Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:16:09 -0700
Reply-To: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: making obsolete plastic parts.? Re: '80-'84 westy plastic
pass Curtain ro...
In-Reply-To: <145.4404a640.2f987dd4@aol.com>
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Jeff Oxroad wrote:
> More to the point. About 4 years ago called the guy--the guy who allegedly
> helped design the Westfalia--Euro...something was the name of the company. He
> used to be out here in CA but I think he's in Tennessee now. Anyway he
> didn't have any more--they're obsolete.
>
> But here's the question. Did this guy manufacture the parts for the Westflia
> for VW, and might he be willing to re-tool or get rid of the molds in some
> listees direction? Does anybody have a relationship with this guy? Sorry I
> can't remember his name or the company--was it EuroCampers?
******************************************
The person's name was Pete Catlett. Delta Six manufactured a number
of items as the OE supplier for Volkswagen (as replacement items) &
Westfalia (as production supplied items). The reason a number of LPG,
Stove and Water System parts were manufactured by Delta Six in the USA
was because it made it tons easier for USA certification than if
Westfalia did it in Europe, then tried for USA certification. Delta
Six eventually became Euro-American RV Products in the early 90s and
in late 1998 was moved from Southern California to Sevierville, TN.
After his move to TN, his further association with Westfalia allowed
him the manufacturing rights for the towing hitches for the USA
production (or USA market-bound) BMW and Mercedes SUVs. Upon his
death, his portion of what this was called Westfalia USA reverted back
to the corporate dudes in Germany.
I had the pleasure of knowing Pete since 1982 when (because of VOA
contractual obligations) he couldn't sell to my company at the time.
When the contractual obligations were lifted in 1992, I was perhaps
the first person he called to see about distributing the replacement
parts. He was a fantastic guy to know and work with. An unfortunate
auto accident in I believe in March of 2004 along with a heart attack
during the accident is what caused his death.
As Derek pointed out in a previous post, Euro-American is functioning
these days, run by Pete's closest friend Jose who owns the place. I
talked to Jose recently and he says business has been steady, but
slow. He's had a few offers to buy the biz, but professes no interest
in doing so in the forseeable future, but ya never know.
In regards to curtain related items, Pete never much of anything
except the hooks and sliders used on various years of Westy models. I
remember when I stopped by his place in 1999 (in TN), there was a
workbench piled high with thousands of these sliders and hooks to be
bagged and hundreds of VOA produced stickers for eventually assembly
onto the bags. At the time Pete said most of the pile was going to
VOA and the rest for aftermarket. A small but really nice operation,
it's a shame Pete's not with us anymore. I miss our long and at the
time, expensive phone calls that eventually shifted to a lot of less
expensive email over the years.
My Curtain Rod Cover is showing it's age as well.
--
Jim Thompson
84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
oldvolkshome@gmail.com
jim@karmannghia.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
Ventura, CA
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