Club 80-90 Forums

Hi, people, thank you for this forum, I hope I can help at some time in the future, when and if I can!
My dilemma is that my lully camper has all original fittings, must I keep it this way, or can I paint the cupboards for example? I feel I have bought a piece of history, and am a bit nervous to put a step wrong!
Can anyone help please? I am an old hippy, and want to add colour to the stark grey ............I have replaced the curtains and seat covers, but the cupboards are screamingly grey!
I await any replies with hope and excitement!
Piles of smiles xxxx

hi......
welcome
its your van, do as you please .......
if its a grey interior its either a reimo or a westy im guessing ....

( put your van details in your signature in your profile, it will save you time in the future ....)

It's your van - do what you like with it!
If you have a proper correct Westfalia interior (rather than some home-made design) then you might want to think about keeping it as it is, as a future buyer might not be too keen on your alterations. But if you're planning to keep it long term, then why not paint it the way you want it? As a compromise, use paint that can be removed, or coat it in sticky back plastic. That way, you can take it off if you change your mind.

Paint it, cover it, do whatever you want as you paid your money for it.
If it is Reimo stuff don't worry about it as they sell all the parts for it still at pretty normal money.

Welcome to the forum!

Do you know what camper conversion you have? As above it would depend on the make and condition of the units that are fitted, it would mean removing them and replacing them with something. This could mean that you get a interior design that is more to your liking and you can also check wiring, appliances etc whilst the units are out, but this will take longer to complete.

I would also say do what you like with it as it's your van but if you paint the units you'll be committed to the resulting art work. This may be fine but if your looking to resell the bus it may not be to the potential purchasers taste...

Crumbs, thank you for replying! I have a beautiful Westfalia Atlantic. Everything is authentic, so I feel the weight of the Universe when I look at it. (It is actually a him........called Tink, the teeny tiny tank. And yes, I am female! feels wrong to call him an "IT")
Thought of and researched vinyl wrapping as that is removable. But the that limits me to just the doors. As I'm asking the community, I'm now thinking of painting all the woodwork!
I intend to keep Tink until I drop, IS it very important to keep him original? The replies so far have further made me unsure! Ooooh, was kinda hoping for the one definative answer! Hate the burden of the decision! I know he's MY van, but I also feel a responsibility to the purists.
Thank you for your replies...............big thinking and much brainworkings is the order of the day!
I could wrap the doors and stencil patterns.......................
Piles of smiles xxxxxxxxxxxxx

(Don't know how I'm supposed to sign off really) sorry

If it's a westie and not a homebrew I would keep it as it is. You can always add a few sticky backed decorations to liven it up and remove them when you decide to sell it.

Personally, I wouldn't do anything unless i could reverse it (although that's not always possible). As mentioned, it's not necessarily just doors that you can plastic wrap - what's the issue with coating the other surfaces?

For a Westy, I'd definitely make sure that it's reversible - It'd be a silly figure to replace it and you don't know if you yourself would want it back original in the future.

Oh, and where's the pics?!

Hi and welcome

Chris

thefacepainter wrote:Thought of and researched vinyl wrapping as that is removable. But the that limits me to just the doors.

Welcome to the forum

As others have said, you could devalue the van as this type is sought after, but, it's your van so up to you. I recovered the entire furniture in my Holdsworth villa 3 with self-adhesive fablon type material, and it really freshened it all up. I also fitted modern cabinet door handles to finish it. It didn't cost a lot of money, though was time consuming as I took all the furniture out of the van, dismantled it to attach the vinyl and then reassembled it, etc. From memory, some 8 hours to do it.

Who cares about value..you don't, as you're keeping it forever.
Paint it, cover it and make it yours.
The westy tax payers will be dismayed, but you will have your van how you want it...not some German bloke who designed it.
Go for it.

hehe
mm

kevtherev wrote:Who cares about value..you don't, as you're keeping it forever.
Paint it, cover it and make it yours.
The westy tax payers will be dismayed, but you will have your van how you want it...not some German bloke who designed it.
Go for it.

I agree with this, but it is worth considering the resell value cause you never know what will happen. This is all was for me to say cause I don't have westy I have a homebrew that I've gutted!

Welcome to the forum!

Rats! I had nearly decided to go for it..........decided to undercoat the woodworky bits with white, and paint aged looking scruffy pale pink, and henna beautiful designs in a restrained kinda fashion........not scrawled all over the place.
Now I'm back to the "I dunno" corner.
Tink's in a very nice and warm garage, having an alarm and tracky stuff magically fitted...............when I get him back home I shall take a plethora of piccies.............can't afford to eat for the next year, but beans taste better in a Tink by the sea!
One of you lovely peoples said there was a removable paint..what is that please? Or is it just paint with sandpaper on a rope, for emergencies?
I have put plastic leather lookey likey on the original seats, 'cos I have dogs, and I respect the fabric.
Thank you for reading, and taking the time to reply. Lovesya!

Unfortunately if you want a van to customise you've picked the wrong one imo.

The Atlantic is the flagship model in some people's eyes (only around a 1000 made and becoming a rare version of the westy). They are going up in value every year, and so for a van you want to customise may have been better off with an alternative trim.

It's true that it is yours to do what you want with though, it depends on what's important to you.

I got mine to enjoy primarily (I like the westy interior) but also as an investment, so all my mods are generally reversible.

Each to their own though

By the way, look up Plastdip spray paint. It's a plastic paint that you can use, hard wearing and will peel off when you want to change, like a spray on vinyl.

Might be a good alternative.