Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 82 i VWt

NOTHING INSPIRES THE DREAM OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE MORE than the VW Transporter, and while plenty of people fondly remember the air-cooled Buses of the past, it’s the modern T4, T5 and T6 models that have enabled many enthusiasts to realise their dream of taking to the open road and enjoying the great outdoors. New from the publishers of VWt comes this 100-page collectors’ edition bookazine featuring a selection of T4, T5 and T6 models that will appeal to those who like to modify and personalise their VW Transporters. As well as feature Vans, there is expert advice on buying and modifying your favourite homes from home. On sale from June 14 2019 for £7.99 (UK cover price) Order your copy here: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/product/BZVWT SheltaPod and Tentsile double bubble SheltaPod, an…

Happy customer Hey VWt, I just wanted to thank you for running my T5.1 in your Readers’ rides section in Issue 80. I’ve made some changes already, and will keep you posted on the progress. I love flicking through the pages of the mag each month, especially the projects, readers’ Vans and all the new parts that various companies are developing for us to make our rides and camping more enjoyable. Best regards, Brad via email The low life Hi VWt,this is probably going to sound like a stupid question but what does a ’5.1 on coilovers actually ride like? I love the look of some of the slammed Vans in your mag but, as I have to drive my Van daily, I’d hate to find it was really bumpy…

June 07-09 Alive & V-Dubbin Haughley Park, Suffolk, IP14 3JY www.aliveandvdubbin.co.uk 07-09 Deva Dubs & Rods Shrewsbury Showground SY1 2PF www.devadubshow.co.uk 07-09 Hurst View Dubfest Lymington, Hampshire SO41 8AL www.hurstdubfest.co.uk 14-16 Bristol Volksfest Birches Farm, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS48 3RN www.bristolvolksfest.co.uk 14-16 Mighty Dub Fest Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, NE66 1NQ www.mightydubfest.co.uk 14-16 The Bus Stop Over Newark Showground, Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY www.busstopover.co.uk 15-16 Cumbria VAG Show & Shine Festival Westmorland County Showground, Kendal, Cumbria LA7 7NH www.cumbriavag.co.uk 21-23 VDub at The Pub Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 1EH www.vdubatthepub.com 22-23 Players Classic Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester, PO18 0PX www.players-show.com 28-30 Quex Park VW Show Quex Park, Birchington, Kent, CT7 0HR www.facebook.com/pg/ quexparkvwshow 28-30 Summer Dubbin ReLoaded Hayfield Lakes, Doncaster, DN9…

I’ve owned the Gipsy four years now and, despite initial concerns regarding its size, I’ve come to love the old Campersaurus. It’s not fast and, being LHD, it’s not the easiest thing to manoeuvre around but, once on site, it’s an absolute pleasure to live with. “I’ve come to love the old Campersaurus” Being a bit of a monster brings up another recurring issue – where to take it for its annual MoT inspection. It didn’t cross my mind when I first bought it but, after being turned away from three local MoT stations, I had to have a re-think. Thankfully, after some research, I found a place with a 2.8m+ tall door and a pit with jacks prepared to help me out, and just 10 minutes from home, too.…

The Orsett Showground is alongside the A13, just a few minutes from junction 30 of the M25, so it’s little surprise this event is popular not just with the Essex massive, but also with the Kent and London crew too, and I can’t forget to mention those Surrey and Suffolk peeps I spoke to, either. TOMIE has been running for a few years now and, given the fact it takes place over the first May Bank Holiday weekend, it’s no surprise the weather hasn’t always played ball. This year, temperatures were reasonable, though it was a little windy with the occasional light shower at times! Tickets were £15 in advance (£25 on the gate), which is pretty reasonable when you consider that includes three nights camping, a smattering of traders…

LAST MONTH WE MENTIONED THE GREAT WONDERFEST (AUGUST 1-4) festival on the Isle of Wight and this month we have five pairs of tickets to give away to show Van owners! In short, the organisers would like to invite owners of show-quality T4, T5 and T6 Vans to display their vehicles as part of the VWt show arena at the event, and have offered to cover entry and ferry travel for their favourites. So, whether you’re a show veteran or think you’d like to display your pride and joy for the first time, send us an email before June 28 with a couple of pictures of your Van, plus a contact name and number, and the team will pick their favourites and be in touch to organise tickets and ferry…

One of the vehicles that really grabbed our attention at Ultimate Dubs this year was a bagged T6 from Belgium. So why the other guys were busy documenting the show, I went on the hunt for the owner to set up a photoshoot. Unfortunately, the Van was in and out of the country just for the show, with no time to stop for photos. I was keen, but with a pre-booked crossing back to France, a big chunk of driving to do across the country and half a lap of the M25 to complete, I didn’t push my luck. Especially seeing as I knew I was going to be in Belgium the following week for a show. Much like the owner’s trip to the UK show, I was also in…

“You can watch as many YouTube videos as you like, but in the end the best way to learn is to just get on with it” How’s your Camper doing? Are you fortunate enough to have a fully operational, top–of-the-line, kick ass interior with all the lighting and tambour doors your heart desires? Or, is it looking a little barren out back, with just a blow-up mattress and a portable stove? Well, if you’re closer to the latter, and are just biding your time until you can afford the dream interior, then be prepared for some inspiration. Have you ever considered making your own? If not, that perfect interior may be closer than you think. “The Van now scrapes cat’s eyes on the motorway, so just imagine how a Scottish…

I bought my 2005 T28 T5 in May last year, and have been busy converting it into a usable Camper ever since. The ex-Panel Van had already been updated with a later ’5.1 facelift kit, including all the usual features, plus the later rear bumper and interior. I like the flat, early dash, though, so instead of replacing the central section I painted it gloss black, along with the glove box. It’s a personal thing, but I think it has made it feel much more modern inside. While the glove box was out, I also added a USB socket inside for charging purposes. The Van had already been converted from a Panel Van to a windowed Kombi when I bought it. As all genuine parts had been used, most of…

The Stanford Hall meet has been running since 1976, hence it’s just about as well established as any VW event can be. Organised by the Leicestershire and Warwickshire Volkswagen Owners’ Club, the event runs like a well-oiled machine, and has earned a reputation for being not only one of the biggest one-day VW gatherings in the UK, but also for including a huge trade area, arguably the best swap meet of the year and more club displays than any other event – and all for the bargain price of just £12 entry. Though for years it was a staunchly air-cooled concours event, the organisers have moved with the times and now it’s not uncommon to find everything from Split Window Beetles to Mk2 Golfs, early Audis and even late model…

Allow us to introduce Jason Dando. This, ladies and gentleman, is a man with a plan. If you want your Camper to end up looking half as tasty, then his sound advice is that you should have one, too. Jason: “I went to visit as many converters as I could, and take in all the different ideas and layouts. Some elements are really subtle, but they make a big difference to the day-today use of the Van. “In the end, the only place for me was Vanworx in Dorset. Not only was I blown away by their demo Van, but they seemed to be more open to including my own ideas in the build.” That last point is huge. It’s all well and good having beautifully designed and built interiors,…

So I bought my T6 back in 2016 primarily as a work van (which it still is) but with the added bonus of being able to camp in it. It’s a short wheelbase, T25, Highline, six-speed 140 in factory Chestnut Brown, which at the time I thought was a bit of a risky colour to go for. “I managed to walk away with the Revo Choice award, and bagged myself a free re-map” I bought the Van with every intention of lowering it right away as I’d seen the Lowdown Transporters club stand at The VolksWorld show and was inspired. So, as soon as I’d collected the keys from VW, I booked it in with Stanced UK to have a set of Gaz Ultra Low coilovers fitted. At the same…

“if you shut the curtains, you’d never know it had a full Camper conversion inside” Meet Andy and Nicola Kelly and their simply gorgeous 2014 T5.1 Highline Kombi. Having owned over 40 cars between them throughout their lives, never keeping any one of them for more than 18 months, the fact that they’re still heading out for weekends away four years after buying the Kombi says everything about how they’ve fallen for the Transporter lifestyle. As Andy says, “There’s no better feeling than jumping in the Van after a hard week at work and escaping for the weekend.” Wise words indeed, Andy. But let’s go back a few years to find out how ‘the change’ came about. Andy’s day job is as director of www.signsuk.co.ukin Hinckley, Leicestershire. As the name…

Let’s face it, the VW Transporter scene right now is growing at a prodigious rate of knots. Not a week goes by where we don’t hear of another conversion company cropping up, or another Van being built. It’s great that we have such a large and vibrant scene, but sometimes it’s nice to know that the company you choose to buy a Van from, or take yours to to have work done, is a trusted, proven specialist with years of experience in the marketplace. And if it’s both knowledge and reputation you’re looking for, you could do a lot worse than pay Salop Vans a visit. With almost two decades experience of VW’s finest under their collective belts, it’s fair to say they know their onions. We talked to General…

Waterside Farm campsite Edale, Derbyshire – £12 Check it out here www.ukcampsite.co.uk Laneside Caravan Park Hope, Derbyshire – £19 www.lanesidecaravanpark.co.uk Sherwood Forest Holiday Park Nottinghamshire – £22.50 www.sherwoodforestholidaypark.co.uk Things to do and see: Climb Mam Tor Visit the villages of Castelton and Hope Take a trip into Peak Cavern and / or Speedwell Cavern (see www. peakcavern.co.uk) Eat Bakewell tarts! Visit Sherwood Forest and Edwinstowe…

I’Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment but, when Jimbo mentioned he was putting the ex-VWt project Van up for sale, I thought to myself, ‘hey, it might be fun to roll that for a while, and besides it’s practically part of the family.’ Hence, after a little bit of convincing my wife of the merits of the decision, we worked out a deal and #projectshed is now parked at mine alongside my T4 Gipsy. I’m not planning on making a load of drastic changes, just finishing off a few jobs – mostly interior related – and making it a little more camping-friendly, whilst clocking up the miles to and from photoshoots etc. for the mag. You may have spotted one change already though. Yep, the wheels are no longer bright…