TheSamba.com :: View topic - M-Code 208 Trailer hitch and electrical hook-up

Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:19 pm

Recently I bought T1 from 1963 and found out that it had Trailer hitch and electrical hook-up.
During this time system was totaly removed and I would like to intall it back.
However I don't have any documentation to see how was originally installed.

can you please help me with some photos and documentation?

Kind regards,
Bartul

Sun Jul 24, 2016 3:55 pm

Would help to know the market the bus delivered to. EG here in the USA hitches for the most part were made in the USA for VW of America. European delivered buses would have hitches made in Europe, etc...

Sun Jul 24, 2016 7:05 pm

bartul1981 wrote: Recently I bought T1 from 1963 and found out that it had Trailer hitch and electrical hook-up.
During this time system was totaly removed and I would like to intall it back.
However I don't have any documentation to see how was originally installed.

can you please help me with some photos and documentation?

Kind regards,
Bartul

post some pictures so we know what style of a hitch you have. If it is a known one, documentation is easier to find.

Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:17 am

Bus is from Germany...
I don't have any pictures or clue how it was since all is removed.

Thanks,
Bartul

Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:35 am

208 meaning M-Coded 208. He is asking what the factory trailer hitch looked like in 1963

Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:37 am

Bartul - I think it will be easier on you if you create one thread for your bus, instead of asking random questions in different threads. Just a suggestion

Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:47 am

bartul1981 wrote: Bus is from Germany...
I don't have any pictures or clue how it was since all is removed.

Thanks,
Bartul

All buses delivered by VW of America were built in Germany.

All buses delivered by VW of Germany to Germany were built in Germany.

So they all are from Germany.

What makes the difference is what market a bus originally was destined for.

A 1963 bus destined for USA would have E-flashers, over rider bumpers, a wired for all red taillights.

A 1963 bus destined for Germany would have no E-flasher, no over rider bumpers, and have wiring for yellow topped taillights.

As far as we know your bus was built in Germany and was originally delivered to say Arizona USA. Then it was moved to New York, were it was loaded onto a ship and sent back the Germany. There it was bought by you or the previous owner.......

Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:19 pm

I recently picked up an OG hitch and I would like to see how the factory wired up the electrical hookup for mcode 208.

Does anyone have a service bulletin and/ or photos?

I searched the site and the gallery and came up empty handed. All I could find is this page going over how to install the hitch.

I know I can wire it from the taillights but I would like to see what the factory did.

The wiring is not included in the wiring diagram or the Bentley.

pic for your viewing pleasure :D

Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:39 pm

Hitches in at least N. America were a DEALER ONLY option, so not factory.

Fri Feb 10, 2023 2:00 pm

Eric&Barb wrote: Hitches in at least N. America were a DEALER ONLY option, so not factory.

Thanks for sharing Eric.

My question is: when a bus is mcoded from the factory for a hitch or it was installed by Westfalia regardless of the market/ region it is sold in; how did they wire it?

Was it spliced into the wiring harness?

Did it get wired to the fuse box?

Did it get wired to the 9 pin relay for buses that came with them?

If anyone can share that information who has owned/ owns a bus with mcode 208 that would help me out a lot.

Fri Feb 10, 2023 2:38 pm

I wired the Daddybus ('67 Westphonia...fake Westy) by using brass 1-to-2 push on connectors at the bulb housing. The connector female attaches to the housing male spade, then the OG wire female connects to one spade and the trailer wire connects to the other spade. Ground to battery ground.

Sun Feb 12, 2023 11:29 am

Daddybus wrote: I wired the Daddybus ('67 Westphonia...fake Westy) by using brass 1-to-2 push on connectors at the bulb housing. The connector female attaches to the housing male spade, then the OG wire female connects to one spade and the trailer wire connects to the other spade. Ground to battery ground.

That's exactly how I've done two of my buses that have original hitches on them.

Mon Feb 13, 2023 10:42 am

A bus delivered with German specs would have a Westfalia hitch.

The electrical hookup would be connected to the taillights. And it would have a special flasher relay with a second control light which flashes when a trailer is hooked up and the turnsignal is in use. No extra wiring is needed except for the second control light.

Mon Feb 13, 2023 11:16 am

I used a Hella wiring set up. I spliced the wires into the taillights as mentioned above.

The Hella set up is seven pins so you also have a ground and an accessory wire.

Mon Feb 13, 2023 3:17 pm

Tony, Dave, and Crofty- Thank you for the responses. This seems to be the easiest route to go.

mdege wrote: And it would have a special flasher relay with a second control light which flashes when a trailer is hooked up and the turnsignal is in use. No extra wiring is needed except for the second control light.

mdege- Can you post pics?
Is this control light on the dash?
Where is the special flasher located on the bus?