Table of contents for Issue 72 in VWt

“enthused and ready to get more involved with all things Transporter-related” While my face may be new to many of you reading this, I actually feel quite at home here at the helm of the good ship VWt already as I’ve known James Wallace and Mike Pye for many years, and have been writing about T4s and T5s since, well, at least five years before VWt was launched! I first met James Wallace in 2003 when you could still buy a T4 from the local dealership and before either of us knew what the new Van in the VW range (the T5) would even look like. This was in the old IPC Media days, where I worked alongside Mike Pye on VolksWorld magazine. When I left VolksWorld and launched Ultra…

What started as a small event called Vanfest in 1994 has grown to become the world’s largest Bus festival for Volkswagen Transporters. Held over three days, Busfest typically attracts in excess of 8,000 vehicles and 25,000 visitors, along with over 300 traders. In short, Busfest covers everything and anything Transporter-related. Weekend camping tickets are now sold out, but you can still pay at the gate and enjoy a day at the biggest Bus festival of the year. Day tickets cost £15 for Friday, £20 for Saturday and £15 for Sunday. Find out more at www.busfest.org…

We started in the VW scene with a 1962 ragtop Beetle. From there, we attended a number of local VW shows and went on to purchase a T4 and then a LWB T5. The T5 I converted and fitted with air suspension and consequently entered the world of Lowdown Transporters. In 2017, we changed the T5 for a Sand Beige metallic, SWB T5.1. Looking at the sales advert, I was unsure at first if I liked the colour, but the moment I saw it I knew it was a must have, mainly as it was so different to the norm. Over the last 12 months it has undergone a full Camper conversion inside, comprising a ¾-width rock ’n’ roll bed, Dubplate units, a Smev 9222, Waeco fridge, a TV and…

“the camping fields featured plenty of Transporter action” Held in the fields behind the picturesque Battlesbridge Antiques Village, this mid-June event always attracts a good crowd from Essex, Suffolk, Kent and beyond. It’s a weekend gathering with a show ’n’ shine on both the Saturday and Sunday, as well as the usual collection of traders, a beer tent and with some entertainment laid on for the Saturday evening. Yes, it’s traditionally an air-cooled event and, whilst the show ’n’ shine was air-heavy, the camping fields featured plenty of water-cooled Transporter action. This is a popular meeting amongst local clubs, and it was good to see so many of them getting involved, not only by supporting the event but even lining up club cars all together in the show ’n’ shine.…

“All air and water-cooled VWs are welcome” Volkswagen and Porsche parts specialist, Heritage Parts Centre, joined forces with Deutsche Fest on Saturday 16 June for one of its successful Brands Hatch Take-Overs. All air and water-cooled VWs are welcome, and Porsches for that matter, with vehicles parked up close to the track, which really added to the atmosphere. The famous track itself was open all day, with various sessions for all German vehicles (including BMW, Mercedes etc), which was a great way to get a feel for the main event (Deutsche Fest) that was taking place on site on both the Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the next Take-Over, keep an eye on www.vwheritage.com…

When Dave Garnsworthy, owner of Dorset-based Vanworx, decided in 2007 to start doing Campervan conversions, he quickly realised there were very few options available for customers wanting a bespoke T5 or T6 Camper with proper motorhome type approval.You can go to Volkswagen and order a California, of course, but, let’s be honest, there are plenty of them around, and they all look a bit, well, the same. Off-the-peg colours and bland, admittedly very functional, interiors are okay for the masses but, as readers of VWt, I’m pretty sure you’d find the factory offering a bit staid, especially when compared with some of the high end, custom-built conversions available these days. Dave recognised this problem a long time ago, and has worked very hard to obtain the necessary certification for the…

“my job is to… report on the stuff that occurs after the gaffer has… retired for the night!” Hello! And welcome to the weird and wonderful world that is Al Goo. I’m going to be here every month to share with you not only the latest and greatest VWt- related things, but also any other gnarly stuff I think you guys will enjoy. Some of you may already know me, more of you I’m sure won’t. For those that don’t, it’s probably best it stays that way, but here is a brief background story anyway. I go by a few aliases, Aaron Good (government name), Al Goo and ‘The Liability Vampire. The latter is something you’ll only find out about if you catch me after dark. I have written and…

“The real selling point of the Grand California that differentiates it from the T6 California is the bathroom” LAST MONTH we announced Volkswagen would be launching a California XXL, this month we have the full story, which includes the final release name – Grand California. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has utilised the experience gained from the recent California models to create the new Grand California, which is based on the Crafter platform. Both California product lines will now be offered in parallel, giving VW Camper fans the options to ‘supersize’, should they find the traditional pop-top California a little on the compact side. Brimming with cleverly thought out details, the interior of the Grand model continues the qualities that made the California a best seller. The white cabinet trim creates a…

SWIND HYPER E-BICYCLE Okay, so at 15 grand it’s a little costly to hang off the back of the average Campervan but, if money is no object, the Swind EB-01 is the ultimate toy for the urban adventurer and cross-country adrenalin junkie. Capable of propelling the bicycle at an electronically limited speed of 60mph, the near-silent 15kW electric motor sits within a hybrid aluminium and carbon shell frame. The battery is a 1.75kwh lithium-ion power pack with intra-cell forced air cooling, claiming to deliver the most electrical thrust ever harnessed to a bicycle. With an electric range up to 80 miles, it has three power settings: eco, normal and, for the brave, boost, which is when things really start to get exciting. It’s definitely a luxury toy for the rich,…

In a world seemingly filled with slammed T5s, Blake Richardson’s stealth-black LT35 certainly makes a refreshing change. This particular Crafter was purchased new in 2000 by Pinewood Studios and spent much of its early life transporting camera equipment and props to film sets. Not being an ex-builder’s hack or a mega-mileage delivery Van was a huge bonus when Blake stumbled across it – the body was in great condition and the mileage was sensible, hence it was the perfect basis for a custom Camper conversion. Working with his father, Blake stripped out the interior and fitted solid wood flooring before insulating the body and installing fresh plywood lining panels and roof liner. The conversion includes a pair of middle side windows, plus a custom made interior unit, which houses a…

Having owned an impressive collection of VWs in the past, including a few that have graced these pages, Ryan decided a T5 was to be his next project. So he put his T4 hi-top Swamper up for sale or swap and, sure enough, along came an interesting offer in the shape of the T5 you see here. It had potential as the previous owner had already fitted a ’5.1 front end, and the body was in relatively good condition throughout, so the deal was done. As Ryan has a few VWs already, his wife took this one on temporarily as her daily driver and used it to transport the family and dog around. Ryan had to make a few changes right away as it came with many different colour trim…

Okay, take a couple of deep breaths and relax. Count to 10 if it helps. Now, try to regain focus in your seared eyes so you can begin to read and understand just what in the name of the wee man happened to you. Please, don’t worry. These feelings are perfectly normal, and will eventually fade to just a vacuous cavern in the driveway of your soul that longs to be occupied by Phil Birk’s custom T5.1. Too much? I think not. Let’s begin at the beginning, and the first thing that most likely got your pulse pumping – the overwhelming power of the stunning Sunny Yellow paintwork. In case you missed it at VW School, Sunny Yellow is available to all T5.1 owners as a factory option. The reason…

AUGUST 31 Aug – 2 Sep Edition38 Overstone Park, Northampton NN6 0AB www.edition38.com 31 Aug – 2 Sep VW Action Santa Pod Raceway, Wellingborough NN29 7XA www.vwaction.co.uk SEPTEMBER 7-9 Busfest Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs WR13 6NW www.busfest.org 14-16 V-Dubs in the Valley Bewdley, Shropshire DY12 1SU www.vdubsinthevalley.co.uk 16 Grill-n-Chill Lite Cyclopark, The Tollgate, Gravesend DA11 7NP www.grill-n-chill.co.uk 21-23 Battle of Britain – VWs vs Minis Herston Yards Farm, Swanage BH9 3DJ www.herstonevents.com 21-23 Doncaster VW Festival Parklands, Doncaster DN2 4LT www.doncastervwfestival.com 21-23 Dubs Collective Party in the Park re-launch Himley Hall and Park Dudley DY3 4DF www.dubscollective.com 21-23 FNL VW Show Treen Farm Campsite Cornwall TR19 6LF www.fnlvw.co.uk 21-23 Retro Dub Suffolk VW Festival Felixstowe Road, Ipswich IP3 8UH www.retrodub-suffolk.co.uk 28-30 Dubs Int’ Dales Camp Katur, Bedale North Yorkshire…

The last time I bought a VW Van, a 2004 T5 some three years ago, it wasn’t a great experience. A failing dual mass flywheel on my way home, a lack of air con soon after and subsequently, with 380,000km on the clock, it started smoking in the mornings and making ominous grinding noises. With that, I started the search for a newer, lower mileage replacement. The problem was, in France where I now live, the only ones that fitted my criteria (namely a double side door, seven-seater Caravelle) were ridiculously expensive. But then the penny suddenly dropped. The vehicles I’d seen on the internet were all German imports. Intrigued, I logged onto the German classified site, www.mobile.de, and found the same Vans but at significantly less money. This got…

“Darryn split the panel at the belt line ie along the sliding door channel, which meant the joining weld was in a stronger area” Okay, so this isn’t the sort of job many of us are capable of tackling at home, but if you’ve ever had to pay for body repair after an accident, or wondered how a body shop might tackle an insurance repair, or been shocked at how much it seems to cost, this piece may just answer a few questions. Darryn Coleman and the team at DC Customs are best known for custom creations and vintage VW restorations, but the company also tackle upgrades, repaints and modifications for owners of late model Transporters, too. In fact, Darryn drives a neat, modified T5 himself. In this case, though,…

There’s a paradox taking place at the moment in the Transporter scene. Such is the popularity of the T5 / T6 that at times it feels like the T4 has been left behind in a lay-by, in much the same way as the Type 25 has for so long been ostracised by the air-cooled Camper brigade. But everything goes in circles and, thanks to a few enlightened individuals radically modifying them, the Type 25 is gaining cool cult status, so it’s only logical the same will happen with the T4, too. The good news in all this is the majority of those left are available for reasonable prices, often a bit scruffy on the outside but ripe for a DIY interior and plenty of fun. We’ve never stopped loving the…

My name is Chris Thomas and I work in a recycling centre for the council. It has been my dream to own a VW T5 for many years as I see lots of Vans coming into my workplace on a daily basis. I often get carried away talking to the public about their vehicles, especially the T5s with Camper conversions. So, I eventually picked up a Kombi around a year ago and, before I’d even got home, I’d stopped off to buy a black badgeless front grille! That was the first of a string of mods as I then went on to buy a set of 20in BK Racing alloys before moving on to the interior. Having sold my original front seats, I took the Van to a guy called…

“this modern T6 Campervan brings retro-cool right up to date” With nostalgia king these days, it’s no surprise it is now common to see T5 and T6 Campers running around in two-tone paint. Volkswagen itself has debuted two different concept Vans over the years in a split colour scheme, offers it as an option on certain current models and it’s now become an accepted method of refreshing a late model Transporter – let’s face it, it’s a quick way to give a white Panel Van a new look, without the expense of a full colour change. Far from being a tarted-up Panel Van, though, Danbury’s new Heritage 64 model carries an impressive spec, whilst taking a retrospective look into Danbury as a brand. The company’s Callum Mitchell explains: “The Heritage…

“well known for the countless live bands and music acts” 8 -10 June 2018 marked the 10th anniversary of the Alive and V-Dubbin festival, which took place at Haughley Park in Suffolk this year. Organised by the Suffolk Bugrs club, this meeting has become a firm family favourite as it has blossomed over the past decade. There’s always a good mix of vehicles in the show ’n’ shine, alongside an impressive number of trade and food stands. The event is also well known for the countless live bands and music acts that play throughout the weekend, which make this a very well-rounded event offering something for everyone with an interest in VWs. We’ve certainly enjoyed attending this event over the years, and can’t wait to see how it continues to…

Practically as soon as the gates opened on Friday, the flood of VWs began to flow into the camping fields, which soon filled with party people anticipating yet another epic VW festival weekender. “another epic VW festival weekender” Bug Jam hosts five music arenas, including the Main Stage, Dance Tent, Retro Tent, BugWam and Fuelers Bar, on both Friday and Saturday evenings, catering for all tastes from indie and dance DJs through to live bands and tribute acts. And if you’re wondering just how diverse the music is, there was everything from Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the main stage through to Killa Kela and Jaguar Skills over in the dance zone – truly something for all musical tastes. Those that went hard on the Friday night were no doubt pleased to…