Radio Shack used to sell an adapter, and maybe they still do. It's just
a plastic tube, maybe a millimeter thick, that fits over a
"standard"-size accessory plug, with cutouts for the spring-loaded side
connectors. Makes it the same diameter as whatever is supposed to fit
well into one of our short-but-thick sockets.
It works for my wife's cell phone, but a heavy adapter acc. plug like
that will pull out of the socket if it points generally downward. Not a
problem in the van, but a problem in her Scirocco. YMMV.
FWIW, you can get the later, "standard" socket from VW and retrofit it
in most cases. Or, get the El Cheapo replacement at your FLAPS. You'll
just be losing that pretty, green ring.
-Simon

On Friday, September 27, 2002, at 05:20  PM, Mike Collum wrote:

>> I bought a replacement cigarette lighter for the van
>> from a place
>> specializing in VWs and Audis, and the same thing.
>
> VW used two different cigarette lighters/sockets.  If
> you asked for one for a Vanagon ... you got the one
> that's slightly larger.  Just like the one from the
> factory.
>
> You can either wedge cardstock or something alongside
> your accessory plug to keep it from falling out ... or
> you can replace your Vanagon lighter/socket with the
> smaller  (read standard)  size.
>