Volkswagen Westfalia Conversions: The Ultimate Adventure Campers

1973-volkswagen-westfalia-camper08
1973-volkswagen-westfalia-camper08
1973 Volkswagen Westfalia Camper

Volkswagen Westfalia (or Westie, for short) conversions have earned their place in the hearts of outdoor enthusiasts and wanderlust-driven adventurers alike. These iconic campers have been transforming ordinary VW buses into fully-equipped mobile homes for over six decades, providing the perfect blend of comfort, convenience, and freedom.

In this blog post, we’ll take you on a journey through the history, features, and the enduring appeal of Volkswagen Westie conversions.

A Brief History

The Westfalia name is synonymous with Volkswagen campers and represents a long-standing partnership between Westfalia-Werke, a German coachbuilder, and Volkswagen. This collaboration began in the early 1950s when Westfalia started converting Volkswagen Type 2 buses into campers. The first official Westie camper, known as the “SO23,” was introduced in 1951, marking the birth of a legendary line of camperbuses.

Over the years, the Westfalia conversions have evolved to incorporate various models, including the iconic T1, T2, T3 (Vanagon in the US), and the T4. Each model brought new innovations and enhancements, catering to the evolving needs of travelers.

Features that Define Volkswagen Westfalia Conversions

  1. Pop-Up Roof: One of the standout features of Westfalia campers is their distinctive pop-up roof. This ingenious design provides additional headroom for standing and sleeping, making the camper more spacious and comfortable.
  2. Modular Interior: The interior layout of Westie campers is highly modular, allowing for multiple configurations. You can transform your camper from a seating area to a sleeping space or a dining area with ease. This adaptability is a hallmark of Westfalia design.
  3. Kitchenette: Westfalia campers come equipped with a compact kitchenette featuring a sink, stove, and refrigerator. This allows you to prepare meals while on the road, reducing the need for eating out.
  4. Sleeping Comfort: The Westy campers usually have comfortable sleeping accommodations for up to four people, with fold-out beds and pop-top roofs. The cozy sleeping quarters make it perfect for extended road trips and camping adventures.
  5. Clever Storage: Westfalia campers offer ample storage solutions to keep your essentials organized. Cabinets, drawers, and cleverly designed storage compartments make efficient use of the available space.
  6. Privacy: Curtains and window coverings provide privacy and block out light, allowing you to rest peacefully no matter where you park for the night.

Enduring Appeal

What is it about Volkswagen Westie conversions that makes them so popular?

  1. Nostalgia: For many, Westie campers bring a sense of nostalgia, reminding them of their own or their family’s past adventures. This nostalgia adds to the charm and appeal of these campers.
  2. Versatility: Whether you’re embarking on a cross-country road trip or escaping to a remote campsite, Westfalia conversions provide the perfect blend of mobility and comfort. They are equally suited for urban exploration and off-the-grid adventures.
  3. Community: Owning a Westy often means becoming part of a tight-knit community of like-minded enthusiasts who share stories, tips, and a passion for adventure.
  4. Timeless Design: The timeless design of Westfalia campers means they never go out of style. Whether you’re driving a vintage T2 or a more modern T4, you’re sure to turn heads on the road.

Volkswagen Westfalia conversions continue to captivate travelers and adventure seekers worldwide. With their rich history, innovative features, and enduring appeal, these campers have become an emblem of the freedom and joy of the open road. Whether you’re considering your first adventure or reminiscing about past journeys, these iconic campers have left an indelible mark on the world of travel. So, grab your keys and start your next adventure with the timeless Volkswagen Westfalia conversion!

Front Floor Repair

After many hours of looking, thinking, looking and thinking some more, I have opted to remove and replace the entire front floor in one piece in my 1973 Volkswagen Camper. Here are several pictures depicting the removal process of the front floor.

New Floor Replacement from KlassicFab

Just wanted to share a quick pic of this absolutely beautiful piece of art from KlassicFab. I think I may just hang it in the garage for looks. Or, maybe not…

Anyway, I decided that with the time needed to scrounge for sheet metal, cutting, fitting and welding, that it would be worth my time just to purchase the full floor. The KlassicFab driver’s side panel didn’t cover as much as I would like to replace so I opted for the full floor replacement and I’ll cut it down to what I need and use the remaining metal for other repairs.

I haven’t compared to the original yet, but so far I did notice that there is a support plate on the TOP of the floor panel that is not on my original. But, all of the indentions appear to be the same at quick glance.

Gerson KlassicFab Front Floor Funky Green
Gerson KlassicFab Front Floor ’73-’79 Funky Green

It’s been awhile…

Life gets busy. And priorities change…as they should sometimes.

But finally, I have some time to devote to my 1973 Volkswagen Westfalia Camper.

Recently tried to start the bus, but it would turn over but just wouldn’t fire up. Yesterday, I drained the old gas (it’s been in there of two years with STA-BIL), and added several gallons of non-ethanol. Went to crank and it fired up, the timing was a little off, but I adjusted the distributor a little to get it at least running.

Pulled the distributor vent tube, plugged it and put the timing light on it to get it on the timing mark.

With her running again, it’s time to start on the leftover bodywork.

See below for a quick video on it running and how the engine compartment has turned out with a refresh.

99% to Perfection

After some ups and downs over the past week, and the engine knocking, I decided to check the points again.

After checking and trying to regap, I found that the points set screw was stripped. So, I’m thinking now that the problem with the engine knock was the points not being seated properly(or bouncing around) instead of the marine gas.

Stripped points screw? So what’s the fix? Found one other rebuilt 021 905 205 P but at $175, need to hold off for now. I decided to move up one screw size and went with a stainless steel 8/32″ screw. The smallest length I could find was 1/2″.

Since all of my tools are packed up for an upcoming move, I used two nuts and a hacksaw to try and get the screw to about the same length as the OEM …about 3/16″. After trimming and filing, tried in the distributor and it fit. Reset the gap as close to .016 that I could… was a little difficult since when tightening, the gap would get smaller, so used a larger gap, then tightened.

After resetting, went ahead and checked the dwell which was at 51°. The range should be from 45° to 52°, so after the big flub up several days ago, I decided to leave at 51°.

Grabbed the timing light but couldn’t remember the settings exactly so got the timing close and cranked it and she purred just like before, but this time, without the engine knock. Great birthday gift for the day. 🙂

Big Oops.

After finally getting the distributor issue resolved, I decided to break out my new dwell meter and check the dwell before setting the timing. After using a points gap of .016, the dwell turned out to be 50°. But that wasn’t good enough for me, so I tried to get it down closer to the range of 47°-52°.

Big mistake. After setting a gap of .018 to get the dwell down, I couldn’t get the engine to start.

I was almost out of gas, so I decided to use some fresh marine gas that I recently picked up during the recent hurricane scare.

After adding gas and resetting the points again, I finally got her started again, BUT … I was getting a horrible engine knock from the passenger side of the engine. I thought it was going to throw a rod.

I went to bed, and it dawned on me the next day that I had added the marine gas, and maybe that was the issue for some reason. I didn’t think of the gas being an issue as I had used non-ethanol gas before with no problems.

I drained the tank and picked up some fresh, regular unleaded gas.

Distributor Popping Out

Since pulling the distributor for cleaning and painting, it was time for reinstallation. Since bumping the motor over a few times in the past three years, I had to find TDC. Pulled the #1 spark plug, checked the piston position, had my fan mark at TDC and inserted the distributor. Already had the points set to .016, bolted everything up and all is good. I set the timing by memory of where it should be.

I go ahead and crank it and after a few cranks, it fires right up and is running. Tweak the distributor a little to smooth it out.

Turn the engine off for a few minutes and then go back to restart it. No start. Turns over but no cranking. Pull the distributor cap and find that the distributor shaft has totally disengaged from the engine gear.

I pull the distributor and try everything again. Same exact scenario. After posting on VWSamba and thinking about over night, pulled the distributor and saw the problem. I had tightened the timing hold down first and then bolted the distributor in. The problem with that is there was a very small gap(see below) of about 3 sheets of paper that were causing the distributor to not fully seat into the engine gear, even though the distributor hold down was totally flush with the engine block.

After loosening the timing bracket, inserting the distributor, tightening the hold down, THEN tightening the timing bracket, it started right up not once, not twice, but every time. Problem solved…at least for now.

1st Stage of Launch: Lights…

After checking and double checking everything, time to find put some power to the ignition for a light check. And unbelievably, all lights illuminated on first attempt.

Considering I unplugged the entire rear wiring harness, rewired a good portion of the engine compartment, it was truly a miracle that everything worked on first try.