A German-made universal-fit OEM-quality auto & RV cup holder that folds out of the way when not in use
Specifications
Dimensions, Open: 4.75W x 4D x 4H”
Dimensions, Closed: 4.75W x 1.5D x 4H”
After breaking one too many cheap flimsy cupholders, what highway traveler hasn’t at some point wished for a compact, durable auto beverage holder? One that automatically adapts to most sizes of drinks, and which can be mounted on almost any flat vertical or horizontal surface?
Considering that the typical modern car boasts twice as many beverage holders as seats, the 30-year-old Vanagon is woefully under-equipped with exactly … zero factory cupholders.
A mere inconvenience during a daily commute, this lack of beverage holders can become an onerous travel torment for long-distance roadtrippers suffering caffeine deprivation.
The Sports Imports Folding Cup Holder offers an easy solution, in a compact folding form factor which adapts to a variety of cup and bottle sizes, and which can be mounted almost anywhere. Made in Germany by an aftermarket supplier to BMW and Porsche, these beverage holders are available as a factory accessory for the Mercedes E Class cars.
Get the Sports Imports Folding Cup Holder here
First Impressions
The Sports Imports Folding Cup Holder arrives as an unassuming fully enclosed little flat block, easily opened at the front latch. But the deceptively simple device reveals the genius of its complexity, as an articulated spring-loaded assemblage deploys itself and snaps into place inside.
The cup holder includes mounting screws, and small plastic strips presumably intended to serve as standoff washers when mounting on curved or uneven surfaces. The inside corners of the holder feature small dimples which serve as easy guides for drilling your mounting holes. Just choose a convenient spot, drill your pilot holes, and screw the holder into place.
A few suitable places in the Vanagon cab area are the interior door panels, the large heater cover plate below the dash, or perhaps the sides of the automatic transmission shift lever housing.
I opted to mount my new beverage holders on the side of the passenger seat base, near the floor in the walk-though passageway between the front seats. This puts the holders within easy reach of both front seats, yet they fold up and out of the way when not being used.
On The Road or In Camp
Firmly mounted somewhere convenient in your Vanagon cab, the Sports Imports Folding Cup Holder adapts to a variety of cans, bottles, cups and mugs, and securely holds all but the tallest or most top-heavy drink cups, even on rough dirt roads.
But when not in use its sleek design easily folds flat, out of the way and protected from damage.
In The Long Run
The Sports Imports Folding Cup Holder has held up well to the rigors of Westy traveling, standing up to rambunctious kids, dirty dogs, and other abuse. It’s not indestructible of course, and a misplaced hiking boot or loaded luggage bag could snap it off at the hinges, but it will endure most anything short of such abuse.
We’ve found that the inevitable soda and flavored-coffee goo can eventually gunk up the internal folding mechanism, but this is easily cleaned with a bit of warm soapy water and an old toothbrush. If the beverage holders become difficult to open or close, don’t force them but give them a good cleaning, and perhaps a light spritz of silicone spray lubricant.
Though costing more than most other aftermarket cupholders, the Sports Imports Folding Cup Holder is no flimsy gas-station-variety beverage holder, but an invaluable addition to any roadtripping vehicle.
Hits: sleek and sturdy design, adaptable, can be mounted on nearly any vertical or horizontal surface
Misses: can be difficult to clean interior, somewhat pricey
Hi, I live in Portugal, see a lot of tourists, but didn’t see yet any holders. Nice accessory. Can I order couple to be shipped to Portugal?
Thanks in advance. Arkady Mirvis – the heaterman.
Arkady, these Vanagon beverage holders are available on Amazon.com here in the US. Not sure if Amazon will ship to Portugal. Otherwise, you can probably use Amazon Spain: https://www.amazon.es/
Good luck!
What is the diameter of the ring the cup/can sits in?
Mark, sorry for the late reply but I was travelling.
The inner diameter of the ring is 3.5″ (89 mm).
Hope this helps!
Jeff
I installed a pair of these as described in Crosswinds and I could not be more pleased! I use my Westy for weekend trips and some around town travel and they have held an amazingly wide variety of cups and containers. They were easy to use and seem very rugged.
I really appreciate this and other product review articles in Crosswinds; I have installed several of the suggested items and have been uniformly happy when I did so! Keep up the good work!
Ed, glad you found these bev holders and other reviews helpful.
Keep on vannin’!
Did you just drill these right into the platform the seat sits on, or did you rivet them in?
Yes, I first drilled slip holes through the beverage holders, then slightly smaller pilot holes into the seat platform. Then used sheet-metal screws to mount them into those holes.
Hope this helps!
Jeff
I like the idea. Do you have to remove the seat to make sure you don’t hit any wires?
Good question—all the vans I’ve installed these on were diesels, which mount the starting battery back in the engine compartment, so the space under the passenger seat is empty. If installing these on a waterboxer model, I’d suggest opening the battery access lid behind the seat and looking for any wires in that area before drilling & screwing.
Hope this helps!