Couple things to add: Working seat belts, open curtains for visibility, working horn, and using hazards when going uphill

Collapsible reflective breakdown triangles . Don't leave home without them.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Great great idea!!!!

Always have a fire extinguisher! Always

@totodile493

11 күн бұрын

This. I got one for $40 and it will save your investment. You never think it will happen until it does.

And watch out for Deer....like the 3 deer in the front yard during the intro

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

No kidding! Come take as many as you want!

My safety chip is before entering an intersection. Even if my light is green, or turns green and I have the right away, I make it a habit to look in both directions opposite of me to make sure nobody has ran a light.

@jeromeglick

2 ай бұрын

YES. I do this no matter what car I drive. A few years ago we _almost_ got hit by someone trying to beat the red light, speeding through at 40 mph. That car passed probably 3 feet in front of us as we slammed on the brakes.

That was helpful! And I big “hello” to Megan. I drive a ‘65 beetle and have disc brakes up front. It makes it stop much better. When the drums went through a puddle it was v difficult to stop. It’s alot safer now🚗👍

Howdy. We had lots of fun and enjoyed finally meeting all of ya'll at the Harvest. Thanks for all the safety tips.

@VWLifeVW

8 ай бұрын

Yep- Good to meet everyone!!

This is my teacher and he is awesome

you need a centered 3rd brake light-- seriously, they are a lifesaver. There are options for all kinds of mounting, and it really makes a difference. I've got a 10" LED strip that I'm putting on my '63 Beetle, mounting on my license plate frame.

@CAHelmer

8 ай бұрын

Wanted to say the same thing. The third break light in addition to the high mounted amber lights would be a great addition as people are accustomed to items in their direct line of sight. You could mount it up high on a bus or in the window. Either way helps. Some of the strips also and in addition to providing breaking information also signal turns. Always helpful.

3rd LED brake light from GoWesty in the middle of the rear window! Best safety feature I've added to my '71 bay window bus. It's super bright and lights up super fast, plus it has a small indicator bulb I can see in my mirror to let me know it's working. I also changed out my taillights for the european style that separate the turn signals from the brake/running lights and makes them amber as well. Wolfsburg West sells the kits for converting them. The rear of my bus went from dim, only red lights that acted as running, brake, and turn signals to having 3 distinct and separate brake lights with 2 distinct amber turn signals. I also put one of those reflective magnets that says "Vintage vehicle, pass with caution". Now that I have a roof rack I'll eventually add lights and reflectors up there, too.

@VWLifeVW

8 ай бұрын

Indeed! Always tell GoWesty that VWLife sent you - those guys are the BEST and we want to make sure they know we spread that word as often as possible!!!

I see on facebook that y’all are taking a break this week. Enjoy it, thank you all for the videos--wonderful. Say Hi to Willie Boy for me, he is truly the star of the show, LOL.

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

7 ай бұрын

Thank you! Yes indeed, even ol Willie Boy is laying low this week. We appreciate you and everyone who tunes in to VW LIFE!

Great tips my friends. I have 30+ years riding bikes so being visual is most important. Lights on, constant awareness of your surroundings and an extra set of eyes helps. Thanks guys. 👍

Right on!! Thanks for this! Sharing safety is caring!

I added a power pack 600 amp small with jump leads. No more large big jump leads hoping for a fellow travelers to let you hook up from their battery.Which I used recently to start a T25 water pumper 😂Its your get out of jail free card. It's a torch,phone charger as well

FIRE EXTINGUISHER. Number one safety item for me on my bug. 👍👍

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

8 ай бұрын

YES! And make it easy to grab if you need to use it. AND I like the additional safety factor of a Blaze Cut as well.

Always have plenty of food and TP with you. Never know how long you will be camped under the nearest shade tree during a break down.

@davyboscart1089

8 ай бұрын

What kind of burgers you take?? 😅

@dustyoldhat3543

8 ай бұрын

Ribeye ground up with mushrooms and jalapeños. Make ya lose track of time. Lol.

I remember my old driving instructor always saying to me "don't worry about your driving, worry about everyone one else's " lol

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Coach Deaver our Driver's Ed instructor said the same thing to us waaaay back in the day!

I love how patiently Willy waited to go for a ride. Good Boy. Enjoy life in the slow lane.

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

8 ай бұрын

Sitting in the front of Jerry the Bus is Willie Boy's happy place!

One of the first things i did to my beetle was upgrading the headlights to H4s. Huuuuuge difference from the sealed beams. Disc brakes on the front were a game changer too!

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

YES. I love those Bosch H4's I have, or maybe they are Hella???

@jamie-r2034

5 ай бұрын

My regular light in my bus are horrible. I typically run high beams all the time & looking to upgrade. The only pluses with my late bay is disc brakes & big tail lights. lol

Awesome, I just got these small amber hazards for my '57 bug, my dad had his old westy burn down when i was about 10 years old, (7 years ago) and he swears by those extinguisher lines, getting them for my bug as well! much love from Canada! Love the videos!

Good working brakes and all weather tires (winter is upon us). Great content, guys 👍👍

I was going to say, as a long time (now retired) truck driver. DOT always required "amber to the front, Red to the back"...just sayin'. Also, an extra ground wire on CB antennas helps in being able to hear and "get out", so to speak. Thanks much guys. Todd the retired trucker.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

So run a ground wire from the antenna base to the body? I like this!!!

Willy definitely knows his stuff 🐕😂 Some great tips here lads, stay safe out there!! 👍👍

I remember that Gary's bus tow bar came in handy once to get Jakes bus home from the Big Bend trip. Get out there and drive!

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

8 ай бұрын

It sure did! Like wearing a belt AND suspenders!

I find a convex mirror on the passenger side really helps, even with all my windows. It's just the same size as the original round one. Thanks for all your bus .safety suggestions!

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Great idea for those 'blind' spots!

Mobile phone, Breakdown Cover, working seatbelts, good Brakes and Tyres, warning triangle, fire extinguisher. Also service it and keep on top of maintenance.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

The fire extinguisher is a BIG one to have. I have Blaze Cuts installed on all our Buses.

Hello friends of VW Life, in your video about safety with a T1. shows you an extra brake light with the text stop on the rear bumper. For safety's sake, when I was restoring my T1 bus, I placed a stop light on the inside of the tailgate against the window. so that the stop light is high and the traffic behind me can see this clearly. both the person driving right behind me and the person driving behind. Because the extra light is in the bus, it is also safer and less vulnerable.

A lot of VWs I’ve been in are also decently loud. I feel like for me it helps with safety a little bit to have a VW people may not see at first, but will hear

Hi Gary! Good to meet you at the Harvest!!

First thing I noticed (Within a min) was with the open Safari windows you really need to wear eye protection. It's the same as a person riding a bike or motorcycle.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

We used to wear goggles, and will admit, I have gotten away from this safe practice. Thank you for the kind reminder!

earlier this year i heard the tragic incident that a guy in his classic 6 volt splitscreen 50s beetle was tragicly killed in his beetle at night due to not being seen enough on his way home from a vw show on his way to devon in the UK being purist sometimes isnt safe so be seen in ya classic your life depends on it in these modern days when people drive too fast and have too many distractions in the hand ! be safe be seen totally agree with the vw life guys

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

7 ай бұрын

I am so sorry to hear of this. May his family find peace with their loss. As slow as VW's are, and another thing, VW's are very small cars nowadays as well, we have to be as visible as we can be.

What do I do for safety? I fasten my seatbelt and drive as fast as I can! Must work - I'm still here 😉

Very sharp shots! fun and educational to watch. 👍🇧🇪

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

We appreciate you watching!

Remember Little Dude we learned to drive in Houston we always drove defensively! You had to do that just to survive

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Slam Driving in the 'Vette!

Thanks for the video. I have replaced my external mirrors by Autowares convex ones. As I daily drive in a big city here in France this thing make a huge difference for safety.

Busses aren't very stable so, as others have said, Seat Belts Proper lap & sash. I cannot understand why the U.S. has only red lights to the rear. 99% of countries use a separate amber for rear indicators. 1 red light doing driving/stop/indicator is nuts.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Agreed! More lights!!!

Safety Tip: Install a passenger side rear view mirror 🪞on your beetle.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

YES! Very good suggestion for early Beetles!

Mostly I just stay very aware of what is happening behind me. Impatient drivers are the biggest threat I find. I pull over whenever possible and usually take back roads to get where I'm going. It takes longer but that's really the point. A slow driving VW allows you to take in the sights, and hopefully enjoy the ride. Stay safe.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

And this is what it truly is all about!

High mount brake light and reflective triangle for breakdowns. ✌️

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

8 ай бұрын

Yes and yes!!!

Great tips guys!! Keep it up!!

Thanks guys for the tips, always informative Peace

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!!!

Great video Little Dude and Jake! Willie is the king and a cool pup

Fantastic video lads!! Finally got my beetle. She’s a 72’ super needs a little work but what Classic doesn’t. Finally have my dream car though and couldn’t be more excited. Thank you for these tips, I know I definitely want to get a CB. Mr. Gary that STOP light on the back of your bus is awesome. Those headlights/taillights on both busses seem like great options. Well hello Megan great cam work, congratulations to you and bro Jake. Keep up the great content. Peace out and VW on!!

How about also putting on the emergency flashers when stopped or coming to a stop on busy roads? Where do you get LED bulbs for the brake lights? And are they "plug and play" or are modifications needed? Also it's easy to install a "Lights On" buzzer that can be purchased at any NAPA parts store -- you just use the two alligator clips at the fusebox -- cheap and effective to warn you when the lights are left on when you turn off the ignition.

Thx Gary! That may help in this heavy Portland traffic. I'll give it a go.

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

8 ай бұрын

Be safe up there!!!

Beetles too. You have me convinced to upgrade my tail lights to LED. What lumins do you recommend?

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

If you are going to go with LED bulb replacements, try 400lumens. Those 800 ones were like the Sun!

If we are in a convoy in the UK , we also have cb radios, the first one in the convoy relays to the rear one that they are coming up to overtake, the rear one acts as a blocker until all the middle section are out in the overtaking lane, works a treat

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

YES! We do the same whenever we head out on a Bus Bash!

hi guys Great Video. I installed some 'swtich back' Led bulbs into my Bay Front Indicators so they are on once I turn the key in white then switch to Orange when I want to turn. Roger UK:)

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

7 ай бұрын

Now that's a cool idea!!!

Some good tips 🤙😎👍

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

8 ай бұрын

Thank you for tuning in!

Don't leave home without a tow rope, jumper cables and adjustable spanner, with these three things i have always made it home without a trip on the back of a truck 🤟

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

7 ай бұрын

Right on, anything beats having to pay for the rollback to haul you back home!

When where and how to have the windshields open? Remember to just be courteous!

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

7 ай бұрын

They are called Safari Windows and they were an option waaaay back when for split window buses. They are a MUST have in the Texas heat!

Modern cars stop awfully fast; consider upgrading to disc brakes in the front as a minimum.

I hate to say it but the safest thing I’ve done was a Subaru swap so I can keep up with the traffic around me 😢

where did you get the led bulbs for the tail lights ? I try to avoid interstate driving if possible, granted my 75 westy with the 1800 will cruise at 70 but its more fun to take the back roads, I lost count how many times ive had people pull out in front of me , its like how can you miss a big bright ORANGE bus !!

Where you guys get the LED brake lights.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Technostalgia LED retro-fit kit, I think Moon Eyes carries the now

Always keep a box of condoms on hand You just never know

@VWLifeVW

8 ай бұрын

HA! be Prepared - this lesson should be shared! 🤣🤣

@abefehr6155

8 ай бұрын

@@VWLifeVW the ladies love vw buses 🚌 I own a 77 tintop westi

Gr8 video 😁

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Appreciate you tuning in!

👍

love ya guys

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

We thank you for watching VW LIFE!

@salvadoravila9095

8 ай бұрын

never miss it@@CapnTexan

I feel bad for asking this question, but what happened with Matt Jackson? I haven't seen him on any of your videos recently, but I also saw that he put Helga on the Samba a while ago.

@tommiesmith3369

8 ай бұрын

He moved on from VWLife .

@therussmccurdy2602

8 ай бұрын

@@tommiesmith3369 why sell the bus though?

@simonnunn3367

8 ай бұрын

Looks like a major change all VW stuff being sold . Bus the lot. I did like his input in VW life .

Do you have full coverage insurance? Or what kind of insurance would you recommend?

@TheBusGuru-kn1dt

7 ай бұрын

This is a GREAT question. We use Hagertys Classic Car insurance. They are doing a lot for the vintage car market. Highly recommend them. You can set agreed upon value for your VW.

@NigelNaughton

7 ай бұрын

@@TheBusGuru-kn1dt I'll check them out. I value my 23 window deluxe at 1 million! 😊

You don't need your headlights in the daytime. Only @ night.

@VWLifeVW

7 ай бұрын

We like day time running lights - to better be seen out on the streets in our VWs ..

@brandonmcclellan30

7 ай бұрын

I H8 daytime running lights. They make no sense.

Upgrade your Brakes !!!

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Yes, front disc are certainly an upgrade. I think one of the keys is trying to always have a safe distance from cars ahead of you, at least best you can.

@i976scirocco3

8 ай бұрын

@@CapnTexan Front discs and a bigger master cylinder to move that fluid will go a long way. Great video guys, we all like to focus on the fun stuff but sharing safety tips will help keep the VWs and the drivers around.

BlazeCut?

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

Bingo!

I can't believe you need additional lighting on the roof rack because people cannot see the bus. I don't think they should be driving if they are that blind.

@CapnTexan

8 ай бұрын

The world is full of people not paying attention, especially when they are driving!