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Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:22 pm

So I just bought this really cool book from campingbox - Its a 125 anniversary history book of the company. Not sold to the public - handed out to the staff kind of literature. Very cool indeed.

Since there are like 12 pages of "My 19XX Westfalia build" this or that threads, I thought Id start one for all the years of Westfalia question, history, parts, pieces, bits and bobs, year changing talk and banter.

So right out the gate I have a couple pics to share that are very interesting.

Yeah - we made it to 50k! What do you see thats not Westfalia?

Did you know that the buses were made from lumber? Actually its neat to see the wood for the mill to make the cabinets - headliners - trailers right along side the finished bays.

A whole assembly line of accessories! I hope to have two of these this Summer.

Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:25 pm

Is that a door mobile on the right in the first pic?!

Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:37 pm

Damn thats some cool shit, especially the lumber pic.

Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:47 pm

Jason those are awesome pic's.I love the old factory pics + seeing the
trailers there too.

Nice Score!!!!

Fri Jan 04, 2013 12:39 am

Thanks for sharing ! So 50,000 in 68/69 ?

Fri Jan 04, 2013 8:10 am

Great pics!, definitely a little preplanned shuffling so one of every model got seen somewhere in the background, the horse trailer is cool and the drilling jig ontop of #50K is neat too. From the chrome door pulls I'm guessing 68?

Fri Jan 04, 2013 8:18 am

obnoxiousblue nailed it out of the gate. Did you all see the Door Mobile pOp tOp? Pre finished top from another source on the line at Westfalia. Which we already knew was an option from other lit.

I also liked to see the rows of bikes showing employees would ride in, suggesting that a bunch if not all lived close by. Stark contrast to our McDonald's-commuting fat ass society now. I want to go back in time and work at Westfalia, ride my bike and have treats of fresh strudel :lol:

Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:01 am

notchboy wrote: I also liked to see the rows of bikes showing employees would ride in, suggesting that a bunch if not all lived close by. Stark contrast to our McDonald's-commuting fat ass society now. I want to go back in time and work at Westfalia, ride my bike and have treats of fresh strudel :lol:

I think that many German companies have a rule, whereby employees, must live within a half-hour's commuting distance, of their place of employment. One of my local colleges, in South East essex, England, has a similar policy.

Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:08 am

Europe in general uses mass transit more than us here in America.

Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:16 am

sweet 8)

Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:19 am

Awesome thread! Sweet pics would love to see more.

Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:14 am

Just think, somewhere in that factory there was a shelf with thousands of yellow buckets on it...

Fri Jan 04, 2013 5:51 pm

notchboy wrote: obnoxiousblue nailed it out of the gate. Did you all see the Door Mobile pOp tOp? Pre finished top from another source on the line at Westfalia. Which we already knew was an option from other lit.

I also liked to see the rows of bikes showing employees would ride in, suggesting that a bunch if not all lived close by. Stark contrast to our McDonald's-commuting fat ass society now. I want to go back in time and work at Westfalia, ride my bike and have treats of fresh strudel :lol:

What about those 2 smaller white trailer on the left? Anyone seen one of those at a show or running around town? I could use one.

Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:14 pm

AB westy nut wrote: Just think, somewhere in that factory there was a shelf with thousands of yellow buckets on it... Is the green trailer a hearse?

Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:13 am

Those metal ones are real nice looking. Kinda remind me of a agriculture water trough :lol:

Westfalia made regular hacks to do anything. Single axle and double axels. They made big metal boxes, wooden boxes, coffin carriers (as asked), hoarse trailers, soft side - canvas - taurpin type. All kinds of trailers. They are most known - trailer wise for the small wooden trailers and their travel trailers.

This is my kind of wood shop. See your cabinet set in there?

Hard side metal caravans, coffins and crates.

What do you see at the end of this row?

Sat Jan 05, 2013 5:26 am

Westfalia was founded 1844 by Johann Bernhard Knöbel as a blacksmith shop.
1917 by his sons Wilhelm founded WEKA (vehicle construction) and his son Franz founded "Westfalia".
1927 the first car trailer by Westfalia
1932 the patented trailer hitch
1950 the Camping box for VW (but Westfalia produce not only for VW!)
1952 the awning tent for the VW
1994 Westfalia in big trouble - founded 3 sub companies:
- Westfalia Trailer Group GmbH http://www.westfalia-trailer.eu/
- Westfalia Van Conversion GmbH http://www.westfalia-mobil.net/ (owned by 49% by DaimlerChrysler - not VW)
- Westfalia-Automotive GmbH & Co. KG. http://www.westfalia-automotive.de/

NASkeet wrote: I think that many German companies have a rule, whereby employees, must live within a half-hour's commuting distance, of their place of employment.
This is completely false and fictional, sorry.

regards from Berlin, Germany.

Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:56 am

rsbadura wrote: Westfalia was founded 1844 by Johann Bernhard Knöbel as a blacksmith shop.
1917 by his sons Wilhelm founded WEKA (vehicle construction) and his son Franz founded "Westfalia".
1927 the first car trailer by Westfalia
1932 the patented trailer hitch
1950 the Camping box for VW (but Westfalia produce not only for VW!)
1952 the awning tent for the VW
1994 Westfalia in big trouble - founded 3 sub companies:
- Westfalia Trailer Group GmbH http://www.westfalia-trailer.eu/
- Westfalia Van Conversion GmbH http://www.westfalia-mobil.net/ (owned by 49% by DaimlerChrysler - not VW)
- Westfalia-Automotive GmbH & Co. KG. http://www.westfalia-automotive.de/

NASkeet wrote: I think that many German companies have a rule, whereby employees, must live within a half-hour's commuting distance, of their place of employment.
This is completely false and fictional, sorry.

regards from Berlin, Germany.

rsbadura thank you brother!

I just started to "read" the book I bought last night and actualy read most of this first history on them - up to the ball pat. Very interesting family for sure.

Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:43 pm

It looks like another Dormobile and the end of that line.

Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:10 pm

rsbadura wrote:
- Westfalia Van Conversion GmbH http://www.westfalia-mobil.net/ (owned by 49% by DaimlerChrysler - not VW)

regards from Berlin, Germany.

I thought that Benz sold Westfalia to a French company last year?

Love Berlin btw, my favourite city to visit (dad grew up east of there)

Sun Jan 06, 2013 4:14 am

Gruppe B wrote: I thought that Benz sold Westfalia to a French company last year?
That is not the key point - the key point is that Westfalia and VW connection is still broken.
Westfalia owned a long time by a competitor of VW. Nearly the same as Ghia sold to Ford in 1970 - and end in simple design versions of Ford cars and died in 2002.

Westfalia camping van struggle to get in new markets with less success and get more than on time in trouble including something like the US chapter 11.

2001 100% subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler
2007 sold to Aurelius AG Industry Holding
2010 renamed to CVC-Camping Van Conversion and chapter 11
2010 sold to french Rapido group and renamed to Westfalia Mobil GmbH
...

regards,