Owner Banner

About Christopher Mankowski

I am an artist and a VW enthusiast. I've driven all across the country, often on tour, and even all the way through Mexico to Guatemala. Traveling is a passion for sure. Nothing like taking road trips in a classic like a Vanagon. But when I'm out of the country or off doing other things I like to share her with others, and try to make a little extra money to make to keep up the repairs and make fun improvements.

4.5
Outdoorsy memberHost since September 2018

Communication
4.71

69% response rateTypically responds in less than 12 hours

Memories made on trips with Christopher Mankowski's RVs


Mark C.

5December 2020

If you are looking for stroll down memory lane this eclectic 1984 VW Vanagon is the choice for you! Chris had great communication and provided accurate and easy to understand instructions for both the pickup of the van and it’s operation. If you are looking for something fun and different on your next trip give the Vanagon a try!

1 Photo submitted by Mark C.

Lance C.

4September 2020

First time renting a van and it was an adventure. Chris was great, answering all my questions in a timely fashion. Appreciate that. . . Car was clean on the inside. Windows on the outside were pretty grungy. Refrigerator, stove and sink were great. I slept well in the car. I appreciated the supplies in the car, pillows, pots, pans, ax, extension cords, garden hose and other accessories. Couldn't get the battery operated lights to work inside. Also, couldn't figure out how to attach the curtain for the sliding door. I think the cord for the curtain was broken. As advertised, Vanagon was old and worn. I think the speedometer was off by 10 mph. At higher speeds, when passing those road speed indicators, I was consistently driving 10 mph slower than what the speedometer was registering. At lower speeds, the speedometer was fine. Front window had a long crack that looked a little scary. On the second to last day the engine noise was really loud. When accelerating the sound was deafening. You couldn't hear the radio very well. I think the muffler was having problems.That wasn't very pleasant. I'm sure that Chris will check that out. Besides the muffler and an engine that's not going to let you pass a lot of cars, I have great respect for the engineering that went into the Vanagon - a very cool car.

Jacqueline S.

4August 2020

There is nothing more relaxing than an old vw road trip. Slow and steady. We had a good trip and were happy with the van. It’s an old loved vehicle so it has done little imperfections, but it was perfect for us.

1 Photo submitted by Jacqueline S.

Julia L.

3July 2020

The Good: I enjoyed the trip I took with this van a lot. I'm really grateful that I got this opportunity to rent a Vanagon, since I'm a big fan and I really wanted to get some experience with them before buying one. The van ran, and we had no crises of the mechanical nature. If you haven't ever driven one, they're hella fun to drive! It has an updated stereo system that was compatible with my iPod (c. 2004),but not my Galaxy S8 (did not have an iPhone to test, ymmv); yet pumped out the tunes loud and proud. It was heaven to park and the camp site, unload stuff, and promptly crash on the z-bed! Plus, I really liked being able to wash my hands whenever I wanted, and the pop top was great for storing clothes and misc, while providing lots of headroom. The stove made it a breeze to heat up water for hot cocoa while lying in bed, and made some great scrambled eggs! Chris was super easy to get a hold of, very nice, and easygoing. He attempted to give me a refund for the trip in light of my experience with the van, which I declined, and definitely did not charge a cleaning fee. Top notch service!

7 Photos submitted by Julia L.

Jim H.

5November 2019

Excellent experience

Gregory S.

4August 2019

I want to state upfront that Chris was gracious and apologetic about the issues with his van and offered us a future discount, but I still feel the need to share an honest assessment. We were instructed to pick up the van at a mechanic and when we arrived, it was still being worked on. The wait was under an hour, which wasn’t hugely disruptive to our plans, but it set the tone. Apparently the previous renters had fried the clutch and so we took possession of the van with a lot of fear about driving it - I don’t recommend this vehicle for novice drivers who have not mastered manual transmissions. In the end it ran fine, but switching into 1st and 2nd gears was tricky. The other issue that could have been avoided was cleanliness. The previous renters clearly had a dog in there and there was dog hair everywhere. We had to wipe down the surfaces before sleeping the first night. Also the fridge was so moldy we opened it once and never again. Also would have appreciated more info on using electricity water for first time van drivers like us - how does it work? Where does it go? How long can I charge? Etc.

Gregg L.

5October 2018

This is a great opportunity to experience a vintage camper. Christopher is a great host and had amazing communication. The camper is in good shape mechanically but has seen many miles so expect that. If you are not very comfortable driving a manual transmission with no power steering it may take some getting used to. Overall I had a great experience.

3 Photos submitted by Gregg L.