78 VW Camper leaving me stranded. Help

[Sketchy_Dave]

I have been having issues with the idle on my 78 VW camper and now it starts rough, runs great down the road, then I turn it off and it wont start again.  I have learned my lesson after getting stuck away from home a couple of times, but I really want to figure out why I can't get it to start every time.  If I let it set for a while (overnight) it will start again.  Does anyone have an idea what this may be?

[azbaywindow]

My suggestion is that;  it sounds as if it has one of those coil type thermostats on it like a Bug and it maybe broken.  But mind you I'm new to Buses myself;  but I had many Bugs and they had a coil type thermostat that would prevent you from starting them up when too hot.  And I would presume that if that thermostat was to break it might make restart even more difficult. Might be worth a look see at a maintenance manual and see if that could be your problem.

Best of luck with that and I hope someone with more knowledge chimes in as well

[Beetle]

...then I turn it off and it wont start again.

Does the engine spin freely when you're trying to start it hot or is it sluggish?

[Beetle]

This thread may help if your problem is fuel related.

[Sketchy_Dave]

It is always a rough idlenwhen I start it, nomatter if it is cold or warm.  I have to keep tapping the gas pedal to keep it running.  After driving it for a little while it will hold idle without the my help.  This is what is so strange.  It runs like it should, then I get to my destination and it leaves me stranded. The closest VW shop is over an hour away, so I feel like I would have to fill it with gas while it's running, then drive it there without stopping.
Thanks for all of the suggestions, so far.  If I can't fix it myself it will give me somewhere to start when I take it to the shop.

[vanamana]

Sounds to me like your head is loose, or in need of some tlc, on my dads old bug, he would run it(ran and started fine) till warm, but then when the metal heated up, it expanded, thus causing to lose compression.  when you let it sit, it cools and shrinks.   try tightening up the head bolts. its an easy job and you do not have to remove the motor. torque them to the required torque, and see if that helps, if not, thenit would likely be rings, or bad valves. my two cents

[giz59]

Hey Vanamana, pass me that big fat loaded doobie you got there ,will ya ? when any vehicle heats up it heats up uniformly ,like the design and test dudes at the factory from whence his bus came from acually worked all that out prior to putting design into production/vehicle up for sale.By your reckoning ALL road going vehicles would cease to proceed when warm ?best thing fella can do is buy a tec book and return all settings to standard and then do a full service leastways he will then know it SHOULD start, if it isn"t running /starting /idling as he thinks it should there are many reasons why that may be so CLUE> the bus runs !