At first glance, the Super Bugger Camper looks like the bastard offspring of an RV and a clown car.
But it’s no joke. In fact, the highly conspicuous VW Bug conversions were once a car-camping staple in California. It all began in the late ’60s, when a Costa Mesa outfit called Super Bugger started retrofitting 1968 VW Beetle chassis with a kitchenette, dining table and fold-out queen-sized bed. In 1977, they were advertised in Mechanix Illustrated for the price of $5,995 — about $27,000 these days, adjusting for inflation.
They were light enough to garner 23 miles per gallon but had a top speed of just 55 miles per hour, making them a bit sluggish for today’s freeways. (Maybe you could take one to Zelectric Motors in San Diego, pros at bringing dated VWs up to green-speed.) Still, they packed all the enterprising outdoorsman needed: mobility, sleepability and a roof over his head.
Just add some surfboard racks and the Pacific Coast Highway is all yours.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
