Camper conversion mini Vans

• To create a system that will provide payments only for eligible transactions under the CARS program.
• Under the law, NHTSA will make electronic funds transfers only to a registered dealer that has submitted the required proof of a completely eligible transaction.
• We will develop a registration system to identify licensed, franchised new vehicle dealers and to obtain the banking and tax identification information necessary for making secure electronic transfers. Only registered dealers will have access to the payment system.

• As noted above, at the time of the transaction at the dealer, the consumer who is trading in the “trade-in vehicle” will need to provide evidence of ownership of the vehicle and proof that the vehicle has been continuously registered and insured to the same person throughout the last 12 months.
• To prevent repeated use of the program by the same person, we anticipate that the consumer will need to provide evidence of identity, such as a driver’s license, and permit that information to become part of the documentation of the transaction.

• The dealer will have every reason to avoid entering into a transaction for which the dealer cannot be reimbursed under this program.
• The dealer will be expected to verify that the vehicle being traded in and the vehicle being purchased or leased are both eligible under the program.
• This will entail, with regard to the trade-in, making sure that the registration and insurance information is accurate and that the vehicle is in drivable condition.
• For both vehicles, the dealer will need to verify their combined fuel economy.

How to Drive Clean

The concept of driving a clean technology vehicle to some people may sound a bit "granola" at first. But with the technological of our advancements and substantial market interest in recent years, auto manufacturers are offering a very large variety of clean technology vehicle makes and models that provide the same power, style, luxury and features as traditional gasoline vehicles Not only can car buyers easily find a vehicle model that suits their lifestyle, but clean technology vehicles often offer more – better warranties, greater efficiency, and can help solve the serious air pollution, global warming, and energy security problems facing California.

Why Drive Clean:

Californians drive 825 million miles every day – producing 5.4 million tons of smog forming pollutants daily. Since more than 50% of California's total smog pollution and 60% greenhouse gas pollution comes from motor vehicles - your car is a good place to start cleaning things up.

If that’s not bad enough, more than 95% of Californians live in areas that fail to meet federal or state air quality standards - a rapidly increasing health hazard to you, your children, their children, and so on. Also, impacts of global warming are already being felt in California.

Sure, all new cars are cleaner than they used to be, but there are a lot more of them on the road today driving more miles than ever. So our pollution of problem continues to worsen. It's simple – we have to drive less or we have to drive cleaner if we want to solve our pollution problem.

MINI Clubman

Westfalia Pop-Up Roof Rack

Westfalia Roof rack attach together the fiberglass pop top and it has rainfall drain clamps. It only fits the Vanagon Westfalia, see this page for traveler van roof racks. We came among this rack system because I had concern about putting everything more than the lightest load on the fiberglass roof of my Westfalia.

So, don't think the pop top was initially planned to carry things. You can use gutter build up roof racks but that way you have to take away the rack and everything on it to elevate the roof. With this rack structure you just have to eliminate the lower clamps, the rack (and your cargo) stays attach to the pop top.

• Racks have the power of channel mounts advantage you can still raise the pop top exclusive taking the racks off

• You can utilize only the rain drain clamps, you do not include to bolt to the pop top if you don't want to.
• For utmost power you can connect to both the pop top and use the drain clamps. The clamps will counter any lifting
• force on the pop top caused by wind next to your cargo, canoes for example.
• The Safari basket is sized to fit the westfalia, it clamps on top of the roof rack bars. One quantity welded formation is stronger than bolt
• jointly aluminum carriers. Weight is light at 18 lbs. Interior dimension is 44" wide X 31" long (front to back).
• All fastener are included and are stainless steel, nuts are stainless nylock type.
• Black Powder Coated finish
• Regular Westfalia roof racks will craft your van about 3" higher. I can make individual low profile racks which will formulate your van 2" higher.

Final Rule and Resolution of Key Issues

A. Summary

The final rule establishes a new class of 4-wheeled vehicles, called LSVs, and excludes them from passenger car class. LSVs are 4-wheeled vehicles, other than trucks, whose maximum speed exceeds 20 but is not greater than 25 miles per hour.

By removing them from the passenger car class, the rule relieves manufacturers of LSVs of the need they would otherwise have of complying with the full range of FMVSSs for those classes and substitutes Standard No. 500 as the only applicable FMVSS.

With the exception of the warning label, which was not adopted, LSVs are required to have all the safety features and equipment proposed in the NPRM, including seat belts, plus two additional items added in response to comments: a VIN, and a reflex reflector on the rear.

However, as an alternative to an AS-1 windshield, an AS-5 plastic windshield may be used.

B. Authority and Safety Need for this Final Rule

NHTSA was presented with a variety of arguments regarding its authority to regulate low-speed vehicles. WLF raised questions whether the vehicles covered by the agency's proposal are motor vehicles.

That organization also argued that issuing the final rule would not promote safety because there is no safety problem to be addressed. Conversely, Advocates and CFA argued that excluding small vehicles from the FMVSSs will create a safety problem.

AIA and Advocates stated that the agency had not adequately gathered and considered relevant data prior to issuing the proposal, citing agency statements about the dearth of data on LSV crashes and about the foreign experiences with small vehicles.

Regulations and Guidance in vehicles

Notice of Upcoming Joint Rulemaking to Establish Vehicle GHG Emissions and CAFE
There is a critically important need for our country to address global climate change and to reduce oil consumption. In this context, EPA and DOT currently intend to work in coordination to propose standards for control of emissions of greenhouse gases and for fuel economy, respectively.

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (C A F E )
First enacted by Congress in 1975, the purpose of CAFE is to reduce energy consumption by increasing the fuel economy of cars and light trucks. Regulating CAFE is the responsibility of NHTSA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). NHTSA sets fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks sold in the U.S.; EPA calculates the average fuel economy for each manufacturer. This site contains an immense amount of information about the CAFE program, including a program overview, related rulemaking activities, research, fleet characteristics and summaries of manufacturers’ fuel economy performance since 1978.

Average Fuel Economy Standards, Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, Model Year 2011
NHTSA estimates that the MY 2011 standards will raise the industry-wide combined average to 27.3 mpg, save 887 million gallons of fuel over the lifetime of the MY 2011 cars and light trucks, and reduce CO2 emissions by 8.3 million metric tons during that period.

CAFE Request for Product Plan Info for Passenger Cars and Trucks through MY 2020
The purpose of this request for comments is to acquire new and updated information regarding vehicle manufacturers’ future product plans to assist the agency in assessing what corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards should be established for model years 2012 through 2016 passenger cars and light trucks. The establishment of those standards is required by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, P.L. 110-140.

Notice of Intent to Prepare EIS and Scoping Notice, Model Years 2012-2016
The purpose of this notice is to announce that NHTSA plans to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the potential environmental impacts of the agency’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program for passenger cars and light trucks. The EIS will consider the potential environmental impacts of new fuel economy standards for model year 2012-2016 passenger cars and light trucks that NHTSA will be proposing pursuant to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. To this end, this notice initiates the NEPA scoping process to identify the environmental issues and reasonable alternatives to be examined in the EIS, and requests comments regarding those and others matters related to the scope of NHTSA’s NEPA analysis for the new standards.

Average Fuel Economy Standards, Passenger Cars and Light Trucks, MY 2011-2015
Proposes substantial increases in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and light trucks that would enhance energy security by improving fuel economy. Since the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from the tailpipes of new motor vehicles is the natural by-product of the combustion of fuel, the increased standards would also address climate change by reducing tailpipe emissions of CO2. Those emissions represent 97 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. Implementation of the new standards would dramatically add to the billions of barrels of fuel already saved since the beginning of the CAFE program in 1975.

CAFE Request for Product Plan Info for Passenger Cars and Trucks through MY 2017
The purpose of this request for comments is to acquire new and updated information regarding vehicle manufacturers’ future product plans to aid in implementing the President’s plan for reforming and increasing corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for passenger cars and further increasing the already reformed light truck standards. The agency is seeking information in anticipation of obtaining statutory authority to reform the passenger car CAFE program and to set standards under that structure for MY 2010 – 2017 passenger cars. The agency is also seeking this information in anticipation of setting standards for MY 2012-2017 light trucks.

Light Truck Fuel Economy Standard Rulemaking (Model Years 2008-2011)
This final rule reforms the structure of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program for light trucks and establishes higher CAFE standards for model year (MY) 2008-2011 light trucks. Manufacturers may comply with CAFE standards established under the reformed structure (Reformed CAFE) or with standards established in the traditional way (Unreformed CAFE) during a transition period of MYs 2008-2010. In MY 2011, all manufacturers will be required to comply with a Reformed CAFE standard. Under Reformed CAFE, fuel economy standards are restructured so that they are based on a measure of vehicle size called "footprint," the product of multiplying a vehicle's wheelbase by its track width. A target level of fuel economy is established for each increment in footprint. Smaller footprint light trucks have higher targets and larger ones, lower targets.

Summary of Fuel Economy Performance
Fleet fuel economy performances, by manufacturers, since 1978, including both imported and domestic passenger cars and light trucks. Also available are the overall fleet fuel economy performance and sales volume data.

Automotive Fuel Economy Program Reports
These annual reports summarize the fuel economy performance of the current vehicle fleet and highlights the activities of NHTSA during the calendar year. Reports also include a section summarizing rulemaking activities

How To Get A Great Deal On A New Car

Whether you think of your car as an object of love or view it merely as a way to get somewhere, having a brand new one is bound to give you a lift. But that pleasure can be tainted by thoughts about the cost—both the thousands of dollars you must pay for the vehicle and the emotional cost of coping with the hassles of making the purchase.

Fortunately, there’s a way to avoid the hassles and get a great price. The key is competition. Get new car dealers to bid competitively for your business.

The Center for the Study of Services, an independent nonprofit consumer group, operates a service used by many thousands of customers each year to get great prices on new cars. See the “Money-Saving Help” list on the back of this pamphlet for more information. You can use the same general approach and get a very good price on your own. What follows is advice that comes out of the experience of this service.

You may have had friends tell you about sitting eyeball to eyeball for hours with new car dealers. It’s nonsense. They wasted their time. The only leverage any customer has with a new car dealer is the possibility that he or she will walk out—and either buy a car from another dealer or not buy one at all.

To get a good price, you need simply set up a competitive bidding process. You have to be careful, thorough, and persistent, but you don’t have to know all the intricacies of the car business.

You can start the bidding process after you’ve decided on the make, model, and style of car you want (Toyota Camry, 4-door sedan LE V6, for example). You don’t have to know the exact options you want.


It’s best to conduct the bidding process by phone. If you try to do it in person, you’ll waste many hours and you’ll have difficulty persuading salespersons that you’re really serious about leaving and getting other dealers’ prices.

Get each dealer to bid an amount above or below the "factory invoice price." The factory invoice price is the same for all dealers. So if one dealer bids $500 above invoice and a second bids $500 below invoice, you'll know the second is $1,000 lower priced than the first. The "Money-Saving Help" list on the back of this pamphlet tells you how you can get information on factory invoice prices.

But you don't really have to have the invoice price information in advance; just explain to each dealer that you will expect to be shown the actual factory invoice for any car you consider buying. Get bids from at least five dealers. Talk only to a sales manager or fleet manager.