Rookies try camping in VW Westfalia van.... it was so cold

[@lisadoran8622]

Hi there! Congrats on your new to you Bus! I'm not sure if you bought one yet BUT a mattress topper will help and they also make inflatable toppers too! I have a 71' Bus, mine came w/ the circus tent 🎪 which has been alot of fun. There really is "bus fatigue" from driving these! I'm looking forward to seeing what you're going to do w/ your bus!

[@r.patrickgrimm7684]

Greetings from Ecuador, my wife and i bought the exact same van, including color in 1989! Traveled all over the states and into Canada, best van we ever owned! Safe travels..!!

[@benandtabinn]

Sending Holliday cheer you you in Ecuador! Thank you for joining along in the journey! Wow that's amazing! Any pointers/advice on the van? How cool we have the same one!

[@r.patrickgrimm7684]

Holiday greetings!! We put in the electronic ignition, so no need for points to burn out, and the 78 had self adjusting valves, we changed oil every 3 thousand miles. And remember, everything is fixable. It is a lifestyle, and the rewards of travel in it are the best memories! Cheers!

[@benandtabinn]

@@r.patrickgrimm7684 ah so many great tips thank you! I 100% agree! It's about the journey and the magic is in the memories! Happy holidays to you!

[@pdxman01]

@@benandtabinn I second the electronic ignition! Mine is a Pertronix.! If you keep the points and condenser...it is a PITA to set the points! With the electronic ignition...it's a non-issue/ no maintenance!....but a caveat...do learn how to install and set your points, and carry them, and a condenser as spare parts. If the electronic ignition goes out, you are dead in the water. Install the spare points and condenser, and you're back on the road in 15 minutes!

[@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY]

In the cold I use a lil buddy heater, keep the top closed, and use a blankets to block off the downstairs bedroom from the driving room. :). I hope you used that wd40 to clean the track of the sliding door. Sacrifice a couple rags and spray and wipe the door slides and rails until clean, liberally spray clean the rollers too. Replacing all that is a major hassle and $. Your steering looks tight. Your shifter may need some work... unfortunately you have to remove the engine to replace the shifter bushings...been there, done that... is the oil leaking out? No blue smoke so it doesn't seem to be burning the oil. Wherever you go you will be a celebrity...enjoy the Smiles per mile :)

[@AJ-qn6gd]

At least it’s easy to remove the engine unlike like a modern vehicle 👍🏻🇬🇧

[@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY]

Ohh man, the bed cushions are terribly thin! We bought a 4" topper for the downstairs and cut it to fit, big improvement! Ultimately we made new cushions with thicker padding actually meant to be slept on. And still use the topper. Your bus is beautifully mostly stock, so you have some decisions to make as to how much you want to make it your own :)

[@benandtabinn]

Ohh yes that's a great recommendation! The bed is high on our list to fix! It's hard to enjoy the great outdoors without a proper rest! Yes agreed! Due to most of it being completely original it's hard to know how much to adjust to make it our own and how much to keep the same for the sake of it being original! Slowly but surely tho! Thank you for commenting and for joining us on this adventure!

[@ggolds5]

Love watching. We have yet to take a "real" trip or camping but we will in the spring. Fantasy stuff for me.

[@benandtabinn]

Love it! Where will you go? We are also a little snowed in atm as well looking forward to spring trips!

[@ggolds5]

@@benandtabinn We live in Connecticut. My wife and I bought a 1976 Westy. I wanted one since I was a kid and my wife said, lets just get one already. I said it was too expensive and way too out of reach. She did the whole, we only live once and we'll figure it out. So, we did. LOL. It's' called a loan. We will probably just take short trips to Mass and NY. Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Pretty much just New England. You two are true travelers. I'm not quite that daring.

[@benandtabinn]

@@ggolds5 it's so great she pushed the issue and got you both on the path. The beauty of them is the feeling of traveling in them it's not always the destination. Would love to see some of the other side of the country in ours! As for daring, just push the boundary one state at a time.

[@xxlalbatross3287]

I am a new follower of your channel (Nr50) Greetings from Sweden

[@benandtabinn]

Hello! Welcome! Thank you for joining us on this adventure! My grandfather is Swede and proud of it! Welcome welcome!

[@basssq3]

Unfortunately, VWs are never the perfect van you think you'll get. Theyre all funky and have lots of quirks. You'll either get to that point where the quirks become worth it to you, or it'll drive you crazy until you cave and sell it. They're popular aesthetically, but driving/owning them is an acquired taste for sure.

[@benandtabinn]

Yes! Your absolutely right! We are super excited for the spring to come so we can get her on the road, sort out the comforts and enjoy how quirky she is lol we have come to love the constant tinkering and the slow pace! Thank you for joining us along the journey!

[@SundryTalesOfConstance79WESTY]

@@benandtabinn Even though they may have their quirks, at least you can work on it yourself and the parts are mostly still available. New recreational vehicles are usually both more expensive to fix and mostly impossible to work on yourself. Your bus may seem daunting at first, but you will get used to it because all the individual components themselves are usually fairly simple and well engineered. Good luck and happy Westying:)

[@AJ-qn6gd]

It’s slow for a reason it allows you to enjoy the scenery 👍🏻🇬🇧

[@basssq3]

@@AJ-qn6gd I hear ya. Whenever I'm in something new/sporty my right foot starts to get a bit heavy. In my VWs going highway speeds is a luxury, so they keep me driving safe lol. I remind my girlfriend of that everytime she sees the parts bill 😅

[@AJ-qn6gd]

@@basssq3 At least you’re saving money on speeding tickets 👍🏻🇬🇧