Welcome to the Camp Westfalia Workshop!
This is where busted stuff gets fixed, fixed stuff gets improved, and occasionally, knuckles get busted.
It’s the circle of strife …
You’ll find a growing list of how-to technical articles, helpful lists, and other mechanical tips and tricks to keeping your Vanagon Westfalia Camper working its best.
So, roll up your sleeves, grab your toolbox, and take a space on the workbench. Let’s get wrenchin’ …
Manuals
You will need a good workshop book, the best of which is the Official Factory Repair Manual, published by Robert Bentley. The same manual used by the wrenchers at your local VW dealership and most good independent mechanics, it is the final authority in accuracy and precision, providing the proper sequences, torque values, and tolerances for most Vanagon repairs. See descriptions of this and several other suitable Vanagon workshop manuals here >
Tools
A helpful manual (or three) does you little good without the proper tools to get the job done. The VW Vanagon will require few special tools, and most work can be performed with conventional tools available to the average home mechanic. Here’s a good list of tools to get you started.
Parts
Even at the advanced age of the Vanagon, most replacement parts are still available, especially the many parts shared with other Volkswagen models of the era: Rabbit & Golf, Scirocco, Jetta, etc.. Where the VW dealer may fail you, a variety of aftermarket suppliers has filled the niche. Here are several which specialize in Vanagon parts and accessories:
