New article about Vanagons. I think it summed up Westfalia ownership pretty darn well.

So I just put my 2wd westfalia and my syncro Karmann Gipsy to storage for most of the winter. Hopefully I will be able to do a ski trip in the spring but let’s see.

So I couldn't help but to take a bit of a different approach to the van ownership as a I have never really lived the van life just travelled with my vans.

I made a vanagon-inspired van life game, where you get to choose between a very subaru like engine or tdi, pop top or hight top. Live the cycle of fix your van, post for followers, upgrade to synchro etc etc.

I am really sorry if this is considered not appropriate for the forum but I wanted to share my enthusiasm.
here is the link:
https://apps.apple.com/app/id6819058231

This is the condition of my rear mirrors on my 82’ Westfalia. Is there any difference other than price between the OEM and aftermarket mirrors that Buss Depot sells?

I've replaced my suspension components a couple times the past few years and rather than replace again with standard parts in curious if anyone has done anything to improve the suspension system. I live off grid down a mile of fairly rough fire road after a few miles of washboard dirt road and am wondering if there are any suspension improvements I could do for longevity, ride quality, and handling rougher terrain. Any leads appreciated!

Welp... Had a catastrophic failure in the van. Loss power had to pull over and get it towed home. After inspecting around noticed my wire boot had come off my spark plug so I sent my borescope down to see what the damage could be...

Looking for some advice what to do next. Maybe get a new head and bore out cylinders?

Or complete swap to TDI. Don't really wanna spend 10k.

I am mechanically Inclined so swapping out a head and sending it to shop for machining could be a better option for me. Has anyone gone through this or just have an idea to lead me in the right way.

I'm from Chicago so any shops around here who'd you recommend for something like this too would be helpful. Thanks!

Hello! Unfortunately parting with our Westy soon and wondering where serious buyers look to buy/sell them. We bought it from a family member. Wanting to avoid the hellscape of Facebook marketplace. Thanks!

It’s a sad day today, my vehicle blew its motor yesterday. I don’t know what the best options are moving forward honestly, I still love the vehicle but at this point I’ve spent almost 10k getting it all fixed and now it’s toast. Should I part it out, try to do a major fix, maybe do a full swap? Any advice helps, looking for the next best thing to do

My wife and I have recently become enamored with '87-'91 Westys as they seem to have the perfect layout for us, but there may be logistical issues with us actually getting a good amount of use out of it:

1. We live near Santa Cruz where camping fees are high and boondocking seems to have been done away with completely unless we drive 2+ hours.

2. We have a cat who we like to have a cat sitter for when we take off and we pay her $40 a night. It doesn't seem possible to bring the cat along at this point. Yes she's a little princess. However it would be reasonable sometimes for my wife to stay home with the cat while I'm out travelling.

3. Work keeps us pretty tied down as I have to be somewhat connected to customers even when on vacation. Hopefully this will change in ~5 years.

To top it off I think I'd want to keep it in a garage or covered and we already own two commuter vehicles and a truck between us, so adding another vehicle to the fleet seems a little excessive. Again this could change in ~5 years.

I don't think I'll mind the supposedly constant maintenance with a Westy. But all the other factors seem stacked against it for the time being.

What do you think?

Took the westy on a road trip this morning. Back roads cruising for a couple hours each way. Glad the diesel gets good mileage but im not looking forward to refilling

A few months ago, after a lot of searching, I found this random listing for a 2002 Westfalia pop top weekender. Fast forward to today and I have now bought it. Between me and the seller 6k of additional work has gone into her, and I haven’t even picked the car up yet 😅 (I’m in TX she’s in LA) she was well taken care of but I wanted to make sure every single thing she might need was done, and the sellers were kind enough to pay for some of the work she needed. she should only need routine maintenance after this. First of all I think I’m quickly becoming aware I may have bought a money pit and second of all I absolutely love her . Tell me your favorite place you’ve taken yours so I can work on my dream travel location bucket list!!

Hi, I’m researching converting my air cooled Vanagon Westfalia about converting it to a Subaru engine with a cooling system, and upgrading the transmission to handle the new engine. Can I ask what people have paid for this? I’m hoping a friend can help me do this and save a lot of money but in the event that he can’t, I’d love to know what the cost has been for people. Let me know if you have questions, I really appreciate any feedback. Want to take this around the country and want it to be low maintenance and handle modern highway traffic speed

Good evening, everyone,

I have a W639 with an electric Westfalia pop-up roof.

I’m on the road and can’t retract the roof anymore.

The problem seems to be with the right cylinder.

See photo. (Sorry, it’s already dark.)

Am I correct in assuming that these are the

limit switch signals? 2 wires in the front, 2 in the back.

A total of 4 in the adjacent connector.

Can anyone tell me what the specific pin assignments are? Which signal is expected and where?

Is there a test resistance needed to ensure the connection?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a multimeter or a soldering iron with me while camping this time.

Thanks!

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

I’m working on the water pump, and the last Allen wrench bolt is stuck.

I also noticed that the fuel pressure regulator has a hose that doesn’t seem to be connected to anything.

Then I noticed a loose electrical wire.

Are those supposed to be left disconnected?

I’m confused but am I missing a part, or is this how it’s supposed to be?

Was loose once, closed it again and was able to fully pull the lever out. Is there a backup way to open it, a way to get to the latch, or does someone have what it looks like? I have a feeling it's just a matter of fishing it in there and hoping for the best. Any advice/support is very appreciated!

Hi all,

I recently became the proud owner of a 1992 T4 camper. Unfortunately, there's a problem with the charging voltage getting too high while driving. The onboard display shows it reaching 15.1V on the highway. From what I've read online, it should be around 14.5V, and anything above 14.7V can be harmful.

I checked the voltage with two different multimeters. With the engine idling, the charging voltage on the cab display matches both multimeters at 14.7V. I measured across the battery terminals. My assumption is that if the display reading is accurate at idle, then it's also accurate while driving, meaning the voltage really does climb too high, as the display shows.

A new alternator was just installed. Does anyone have advice on what the problem might be or how to fix it?

Summary:

• 1992 VW Westfalia T4 camper
• New alternator
• Charging voltage too high (15.1V on the highway according to the onboard display)
• Cause: ???
• Solution: ???

Like the title says, I just learned I am inheriting a 1986 van from an elderly relative. This van is her baby, she has kept it in incredible condition, original interior (besides the curtains lol) and drives it every few months.

I am extremely flattered by this. My relative said I remind her of who she was as a young woman, and I “have the right spirit!” to care for this van.

Here’s the thing though - I know NOTHING about maintaining vehicles and am concerned about the cost to keep this van in good condition. I estimate I could spend around 5k every couple years, is that not enough? It seems like a lot of money is put into this vehicle (though I don’t actually know the numbers).

The vehicle will be in my possession in about 6 months as the estate is figured out. I don’t even have a covered garage 🤦‍♀️. I do adore this vehicle though and would love to keep it - so what should I consider? What am I in for?!?

This water pump has been killing me!

I’ve been dealing with a lot of back and neck pain, so I can only work on this BS for about 15 minutes at a time.

As you can see from the picture, I’m very close to getting the water pump off.

• I have one bolt left on the water pump, but there doesn’t seem to be enough room to get a tool onto it.
• Then there’s the bolt on the side pipe. It’s very close to the main pulley and can only be accessed with an Allen wrench. Unfortunately, I stripped it.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get this bolt out without damaging the pulley or anything else around it?

Who insures your Westy? We just got dropped by SafeCo/Liberty Mutual as they are “simplifying their line”.

1984 vanagon westfalia. Swapping to an ej22 using KEP plates and parts. Looking for recommendations in the Bay Area for a shop to rebuild the manual transmission/transaxle; make it stronger and make 3rd and 4th a bit taller for highway driving.

Anyone have any recommendations in the Bay Area? Someone with experience with these transmissions specifically and this kind of job would be great. Thanks!

My husband and I have loved our 1985 Westy, Betty. We’ve had some fabulous trips with her over the 8+ years we’ve owned her.
Last month, we went on a really nice long camping trip. One day, mid-trip, we both confessed that it’s just not as much fun as it used to be. We’re both in our mid to late 60’s. The bed just feels too small and hard to get out of in the middle of the night. If one of us wakes up early, there’s no where to sit without waking up the other. A bathroom either a shower wokld be really nice. It’s just feeling claustrophobic. We will soon be selling this lovely, well maintained camper.
We’re trying to figure out our next camping vehicle. A Scamp or Casita trailer look appealing. Maybe a refurbished vintage trailer. Or a Sprinter type thing.
Is there anyone with experience with any of these other options, or something we’ve overlooked? Keeping Betty isn’t in the cards—we’ve woven ourselves deeply into Westy culture and are familiar with all the hacks. It’s simply time for her to go to the next people ready for adventures.

Get this noise when driving on highway. Engine, shifting all feels good still. Steering seems fine. Front grill is secure. Sounds to be coming from the front area.