Jed’s VW Camper Van Story

Posted on July 26th, 2009

This weeks guest blog post comes from Jed, a long time VW Camper Van enthusiast from the States who tells us how, after a long time, he finally got the chance to own his own.

One day I was walking through a junkyard with my father looking for front-end parts for his bug, I came across this green VW camper bus.

“Dad,” I yelled over, “is this one of those VW bus.”
“Yes,” he replied, “Don’t play with it and get over here!”

I just could not help myself. One little look could not hurt, and then it happened I was hooked and had to have a VW bus. I did not feel the full pull of this desire until months after seeing that green bus, but all VW buses started looking good from that point forward.

It began with the little things. I noticing that some VW van had two front windshields (splities), some had big wrap around windshields (bays), and some had flat windshields (Vangons or Type 25’s). But it didn’t stop there, I soon became fixated with the more specific design features of the VW van like engine sizes, which were 6 volt and which where 12 volt systems, and what special features came with each. However, this was only the beginning…

Jed's VW Westfalia Camper Van

My favorite website became TheSamba.com. When other guys where talking about the newest girl pop star, I was too busy looking at VW bus books and dreaming up ways to obtain money to buy my dream bus! I could just see me driving down the road with the radio going and that engine purr as I headed for my favorite camping spot.

The need started getting worse. I started spending a lot of time dreaming and drooling about VW buses, it was clearly becoming an obsession. To keep busy I decided that I needed to pick bus that would be right for me. I knew I didn’t want a Vangon, too new, and I only wanted a bay window bus if it had a type 1 engine, as I had worked on my father’s bug and I knew I could fix it if something went wrong (which it inevitably would!). What I really wanted was a split window bus. After spending hours looking online at other peoples buses, I decided that ‘67 camper would work just fine, 12-volt system, old style looks, and I could go camping in it. Yes, someday I will own a ‘67 camper.

After picking the bus I needed a new way to keep busy, so I got a bug.Working on the bug’

s engine kept me busy enough so I didn’t look at other people’s buses, I stopped explaining to strangers why I needed a bus and I reduced the amount of talking at the TV when the news is on saying the world would be at peace if we all just own a VW bus. Just think the Middle East looking like a VW camp out! So I started driving that bug, but my heart really wanted a bus. I decided it might be worth looking at the same place I got a lot of my bug parts. The owner said that if they had a bus to sell it would be outside. For months, when I passed that place I checked for my dream bus… but no luck. But where to look now?

Jed's VW Westfalia Camper Van

I was about to give up when I found a 1976 Westy for sale online. It was not a ‘67 camper but I told myself, “Jed, you can always sell it and buy the splittie if you do not like it”

. So I decided to go see it. This bus was just the thing I had been looking, even though it needed a lot of work. The z-bed and icebox was the only things left from the camper parts and the canvas top was ripped to shreds.The front window was missing and the engine had a burn rod. But I was sold on the dead stickers inside and the dream of camping in it. I talked my little brother into loaning me the money and helping me to pull it home. Life was good, I finally had a VW bus, but if I wanted to go camping I needed to raise some cash to fix it (and maybe pay my brother back!).

I soon found a job that would pay enough to buy the parts I needed, but the job came with a little problem. The problem was that I needed to be there at 3 am two days a week and come in normal hours the rest the week for the total of 30 hours a week or I was fired. The first month or so it was brutal with 3am starts but when I wanted to quit I would just look at my bus and say, “I will keep going until I get enough money for that part.”
About a year into the job, I had money for a new canvas and parts to rebuild the inside. All that was left was money for a rebuilt engine. As soon as engine fund started getting close to the goal, my brother told me he needed to be repaid ASAP! My brain screamed, “But what about my engine?” I asked. I did the right thing and paid him back and as I handed it over to him I thought “there goes my engine fund!”. Well, no crying would bring that money back and I needed to get to ready for work (at 3 am!!). I believe that if you do the right thing even if you don’t like it you will get more in the long (karma and all that!). But things just seemed to get worse, a week after repaying my brother, the engine in my bug stopped working. So now I need two engines! I started looking at junkyards in the area for a $50 engine just until I had enough money to buy a rebuild. The great engine search began but the only engine I found was one that had been in a fire. On the way home my father suggested one more junkyard. “Why? They never have aircooled VW stuff,” I told him. He replied, “Why not?!”

Jed's VW Westfalia Camper Van

A quick look through the junkyard and as I expected, not one bug engine. As we were just thinking about leaving we came across a badly beaten 914 Porsche. Pointing at it I told my father, “That car has the same engine as my bus.”

As quick as a flash we where both looking it over. The body of the car was totally trashed but the engine was strangely clean. One quick way to check the condition of an engine is to examine the oil which was still somewhat clean. After talking with the owner of the junkyard (and another small loan from my father) the engine was mine, and boy it ran good. I guess doing the right thing does pay off!

So, with a good engine, a new canvas and the inside rebuild, the bus was looking good. There was only one thing left to do… quit that job and go camping. My last day at that job the boss asked, “Jed, last month your were employee of the month, why are you leaving?” To which I replied, “Because I have all the bus parts I need”

. He looked at me, oddly. The next day I packed up the bus and decided a road trip to a local mountain town was in order. I spent the day walking around town and showing off my bus.

I realise now that I have learnt a lot from my bus. The first is that if you put in a lot of work, sweat and tears on a project you will end up loving the van much more then if someone just buys it for you. The second is that my bus is a lot like life, it’s the journey that counts and not the goal. Sure the bus looks good now, but I was also having a thrill talking with other VW owners for advice how to fix little problems that I had or find parts I needed.

But over all I learned that VW owners are the best car owners in the world. If you need help they will be the first (and sometimes the only ones) to help you.

Thanks to Jed for sharing his experiences with the VW Camper Van Blog. Do you have an interesting story about how you became a VW Van or Bus Enthusiast? We would love to hear it - email us on writeforus@vwcampervanblog.com

Posted by Steve

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