentine grooves, and no rush to get anywhere faster than absolutely necessary, they truly encapsulated the vastness of the California desert from which they hailed, which makes their unique cult following all the easier to understand.

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.