I'll take a guess and say it's a Powerlet socket, often used on motorcycles, but I've never seen one in a Vanagon. Amazon has some Powerlet accessories like USB chargers and voltmeters.

https://www.amazon.com/powerlet/s?k=powerlet

Was your van imported from Europe? Or maybe the previous owner put this in

-Mark

> On May 5, 2025, at 6:48 AM, Eric Caron <ericcaron96@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
>        What is the name of the European 12 volt connector in my 84 vanagon that is mounted to the right of the cigarette lighter?  And, is there anything useful, direct fit thing, that can replace it like a USB C port or something? 
> The opening is too small for a standard 12 volt power point.  Drilling it out looks very tricky, and messy.  A direct fit useful thing to use that available hot wire sounds like a fun project.  
> Eric Caron 
> 84 Westfalia.