Table of contents for Issue 80 in VWt

CONGRATULATIONS to Debbie Morton from Nottingham, the winner of the recent Just Kampers Bay Window Camper giveaway. “What an awesome prize!” says Debbie. “I entered the competition thinking it won’t be me because I’ve never won anything, but this goes to prove that anything can happen. “I now can’t wait to get it out on its first camping trip.” Don’t worry if you missed that competition though, for JK will be launching a new 2019 Campervan competition soon: “watch it being transformed into a fabulous Campervan over the next few months” “We don’t want to give too much away just yet, but we have already sourced a stunning 2014 T5 Van for our 2019 Camper giveaway competition and you’ll be able to watch it being transformed into a fabulous Campervan…

Having discussed the idea of buying a Transporter to convert into a family-friendly Camper with my wife, Becks, I found myself a 2010 T5.1 Panel Van, which I’ve been slowly converting into a weekender over the past few years. When I bought the Van, it was already fitted with 18in alloys and the Sportline kit, but otherwise was basically a stock vehicle. The first major job was fitting the side windows, which was followed by a rock ’n’ roll bed (with matching front seat covers). “the grand plan is to… take our three kids on a European road trip” Next, I insulated and panelled the interior, then covered it with carpet. Working as a carpenter, I fitted the interior units myself and I think they work well with the Altro…

APRIL 12-14 Vee Dub Family Big Birthday Weekender Camp Out Unity Farm, Brean, Somerset, TA8 2 www.veedubfamily.org/event/veedub-family-big-birthday-weekendercamp-out-2019 14 GTI Spring Festival Santa Pod Raceway, Northants, NN29 7XA www.vwaction.com/gtispring 14 Elsecar at the Races Doncaster Racecourse & Exhibition Centre, Ledger Way, Doncaster, DN2 6BB www.elsecarattheraces.com 18-22 CamperFest Churchill House, Queen’s Park Campus, Queen’s Park Road, Chester, CH4 7AD www.camperfest.co.uk 19-21 Bus Types VW Show Oswestry Showground, Shropshire www.bus-types.co.uk 19-22 Dubs in Wonderland Himley Hall, Dudley, DY3 4DF www.dubscollective.com 21 VAG North West Monthly Meet Garswood Old Road, St Helens, Merseyside, WA11 7LZ www.facebook.com/ events/285629508787959 21 VAG NW Monthly Meet Three Sisters Road, Ashton in Makerfield, WN4 8DD www.facebook.com/groups/ VagNorthWestCarClub 26 / 28 Techenders Victoria Farm, Lutterworth, LE17 5AU www.techenders.co.uk MAY 03-06…

Our sister title, VolksWorld, sure knows how to put on a show. But given the immense history behind this event, that’s hardly a surprise. Before we get started, I’ll remind you again that it’s a 100% air-cooled event inside the two main halls. However, outside in the club displays, around the campsite and throughout the visitor parking you’ll find plenty of late Transporter action. Whether you’re a fan of old VWs or not, we’ve yet to meet a visitor that isn’t impressed by the quality and creativity exhibited by some of the wild and ultra rare show cars on display inside the show. Walking in through the main entrance this year, visitors immediately stumbled across a pair of incredibly rare 1950 VW Panel Vans from the first year of Transporter…

The height of fashion Dear VWt, I’ve been looking at both pop-top and high-top Campers recently, but wondered how people get on regarding parking? I only ask as I noticed a T5 in my local supermarket the other day that had parked across two spaces as it seemed one was probably too tight. Is this kind of thing common? Also, as I’ve started to take note of such issues, I’ve also realised that there are some car parks near me that have height restrictions. Again, not something I’d considered before, but I guess this could be a problem with some Campers, too? Steve Lawrence via email VWt: With a high-top Camper you will certainly have issues with height restrictions entering public parks and car parks. Most UK barriers tend to…

“the Van grew on him to the point where he now wouldn’t be without it” It’s funny how vehicles can grow on you. When Sye Hill sold a fully loaded Mk5 Golf GTi to buy a 2001, short wheelbase, turbo diesel T4, he had a definite case of buyer’s remorse as soon as he took the controls. Those who have driven a 1.9TD T4 in stock form will probably relate to the feelings he was having but, once he’d begun the transformation, the Van grew on him to the point where he now wouldn’t be without it, even though the missus drives a T5 to all the shows, too. Having recently owned a Mk5 GTi myself, and also having had the pleasure of owning two 1.9TD T4s over the years,…

Somehow, most things in life have a way of working themselves out and bringing you to the place you’re supposed to be, with the outcome that’s meant to happen. Depending on your deity, you might even call this destiny. This can manifest in a dramatic, life-defining moment, or simply as your grey seats with yellow trim being delivered in the reverse pattern (yes, we’ll get to that). Either way, the universe has your back, even when it comes to Campervan modifications apparently! You just might need to cut it some slack to grease the wheels, so to speak. Andy Atkin and wife, Stephanie, certainly did that when it came to realising their dream of the ultimate Campervan with this stunning long wheelbase, 2015, T5.1 Highline. Andy: “I guess I always…

Regular readers of VWt will likely get a feeling of déjà vu when we say the name Dan Parker. Dan is no stranger to the pages of this publication, and we featured another one of his builds – the satin grey T5 Panel with matt bronze TSW Holstens and sliding door delete – just a few months back in Issue 77. Although Dan and his company, Dub Buses, are cooking on gas these days, for this build he decided to work in partnership with his brother, Darren. A kind of real-world test to see if they can work together and are both on the same page when it comes to modified Transporters. We already know Dan knows the ropes, as it were. He’s the kind of guy that builds Vans…

I’ve been into VWs since a friend took me to Bug Jam ’89, and have owned all manner of VAG stuff since, both air and water cooled. The one thing all my previous rides had in common was they were slammed, but that’s all changed with this one. My T4 was ‘one family owned’ from new when I bought it around three years ago, had been serviced religiously every 5,000 miles and had only 49,000 on the clock. It’s my daily driver and takes us all over the place, hence it’s about to hit 80,000 miles any day soon. I’m into mountain bikes and we like exploring and camping in out of the way places, so I thought the ‘lifted’ life might be a good idea this time. And I…

“Driving out of the workshop on the first day was terrifying” You know the classic love story? Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love and start looking for a home together. Boy or girl decides, actually, you might not be The One after all. Boy then takes his deposit for a house and drops it on a brand new T6. Wait? You don’t know that one? Well, pull up a chair my friend, you’re going to love this. When just that happened to Leicester’s George Richards, he didn’t buy an average T6, he bought a 150 DSG T30 Highline that, within 48 hours of being delivered, had an angle grinder spinning through its roof. Coming from a city renowned for its sporting prowess, and a bloke with big…

Though some will extol the virtues of the unplanned road trip, in our experience every good road trip starts with a master plan. We’re not just talking about a well-planned route or itinerary – far more important than that is a check list of essential equipment and a thorough health check for your trusty Transporter / Camper. Whether it’s a simple overnight or basic weekender or a full Euro road trip, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll forget something, so the aim of this guide is to keep the ‘left behinds’ to a minimum. Incidentally, with Brexit still hanging in the balance at the time of writing, we’ve tried to advise regarding European travel as best possible, but this is something we’ll certainly come back to as soon as we know how…

“It’s like travelling around with your bedroom” I’m going to assume a reasonable number of people reading this are planning trips away in their own Vans, in which case I hope Italy is a destination you consider. Whether it’s art, history, food, beaches or mountains, Italy has it all. “it felt great to be behind the wheel, exploring another beautiful part of the world” As those who read part one of our trip in Issue 79, my girlfriend, Ella, and I travelled from the UK to Tuscany in my self-converted, 1997, 1.9 TD T4 aka ‘Billy. We stopped at a number of places along the way, but Billy had been working relentlessly for a couple of weeks now, and it felt great to be behind the wheel, exploring another beautiful…