The first Volkswagen camper was created in 1951 after a British officer requested a bed and writing desk in his van. The order was fulfilled by Westfalia-Werke, which became Volkswagen's official partner for van conversions, creating the camper market.
By 1958, about 1,000 such conversions had been produced. The Tourist Delivery Program helped popularize campers among American military personnel in Europe. The VW-Westfalia collaboration ended in 2003, when Volkswagen began producing the California model independently.