My Westfalia went off to the paint shop, and the good news is that there was very little rust and none of it was serious. As you can see from the picture the engine hatch needed replacement, I think many get bumped into or bent. The paint job will be a bright orange with a pearl white two tone at the top. The interior will be pearl white with components from a 1970 model, at least the sink/cooler and extra seat as mentioned previously.

Other issues have surfaced, someone put front seats from what might be a Dodge van, it’s not so obvious at first glance, however they cut out the VW seat rails which means it would be tough to put the originals back in. I’m told the solution is to find some Toyota van seats which should bolt right into the frame. Also, a couple of door locks don’t work from the outside indicating they might be from another vehicle. One shop I called said that’s quite common and that they could make keys for the locks for about 70 dollars a unit.

The New York Times has a great article chronicling the writer’s present day travels along the California coast in a 1973 Volkswagen camper. The model appears to be a Riviera, a rental from an Orange county surf company owned by Bill Staggs called Vintage Surfari Wagons. This reminds me of the trip I took through Oregon in my dad’s ‘73 Westfalia back in 1990. The picture sums it up, you’re right there on the beach in your cottage on wheels that drives like a car. Prices don’t seem to have changed much, I remember paying 20 dollars for an RV spot right near the surf. The place had full hook ups, but I didn’t really need them as the van I was driving didn’t have a 110 plug in. There really seems to be renewed interest in VW campers, my blog has had over 7,000 hits and counting.

Here’s another book by David Eccles, I’ve already ordered his other publication on VW camper interiors. This one focuses more on people and travels apparently. Should be a good read. Don’t forget his magazine as well.

It seems there’s no shortage of people will to track down the old style Volkswagen campers. Here’s a video from Youtube by the seller documenting the handover.

I found this site that sells an alternative to an interior curtain that goes over the outside of the windshield. Having the window cover on the outside makes it seem more spacious on the inside. Although, if you stop at night in the pouring rain it might be better to have the interior curtains handy. Maybe you could have both tucked away. In other news, I’ve decided for sure to get a ‘68 to ‘71 interior for my ‘74 Westy restoration and have located a full interior to replace what I’ve got. However, I will probably leave the ‘74 Z-bed in place and forgo the side closet. So I’ll have the sink icebox combo by the sliding door and the extra seat.

Here’s a clip from a TV station in Quebec interviewing three Westfalia owners. Some nice interior shots of three different vans. Just look how happy these people are to be custodians of these fine examples of German engineering. Click on the image to start the Youtube video.

I’m leaning toward a ‘68 – ‘73 interior much like this one here. I could go for a ‘76 – ‘79 setup, but I really like the idea of the extra seat behind the driver’s side so you can face each other when you eat dinner. The sink combo pictured here had the option of a fridge or icebox, I think the latter would be fine. Simple is best, so if you have a van and some constructive criticism please leave a comment. Happy camping!

Isn’t YouTube great? This video is an ode to a camper named Bonnie, the Jack Johnson music is nice too, good choice.  Would like to have seen more interior shots though.  The trip takes place summer 2006 in Scotland.  Looks like a really good time, the open road and your very own cottage on wheels!

So there is this British fellow who’s gained notoriety for cooking food on his van.  He has a site, but the videos didn’t play for me there.  He’s also on Youtube check this video out.   Guess how he tenderizes his steak?

Ran across this in my Volkswagen camper obsession for trying to find new info, a body shop that does Westfalias as a specialty.  Jim Stepan seems to be the man behind Original Restorations in Canada’s western most province of British Columbia.  They describe their work as “concours quality” which is good.  It’s nice to see more and more companies offering specific restoration packages, plus he’s a Westfalia owner too!