Trip Report - 1987 Westy through Yosemite N. P.

[Wasted youth]

During the last week of October my wife and I wanted to do an overnight road trip in our 1987 Westfalia that we found earlier this summer. This Westy has a super-clean interior. The fridge worked great on all three modes on this trip. The sink, water pump, beds and pop top all worked perfectly.

We live in the Central California area, and my wife and I decided to use our National Parks “America the Beautiful” Pass that we used on a three week tour of several western states this past summer (we drove my wife’s new car… the Westy or my Baywindows would not be up to the task without considerable work). This pass cost $87.00 delivered, and is good for entrance at all national parks for one year from date of issue. Ours will expire early this summer, but I highly recommend this if you are into seeing several parks in a season, as it really saved us a lot of money on entrance fees.

I thought we could go to Yosemite National Park, and figured the summer crowds would be long gone. I was dead wrong on that account. Total madhouse and completely sold out campgrounds throughout the park. I was glad to get the hell out of the Yosemite Valley traffic jams, and was happy I did not run anyone down as they bumbled into oncoming traffic with their kids in tow. With the four year drought still cooking along and this being early Fall, the waterfalls, etc. were uninspiring.

I thought we could head up to Tuolumne Meadows and perhaps up to Tioga Pass; places I had never been. It would also give me a chance to see how the Westy would do with a fully loaded outfit and four people over mountain grades, while within the AAA Premier towing range.

We were in for a treat! The Westy performed absolutely up to my expectations, and we had no troubles at all, sans for an out-of-commission tachometer (my fault from reading bad advice a couple of weeks prior) and some problematic hot/fresh air dashboard control venting issues.
The biggest issue was no place to camp, and being the madhouse Yosemite usually is, I figured we would get bothered if we just pulled over and set up... lots of camping rules here. So we headed out Hwy 120 towards Buck Meadows on a suggestion that there might be vacancies out that way. Nope! A host told us that it is allowable to pull off the road in the Stanislaus National Forest (not the National Park) and most of the time the USFS Rangers won’t hassle people. We found a day use area in the Stanislaus National Forest and parked overnight anyway and had a hot dinner and went to bed. The van's appointments have excellent usefulness, and very easy to use. Nice Westy! Free camping!

Next morning we headed up to Tioga where I basically lied to my wife about “I just want to see the summit” with a secret intention of coming down the backside and furthering our trip and likely causing the kids to be very tired at school on Monday. ...totally worth it in my book. Just hope I don’t have any problems!

We saw just a few Westfalias, no splitties and I recall just two Baywindow buses. Here is a young man leaving Lembert dome parking lot obviously living life to the fullest... and see the Eurovan?

On the way to Tioga, we were getting hungry, but I told the kids when we got to the summit there should be a place to park and I would make lunch. But eastbound road leaving the Tioga gate does not really have a place to park, and certainly no parking lot. It was cold and windy, and I could easily see my 'past self' trying to light my Coleman stove perched on some rocks out there. Car camping is cool, but can be seriously challenging to care for a family of four. But today… no problem! Pulled off the shoulder, parking reasonably level and popped up the top and again made a hot meal for four!

Here's someone entering the park, clearly on board with the program:

This is our lunchtime view:

I cleaned up my kitchen while the kids hassled each other out in the snow and I made some fresh coffee. I suggested to my wife that we should see the back side of the Sierras and go out into the desert. By now, she was getting really comfortable with the Westfalia possibilities, and she was sold. It was a great experience for all of us. The dramatic change in landscape was a marvel.

Down the mountain through Lee Vining Canyon our first stop would be Mono Lake. We stopped at the Mono Lake center, and caught the last showing of the interpretation film. That was neat, and it cleared up a few old questions in my head and also proved me wrong on a couple of notions. And the stickers are starting to accumulate!

Then we put some serious miles in on Hwy 395...

Near Mammoth Lakes, we pulled into a rest area, and I spied a hose bibb for RVs and so my son and I topped off the water tank.

We got to Bishop, and were still having a great trip. My wife surprised me by her getting a little jazzed about seeing this shop. She made a note of its location and suggested in the future we could call on them if we needed to. She tolerates and mildly encourages my VW enthusiasm, but this trip seemed to give her more encouragement. Guess that's what happens when everything works and the trip goes well!

Not a single meal was had outside of the Westy until we got to Lone Pine. I decided for the sake of appeasing two kids and my desire for onion rings and a charbroiled burger, we would stop at Burger King. I regret that, still. The amount I paid for that meal and the quality of it made cooking in the Westy with a bag of fresh groceries very appealing.
Anyway, we made it home that night about 10PM, and I am happy to say we had a great, uneventful trip. The usefulness of the Westfalia accommodations cannot be understated. The fridge worked great on all three modes on this trip. As I write this in December, the 12VDC side does not seem to function anymore, but the two fuses are good. Just need to get in there and see what’s going on. Interestingly, the propane mode stays lit while running down the highway, even though I expected it to blow out. Previously, my son and I had the 'fridge out on the workbench for a thorough cleaning, testing and adjusting.

The 2.1 liter power plant is a bit slow on acceleration by today’s standards, and most cars/vans/trucks do a lot better than 40-45 MPH up steep grades, but I don’t even care. I am totally fine with this, and it does what I ask of it. I really enjoy the ease of the automatic transmission, too.

Total mileage on this overnight trip: 648
Total quarts of oil used: Zero
Total gasoline: Failed to keep track, but I am thinking 19-21 MPG
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1968 Double Cab truck, 1973 Auto trans bus, 1978 Auto trans Sunroof bus with A/C and a 1987 Auto trans Westfalia.

[JudoJeff]

Thanks for sharing, great photos, trip I hope to make someday!
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________________________________________
1989 Vanagon GL Westfalia Camper, Burned up on 7/31/16.
1987 Vanagon GL Westfalia Camper, Bostig & Rebuilt, sold
1986 Vanagon GL Westfalia Camper, Bostig.

[goldtooth]

Nice! Look just like our 87 did when we bought it.

nate

[Wasted youth]

[Satch]

Great write up and pics! Nothing like a family adventure in a Westy. I hope to do this trip sometime in the next year or so.

[Satch]

Any thoughts on the less powerful Air cooled making this trip? I have an 83 AC and I am concerned about some of the grades, etc..

Anyone else have any experience going to Yosemite in an air cooled Westy?

Again, thanks for sharing.

[dobryan]

Great trip! Glad it went well and that your family bonded with the Westy.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The West Coast Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[Wasted youth]

[michaelasnider]

[Satch]

Thanks to both for the replies regarding the air cooled. Some great info and highlights on what is possible with a well maintained AC. I have no issues with going slow. I rather enjoy it.

[jismay]

As far as the aircooled vans go...

I have a 1980 P22 Westfalia van (no fridge or stove or propane, but still a sink and icebox)
After putting a rebuilt engine in it and various other fixes the wife and I drove it from SoCal to Louisiana and back this last April. The van did great and turned in ~14MPG. This was a lot of "high-speed" freeway driving obviously, but it did 70-75 for hours without any problems.

Since that trip I've fixed various things in the Fuel Injection system (rebuilt AFM, rebuilt Aux Air Valve) and I now have it starting and running very good and it is now turning in 15MPG on the highway.

Definitely make sure it is properly tuned, and that the heater tubes and the engine tin are all hooked up and sealed.

I have had the van up to Big Bear here in SoCal several times and it does just fine. Slow up the steeper bits, but it will still do an honest 35-40 in 2nd/3rd with two people, a full water tank, and gear. I've taken it up and over Onyx Summit at ~8500ft elevation and it just keeps on chugging along.

I would definitely invest in a wideband O2 sensor if you have an aircooled van. It has given me a lot of peace of mind to be able to double-check the AFR to ensure the van is running well.

A lot of people also install Cylinder Head Temp sensors (The Detroit Digital version is popular). I have not yet, but a CHT is on my list of farkles to add.

[DwarfVader]

next time make the trip to MT, the drive will be long from where you're at, but totally worth it in all regards.

excellent photos and trip log, it looks like you have done what I want to do... Glad your westy was good to you.
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- oderint dum metuant -

I'll find my van someday, or it will find me.

[Wasted youth]

[DwarfVader]

[syncrodoka]

On a whim in July my son and I drove his van out to Yosemite for the first time. We camped at the lower Lee Vining campground at the foot of Tioga pass one night. First come first served and there were almost a dozen spots available even during peak season in Yosemite. The sites are rustic but have bear boxes for food and having Tioga pass as a backdrop during dinner is amazing.
The campground is kind of hard to find but worth the visit if you haven't made reservations somewhere ahead of time.

[eeebee]

I love that drive, and I love the eastern Sierras. There is a great BBQ place in Big Pine right on the highway that I would recommend, Copper Top BBQ. Next year go a little earlier and see the fall colors. See http://www.californiafallcolor.com/ for up-to-date reports.
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Eric

1987 Vanagon Wolfsburg Special Edition
GoWesty 2.3

Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.

[DwarfVader]

No westy I know... but here's what Salmon Lake looked like at sundown in mid-Sept.

*Salmon Lake, MT

Camping was right up against the lake, and was fantastic. (and there are 4 other lakes within 20m of this one that are equally amazing during spring/summer/fall... and even winter in a couple cases.)
_________________
- oderint dum metuant -

I'll find my van someday, or it will find me.

[syncrodoka]

Is that in yosemite? The terrain that I saw there was different.

[Wasted youth]

[Wasted youth]