Westfalia

Founded in 1844 by Johann Knobel as an agricultural tool factory Westfalia started to produce camping trailers in the late 1930’s. After WWII the economy was such that any vehicle was a luxury so that it became necessary the vehicle could perform many functions. In 1953 Westfalia introduced its concept of the “camping box”. A simple set of furniture manufactured to be easily installed into a VW Van which transformed its interior into a home upon wheels.

The concept very quickly became popular with Westfalia producing around 1000 units by 1958. In the early days you were even able to take your van or bus to the factory for them to fit it out. This rate of growth and popularity led to the development of a strong relationship between Westfalia and VW. It was not until many years later, 2004 that VW ended it by introducing its own factory made VW Campervan based on the T5 model.

From its humble beginnings Westfalia developed into the major interior designer for VW Campervans. A huge range of models were developed for the home and export markets. The dedicated enthusiast can trace there development through the generations from books and van advertising material.