Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 83 i VWt

I’m fresh back from the Isle of Wight Festival (see p82) as I write this and, whilst I had a great time, I was left with a slightly sour taste in my mouth by the unfathomable amount of rubbish left on site by revellers. This got me thinking about VW events and how, on the whole, we’re quite a tidy bunch. I don’t want to sound like a green freak as my car collection alone means I’m far from ecologically sound, but the sheer carnage left in the campsites really hit home. So much for tree-hugging festival goers, huh? However, this event has nothing on last year’s Reading Festival, where some 60,000 tents were left behind, with an estimated value of over £1million. Environmental concerns aside, maybe I’m just too…

AFTER 30 YEARS IN THE VW SCENE, the team at Just Kampers has decided to launch a new product into the Volkswagen marketplace that will allow people to realise their VW dreams. So whether it’s a stock classic Transporter or an all-singing, all-dancing modified T6 you have your eye on, JK’s new finance package can help make it a reality. Up until now there haven’t been any dedicated finance options available for this kind of thing. Even where finance has been available for, there has been a general lack of knowledge and understanding of specific VW types and their values. On top of which, products have typically been laden with hidden fees, excessive terms and conditions and high APR interest rates. Just Kampers Finance addresses all these issues, and can…

There was a time when, outside of race car circles, ‘carbon fibre’ meant carbon fibre-look. That is to say a decal, wrap or perhaps a cover to make something look like it’s lightweight and ready to race. But more recently we’ve seen genuine carbon parts and even complete body panels appearing on Transporters, so I guess it was only a matter of time before the carbon look moved inside, as it were. And sure enough, VisionTech Automotive stepped up to the plate and launched its special Carbon Edition, which comes with the trademark curved units of the company’s VTA Vision interior made completely out of carbon fibre. Naturally, like most of what the guys seem to come up with, the limited Carbon Edition Vans sold out in pretty quick succession.…

Quite often here at VWt, we hear a similar story from owners who have moved through the ranks from T4 to T6, or even from Beetle / Bay Window / Golf ownership into the lofty heights of Transporters. Most people see this as a natural progression of ownership over time, and covet the newer models, even if they don’t quite have the funds to own one yet. Not Colin Rickard though. You see, Colin did progress from a sluggish 2.4 T4 to a couple of T5s, including a 2012 California, but then had second thoughts, and decided to go back in time instead. Colin’s story starts seven years ago when he acquired a T4 Reimo Camper from his brother. He already knew the 2.4-litre, normally-aspirated Vans were particularly sluggish and…

• Go big (top) In hindsight, my new blue and red awning may be a tad too big… • The little things… 3D-printed cup holders for project T5 are my new favourite thing • Stop it like it’s hot When two calipers just don’t cut it • Mud pluggin’ Gotta feel for those stuck in the mud at Bristol Volksfest • Feel the force Lovin’ the wrap on this Stormtrooper Transporter • Tilt ’n’ slide Electric sunroof grafted into the bonnet, because scoops are so last year • Supersized Spotted this extra-long wheelbase T4 on eBay recently. What a whopper!…

Since becoming a mortgage broker in London I was in a need of a small van to use to see my clients in order to avoid continual trips to coffee shops or going into clients’ workplaces. Initially, I was using a Vivaro but, over the five years I owned it, I came to realise I really wanted a VW Transporter instead. So when the Vivaro eventually sold, I landed myself a pretty basic T6 Caravelle. Being a car show fanatic, and owing three others cars (Clio Sport 182 turbo, a BMW 740d and a modified Passat b5) I was ready for my next adventure with the Caravelle. Having purchased VWt magazine, I read about some of the amazing projects, and took inspiration for my own vehicle. “Thanks to VWt, I…

“It’s not the super low ride that a lot of people go for, but… on the road, it’s more about comfort and ride quality” £100,000 with the VAT. If you haven’t already taken in the pictures, that opening sentence might start to make sense as you read on. Now that’s out of the way, let’s dissect this delicious derivative of the no-longer-humble VW Transporter and revel in the glory of one of the biggest budget builds to ever leave the Vanworx’s Dorset showroom. But where on earth do we start? Well, how about just like Vanworx did, and take a look at the base vehicle. It’s hilarious to call it a ‘base vehicle’ as it couldn’t be further from what that sounds like that but, as it was bought new…

Organised by the Association of British VW Clubs (ABVWC), Stonor VW as it is now officially called has been running for 30 years at the same location, and has always been popular with those looking to show and display their VWs, whether air or water cooled by design. Stonor Park itself is a fabulous stately home nestled in rolling hills and ancient woodland between the M4 and M40. Henleyon-Thames is the nearest town, making it just a 30-minute drive for our Reading lad, AlGoo, and 90 minutes from Southend for me and Jolly Jim. We arrived on Saturday afternoon to join the other pre-booked campers in the field alongside the main event on one of the hottest days of the year. Incidentally, you can’t just turn up without a reservation,…

“I started to dread hauling on the anchors” Last time I reported on my T5, I’d had new discs fitted at the front and new pads all round. Well, a little more than a month later, I started to notice a slight vibration through the steering wheel when braking, which quickly got worse, to the extent that I started to dread hauling on the anchors. Not good on a vehicle as weighty as a Volkswagen Transporter! My first thought was warped discs but, having talked to my ‘expert’ local English mechanic here in France, I’d come up with an entirely different diagnosis. He surmised the garage that fitted the new front discs probably hadn’t cleaned the surface of the hubs properly. And, lo and behold, his hunch was right because…

For most people, the first step on the route to modifying a VW Van will be a new set of wheels, maybe some coilovers and a few bolt-on accessories. Less likely is to put their Van on hydraulic suspension, with tubbed wheel wells and an engine raise, but that is exactly what Marcus Saunders has done to his work Van. And it’s a T5, too. Marcus is no stranger to the VW Van world, as he has another T5 he describes as “quite nice”, though judging by this Van we imagine it’s a little more than just ‘nice. But from our encounters with him at shows and on the photoshoot we’ve come to realise he is quite a humble man. You see, the other Van is a bit of a…

“meeting some great people and making new friends along the way” Hi, my name is Lee Mason. I am a joiner from Mansfield who used to drive a truck for work before seeing the light and buying this 4motion T5 4½ years ago. Originally, I kept it stock and just used it as a works Van, before realising that what I really wanted was to convert it into a cool looking Camper. And that’s when the fun began. Where my T5 used to look, dare I say, a bit boring, over time I have done more and more modifications to make it both more practical to use and nicer to look at, including a full camping conversion inside. Most of the changes I have made on the inside I have…

July 05-07 Camper Jam Weston Park, Shropshire, TF11 8LE www.camperjam.com 07 Deutsche Fest Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent www.deutschefest.co.uk 12-14 Dorset Volksfest Wareham, Dorset, BH20 6AB www.dorsetvolksfest.co.uk 12-14 Dubs in the Woods Snaith, Goole, DN14 0DE www.pistonpaintevents.com 12-14 Volks Weald Penshurst Place, Kent www.volksweald.co.uk 14 Dubfiction Pikehall Fields, Nr. Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2PH www.facebook.com/thedubfiction 19-21 Dubs at the Castle Caildcot Castle. Monmouthshire, NP26 4HU www.dubsatthecastle.co.uk 19-21 The Great British Campout Newark Rugby Club, Newark, NG24 1WN www.thegreatbritishcampout.co.uk 26-28 Bug Jam 33 Santa Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, NN29 7XA www.bugjam.co.uk 26-28 Custom & Vdub Scampston Hall, North Yorkshire, YO17 8NG www.customvdub.co.uk 26-28 Dubtoberfest Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire, GL52 3NY www.dubtoberfest.co.uk August 01-04 Life’s a Beach #5 Mersea Island (on the beach), Essex…

I had heard good things about Scotland. How it was a great place to take a road trip. Friendly, too. And having toured some of Italy last summer, I decided it was time to explore somewhere a little closer to home. I was mid-way through my three week Easter break in Dorset and, with college being up north, figured I would be able to head straight back to college once the trip had finished. When I lived in Dorset, Scotland always seemed just a little out of reach, but knowing I didn’t have to drive all the way back made the journey seem less daunting. As is a tradition of ours, the eve of departure consisted of me listening to my girlfriend, Ella, on the other end of the ’phone…

“the UK’s longest-running music festival” It’s probably 20 years since I last attended a proper music weekender, so I wasn’t sure quite what to expect of the Isle of Wight Festival. I had upgraded from a tent to a Camper in the interim, so was at least confident that I’d be dry and comfortable this time round. We also have some good friends that were running one of the main stages at the event, so I called up Aaron and Damian for some hints and tips. To cut a long story short, in exchange for some photographs of the acts they gave us backstage passes and invited us to join the Electrolove crew and show us around. That sorted, we booked a ferry and packed the Van for a four-day…