Discussion of Westfalia incremental updates from August, 2005

Zach Woods

New member
Recently saw a new Westfalia and noticed the following minor changes.

1. Alloy/aluminum 5 spoke wheels. These look like the optional Ronal
wheels available on Sprinters. Center badge of each wheel is blank.
You can get the Mercedes or Dodge center badges from the Mercedes or
Dodge dealers. If you need the part #s, search the Yahoo Sprinter Van
group for alloy wheels. (These look much easier to clean than the
standard steel wheels (with those little circles all around). Also, I
believe I read that the alloy wheels weigh about half the weight of the
steel wheels--a big plus! Also, they're slightly wider at 6 1/2" than
the steel 6").

2. No black out "vinyl?" between the windows.

3. Awning is Horizon (doesn't say Westfalia), has white color on
awning case rather than silver (does have silver end-caps) and does not
have the rain gutter (whatever the correct term) between the awning and
body of the vehicle (you can get this from Fiamma). Have not yet seen
a Westfalia with the wall-mount brackets installed (but James Cook
Sprinter has them installed).

4. New vertical grab handle mounted on the front right hand-side of
kitchen cabinet. Good location and good idea. The grab bar itself
looks like an inexpensive Home Depot one, with visible screwheads
rather than concealed screws (did not get a chance to confirm that
these are screws and not bolts). A good retrofit idea for earlier
Westfalias.

[Note: Also an idea is to mount a vertical grab bar between the
sliding door and front passenger door--see discussion on Yahoo
Sprintervan group. Use caution bec. the seatbelt mechanism with
pyrotechnic firing tube is in this area.]

5. There's a large brownish metal plate on top of the stove vent and
vent switch--mounted to underneath of kitchen cabinet. Presumably to
resist heat from stove?

6. Did not have heated driver's and passenger's front seats.

7. I think the stick-on "Airstream" letters are slightly different.
They have a blue detail outline on part of the letters. [The old all-
silver letters often peeled up at corners--judicious application of
hair dryer/heater and Goo Gone takes off adhesive.]

8. Generator exhaust pipe and bracket on driver's side are painted
black.

9. Trailer hitch socket has been moved higher to the triangular
portion of the hitch (rather than the previous mount on the underside
of the rectangular tube--which was too low of a location but more
aesthetic as the cabling didn't show).

P.S. Westfalia is now selling the stick-on graphics standard on the
American Westfalia to the European market James Cook Sprinter for a
hefty price on their website. The graphics break up the huge mass and
vertical height of the campervan.
 

Zach Woods

New member
Re: Postscript on Westfalia Incremental Changes


--- Hi, I'm new to the group and glade to see so much information
changing hands.
I can add a few Items I personly know about.....some of the changes to
the Westfalia.
1. The items I see everyone talking about are installed the
Jacksonville, Florida.
2. Some of them are the extension pipe added to the rear tail pipe, it's
about 12" inches long with a little offset.
3. The hand bar to get up to the top bed, YES, it is from Home Depot and
looks like it.
4. Over the stove you should have a steel plate for heat.
5. They are now installing the nice rims as standard.
6. The TV, generator, phone, hitch and wiring, and several items are all
installed in Jacksonville.
I have more but I can't think of them now.

Check your power steering fluid because the main assist power units are
starting to leak on some vans. The list goes on.
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
Other differences along the way.

Early Westies had a small metal plate on rear air conditioner cabinet to cover the original location of the driver side halogen light--relocated closer to wall for air conditioner. Later Westies did not need this cover plate. Can use cover plate as location for magnetic door stop to keep bathroon door open.

Early Westies had six beige vents in the rear air conditionr and later Westies had six gray vents--color change.

On later Westies, Airstream installed running boards and removed the propane tank black metal cover.

Early Westies had a rectangular hinged lid over the fresh water tank and alongside lid there were three plastic covered access holes to access the nuts/bolts of black plastic cover. Later Westies had a trapezoidal lid which took away the need for the three access holes.

Early Westies had a white Valterra sewer hose carrier and later Westies had a black one.

The type of Airstream installed outside phone/cable jack changed over time.
 

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