What is this 71 Westy thingy for?

[MountainKeep]

Sorry about the blur, but what is this domabobber for? Is it original to a 71 Campmobile? This is the driver's side, but there is one just like it on the other side as well. It appears to have had some sort of strap attached to the base of the knob that is broken off on both sides as well.

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White 71 Campmobile known lovingly as "the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo."

[busdaddy]

Long ago there was a hook on the end for the seat belt.
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[CanStan]

Here you go:

They are usually broken , but they are cheap to replace. I think all the usual vendors should sell them.

[Angus II]

Hello,
Hey, there metal beater, long time no see. Do you have that bus camping trip ready yet?. And, the front or back yard don't count.... Good too see you're still around.
Yes, those(broken things) are for hanging your seat belts up out of the way, instead of tossing it behind the seat or too the side of the seat. Where it will get caught in the sill when you shut the door....Oops.
Keep on bounding....

[airschooled]

Also handy for hanging a light jacket, or some knick-knacks if you're more the hippie type.

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=211857723
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[MountainKeep]

Sweet! Thanks everybody! Yep! I'll be replacing those hooks asap. I hate fumbling with the brake fluid soaked seat belt lol! I suppose that once you hook the buckle on there as pictured above, you could loop the excess around the button part maybe as well. Very cool. And here I was worrying that there was nothing stock left for me to buy for my bus Ha!

Hey Angus! Yep. I'm still here! I have been tooling all over the place with my new 1600. I love it! It clocks right up and down the mountains... slowly.. but surely! I put on one of Bill's Pierburg dome tops and that was the best money I ever spent! The right fuel pressure made all the difference.
We have camped a couple of times already... but in the front yard lol! But now our front yard is better than a lot of campgrounds.. In the wooded mountains with a babbling brook going past the fire pit.. and it's clothing optional lol! We are hoping to go to High Country and Buses on the River soon though!
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White 71 Campmobile known lovingly as "the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo."

[MountainKeep]

Here's a picnic pic from today in fact!

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White 71 Campmobile known lovingly as "the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo."

[Jeff Geisen]

From my experience they’ll continue to snap off, especially the passenger side as riders seem to be rough on them.

I cut a piece of coat hanger and bend a loop and hook on either end and you’re done.
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I Corinthians 4: 1 thru 5

‘63 ragtop - ‘68 single cab

[MountainKeep]

I replaced the hooks with the WW reproductions, but I decided to keep the grungy old knob portions.... They had tiny little VW emblems and part numbers on both the disks and knobs.
We are trying to get in the habit of using them. They do help to keep your seat belts from getting tangled or caught in the door.
Thanks for the info everyone!

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White 71 Campmobile known lovingly as "the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo."

[Angus II]

Hello,
And, I was expecting a nice hand-hammered shepherds hook from a true blacksmith... not some China made plastic pieces.
Looks good, just messing with you big boy.. and, I'd camp in your front yard also, it's nice...

[MountainKeep]

Funny you should say that Angus.... This is a pic of the very first thing I ever blacksmithed all those decades ago. I strongly considered forging up some similar hooks to use instead of the reproduction shite, but then I thought about what brain functions I would lose when my sturdy metal hook got lodged in my left temporal lobe... I'll stick with Chinese plastic lol!

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White 71 Campmobile known lovingly as "the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo."

[alman72]

i watch a guy on youtube restore old computers, and on plastic he uses windex, then baking soda and water, then maybe some ipa. then he does what he calls retrobrite. it is a hydrogen peroxide solution from the fabric store. let it sit in solution in the sun for a couple hours, and damn if dont look brand new. (knob cleanup maybe)

[kreemoweet]

[busdaddy]

I find people who are only used to modern cars don't use those retractors properly, they often let them take up the slack when worn and don't adjust the belt tight, not so useful if you expect the belt to hold you in the seat. I gave up on using the hooks a few years ago as well, someone reaches up and grabs the belt and yanks expecting it to just pull out like modern stuff, I got tired of replacing hooks.

My automatic subconcious getting out of the bus routine now is stash the belt between the seat and door before opening the door, then once standing outside pull the belt out forward with one hand and push the shoulder strap back and down into the corner so it lays along the fenderwell between the seat and door. It's partially a deluxe thing since campers don't have the fresh air duct horn sticking out to catch the belt on and pull off the stupid seal to get lost in a parking lot. I also stay in the bus until my passenger has unbuckled and grab the belt or shoulder strap before they bail out and it swings down and whacks the side of the body above the jack point.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.

Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

Слава Україні!

[MountainKeep]

Still have one partial retractor in my bus. It has never worked, but may be of interest.

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White 71 Campmobile known lovingly as "the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo."

[Angus II]

Hello,
Hell you say. That's what that thing is for.
I thought it was some kind of German automatic "joint roller" for on the go.... but, the weed always got caught in the spring though.....

[Abscate]

[CanStan]

I find the hangers useful and I've yet to break one off in any Bus I've owned. Maybe because I pretty much only have VW people riding in the front of the Bus, and they know how things work? (Non-VW friends and family aren't impressed by a Bus, and would much rather take the Tiguan for the creature comforts they're used to.)

For the $6 or whatever they cost, I'll risk them getting busted and eventually having to replace them.

[skills@eurocarsplus]

this is probably going to start a war...but fukkit

those seat belt winders work great IF your seat belts are clean. if they are rock hard strips of beef jerky then not so much.

I take my seat belts and soak them in super clean....not that neutered purple power b/s...castrol super clean. the rinse them is SCREAMING hot water. you should see all the black brown nasty shit wash out of them.

I do this until the water is clear. let them dry. the result is smooth as silk flexible as a rubber band seat belts that retract almost as good as modern belts. I know...here we go with "you're destroying the webbing" which I have never had happen. ever.

I view seat belts in a bus like a motorcycle helmet...use them if you want an open casket at your funeral
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[notchboy]