TheSamba.com :: View topic - Westfalia vs. Weekender.....what's the difference?

Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:40 pm

Newbie question-

What's the difference between a Westy and a Weekender? The missus and I are looking at early Bays and would just want something to hang out in not any real camping )ie don't need a stove or sink just bed/jump seats/fridge.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:43 pm

Westfalia was the company that did the camper conversions. The Weekender was the lower end camper model that didn't include the pop top.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:44 pm

Westfalia made both pop top campers and hardtop campers. The hardtop campers tended to have fewer camping accessories. Some people call them weekenders.

Other companies did camper convesions as well.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:39 pm

david_594 wrote: Westfalia was the company that did the camper conversions. The Weekender was the lower end camper model that didn't include the pop top.

"Weekender" is a term VW used for Vanagon's that did not have a full camper setup. VW did not use this term for bays, although many people will use that term for a tin top Westfalia.
This is what the VW dealers called a "Weekender": http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/85wolfsburgedition/page4.jpg . It had a pop top. This was a Vanagon to use as a regular vehicle during the week and to use on the weekend as a camper. It lacked a stove, refrigerator, sink and a lot of the cabinetry of a campmobile.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 3:52 pm

Yeah but this is for a bay window bus :wink: Not a vanagon.

The term may not be correct for a non-pop top bay window camper but its whats been thrown around here as a word best to describe the "type" of camper it is. Because it makes sence.

A weekender is a non-pop top camper as others have stated above. More than likley-due to the mass production a model made by Westfalia. Another term to describe it is a tin top. They were made all the way through the bay production series.

The term weekender to me describes a couples ability to get away for the weekend. Two of you, no kids. Just your private room on wheels. Hence the lack of a needed pop top or a full camping deal.

But be careful as you will find alot of hard top-weekender-tin top campers out there with Westfalia interiors. Meaning that due to the busses versitility and ease at which you can add a Camping interior to your other wise bench seated bus, people have amd do this with frequency.

A true hard top Westfalia from the factory is a rare beast as most are pop tops.

When I went to get my 74 out of the wrecking yard I noticed that the rotting corpse next to mine was a 70 hard top westy. Shame as it was missing its slider and had suffered bad because of it. Whens the last true hard top Westfalia youve seen?

Here are some later hard tops.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:52 pm

notchboy wrote: Yeah but this is for a bay window bus :wink: Not a vanagon.

The term may not be correct for a non-pop top bay window camper but its whats been thrown around here as a word best to describe the "type" of camper it is. Because it makes sence.

A weekender is a non-pop top camper as others have stated above. More than likley-due to the mass production a model made by Westfalia. Another term to describe it is a tin top. They were made all the way through the bay production series.

The term weekender to me describes a couples ability to get away for the weekend. Two of you, no kids. Just your private room on wheels. Hence the lack of a needed pop top or a full camping deal.

But be careful as you will find alot of hard top-weekender-tin top campers out there with Westfalia interiors. Meaning that due to the busses versitility and ease at which you can add a Camping interior to your other wise bench seated bus, people have amd do this with frequency.

A true hard top Westfalia from the factory is a rare beast as most are pop tops.

When I went to get my 74 out of the wrecking yard I noticed that the rotting corpse next to mine was a 70 hard top westy. Shame as it was missing its slider and had suffered bad because of it. Whens the last true hard top Westfalia youve seen?

Sure the appellation "weekender" is used here on The Samba. I was just giving an accurate answer for the post. The Samba has its own vernacular for VWs. Volkswagen never referred to the tin top as a "weekender", but did so with that Vanagon model without the extras.

Westfalia campmobile tin tops are not rare prior to 1974. From 1968 to 1973 you had your choice, from the dealer, of pop top or tin top.

The last time I saw a true tin top Westfalia was about five minutes ago when I was in the garage :D .

Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:57 pm

Unless there is a different situation with later years there is a bunch of incorrect info floating around here. Westfalia's had all kinds of options and floor plans including pop tops or no pop tops. Non pop top campers had, or could have, all of the camping items and accessories as any of the pop tops except the actual top. And early fully outfitted hardtop Westfalias arn't rare or second rate as there seems to be a bigger preference for them. But I have no idea about the situation after '71. I'm not sure if the term weekender was actually used by Westfalia for non pop top Westy's. But obviously tin top wasn't. My steel roof hardtop Westy sure doesn't have any tin involved. And we that own them are sure glad we don't drive plastic top Westy's. :lol:
Here is a current example of a Westfalia Campmobile without a pop top. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=440001

Fri Nov 12, 2010 6:51 pm

You could certainly get Riviera Pop Tops with just a seven seat version so you don't have all the useless camper stuff in the way. With the center seat removed and swivels added to the front seats you have a pretty spacious rig. Add a drop down table and you are set.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:04 pm

Wildthings wrote: You could certainly get Riviera Pop Tops with just a seven seat version so you don't have all the useless camper stuff in the way. With the center seat removed and swivels added to the front seats you have a pretty spacious rig. Add a drop down table and you are set.

Not really into the ”pop top” look. Thinking more along the lines of a sunroof Bay with the z bed, drop down table, fridge, head knocker and swivels. (damn learned a lot hanging here for the past few)

Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:16 pm

ecvwfan wrote: Wildthings wrote: You could certainly get Riviera Pop Tops with just a seven seat version so you don't have all the useless camper stuff in the way. With the center seat removed and swivels added to the front seats you have a pretty spacious rig. Add a drop down table and you are set.

Not really into the ”pop top” look. Thinking more along the lines of a sunroof Bay with the z bed, drop down table, fridge, head knocker and swivels. (damn learned a lot hanging here for the past few)

How tall are you? The pop top when up certainly allows you to stand up fully in your bus while camping. I was not blessed with genes that put me anywhere near what would be considered tall or even average and I cannot stand up straight in my bus with the top down. Just something to consider.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:24 pm

I was not given the gift of height either (5'6”). Not really looking for something to go camping with just something more for tailgating. Can you take the pop top on and off? And does it leave a hole or is there a sunroof to close?

Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:31 pm

I thought you always had a choice with any VW when you bought it? So with cars today. Its is and was convenient to just jump into what was popular or on hand at the dealer.

If you guys think hard tops are not rare prior to lets say 74, then fine. I based my statement off of a years worth of searching for a nice camper. What I found was mostly pop tops of all types. Hard tops to me are so rare I went out of my way to get one out of the local wrecker. Untouched and unmolested. Because I didnt see them much if at all during my search.

So then maybe in essence, its no longer rare since the last Id seen one was an hour ago when I had a corona in it with my girlfriend :roll:

Fri Nov 12, 2010 7:54 pm

notchboy wrote: I thought you always had a choice with any VW when you bought it? So with cars today. Its is and was convenient to just jump into what was popular or on hand at the dealer.

If you guys think hard tops are not rare prior to lets say 74, then fine. I based my statement off of a years worth of searching for a nice camper. What I found was mostly pop tops of all types. Hard tops to me are so rare I went out of my way to get one out of the local wrecker. Untouched and unmolested. Because I didnt see them much if at all during my search.

So then maybe in essence, its no longer rare since the last Id seen one was an hour ago when I had a corona in it with my girlfriend :roll:

My point exactly. I see pop tops all the time at shows and want something different.

Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:32 pm

ecvwfan wrote: notchboy wrote: I thought you always had a choice with any VW when you bought it? So with cars today. Its is and was convenient to just jump into what was popular or on hand at the dealer.

If you guys think hard tops are not rare prior to lets say 74, then fine. I based my statement off of a years worth of searching for a nice camper. What I found was mostly pop tops of all types. Hard tops to me are so rare I went out of my way to get one out of the local wrecker. Untouched and unmolested. Because I didnt see them much if at all during my search.

So then maybe in essence, its no longer rare since the last Id seen one was an hour ago when I had a corona in it with my girlfriend :roll:

My point exactly. I see pop tops all the time at shows and want something different.

Good choice. Then look for a pre-72 maybe. I hear there are lots of them :lol:

Fri Nov 12, 2010 9:57 pm

ecvwfan wrote:
Not really into the ”pop top” look. Thinking more along the lines of a sunroof Bay with the z bed, drop down table, fridge, head knocker and swivels. (damn learned a lot hanging here for the past few)

We've got a sunroof with camper interior in it- bed, swivel table, cooler, sink, slider windows. I really like it, as I'm allegic to mold, mildew and every pop top we looked at set me to wheezing and sneezing. The sunroof is pretty sweet.

Sat Nov 13, 2010 4:21 am

My '72 Bus was a "Weekender". Had the Westy interior, light etc., minus the stove. I took out the fridge.

Sat Nov 13, 2010 6:06 am

ecvwfan wrote: I was not given the gift of height either (5'6”). Not really looking for something to go camping with just something more for tailgating. Can you take the pop top on and off? And does it leave a hole or is there a sunroof to close?

5'6" is about where I top out too and I have to stoop to move around in it with the top down. Probably not too much of an issue if you are going to be occasionally tailgating in it. Still, with the top up the peak reaches to a cathedral like 8 ft.! Then you could hang team flags and banners off of it and really show your team spirit!

No you cannot take the top on and off like some kind of hard top convertible.