87 westfalia upgrade discussions

i am getting ready to get to work on my camper. you know something breaks everytime you get in the thing. does anyone have any input or wisdom re:

#1-replacing heater fan project

#2-replacing bad lifter surgically.

#3-removing mildew spots on interior poptop

#4-upgrading headlights

#5-adding the extra house battery option

ok thanks, i hope there are still some enthusiastic camper fans out there!

I fondly remember the years I spent driving my 1971 VW type II, but I’m glad there’s been progress since then and I’d be terrified to drive one in modern traffic. This must be a labor of love for you. Good luck!

Heater fan? Really?

As a former owner of a 1968 Westphalia, some suggestions:

  1. Replacing heater fan - how mechanical are you?
  2. bad lifter - best advice: replace VW motor with a Subaru motor and transmission - VW van motors self-destruct, on average, every 60,000 miles - Subie motors last forever.
  3. Mildew spots - try 409 or a commercial mildew product
  4. Headlights - you can find halogen replacements online - try Rock Auto.
  5. Adding extra house battery - why?

Love the old VW vans, but we drive Toyota and Subaru vehicles these days - don’t miss the “good old days” sitting, broken down, by the side of the road (see the film “Little Miss Sunshine” for more on this). Good luck!

Too speak in defense of the OP’s vehicle, there really is no comparison between a 1968 and a 1987, one being water cooled and fuel injected, just some differences I had to point out, same thing goes in comparing the 1971

I have done the mildew thing often, and can get it very clean. First, take out all removable mattresses, especially on upper berth. Put on safety glasses and get up there with a bottle of Tilex mildew spray. Spray a section at a time, not heavily. Scrub with scrub brush. You will see the spots disappear before your eyes.
The next step is to rinse, and this sounds tricky, but is not really. Get a plastic tarp and form it into the van cabin covering as much as you can, and shaping it so that water funnels down and out the side door. Get a garden hose and spray the roof to rinse. Oh, by the way, also don’t have stuff in the upper right side storage shelf.
The only problem I have had with this process is water in the little light under the shelf, but it usually works fine again after I drain it.
Sounds like a big job, but really not as bad as it sounds, and it works well.
To prevent this problem you can keep the interior drier using a little dessicant holder thing you can buy from RV shops.