One of the greatest attributes of the Westfalia Camper is just how quickly and easily it is readied for a camping trip, and how adeptly it makes and breaks camp.
We generally keep our permanent camping equipment (pots & pans, kitchenware, extension cord, water hose, etc.) packed in the Westy, so an impromptu weekend jaunt often requires little more than chucking in our duffel bags of clothes, stowing a bagful of groceries in the kitchenette cabinets, and picking up a couple of cold six-packs on the way out of town.
Here’s a simple routine for hitting the road and getting home.
Pre-Trip Preparation, often the day prior to departure
- Ensure that LP (liquid propane) tank is sufficiently full, and that main shutoff valve on tank is closed
- Fill onboard water supply tank (13.2 US gals)
- Pre-chill refrigerator overnight on 120V AC shore power; add cold beverages to provide thermal mass
- Load any unrefrigerated foods, luggage, and other camping equipment
Hitting the Road, the day of departure
- Load any last-minute items
- Load any remaining cold food into pre-chilled refrigerator
- Disconnect refrigerator from 120V AC shore power, switch to 12V DC or LP for driving
Arrive in camp:
- Park van using parking brake and, if necessary, RV levelers
- Extend popup roof if desired
- Open main shutoff valve on LP tank to use refrigerator and/or stove. To use LP to operate refrigerator, switch refrigerator control to LP, and light
- If 120V AC power is available, you can optionally power the fridge with this; use extension cord to connect campsite shore power station to camper hookup; switch refrigerator to 120V AC; connect any electrical accessories to camper’s internal power outlet
- To use City water, connect campsite water supply to camper hookup using supply hose; alternatively, use onboard water supply tank
- Connect a portable gray-water container to external sink drain outlet to collect kitchenette waste water
- For mealtimes, swivel front seats and deploy dining table
- Before bedtime, stow dining table and convert upper and/or lower bunks for sleeping
Breaking camp
- Fold upper and/or lower bunks for driving
- Empty portable gray-water container into campground gray-water dump station or toilet if allowed
- Disconnect 120V AC shore power and water hookups
- Close main shutoff valve on LP tank, switch refrigerator to 12V DC or LP for driving
- Retract popup roof
- Remove RV levelers and hit the road
Post-Trip Cleanup
- Drain onboard water supply tank
- Turn refrigerator off, remove remaining food and wipe clean; to prevent stale odors during long-term storage, prop door open, or slide door upwards from hinges to remove entirely between trips.
- Unload any other foods, luggage, and camping equipment
- Extend popup roof for a day or so to allow canvas and upholstery to thoroughly dry
Great checklist! You mentioned driving with the propane on to run the refrigerator… Is this Ok to do? I had heard the propane should be off when driving but I only got out Westy about a year ago and am not sure.
Thx!
James
James,
The Camper Owners Manual cautions against using the propane stove while driving, for obvious reasons, but says nothing about powering the refrigerator with propane while driving. Unlike the stove, the fridge is equipped with a thermocouple which senses if the flame has gone out, and turns off the gas for safety.
When traveling, we run our fridge on LP for days at a time, driving, parked, or camped. My fridge flame used to occasionally blow out, perhaps due to a passing truck, etc., and the fridge would quit. But since removing the fridge for a thorough cleaning and rehab, it has been exceptionally reliable.
One note of caution: some believe that having the propane valve open while driving poses an extra hazard in case of a crash, by supplying low-pressure propane through a broken line. But of course, even a closed main valve may just as likely be broken or sheared right off in a similar accident, creating an even more dangerous hazard.
In the end, this is something you will have to decide for oneself.
Hi: What about the electric hook up? What is the maximum amount of voltage that the electric hook up can handle? What if I want to use a portable AC while in an rv camp or park with the electric hook up. Thank you.
Pedro, the Westfalia’s built-in electrical outlet is designed to support the standard 110-120-volt AC current commonly used in North America. So, you can safely connect the external hookup to a household or campsite 120-volt power supply using your own extension cord, then plug appliance/accessories into the Westfalia interior electrical outlet.
This built-in circuit is rated at 15 amps of current draw, and includes a circuit breaker which is triggered by excessive current draw, in order to protect the wiring and prevent a fire or other hazards.
So, you’ll want to know the current draw of any appliance which you intend to plug into the outlet, usually listed on the appliance’s specification label. If the appliance’s power load/current draw exceeds 15 amps (about 1800 watts), it will not be usable via this power outlet, as it will continually trigger the protective circuit breaker.
Alternatively, one could bypass the integrated Westfalia power circuit and instead run a heavy duty extension cord from the campsite power station, through a window opening to the van interior, then plug your larger appliance into this cord. The power station’s built-in circuit breakers would provide the necessary safety, as long as you have a cord heavy enough to carry the electrical load.
Hope this helps!
Nice prep list for Westy camping!
Although I don’t have one in my Weekender, would propping the fridge door open upon return be a good idea? Seems like it may help air it out and prevent mildew and/or smells from forming.
Thanks for the continued newsletters.
Mark in Florida
*UPDATED!*
Mark, after a good cleaning and drying after each trip, I generally leave the fridge door open for a day to vent any food odors, and periodically between trips. But I usually keep it closed to prevent it banging around while driving. I suppose it depends on your climate, and how often you’re using it.
TIP: the fridge door is easily removed by simply opening it, and lifting it straight upward and right off the hinges, for airing out, storage, etc..
Glad you’re enjoying Crosswinds!
I’m also a travel trailer owner and I’m wondering if it’s necessary/recommended to add a water pressure regulator to the water hose to prevent any plumbing damage to our VW’s?
Though I’ve never had a problem with this, it’s certainly possible that too high pressure in the campground water supply could damage the Westfalia internals. A pressure regulator like this would help:
https://www.gowesty.com/product/hook-ups-accessories/2556/water-pressure-regulator
would a campground (water pressure regulator) be a good idea to reduce water pressure going to the vanogans plumbing? thought i might ask…
Not sure this is the best place for this, but…
Does anyone need a fridge (Dometic, 1987) for spare parts? I just removed mine to get extra storage. The fridge was working on 12V and 110 AC. If you could get it started on propane, it would cool as well.
Email me within a couple days (today is 13 July 2021) if you’re interested otherwise, it’s headed to recycling center.
Steve Somerson
ssomerson@gmail.com