Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2021 i VWT Lifestyle

ULTIMATE EARS WATERBOOM 2 SPEAKER How much: £73.68 From: www.amazon.co.uk Get that 360 degree sound with this waterproof wireless speaker. It features a ‘boost’ button for immediate extra outdoor sound and the battery lasts an amazing 13-hours. It’s available in a variety of different styles and colours. VOLKSWAGEN CHRISTMAS BAUBLE SET How much: €12.99 Where from: www. volkswagen-classicparts.com Make Christmas fun official this year when you decorate your tree with these genuine VW baubles. You get four in each set, each featuring a VW girl, VW boy, Golf and Split. LUCI CANDLE INFLATABLE SOLAR LANTERN How much: £16.99 Where from: www.funkyleisure.co.uk Get a cosy, flickering candle effect inside your VW Camper this Christmas with the natty solar powered lantern. It folds flat when not in use, and you can leave…

We all know about the versatility of a Volkswagen Transporter. Whether it’s a T1 or a T6.1, with a bit of imagination and a slice of ingenuity they can become whatever we need them to be. From mobile bars at festivals to snow ploughs in the Rockies – Volkswagens can do it all. Versatility is one thing, but practicality must always be a consideration. A mobile bar is only good for one thing – albeit a wonderful thing! It’s a versatile use of a Transporter, but it isn’t practical. When 53-year-old Derek Holding “got bored of big Audis and luxury Range Rovers,” he found himself at the doors of Doncaster Van Conversions. Peering inside, he stood with a thought bubble over his head picturing something very close to what you’re…

With all the emphasis on recycling and the environment these days, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s a modern concept. However, Jim Gray maintains he’s been doing it his whole working life – amounting to almost 40 years now. Jim is the proprietor of The Engine Shop, based near Erith in Kent – they specialise in reconditioning VW engines and, with literally thousands of rebuilds, he can take credit for saving a huge amount of resources, not to mention saving the owners large sums of money. Compared to buying a brand-new engine priced at several thousands, the original unit can usually be reconditioned at considerably less. Life-long learning Jim began his journey back in the late Seventies, while still at school, when he started a Saturday job at VW…

Joni Mitchell told us ‘that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.’ Honestly, was she singing about Busfest? It seems like forever since Malvern opened its welcoming hills to what feels like every single VW Transporter in the country. The 2021 show did not disappoint. The BBQ smoke was billowing, the beer was flowing and – as often seems the case with Busfest – the sun was shining! Absolute bliss. Personally, it was my first visit in a few years (covid aside!) and I was braced for a total takeover of later vans. Sure, the trade stalls are dominated by interior companies with their attention turned to the T5 and T6 variant, but the old favourites are still going strong. Schofield’s turned out in force as usual with…

Volkswagen’s flat-four engine has been shoehorned into a dizzying variety of different applications, including gliders, tractors, bikes, dragsters, buses – the big, public service kind, not just Type 2s – snowmobiles, snowploughs and ski-lifts. Then there have been compressors, boats, hovercraft, aeroplanes and even one madcap scheme for a car that could both fly AND float. However, that never came to fruition… we can’t imagine why. Such air-cooled antics were possible because, from 1950 to 1991, Volkswagen made industrial variants of its engines, for slotting into things that weren’t Beetle or Bus-shaped. It was, after all, a motor with a lot of benefits – simple, compact, reliable (and easily fixed if it did, heaven forbid, go wrong) and one that didn’t freeze or (usually) overheat even if used in inhospitable…

If you’re a petrol-engined Bus owner and feel panicked about the absence of traditional E5 on our forecourts, the following should provide a useful insight. Traditional E5 unleaded fuel contained up to 5% of ethanol but, as its name would suggest, E10 contains roughly twice that amount. The thing is, ethanol isn’t good for classic engines. And actually, it’s not brilliant for use in some newer cars, either – which explains the wave of anxiety that’s been sweeping the nation since September. What’s the damage? You see ethanol absorbs water and this can lead to condensation which can corrode fuel tanks, fuel lines, fuel pumps and carburettors. It’s also a solvent, so can eat its way through old gaskets, rubber seals, plastics and hoses – as well as causing blockages…

Produced between late 1958 and 1961, the SO-23 conversion helped put Westfalia on the map. These VW-approved conversions offer a logical layout, are built with quality materials and remain in high demand by collectors the globe over. This is the story of one of them. Well, ‘part of’ one of them might be more appropriate because it had lost most of its SO-23 interior when purchased by its current owner, Mike Farnham. Ideally suited Mike happens to have multiple talents, which came in handy when restoring this Bus. Air-cooled Volkswagens have played a key role in his life, as he grew up – and still lives – in Riverside, California. The city located about 50 miles east of Los Angeles has been a hotbed of VW activity for decades, being…

Ever since passing his driving test when he was 17, Ashley Dean has had a passion for modified cars. The first to receive the Dean treatment was a humble Vauxhall Corsa and, over the following decade, a multitude of other vehicles were subjected to his take on modifications. “I just enjoyed putting my own stamp on things, and achieving the look I think suits a car best,” Ash smiles. “Some people might like it, some won’t, but we can’t all be the same can we?” This array of modified vehicles eventually swung towards those wearing a VW badge, and a Caddy van was the last to receive a degree of personalisation before Ash’s latest and biggest project to date came into play. “While I had my Caddy, I began attending…

When asked about the main cause of engine failure, Jim answered unequivocally: “Poor maintenance! We see many engines that are worn out prematurely, because they haven’t been serviced regularly. Oil changes must be made at the proper intervals, every 3000 miles for the air-cooled engines, or once a year if it is left standing for long periods. Check valve clearances regularly and ensure that the fuel mixture and ignition timing is correct and that the cooling system is intact and functioning correctly.” For all engines check the oil level regularly, and ensure that the correct proportion of anti-freeze is used in the water-cooled engines and maintained thereafter, as this not only aids the cooling but also protects against internal corrosion of both the steel and alloy components.…

There was a time that Bay Window Westfalia campers were pretty rare in the UK. First of all, you couldn’t even buy a RHD Westy in the UK until the 1973 model year. Add to this the fact that they were pretty expensive from Volkswagen’s main agents, especially in comparison with more abundant Devons and Danburys, and you have a fairly uncommon sight on our roads. This has all changed in recent years, though, due to the massive amount of Westfalia campers having been imported to the UK from the USA. Now, as far as Bay Window campers go, I would say they outnumber most if not all other models. However, an Achilles’ heel of the Westy conversion is the side louvred windows. Sure, they worked great when new but…

March The VolksWorld Show Date: 19-20 March 2022 Location: Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey Contact: volksworld.com June Stonor Date: 5 June 2022 Location: Stonor Park, Henley RG9 3JY Contact: www.abvwc.com Alive & V-Dubbin Festival Date: 9-12 June 2022 Location: Haughley Park, Suffolk IP14 3JY Contact: www.aliveand vdubbin.co.uk Just Kampers Weekender Date: 10-12 June 2022 Location: Odiham, Hampshire RG29 IJE Contact: www.justkampers.com July European Bug-In Date: 1-3 June 2022 Location: Chimay racetrack, Belgium Contact: www.europeanbugin.com All dates and venues are subject to change, so please check with the organiser before leaving home! GOT AN EVENT IN 2022? If you’ve got a gathering next year, tell us about it via camperandbus.ed @kelsey.co.uk…

Tough times faced a generation growing up in post-war Britain. Rationing continued until 1954, whilst seaside holidays or day trips to a usually tacky tourist attraction involved either an arduous train journey or hours on a coach unless your family possessed a set of wheels; though even by the mid-’60s still only half the households in Britain owned a car. Holiday camps were constructed, and tent covered fields made available, but it wasn’t until a VW Camper arrived that a young Jimmy Howarth found his chosen route and a life journey began, dedicated to a specific vehicle. Accompanied by wife, Jean, thousands of miles were travelled in their 1957 Split Screen Bus as Jimmy became absorbed in the hobby, and along with his two brothers the families would regularly gather…

For anyone who hasn’t been following my exploits, I bought my 2005 T28 ex-Panel Van T5 a few years ago, and have been busy converting it into a usable Camper ever since. In fact, I enjoyed the conversion process so much that I’ve now set up my own conversion business! Meanwhile, I still have some ideas for this Van that I think it would lend itself well to. Maybe a bit of an update of the interior, plus a Khyam drive-away awning. We’ll see… High Peak trip In between all the workshop fun, we decided to treat the Van – and ourselves – to a trip to the Peak District. From our home in Suffolk, this could easily have been a weekend wonder or even a one-day ’trip on a…

While there are many other brands and types available, and plenty of different schools of thought on the subject, with the benefit of long-term experience The Engine Shop recommends the use of the Morris range of lubricants, monograde oils for the air-cooled engines and multigrade for the water-cooled units. Golden Film HD 20 grade is recommended for running-in of the air-cooled engines, with HD 30 adopted for subsequent everyday use after the first 500 miles. Morris Servol Performance Plus 15w40 is the normal usage for all the water-cooled engines. The use of synthetic oil isn’t recommended, especially during the running-in period. For all the water-cooled engines, the correct mixture of antifreeze is essential for protection, not only against freezing but also overheating, as well as inhibiting internal corrosion and scaling.…

I’ve been flat out using and fixing the Bus this month. It’s getting driven at every possible opportunity, even on the morning school run, and as long as I remember to leave a bit earlier than I would normally, it’s fulfilled its purpose on every occasion. Now that’s not bad for a vehicle that’s over three and a half decades old. It’s helped that I’ve adapted my driving technique to overcome the lack of horses from that 1.6D. I’ve found it’s a case of keeping it rollin’, and if I get sight of even the slightest incline I keep the revs up to prevent slowing to snail’s pace. That said, there’s a hill nearby that still catches me out. It’s on a bend immediately after a roundabout which rules out…