I installed the interior of an 87 westy in an 82 diesel back in 1992.
Rather than using the stock westy exterior fittings, which the people at
Campbell-Nelson VW in Seattle said were flimsy, I did as you suggest,
and bought inexpensive, bullet-proof electrical and water fittings.
cutting the holes was the hard part...  They worked just great.

Jeff Olson
martin SD
85 Vanagon

TC wrote:

>Ok thanks for the Info
>Now lets take this 1 step further,  I want to be able to go to any
>old grocery store rv parts place to get the any of  the vent parts
>eg cover, gaskets, & internal connectors
> Friday I found the whole drain is just a standard camco.net part
>http://camco.net/Menu.cfm?SupCategoryId=10000&SubCategoryId=215&ProductId=20
>81
>
>Has any one replaced these parts with std rv store parts
>1) shore water supply side cover & internal connector
>2) water tank side cover & internal connector
>3) electrical cover & mount for the cable
>
>I realize the rv industry might be like vw where they change this stuff just
>because they can
>but if anyone knows the rv industry  I like to replace these with
>covers/connections
>that have been around for years & have a good design & lots of installs ....
>I might be in  a better position here since i am not limited
>by the existing metal I get to cut new holes :)
>
>
>
>>The electric up high means it's a US model, not 86 and later.
>>
>>ALL Canadian Vanagon Westy's had the electric inlet "down low".  Some
>>kind of CSA regulation back when they were originally sold.
>>
>>All US model Vanagon Westy's had inlets "three in a row", up high.
>>If you see vans in Canada with them up high, they are US imports.
>>
>>-Paul
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>So I will weld in the new driver side rocker panel
>>>& new metal  on the rusted out applicance panel on my 85 westy
>>>this week ...
>>>but I have not decided where to cut in the electric, & water inlet s
>>>I am thinking I might cut them in like the
>>>86 and later models where the electric for shore power is up high like
>>>
>>>
>the
>
>
>>>water inlets
>>>
>>>was this change made because being down low the inlet was
>>>subject to more road wash and thus more likely to rust ?
>>>
>>>
>
>
>