Hi I recently purchased a 1972 camper. Have wanted one for some time however, finally bit the bullet as we're planning to use the van to travel to Italy on honeymoon in June. On driving the van home we noticed a few problems. After about 2hours driving without problem the camper began chugging a little and lost power. At a roundabout the camper then did not want to move forward due to lack of power (it didn't actually cut out). We then switched the engine off and initally it would not re-start. After about 15 mins it then started fine and we managed to drive the final 10 miles home. The power was much better but still not qute right! When I contacted the owner, I was told that this had never happened before, howevr the van had not driven this far in some time. We were unsure if it had overheated and the previous owner then informed us that the heaters had been diverted to cool the engine??? (The heaters do blow out but do not get warm). Also the oil dial kept going very low, but the previuos owner informed us that this had always been the case. As we are beginners to this and only have basic knowledge any advice would be appreciated. Thanks JodieS
An initial guess is that the engine is overheating. Get it looked at by someone who understands air-cooled engines, if you don't feel confident yourself, to check the usual causes. It sounds like the original owner doesn't have much of a clue, so you can't guarantee the van's running correctly.
Firstly welcome to the site, secondly I too am a complete newbie when it comes to these ere campers but I'm sure one of the more knowledgable members will be along shortly to help you out! They will no doubt ask for engine type & size, pics plus other info to help diagnose possible issues so be prepared... You might also want to get your name down for Tekenders, there is a thread going with details, I'm going & hopefully someone can help me get to grips with basic servicing & help me find my way around my bus... Good luck with fixing your bus... Robo...
hi welcome, guessing it's a 1600 upright engine? when you say the oil dial is getting low do you mean it has an aftermarket oil pressure gauge? it sounds like a overheating problem for sure, could be caused by a few issues but it's going to be hard to diagnose online - especially as you don't really know yourself what you're explaining (no offence) you say you're planning a trip to italy, there's no easy way round this but you already know you'll need to find a good vw aircooled guy yo check it over as it's not gonna make dover, where are you based, we will surely know someone reliable nearby.
Thanks for the replies, we're based in Chesterfield/Sheffield area if you can recommend anyone. Yes it is a 1600. JodieS
there's a few good members in that area i'm sure one will advise - my guess is you have poor oil pressure and as the van got hot the oil thinned and it partially siezed, then as it cooled you carried on..... personally i reckon it's shagged....... i hope i'm wrong.
Sure someone will come up with a suggestion. First thing you need to do - esp if you're off to Italy (I wouldn't go just yet ) - is find a good aircooled specialist who'll give the engine a good service, look over the van generally and fix anything that's out of place or missing. If the engine's overheated (they're normally utterly reliable if in good shape), it may have caused damage. Don't rely on what the previous owner said.
My money is on overheating due to low oil. the oil preassure does drop on my type 4 after youve been doing a highspeed run but as the engine cools off it comes back up. my carbs had an air leak that was fine when running on chokes but as soon as the chokes came off, the engine ran like a bucket of spanners... chugging and reving and dieing on it's own accord. It played the first 4 notes of eastenders once before it packed up check the oil and if its thin and really black change it along with the filter. check to see that your thermostat is working. not sure of upright engines but the type 4 has flaps that are controled by a bellows thermostat that needs to be working otherwise your flaps stay closed and overheat the engine.
If you're going to Italy in June you should definitely get to Techenders in April. I will be very happy to help you do the basic maintenance on your van - I have also got a 1972 1600. There will also be people there who can give you more advanced advice about spares to carry and how to fix common break downs etc.
bluething, i belive you're confused with type 4 stat fail remark, if the stat fails it fails in full cooling mode so it can't overheat.
Oh, I thought if the cable snaps then the flaps would fully open. if the stat doesnt expand then the flaps remain closed.... is this the wrong way round then?? Mine doesnt have a stat fitted so I assumed that the flaps are in the open (cooling position)
Hi JodieS, I'm sure if you let us know roughly where you live the very nice people on here will be able to recommend an air cooled garage nearby.
