# Aprox. VW Westfalia gas mileage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Power/Fuel\ **Tags:** van, volkswagen, fuel-economy, gasoline\ **Created:** [January 30, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682 "2011-01-30T21:01:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![audmax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac8455/32.png) [@audmax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/audmax)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/1 "2011-01-30T21:01:38Z")
In general, what aprox. gas mileage do y-all think I can get with a Westy that runs well, good tires etc. water cooled 1987- ish 2.1 liter. thanks !! ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/2 "2011-01-30T21:29:52Z")
According to the EPA, a 1990 model VW Vanagon with the same engine (their database does not go back further than 1990) is rated at 15-18 mpg, with the automatic model being in the 15-16 mpg range, and the manual shift model being rated in the 17-18 mpg range. However, with the Westfalia model, complete with camper gear, you should anticipate much lower figures. This is not a vehicle that someone buys for economy, but I have to be totally honest and say that I can’t fathom why someone would buy one of these vehicles in the first place when so many vastly superior ones exist. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/3 "2011-01-30T22:57:38Z")
A 1987 VW Camper gets 13 MPG City and 15 MPG Highway. With an automatic transmission. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/4 "2011-01-30T23:15:11Z")
…when it is running, which might be rarely. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/5 "2011-01-31T00:11:11Z")
Fuel mileage will be the least of your worries if you buy this thing. At a steady 45 mph, going downhill, with a stiff tail wind, you might briefly hit 20 mpg. But only that one time. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 6:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/6 "2011-01-31T06:39:36Z")
These pre water cooled engines were a great money maker for the mechanic. In fact the VW Bus has always been a good money maker for the mechanic. These water cooled bus engines could give big trouble with electrolosis. The studs that hold the heads down would slowly get thinner and thinner right where the stud entered the case. You take one of thes engines down and it is very possible to twist a head stud right off (with a steel piece of it stuck in the case). I found one shop in the USA (called RIMCO) that had a procedure that used a plasma cutter to get this piece out of the case. This was quite a problem with the water cooled engine. These auto transmissions were the only auto transmission I ever saw try to run in two gear ranges at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/7 "2011-02-01T01:14:29Z")
running well… ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/8 "2011-02-01T01:22:59Z")
Just to glom on to the suv hate post it is hard to believe a hippy car gets worse mileage than my trailblazer. Sorry chip on shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![mjsauto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mjsauto](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mjsauto)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aprox-vw-westfalia-gas-mileage/60682/9 "2011-02-01T20:56:41Z")
I met a couple recently who said their late model VW camper got 19 mpg at best, more like 16 mpg on average. I know folks with Ford van campers who get (slightly) better mileage than that so I too don’t understand how VW can sell their little mini-campers. I’d rather have the extra room of a real van myself.