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Fri Sep 12, 2025 2:04 pm

You could weld a nut onto some 14 ga or 12ga steel, like a 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" or 3x3 square with a hole already drilled out for that nut to allow a bolt to pass through. Enlarge the bumper hole to allow the nut to sit up and inside the metal section.
Then have 4 holes spaced towards your corners to drill and rivet the plate up onto the bumper. Would beat cutting and welding internally into the bumper... :-k :-k

Sun Sep 14, 2025 8:04 pm

This is what I have done in the past when I had no access to the backside to weld: Drill it out so that the hole is just big enough to fit the nut you want. Using a magnet across the gap to hold the nut in place, tack the corners. Once you've tacked all 6 corners, go back and really put some heat into the welds and fill the gaps.

Sat Oct 11, 2025 8:37 am

furlough project to install the RMW spare tire holder onto Ducky the syncro. PIA to fit the supporting bracket in the vent puka, but we did it. now to source a rubber duck tire cover

Sat Oct 18, 2025 3:59 pm

Between rocket box and different lengths of kayaks, paddle boards,and racks ect. Never been happy with spread on the artificial rain gutters on my pop top that where installed by some previous owner. So fabed up a couple of full length to replace the two forward ones. This will give some mission flexibility in how in mount my yakama towers. Now I have 40” of for/aft adjustment. Might be overkill but was an easy afternoon project.

Mon Oct 20, 2025 11:07 am

Had to repair our smashed Drivers Sliding Window this weekend. Nothing stolen out of the CW, no other damage thankfully either. Still waiting on nearby neighbors who gave Ring type cameras for any possible info of culprits…
Used 1/8” Plexiglass and Camper top seal as a sealing effort until a used window assembly arrives to me.
Screws go through the plexiglass to bolt against woodworking table top clamps that I pressed into service as retaining brackets on the inner portion of the window frame.
Saved our cancellation of next weekends Fall Color drive to Michigan with the Vanagon, so we’re happy about that.

Mon Oct 20, 2025 11:34 am

Kdj wrote: Between rocket box and different lengths of kayaks, paddle boards,and racks ect. Never been happy with spread on the artificial rain gutters on my pop top that where installed by some previous owner. So fabed up a couple of full length to replace the two forward ones. This will give some mission flexibility in how in mount my yakama towers. Now I have 40” of for/aft adjustment. Might be overkill but was an easy afternoon project.

What did you use for the channel?

Tue Oct 21, 2025 12:53 pm

It's .080 1018 steel bent in a brake with ends welded up. There are drain holes in ends to let water out. Then just some cheap spray paint.

Tue Oct 21, 2025 2:40 pm

Kdj wrote: It's .080 1018 steel bent in a brake with ends welded up. There are drain holes in ends to let water out. Then just some cheap spray paint.

Thx

Wed Oct 22, 2025 2:14 pm

I never liked the front table because it seems too wide to rest between the front seats without blocking the armrests. So I made my own:

Sun Oct 26, 2025 3:59 pm

It was time to change to cold weather oel. 0-w40, and a Mann filter.

Tue Oct 28, 2025 5:31 am

bobbyblack wrote: It was time to change to cold weather oel. 0-w40, and a Mann filter.

Double up the thickness of that piece of wood supporting your oil drain pan.... :lol: :lol:
From the picture, it looks like it's struggling to hold up those few qts of oil and the pan.... :wink: :wink:

Tue Oct 28, 2025 6:59 am

jlrftype7 wrote:
Double up the thickness of that piece of wood supporting your oil drain pan.... :lol: :lol:
From the picture, it looks like it's struggling to hold up those few qts of oil and the pan.... :wink: :wink:

Yup, my bad.. I parked too far back on my docks, the ramps are a bit more narrow than my main isle, so that same piece usually does a fine job just a few inches further towards the door.

Seems like that sentence doesn't make sense, but the effect is that the gap is wider between ramps than docks.

-bobby

Wed Oct 29, 2025 5:41 am

bobbyblack wrote: jlrftype7 wrote:
Double up the thickness of that piece of wood supporting your oil drain pan.... :lol: :lol:
From the picture, it looks like it's struggling to hold up those few qts of oil and the pan.... :wink: :wink:

Yup, my bad.. I parked too far back on my docks, the ramps are a bit more narrow than my main isle, so that same piece usually does a fine job just a few inches further towards the door.

Seems like that sentence doesn't make sense, but the effect is that the gap is wider between ramps than docks.

-bobby I think I can see the angled setup to your ramp system. Which, cleverly, gives you more room at the front if done right and safely.... 8)
That's one draw back to 4 post service lifts. How ever much the body of the lift is in your way under the vehicle, there's no moving it.... :lol: :lol:
Wonderful things like limiting the swing of a wrench or a ratchet come into play.... :roll: :roll: :roll:
Or trying to take something long and irregular like an exhaust down or back up.
The same issues would happen with the really old in-ground hydraulic lifts that had the big cylinder right in the middle of the vehicle underneath where you needed to work... :x

Fri Oct 31, 2025 2:05 pm

I have gone to LED bulbs for Reversing lights (and some others) on my '87, did that quite a while ago. But I happened to go on a trip with another Westy owner not so long ago where I saw his and thought to myself, 'hey, mine are not nearly as bright!' so I was looking to find better suited ones for my daily driver.

I searched around for a while, and found some (sorry to say) on Amazon. They arrived today, so over my afternoon break, I ran out and swapped them. I should have taken a picture of having one new and one old in place, but I was in a hurry.

Anyway, the new ones are much better suited to the application, and I'm going to order more for my other Westy next time I think of something else that catches my eye, or Mrs Black requests...

Here is the link to the ones I bought:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SYPMRR8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

-bobby

Sun Nov 02, 2025 1:46 am

Finally moved / upgraded the main grounding strap away from the transmission.

Just cut the old strap out, didn't feel like wrestling with the bolts.

Sun Nov 02, 2025 2:56 pm

Sodo will approve! :lol: Definitely a worth while project though!

Tue Nov 04, 2025 5:03 pm

Put the WonderVan away for winter. Fresh oil change, fuel stabilizer in the tank, drive around the block to run it through, pull into the garage & shut it down.

Sleep tight!

- Dave

Tue Nov 04, 2025 5:45 pm

Magnetic fridge gasket.

I was fed up with my leaking fridge door seal. The leaking door was one of my biggest thermal issues. The biggest is probably is the overall insulation. I put insulation on the outside wherever I could (top, bottom, back). I also, put extra fans, insulation and smaller jet size for the propane For the gasket, I tried adding foam weatherstripping with little success. All new fridges have magnetic door seal gaskets. Thus, I went on a hunt to fix this. I got the gasket from BA Refrigeration. Then I got a strip of magnetic SS with adhesive attached.

I cut the metal strip into 4 strips. and attached it. I covered it with clear packing tape to help prevent getting sliced by the sharp edges. Anyway, thus far it worked great.

Part description:
Profile 496 - Custom Refrigeration Gasket
(Width: 18, Width Fraction: 3/8, Height: 14, Height Fraction: 3/8, # of Sides: 4)
GU496.

I keep the door adjar so the gasket does not stay compressed and this makes sure the fridge doesn't "grow " anything bad inside. For next summer I will try putting some foam on the outside of the door to see if that helps.

My fridge improvements got the cold bulb temperature of -25C. The fridge will now easily hold 4C at 35C. Theoretical is a 40C differential.

My post on Fridge mods is here:
Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2025 8:14 am Post subject: Stock Dometic Fridge upgrades

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10429681#10429681

Thu Nov 06, 2025 2:01 pm

delete dupe

Thu Nov 06, 2025 2:01 pm

Today I removed the swivel seat from the Driver's side in preparation for installation of upgraded AUX battery system.

I watched John from GoWesty's video and pretty much attempted to follow that, however I found that using an angle grinder was not really doing it as well and cleanly as i had hoped. I don't have a lot of experience with them and they scare the hell out of me anyway.

So about a third of the way in, i broke out my Dremel. I found the metal cutoff wheel made much cleaner cuts through the spot welds and resulted in minimal need to cleanup the burrs on the tracks after the swivel plate is out. I suspect it took a little more time to do the cuts using the Dremel, but i was really happy that i switched to that tool over the angle grinder.