Subject: RE: ASI Campers

Fred:

The story as I understand it goes like this...

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.

Luke:

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.

Fred:

Wherever there was a car show or fairgrounds display of new vehicles, one of
the top 2 or 3 "people-magnets" would be a Campmobile all set up with a side
tent, poptop, lounge chairs, picnic table, etc. on an expanse of artificial
grass and surrounded by potted palms.  You had to stand in line just to get a
peek inside!

The first ASI campers I recall were 1973 Type 2 conversions.  There may have
been earlier models, but starting with the '73s it became impossible to find a
Westfalia for sale new in the region.  A good friend bought Pete Lovely VW's
(Fife/Tacoma, WA) 1972 demonstrator Campmobile in early 1973, because they
didn't have any '73 Campmobiles available (but plenty of ASIs).

Over the years the ASI conversions became (in my opinion) more and more like
mini-motorhomes, and less like campers.  ASI used their own poptop that is
similar in appearance to Westfalia's, but actually quite different in
execution.  The cabinets, etc., were initially clones of Westfalia's designs,
but diverged over the years.  All of the fittings, hardware, etc. in ASI rigs
are pretty standard mobile home/RV stuff.

Luke:

Mostly true.  Every year the sales reps from Westfaliawerk would arrive in Portland to 
see what new things Knute was adding to his campers.  Many of those ideas appeared 
in next year's Westfalia.  They exchanged ideas on what hardware held up and what 
layout seemed to be popular. Westfalia also used off the shelf RV parts, some still 
available in European RV shops.

Fred:

I believe they converted Type 2s that were delivered to Riviera Motors by VW as 
Station Wagons. Two of my friends drive late-'70s ASI conversions.

Theirs, and others I've looked over, show all the signs of having been built and fitted out 
as Station Wagons, then stripped by ASI and reincarnated as campers.  I've never seen 
an ASI conversion with a reinforced chassis, for instance, but I have seen ones that 
clearly had originally been built with a sunroof.

Luke:

ASI campers, being much lighter than their German counterparts, usually did not 
require a belly pan. I've seen one that did, but as a double door panel, it would've had 
one anyway.

Fred:

If ASI continued converting VWs after the 1979 model year, I'm not aware of having 
seen one. That may be because I haven't really paid much attention to Vanagons.

Luke:

They continued on to the mid-80's.  Al Lasko, son of the original cabinet maker, is still in 
business in Vancouver.  He's been doing van conversions since demand for Vanagons 
petered out a few years ago.  I've got him on video,  looking over the interior of my 
Riviera and commenting on the originality of it.