Tabla de contenidos para March 2018 en VWt

“Bolt-on parts democratise any scene, and allow people an easy, cheap route in” There’s too much division going on within the water-cooled Van scene at the moment. I’ve seen it happen before with the Golf lads and lasses, and I’m told it’s happened in the air-cooled VW scene too over the years. One minute we’re all in it together having a wonderful time and laughing with one another at shows, next we’re split into cliques, all slagging one another off on public forums and sniping behind each another’s backs. Don’t get me wrong, the odd bit of banter is funny if you don’t take it too seriously and don’t alienate yourself by taking offence, but someone always snaps eventually and when they do, what was good natured, humorous banter quickly…

Van-essaparadise Rick Bower, Cheshire Like most T4 owners I can’t quite put my finger on why it is that I love this old money pit so much, but it is love, there’s no doubt about that! My 1998 Van was originally owned by a printing company, before being bought by a mechanic turned gardener who part exchanged it at my garage. She was a bit rough around the edges at the time, but really straight and I couldn’t let her go, knowing she’d make a great base for a Camper to use for all the board sports I love all year round. Five years later, I’ve put blood sweat and tears into making this T4 (I call her ‘Vanessa’) my own. I started the conversion with all the mechanical stuff…

“I drop the kids off to school in it [but] it’s a nightmare going to Morrisons… it’s impossible to get away from it and into the shop” It’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out in the new age Transporter crowd these days. No matter what wheels, what air ride, what stereo or what interior treatment you decide upon, the Holy Grail of unique is nigh-on impossible to achieve. Yet somehow Andy Stretton has achieved just that with, of all things, a gnarly T5 Pick-up imported from Ireland. Despite already owning a properly lovely T6 Campervan that you’ll see in VWt real soon, when Andy saw this Pick-up truck it stole his heart. And the end result of countless hours of labour took everyone by surprise. So how does a Van…

Calling all Kombi and Caravelle owners. The world is now your lobster. Yes, you can have a Camper, a daily driver and a child mover and still use it to get away in at the weekend. Hell, if you’re feeling really spirited, you could even combine all of the above qualities with work Van practicality, if you don’t mind lugging the dense VW seats in and out every now and then. This, in a world where practicality and style rarely collide, is refreshing to say the least. It’s not a new idea, of course, it’s been on offer for the last three or four years now, but the all-round viability of a conversion like this ramps up another notch when you realise it really can be everything to every (wo)man.…

“just the thought of using a holesaw leads to endless procrastination” If there’s one thing I don’t like doing to #projectshed, it’s drilling holes in the ol’ girl, especially big ones. So much so that even just the thought of using a holesaw on it leads to endless procrastination on my part. But then so did the thought of potentially blowing myself and #projectshed into the stratosphere if I got something wrong with the gas install, which is my way of explaining why it has taken me so long to get longer than that. And I spent untold time worrying that the position of the side-hinging door on my chosen cheapo gas locker wouldn’t cover the area I planned on drilling through. Yes, it might have been easier to drill…

“like no other VW event on the calendar, and all the better for it” There are many events to choose from throughout the summer months – static shows, festivals, camping weekenders… there really is something for everyone. However, when it comes to a broad mix of entertainment and the quirky yet funky event that is V-Dub Island, well, frankly, there really is nothing else quite like it. Our adventure began with the trek down from Essex to Portsmouth (you can also catch a ferry from Southampton) to jump the ferry across to the Isle of Wight. Sure, it only takes a little over half an hour to cross the Solent, but just the experience of taking a ferry and enjoying the views makes it feel like a proper holiday. It’s…

We have agonised over this How to for a long time now. Should we, shouldn’t we? Are there legal implications we are unaware of? But as we started reading around the subject, and asking numerous converters for advice, we found there weren’t – at least not for the DIY-er – and so decided to have a go ourselves and report on our experience of doing it. First things first. This is not a job you should tackle without all of the right components, and someone who knows what they’re looking at when it comes to the finished install. There is no way I’d have tackled this on my own without a good mate of mine, who happens to be a former plumber and heating engineer, overseeing my work. If you…

This is one of those Vans that comes along every now and then and genuinely has you scrambling for where to begin. Seriously, what are your eyes looking at right now? It’s a banquet of custom, brimming with personality. And yet the craziest part of all is that, other than a window or two cut in the side panels, the bodywork is totally stock. That in itself is a fine achievement – to have built such an individual-looking Van, whilst underneath all the trinkets and stickers it’s just the same as all the other hundreds of thousands built! I think the best place to start then is to learn about its creator, that way we might better understand what he’s built, and why. Yes, I’ve given it away. He’s a…

The 2018 show is going to be a classic If you have not been to the show for a couple of years, make sure you come to the 2018 edition as it’s shaping up to be one of our best yet. The website is the place to go for all the latest news and information and while online, why not save some cash and buy your tickets in advance. www.volksworldshows.com Top European show vehicles We will have something to suit all tastes at The VolksWorld Show this year, with vehicles coming from all four corners of Europe. The one thing they have in common is that they are all finished to the very highest standard, with many making their debut at the event. If you have recently finished…

February 17-18 Dubfreeze Bingley Hall, Stafford, ST18 0BD www.dubfreeze.co.uk March 10-11 Freddy Files Ninove, Belgium http://freddyfiles2017.skynetblogs.be 11 Ultimate Dubs We’ll be there! The International Centre, Telford, TF3 4LH www.ultimate-dubs.co.uk 16-18 Dub Aid Whites Nurseries, Earls Barton, Northampton www.dubaid.co.uk 24-25 The VolksWorld Show We'll be there! Sandown Park, Esher, KT10 9AJ www.volksworldshows.com 29-01 April Camperfest Chester Racecourse camperfest.co.uk April 6-8 Elemental VW Show Crouch Valley showground, Essex www.elementalvw.org.uk 6-8 Vee Dub Family Weekender Oak Tree Arena, Highbridge, Somerset, TA9 4HA 7-8 Dub Shed Elkon exhibition centre, Lisburn, Ireland www.dubshed.com 13-15 Bus Types VW Show Oswestry Showground, Shropshire, SY11 4AB www.bus-types.co.uk 15 Elsecar at the races Doncaster Racecourse www.elsecarattheraces.com 27-29 Big Bang Camper and Bus Show…

“Being off the beaten track is always an adventure, especially if you get lost” Cast your mind back to February of 2017. Disaster struck when storm Doris hit the UK. We were all set to head to Ireland by ferry the next day, but Doris had other ideas. The ferry we were booked on was cancelled, but we weren’t about to let that stop us, it was grandad’s 70th birthday after all. Ever since I was a kid, I remember my grandad, Keith, telling me remarkable stories about holidays he’d had in Ireland. He is fairly well travelled, but in his book Ireland wins every time. So, with his 70th birthday approaching, my sister, Rachael, and I decided we need to take him back there, to re-live the memories and…

There’s a modern trend, particularly in the world of social media, for businesses to appoint ‘brand ambassadors’ to surreptitiously invade our psyche and get us to buy their product. From pop stars to footballers to the millennial vlogger – they’re all at it. But how about Volkswagen? Who’s doing it for them? I’ll give you a clue – you know one of them really well. In fact, you know all there is to know about this person. You brush this person’s teeth, morning and night and you change their underwear. Yes, it’s you! It’s you, it’s me and it’s us. We, the owners and drivers of Volkswagens old and new, are all the brand ambassadors VW will ever really need, mainly because we’re all so awesome, right? So, when Keith…