Random thoughts/advice from a 3rd year, Northeast owner

[HackAl]

Random thoughts (and maybe advice for Van-seekers) from a 3rd year, Northeast owner, Family of 3.

My mechanical skill is limited so I don’t find many opportunities to contribute meaningfully to these threads. I am far more often the receiver of good advice than the giver. So this is my humble attempt to pay it forward with advice that you might find equally as useless as any mechanical advice I could offer. These are just some of my impressions as a Northeast owner, middle-aged, husband and father of a tween daughter. Maybe I’ll add more tidbits from time to time.

The Motor
After everything I read about how these vehicles are grossly underpowered, I am actually impressed with how well this motor (stock 2.1L, top-end rebuild, 155k miles) has performed. Aside from an alternator belt snafu that sliced a coolant hose, I’ve had no issues with this motor. Yes, I’ve had the occasional “sticky-lifters” and rough idle but that’s about it. We cruise at 70mp all day long. When we see a hill in the distance, we’ll take it up to 75 to keep the momentum. Don’t let 91 horsepower dissuade you from a WBX. It’s fine, really.

Scarcity of mechanics
Mechanics familiar with these vans are few and far between around here. For routine stuff, I’m not worried. I don’t know where I’ll go for complicated issues. I found a great VW mechanic before I purchased it but he retired. It would be a good idea to sort that out before you buy. That said, I taught myself to do the oil changes, change the belts, etc. I installed my own tent, auxiliary battery kit and stereo. These experiences can be as rewarding as they can be frustrating. What are your own inclinations and abilities? Are you willing to learn?

Worthwhile accessories
If you are getting a camper, try to get a three-window tent. Not being able to see what is going on to the left and right of you while camping is a little disconcerting. Having at least a small propane heater can extend your season by several weeks. Get a decent stereo but skip the amp. It draws too much power from your auxiliary battery. Oh- get an auxiliary battery setup so you don’t drain your primary battery when camping. Foam mattress topper is nice too. Some of these items are under $100. Some a little more. Let people know what you want for Christmas, birthday’s etc. Then, take them camping.

Don’t paint it
I met a guy who painted his 87 van pearl white. I would see him at parks, car shows. He was always hyper-obsessed with little cracks and chips. He spent $6k on this paint job. For me, each chip, scratch, dig adds character and reminds of the time when we camped here or there. Ever see Willy Nelson’s guitar? Instead of paint, get better rims and tires if you want.

Rims and tires
We spent $1000 swapping out our 14” for 16” wheels. Are they better? Yes. Do you need to do it? No. If my 14” tires weren’t already 11 years old I would have waited. With 16” tires, we sway a little less on the highway in high winds. The van feels a little more stable. That’s about it.

Expectations/disappointment/lessons learned
Keep your expectations down and you won’t be disappointed. Stuff breaks. You fix it. If you listened to the advice you found here, you budgeted for it. Each hardship is a learning experience. I struggle with this because, as I’ve mentioned, I’m not a mechanic and I’m not rich. So, when things go wrong it can be a time consuming process to make them right. Sometimes you can fix it, sometimes you can’t. People are here to help. With patience and some effort, it’ll get sorted.

Northeast winters
Like with any recreational vehicle, you have between 16-20 weekends to enjoy it. That’s assuming the weather cooperates and there’s not some wedding, birthday, baptism or graduation keeping you from a cold beer and a campfire. That van sits under wraps all winter. If you are a cold weather camper, you are driving on salted roads around here. Not good for a 30 year-old, rust-prone vehicle. Winters are painful for me. Sometimes I look at the van and ask how many Caribbean cruises I could get for it.

Camping Locations
When it is time to go camping (assuming you find the time), where will you go? There are some great sites in the Catskills and even better ones in the Adirondacks. Vermont too. There are few campsites on beaches in the northeast. Weekends at these sites are booked months in advance. There is no isolated, pine-tree lined, picturesque, lakeside campsite under a bright starry night with bass jumping out of the water. That only exists in your mind. You’ll find lakeside campgrounds, sure. Site on the water? Maybe, but you’ll be 10 feet from people on either side of you. That’s fine too. Just be prepared when the reality falls short of the ideal and roll with it. Hipcamp.com is a good resource. Check it out.

Actually sleeping in the van
This takes a little practice, especially if others are in there with you. As our daughter is now 11, she doesn’t sleep as soundly as she did three years ago. She usually sleeps upstairs with my wife and, unless both of them are really tired, any tossing and turning will wake me up on the bottom. Using two small house jacks to stabilize the van makes it bearable. Point is: don’t expect to sleep as well as you do at home when camping, even with a foam mattress topper. It also helps to be really tired and a little drunk.

Westfalia Camping equipment
I have very mixed feelings about all the camping equipment. Without hot water and, with the sink being miniscule, its use is somewhat limited. Most state campgrounds around here offer sinks for washing pots and dishes anyway. We are learning to make the best use of fridge but again, limited. The stove is great and we use it all the time. Point is, if you find a Weekender you like, buy it. You can make do without all the camper stuff or find even better replacement gear, gradually. As cute as the Westfalia camping stuff is, it can be as much of a headache.

All-in-all, this was a good purchase for us. We use the van a lot, even just for week-end day trips to parks which is very enjoyable. I don’t see selling it any time soon. Maybe if we need money for college.

Feedback welcomed.
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91 Westy.

Ever consider temporarily trading your van? Join the list.

[Ahwahnee]

Congratulations - anyone can buy one of these things, you have learned how to enjoy it.

I agree with all you say.

Of course your 'Winter' and 'Camping' comments are regional views as the Southwest has mild winters (even warm) and camping in and west of the Rockies can be the study in solitude & nature that many campers seek.

Thanks for reminding us briefly about what is important.

[YosemiteBound]

Thanks for this.

[E1]

Very, very well done, HackAl, Thanks!
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[joetiger]

[danfromsyr]

Drinks/drinking..

while craft beers are tasty and mass produced domestics are cheap.
a slow & reasonable pace of hard liquor will minimize the wake ups and trips in/out & up/down throughout the night. when that denatured water wants out.

look at the old folks in life, they're nursing their highballs for a reason..
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[joetiger]

[dhaavers]

[E1]

5HTP for me and my dungarees.

Full-timing, we'd lose our minds if not for the stove.

Though considering that's already happened, we might bath in the sink now.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[mikemtnbike]

I, and my wife, sleep better in the van bed than we do at home on our far-too-expensive mattress; no kids,a nice memory foam topper, and full width (no closet) all probably help a lot, but I also think tiredness and bliss of all sorts are the main factors

Great post, OP.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[DanHoug]

it took my wife and i many nights to figure out our sleep system in our Westy... same one we'd had 13 years ago but we've both gotten older and bigger. by about night 5 we had it down and it was super comfy. won't detail it because everyone needs to find their own sleep system.

personally, i LOVE the kitchenette in a full Westy. we use everything, and especially the sink. we bring a couple Rubbermaid tubs that fit under the sink in the cupboard but really just use the sink to wash everything that is stacked up on the table and then put it on the stove rack to dry. having everything right there for morning coffee is bliss and the smells and anticipation of a delicious meal cooking inside the camper is not to be missed. we drink a lot of water when we drive and filling a bottle up just by reaching over is great. we travel with stove lid up just for that purpose. fridge keeps butter and chocolate safe from melting, holds the day's meat cool enough until the next store.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[Atadloco]

Great reminder. Thanks for posting.

[shagginwagon83]

I started loving sleeping in the van when I was living out of my van on campus. I would usually make my bed around 9pm, go to library till 11pm, come out grinning ear to ear knowing I had my bed made and ready to sleep. It was not a level surface - but I still slept great!

Edit: I slept great until fall came, and the leaf blower guys would be out at like 6:30AM. First time it happened to me I thought I was getting towed.
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[jimf909]

Outstanding post, HackAl! It’s great to have perspective from someone who has a few seasons under their belt.

I agree on not worrying about the paint. The one compromise I made when buying my current van was that the exterior was only in fair condition (some bondo, minor seam rust, etc.) but that brings the pleasure of not worrying about washing (about once a year whether it needs it or not ) or grazing bushes and trees on forest service roads.

As for sleeping, the Vanagon is an amazing one person rig. I just got back from a few days on the road solo and it’s a perfect setup. Adding a second requires a bit more coordination and compromise when sleeping but a good night’s still comes more often than not (although the space in a queen at home is welcomed).

As for the kitchen, I’d never want to live w/out it. I find that built in Truckfridge, stove and sink is unbeatable whether stopping on the road to fix a quick snack, making coffee from bed in the morning or simply having camp set w/in a few minutes of arriving (pull out the chairs and mini-table, drop the door mat, maybe hang the hammock and camp is set).

Here’s my camp two days ago at Mt. St. Helens just after I had a breakfast of mushrooms, eggs, sausage (from the freezer), coffee and an ice cold Bodhizafa IPA from the fridge (it’s vacation!). No kitchen to set up or take down.

That said, kitchens are truly where our opinions are is just that and we Each get to decide what works best for our needs.

Happy camping!
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- Jim

[E1]

Jim, I swear we stayed in that very site in 2014, end of the loop, a great cascading waterfall a short hike away?
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[HackAl]

[jimf909]

[Abscate]

For up to one week, the weekender with plastic tubs of camping equipment will be fine. The guts who are 25% or more living in their Bus Van will find a full Westy more convenient.

We do all the cleaning and cooking outside to keep the smell out.

Our Weekenders ( we are now a T4 family but have owned/camped in T1-3 Transporters) gets turned back into the people hauler for 7 by removing three bins and installing one seat, about 3 minutes
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.ssS!

[jimf909]

[campism]

Cooking in the van is SOP for us, as is heating water on the stove and washing dishes in a plastic tublet outside, and we have a handy folding dish rack for drying.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic