Dalyne & Poppy
Model:
1971 Westfalia Bus
Name:
My kids and I went back and forth. “The toaster” was in the running, but we ended up with Poppy.
Color:
This was probably the original color, even if it got another coat on the outside. The inside is definitely the original color.
Mileage:
64,651
Motors:
The man who had it in Arkansas rebuilt the engine.
Owned since:
2023
Owners:
Maybe three: Woman in Texas, man in Arkansas, me.
Location:
New Hampshire
Favorite driving song:
“Nothing I Can Do About It Now” by Willie Nelson.
Camping was my number one reason for getting the Bus—and that first year, I got my money’s worth. I went on about seven camping trips. When I camp, I have a little tiny fridge I put in the back and my little dresser drawer with my utensils and plates and stuff so I can use that as a kitchen. Lift the back window and work right out of the back. I don’t even need to put out tables or bring anything out of the Bus. It’s a great, fun vehicle.
I found Poppy on a marketplace website. I had been looking for about a year. I found a few that were very much less than perfect. But when I found this one, it was in Arkansas, and after talking to this person and trying to figure out if this was the right choice—he was really genuine, told me all of its flaws, told me what he had done to it since he had it, told me the history of the Bus, it came from Texas and was now in Arkansas, no rust—I decided this was going to be the Bus for me. I sent him some money, and I had Poppy shipped up to me.
It took about three days, and it was like Christmas. This truck came with a trailer, and when the guy backed my Bus out of that trailer, boy, I just . . . I couldn’t hold myself back. So exciting! I couldn’t wait to get to know the Bus and figure out what it needed so that I could be camping right away.
I love the look of the ’71 Bus—it was just such a nice year. It was clean and the look that I wanted and had the pop-top for camping. I like the little windows—you roll the dial and the little shutters open up. The side windows are great because they are the air-conditioning. You can direct the air right to you, turn the window so it hits you. Of course you have to be careful of the bugs ’cause they hit you too. I’ve had one hit me in the face! I love that it pops up because you can stand up in it and it makes it really roomy. The slider is such a unique feature for any vehicle, to have a door that different. And the cabinetry is nice for storage and whatnot.
I went camping almost right away. Me, my dog, and my kids. We had the Bus filled to the brim—four of us, two guitars, and all of our gear. The boys slept in a tent, my daughter slept inside with me.
There were a few things we had to fix, which I didn’t know about until we went. I had a leak in the manifold. It was leaking into the engine, so there was a lot of smoke. We started off with the brakes not working, so we filled the manifold, got them pumped up, and went on the trip, and then on the way back, it was smoking. My son was screaming, “Shut it off!” It was really black smoke. But we made it home, and then had that handled right away. That mechanic was like, “You shouldn’t be driving it if it smokes,” and I was like, “Well, I didn’t know. It stopped after a little while.”
It was definitely an experience, one that made the kids wonder if I was in my right mind. But it was fun, and they took it in stride. We went slow. We took the back roads and just puttered home. This Bus loves the back roads. It really does. It is not a big fan of the highway. I’ll go about sixty-five, but not more than that, but the back roads are where it’s really happy, and I love that pace anyway. Coming home by back roads just felt like the pace we should always be in. You go through all these little towns, and you see so much more. When people see you, they look and beep the horn and wave, and it makes their day. It really makes people smile, so that makes it fun to drive. The steering—well, it’s not power steering, but it’s still fun. You get a workout. Both calves with the standard and a good arm workout with the steering.
My kids love it too. They helped out a lot when we initially got it, wanting to renew the insides. They helped me pick out the cushions, they helped me cut the rugs, cut the curtains, clean the whole inside—they were really, really helpful, sanding and painting the bumpers. They waxed the outside of the Bus for me. It was fun to do together.
Besides the cleanup and the interior, I haven’t done any of the exterior work. I had the canvas put in right away because it didn’t come with a canvas. I changed the muffler because that was a little bit loud. Actually, it was a lot loud. And little things along the way—got new tires and things like that—but there hasn’t been a lot of work to do, thankfully, because that adds up. I wanted something that was easy and simple that I could work with myself. I have the manual on how to keep my Volkswagen alive, and I’m learning a lot about it.
It was one of those things where I had no idea how I was going to feel about it until I had it, and then all of a sudden it is like a passion. Every time I’m in it, I make a list and I think, How can I make it 10 percent better? I do that all the time, and I just love that it’s getting more and more efficient to use and to be in. I could use a little more storage, but I don’t want to block the windows. I’m learning how to minimize. And I find that every time I go, I’m like, I definitely overpacked again.
We think we need a lot, but we actually don’t. I can open the door, pop up my table and sit right there. That’s all I need. Just get a couple of sandwiches with the kids and sit somewhere by the water and have a picnic. Just sit in the Bus and have family time.
It is a lot of work and the upkeep is costly, but I appreciate it. I’m having fun. And I feel safe. I can go places by myself, lock my doors, and go to sleep. Me and my dog. We like to go to the beach and stay over at the campground. We park and pop the top up, walk the beach, and enjoy the afternoon. Make a little dinner and go to sleep. It’s so perfect. We can go at the last minute. I just look at the weather. Well, I guess I’ll go to the beach today. It makes for a nice little getaway, and it’s a lot less work than pitching a tent and putting up tarps.
Now everything’s fast-paced and you’re always busy. Busy is glorified, and nobody takes it slow anymore. I think it’s nice to just putt through town, go for an ice cream, or sometimes I take it just to drive around, go for a quick ride. They don’t make them like they used to. It’s not for everyone, but there are people out there that are like, This is something unique. This is something different. We have lost that. We’ve lost that unique quality that we always used to have. If it calls to you, then you should at least try it for a little while. Right?
It’s been life-changing. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with the purchase. I went from living with my dad to living in a studio above his house to living with my husband. Once we got divorced, I wanted to feel safe, so I bought a condo. When you go from feeling safe and feeling protected and then out on your own . . . I didn’t just want to go get a house and be by myself. This way, I have neighbors, but I keep to myself and I know people are right there, so I feel safe. With the Bus, I can get in, lock the door, be warm, be dry, and be safe. My pup loves it too. It’s just a dream come true.
