Westys

[Bulldog9]

My wife and I are bouncing around ideas for post retirement camping and travelling. We have run the gambit and circled back around to where I started, with one of those VW Westphalias, AKA Westy.

Anyone on WG with experience?

I was planning on a 22-24' travel trailer, pulled with my Tundra, and have a front mounted Class IV receiver and planned to tow the Trailer and put the Stornello or Baby Breva on the Moto Tote and tow the trailer.

Unlikely I will use the Mototote on the Westy hitch, too much weight for the front or rear axles, but one of those Tow Dollys (one wheel) or trailer, and a front mounted bicycle rack, and roof mounted Kayack rack, etc..

We plan to travel the country, want something small for a base camp, and it looks like the trailers I was considering are about what a Westy is $$ wise. Plus, I've always wanted one. We had a 1970 VW Camper Van and they are pretty cool.

Open ears.....

PIC for example

[guzzisteve]

A friend of mine has a Dodge maxi camp van & pulls a camp trailer, hitch on camper for bike trailer. 54' long
He travels around & helps at camp grounds for free rent. 6mo in AZ then 6mo in CO. 01 EV on the trailer.
Nice retired life, took his wife to the daughters to live & sold their house.

I would think you can get a low miles one on BAT, I'd wan't a 2300cc or water cooled.

[AJ Huff]

Seem to remember that's Charlie's go to jack of all trades vehicle.

-AJ

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Seem to remember that's Charlie's go to jack of all trades vehicle.

-AJ

Mine is a Eurovan, a little newer, front engine, front wheel drive. My brother Karl is the Vanagon Westfalia guru. http://westyventures.com/index.html . He came to the MGNOC National in this rig, a '93 Karmann Distance Wide:




Bulldog9: Unless it's already been sold, Alice Komoroski (Ron's widow) has a very nice, white Westfalia for sale. Located in Lynchburg, VA. PM me for contact information if interested.

Performance parts and high performance rebuilt engines for the Vanagon:
https://www.mansispeed.com/ 

[Canuck750]

Back in the late 90’s I had a 1984 Westfalia, it was a love hate relationship. My wife and I toured Europe in 1986 for a couple months in an old 72’ Westfalia and said one day we would get one of our own. So around 1998 a clean, low mile 1984 came up for sale and I jumped right in.

The water cooled flat four with a what I think was a 4 speed was quite underpowered in my opinion. It was a fun and convenient camping vehicle but I got fed up with it blowing head gaskets and I never got it to run as good as I wanted. The Bosch mass air sensor crapped put twice. After twice replacing the head gaskets I asked the local Westy specialist what I should do, I will never forget his answer

 “sell the Westy, buy a pickup truck and a tent trailer”

The VW aluminum engine mating surfaces were prone to coolant corrosion and leaking gaskets. I replaced the half shaft U joints a couple times, exhaust manifolds were prone to cracking. On a positive note VW used high quality zinc coated steel and there was virtually no rust on it.

Now had I swapped in a modern Subaru motor or as a friend did with his, a Ford four cylinder, it might have been a reasonable vehicle to suit my needs. I live about 3-1/2 hours east of the Rocky Mountains and the stock VW flat four struggled in the hills.

[blackcat]

"Now had I swapped in a modern Subaru motor or as a friend did with his..."

That is what I would do but it seems like that is not a cheap conversion.

[Bulldog9]

"Now had I swapped in a modern Subaru motor or as a friend did with his..."

That is what I would do but it seems like that is not a cheap conversion.

I've seen several listings for vans with Subaru and IL4 VW engines.

[bronzestar1]

Years ago, we had an early 70's air-cooled Westy, orange with the orange plaid interior.  My kids called it "The Great Pumpkin", and since it had the spare tire on the front, they referred to it as "the tire nose".  They LOVED going to the beach in that thing, leaving the sliding door open and just hanging out.  But the engine crapped out, and I think we donated it to a local charity.  Very under-powered, especially on any kind of hill, but fun!

[blackcat]

I've seen several listings for vans with Subaru and IL4 VW engines.

The ones I've seen are quite pricey and if I was going to spend that kind of money I'd just look for a late model used conversion van based on the Dodge,Ford or Mercedes Benz platforms. Modern engines, A/C, shower, toilet, etc.,etc.  Yes, not as cool as a Westy but......

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Yes, the Wasserboxer engines can have issues with head gaskets... just like Subaru flat fours. That issue and other can be sorted with a little work, but really the ultimate engine swap (in my and my brother's opinion) is a VW 1.9 TDi with mechanical pump. My bro' did several of those conversions and although not inexpensive (different tank, regeared transmission, revised injection pump, etc. drive the cost up) the results are impressive. 28 mpg, able to climb hills with ease, reliable.

About a year ago he sold a '91 Westy Syncro (all-wheel-drive) with the Tdi and lots of other modifications for $55k. Back in May he sold a Wasserboxer powered, auto transmission, 2-wheel-drive Westy for $20k. Bought that one at a Copart auction, fixed it's issues and drove it from Oregon to Maryland to deliver it to the buyer.

[cliffrod]

My wife grew up in an old Westfalia, traveled all over the USA with family in it and then lived it the canvas tent from it year round in the East TN mountains for 4 yrs..  she had just moved indoors into an actual apartment when we met, as she had been promoted to director of the camp’s environmental ed program.  She still has the tent.   I’m not the camper she is.  We later had a decent 71 Westfalia for several years that was a complete but unfinished project when it sold.

The big downside of a driving camper is the need to break camp to drive anywhere for anything or forgo doing things for exactly that reason.  If you can tow a bike or other vehicle (which basically eliminates the Westy as an option) it helps a lot.  We tow a small pop-up camper now (old Cox Commander, so she’s still sleeping in a canvas tent & happy) and enjoy it very much. 

Imho, For serious touring-camping, towing a hard-sided weatherproof camper with actual heat & a/c is be hard to beat when conditions aren’t ideal like they often are.   Her 80+yr old parents have only recently stopped camping many weeks out of the year, probably at least 4 months/year, every year for the past 20+ yrs with E350 diesel van and a modest approx 22’-24’ hard sided camper trailer with no slide-outs because they always end up needing service at the wrong time.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

My brother tried the tow vehicle/"hard-sided weatherproof camper" idea a few years ago. His '14 VW Touareg TDi was up to the task, but the poor build quality of the (new) Winnebago camper was a huge letdown. He spent more time correcting assembly mistakes, while he was here visiting, than anything else. 

His present cross-country rig ( the previously mentioned VW LT31 based Karmann Distance Wide - imported from Germany and the only one in the US) has heat, hot water, toilet, shower and enough room for him and three dogs. He's presently adding a/c. It has solar panels that will run everything in the camper (as well as the chassis when the alternator belt shreds as it did on one of his trips). 2.4 liter, 6 cylinder, turbo diesel (slightly "tuned"), backed by a five speed transmission. The only "breaking camp" he does when he needs to drive it somewhere is stowing the awning. 

[cliffrod]

100% Agreed on the Winnebago trailer.  A few years ago, Father in law decided after extensive research & comparison that he had to have a brand new Mini Winne trailer to replace their tried & true, all time favorite Sunline (?).  He did and almost immediately realized it was a huge disappointment.  No contest between the two in terms of build quality or function, almost instant regret.

After enough suffering, fixing, etc and then searching, he finally found an exact model Sunline camper like their previous one to replace the Winnebago.  It’s in almost as nice condition as their first one, but it’s far better than the Winnebago.

[s1120]

The major issue with any of the years of VW Westphalias in the US is finding someone to fix it. I worked for VW for 25 years, and we did see some, but they are not common in most parts of the US, and are a different world. If you get back to the air, or water cooled boxers more so. The Subaru and even TDi swapps really make the old boxer engine vans quite a traveler, but just know, you not going to have a easy time if your broken down in some small town somewhere.

[geoff in almonte]

There is a VW Bus rally in my town in early June.

www.busfusion.com

Cheers!

G