Behind the Wheel: Travel back to the late 1970s in a Volkswagen Westfalia

METRO DETROIT — Setting up camp inside Dawn Bols’ Volkswagen Westfalia camper bus T-2 is like entering a time machine that dates back to 1979.

The sage-green van also is a reminder of the Michigan camping trips that Bols took as a child with her family, often to Wilderness State Park near Mackinaw City.

“It was like heaven to me playing with the kids on the beach,” the Harrison Township resident said. “It was so fun.”

Many of those family vacations were spent traveling in one of her dad’s Volkswagen vehicles. The first Volkswagen was not a camper bus, but the family still traveled in it and camped in tents.

Bols’ dad, Brian Bukantis, was always a fan of the Volkswagen bus and also owned a T-3 model in which the family did camp. The camping trips eventually stopped, but they still traveled up north via Volkswagen to a chalet in Houghton Lake, even in the wintertime.

“We used to freeze in the back,” Bols said. “My brother used to hog the little air vent in the back.”

And it was a tradition for Dad to play music from Frank Zappa during every ride.

“It’s always a fond memory for sure,” Bols said.

When Bols was 15, her dad took a break from driving Volkswagen buses. He eventually got back into the Westfalia’s driver’s seat. After Bols’ mom, Betty, died, Dad purchased the sage-green 1979 Volkswagen Westfalia camper bus T-2. He often cruised with his buddies at different local events, including the Woodward Dream Cruise and the Shorewood Kiwanis Club of St. Clair Shores Harper Charity Cruise. Bols is now the owner of the Volkswagen Westfalia camper bus T-2.

“I got it a couple years ago after my dad passed away,” Bols said.

Bols has taken good care of the vehicle, which has about 130,000 miles on it. The interior — with a warm, checkered decor — is all original. The vehicle has different components, including a comfortable sitting area with a table that swings out for meals. The two front seats swivel around to face the back of the vehicle for conversation.  The retro ride is equipped with a sink, a holding tank and can be hooked up to running water.

When camping, the Volkswagen Westfalia can sleep four people. The rear bench seat folds down to make a bed for two. The pop-up roof lifts off to become a two-person bed when opened. But sometimes a little help is needed.

“It’s not the most comfortable sleeping arrangement,” Bols said. “We usually put an extra mattress down.”

The Westfalia has curtains that can be drawn shut to get a good night’s sleep, and Bols added some special touches to give the van a late 1970s vibe. Her husband gave her a handheld radio to display next to a clock radio. Bols also found a 1978 Coleco Football Electronic Quarterback handheld game, and a friend passed on a handheld Merlin electronic game — first made by Parker Brothers in 1978 — that feel right at home inside the bus.

While cruising and camping are fun, Bols prefers just to take the van to local car shows.

“Because it’s in such good shape, I want to preserve it,” she said.

Another reason is because the vehicle doesn’t gather much speed when on the road. It only drives about 55 mph. To alert other drivers, Bols placed a magnet on the back window that reads “Slow moving vehicle.”

“It’s a stick shift. It’s a smooth ride but there’s no power steering,” Bols said. “Getting used to driving it is a little bit of a challenge.”

The camper bus draws plenty of attention from onlookers. Many comments about the vintage vehicle come from people in their 20s.

“I always get peace signs out the windows and people honking,” Bols said.

Bols sometimes brings the bus to the monthly car shows from 5 to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at Sanders Chocolate and Ice Cream Shoppe, 23770 Hall Road in Clinton Township. At the last Sanders car show, the employee pick of the month was the Volkswagen bus.

“I was shocked,” said Bols, adding that she received a bag of candy for the recognition.

She also won an award last month during Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot, a five-day event that ended with a car show and cruise June 14. Again, she was surprised. She didn’t plan to attend the Eastpointe event, but her brother, Doug Bukantis, invited her, and at the last minute she decided to go.

An annual pastime has been heading up to Port Crescent State Park, in Port Austin, during the Halloween season for its annual fall harvest. It’s something the family did with Dad, who got into the spirit of the holiday by becoming “Skull Man.” He’d wear a skull mask and cape to greet trick-or-treaters through a fog machine that he set up. The bus was also decorated with skeletons and spider netting, and the tradition has continued.

According to the website autobarnclassiccars.com, Volkswagen began production of the Type 2 Microbus in 1967. Manufacturing continued through 1979, and there were many configurations of the Type 2 model.

“It was dubbed the Bay-Window Microbus with a one-piece windshield, sliding side door and a total of eight elongated windows for great visibility,” the website stated.