This October's Rig of the Month belongs to Alan V. Morine from Fort Collins, CO. Alan's love for wrenching and cars has been an adventure in and of itself. Furnished with a Roofnest Falcon PRO, Alan's rig oozes with style, vintage charm, and formidable function packed into a totally unique set of wheels. Enjoy this Q&A w/ Alan below:
Q: Sweet ride! Please fill us in on your rig.
A: It's a 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup, which Volkswagen made based on the Rabbit car. It's simply a 2-door Rabbit cut off behind the front doors with a bed.
Given its Rabbit platform with front wheel drive, this definitely qualifies as a unique pickup. These were made from 1979 through 1984 in Volkswagen’s Westmoreland, Pennsylvania plant, and available with gas or diesel engines as well as manual or automatic transmissions. Mine is a 1.7L gas engine with a 4-speed manual transmission.
Q: How long have you had you had it?
A: This is actually my second Volkswagen pickup. My first was a 1981 which unfortunately was plagued by common rust problems. Given how much I enjoyed the truck and how versatile it was, I hunted until I found one in better shape. I acquired my current silver 1982 VW pickup in 2008 which was a lot cleaner and seemingly without the common rust issues that plague these pickups.
Q: Have you made any changes to it?
A: Since owning the truck, I have gone through all mechanical systems making upgrades such as larger brakes, adjustable suspension, a 5-speed transmission and most recently a larger displacement 2.0L engine with performance modifications, so its got a bit more go, and is a lot of fun to drive.
The largest endeavor began in 2020 when I found my truck was suffering from the same rust issues as my first one had, so I went deep and fixed it. This involved removing all the sheet metal forward of the firewall and replacing it with sheet metal from a donor 1989 Volkswagen Cabriolet. Moving forward, I should not have to worry about any rust issues with this truck in my lifetime.
Q: What was your inspiration for getting the Rabbit to begin with?
A: My first VW Pickup was just so versatile and handy I fell in love with it. I have hauled all kinds of crazy things from tree branches, dirt, hot tubs and giant tires in the bed, which is a decent size compared to the small beds of many trucks these days.
What really cemented the truck as one of the vehicles in my stable was my hobby of paddle boarding. Getting a board on and off the truck is so easy, especially at the crack of dawn, so I can get on the water and catch the sunrise no problem. It’s just so fun to drive, enables my hobby, is handy for all home improvement projects and is rather unique on top of it all.
Q: Tell us about some of the places you've taken it on adventure.
A: I have taken my paddle boards many places in search of new water and sunrises. With the Roofnest though, it's even easier to get a bit farther and try a sunrise paddle new places in the Colorado mountains like Pinewood Reservoir for example.
Q: Any issues along the way?
A: Once, on my way to Lake McConaughy with a truck load of camping gear and paddle boards I wound up getting stuck in sand. After much effort shoveling I was able to get it free without a tow truck. Knock on wood, I haven’t had any major issues, but I usually travel with a small tool kit and fluids just in case.
Q: What model tent do you have?
A: I have a 2023 RoofNest Falcon Pro
Q: How long have you owned it?
A: I have been enjoying it for about a year now.
Q: What made you choose the Falcon Pro for your adventures?
A: I chose the Falcon Pro because of how slim it is, and just overall look. My truck is quite small so I thought the overall size of the Falcon Pro was a good fit while giving me enough room inside. The crossbars for my paddle boards were also key.
Q: Are you happy with the tent?
A: I have enjoyed the tent many times; some with the paddle boards and others without them. Being able to set it up quickly and just knowing it's ready to go is great. I have also had some incredible views from inside the tent with its 3 large windows at some of my camp sites.
