Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i VWT Lifestyle

To begin this story properly, we need to go back to 2002. When Si first met Becky she already had a Beetle and Si had always wanted a Camper – our couple even had a Camper shaped wedding cake on their big day, Si says: “We’d wanted a Bus for ages and had asked everyone for wedding money, rather than gifts, so we could help to save up.” Shortly after they got married, they found a Camper – a right-hand drive ’66 for £4,600 – and they’d achieved their dream, at least for a while. Si says: “It went straight through the first MoT, but then spectacularly failed the second one.” What they’d bought into was the usual tale of RHD UK-ness – a Bus that might look OK on…

Barry and Christine Phillips have owned their ’69 Bay for two years, having bought it from the previous owner in Southampton. “We live in Essex, so we drove to Southampton and viewed several Buses on the day and this one was the best,” explains Barry. “It really looked the part, was free of rust and had been imported from Texas around five years ago. It has undergone a total restoration both inside and out.” The interior now features a modern Vanwurks base unit, with fridge cooker and sink (which remain as new and according to Christine, that’s the way they are staying, as she has no plans for cooking fry-ups in the Bus!) plus there’s a full-width rock ‘n’ roll bed. There’s also an MCJ woodrim steering wheel. While there’s…

Seasoned campers will know exactly what’s required to ensure a comfortable and relaxing break and will be able to pack a Bus for a weekend away in no time at all. However, for the uninitiated, it can be a bit of a minefield and it’s all too easy to forget as essential piece of camping kit or overload a Bus with a whole bunch of stuff you just don’t need. Here at C&B HQ we spend a lot of time answering questions regarding ‘the right awning for my Bus’ or ‘where can I get a 24-volt cool box’ etc and you’d be surprised how often we hear ‘We’ve just bought our first Camper but have never been camping before, what equipment will we need?’ So, we’ve compiled a brief collection…

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past two and a half decades, you cannot have failed to have heard of Type 2 Detectives. Set up in 1994 as Type 3 Detectives (T3D) by wannabe TV star Paul ‘Puppy’ Medhurst, they were the top of every Type 3 owners list for hard to find parts. Fast-forward a number of years and with the rise in popularity of Buses, the team (now including Mark Fulton) expanded their range of services and parts by also specialising in Type 2s (they also work on every model of air-cooled including Porsches) hence the change of name. As a kind of celebration to mark their 25th anniversary, the team held an open day on April 27th with an invitation to anyone with…

9 - 11 August VW Festival Harewood House, Leeds www.vwfestival.co.uk 9 - 11 August Blackpool Breeze Coast Riders Diner, Blackpool www.blackpoolbreeze.co.uk 16 – 18 August Viva Skeg Vegas Revesby Country Park, Lincolnshire www.vivaskegvegasvw.co.uk 16 – 18 August Volksfest Wales Watton Show Ground, Brecon www.volksfest.wales 18 August Dubs by the Beach Littlehampton, Sussex www.dubsbythebeach.com 23 – 25 August Cornwall VW Jamboree Stithians Showground, Truro www.cornwalljamboree.co.uk 23 – 26 August Gathering off the Hill Astle Park, Chelford www.gothvw.co.uk 30 – 1 September VW Action Santa Pod, Wellingborough www.vwaction.co.uk September 5 October 2019 issue of C&B on sale…

What is it they say about boys and their toys? Something about how they get bigger and more expensive as they get older? Well, if you were a child who grew up in the ’80’s there’s a huge chance you either owned, had a friend who did or lusted after a Tamiya of some type. The Sand Scorcher, Monster Beetle and Lunchbox are as much a part of the decade as Live Aid, BMXs and original (and best) Transformers are to any now 40-something petrol head. So why hasn’t anyone applied the look to a Bus yet? Sure, the Lunchbox isn’t a VW, but all you need is a yellow Panel Van and we’re almost there.We mean, come on people. Get with it! The Bugbox in Germany built a full-sized…

Listen, we’re nothing if not an honest bunch here at Camper&Bus and so, even though nobody but the most eagle-eyed, reader would notice, we’re gonna ‘fess up and say we’ve featured this Bus before. In fact, it was only last year but to paraphrase a well know edible computer company, Ben has changed everything. Again. Here’s a brief ‘previously on’ in case you missed the first feature. Ben Mogford’s family was growing and the daily MK2 Golf couldn’t cut it any more. Ben: “Before we did something silly like buying a sensible family car, I toyed around with getting a Camper that could serve multiple purposes all at once.” He rented a Bay for a week: too small. He borrowed a friend’s T4: lacked character. Finally another friend had a…

DAN SIMPSON VW ENGINES Dan Simpson has been building air-cooled engines for over 35 years. Specialising in air-cooled Type 1 and 2 engines he produces high-quality stock and custom builds. Services include crankshaft balancing and machining (all done in house). He’s also a stockists for Mofoco cylinder heads / Scat engine parts / Bergmann fankits /123 ignitions / vintagespeed / Cohline fuel hose/ and many other parts. Kent 07974 272357 www.dansimpson vwengines.com dan simpson vw engines…

Sea to Summit gear If you’re looking for a new lightweight, but durable and easy to store range of cook/eating ware for your Bus then you can’t go wrong with these latest editions to the Sea to Summit camp kitchen range. The new Sigma Pot is made from easy to clean, premium grade aluminium and is compact thanks to its unique pivot lock handle. If you’re looking for something to eat and drink from, how about a Deltalight insulated mug and bowl? Both of which are MPA free and microwave safe. Check out the full range and order on line at www.seatosummit.co.uk TYPE 25 ENGINE BAY SOUND DEADENING CARPET This OEM replica Type 25 luggage compartment sound deadening kit both tidies the luggage compartment and provides another level of sound…

SPACE RACE Hi C&B, did anyone else catch the BBC4 documentary Neil Armstrong – First Man on the Moon? There was a brief fly-by from helicopter showing what looked like hundreds of VW Campers lined up to see the launch. It was very blurry – as I suppose the camera technology wasn’t great - and the best I could do was these quick screen grabs, but it was an awesome sight – almost as awesome as seeing a Saturn 5 blasting off. Keep on keeping on. Neal Macintosh, via email Hi Neal, I did indeed see the same documentary and the same bit of footage. What did they say? A million people came to watch the launch of Apollo 11 live! And some idiots still think it was all faked.…

“Daddy’s gone mad, hasn’t he?” Ah, it’s not often we get to kick a feature off with a quote from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, but when it’s apt, we grab it gleefully with both hands, even if it is from one of the Dursleys. You see we think that’s pretty much what any of the man behind this Bus, Simon Tavener’s kids would say about this build, if they weren’t so well versed in his extravehicular activities. If Mr T’s name sounds familiar, it’s because his is a name that crops up with alarming regularity in Camper&Bus. You see, Simon runs the rule over the workshop at Johnsons Autoworks - an outfit that has become prolific in the art of turning out perfectly finished feature Buses. And, we…

The Kentish V-Dub Klub had their yearly Fish ’n’ Chip Run earlier in May, and it saw the club meet up and cruise down to the coast to Tankerton Slopes near Whitstable in Kent, parking along the seafront to enjoy a classic British meal. A popular event, it has been flourishing for eight years and is the chance for the club to get together, meet existing and new members and to display their VWs. The Kentish V-Dub Klub yearly subscription goes straight back to its members as it helps pay towards the fish and chips from “Ossie’s Best Fish and Chip Shop”. The day kicked off at 11am when club members met at the M2 Farthing Corner Services at the start of the cruise. “Patsy” a 1965 red and white…

If you’re a regular reader, then you’ll have seen last month’s part one of this guide to tidying your engine ancillaries. If you missed it, consult our back issues page… Many people just slap their engine together before throwing it in their Bus, but you could be setting yourself up for issues further down the road, so to speak. Here’s part two, showing you how to minimise future issues when building up your engine. 01 Tap / die threads Whether you’ve sent off tinware to be powder coated or not, you’ll have likely given everything a lick of paint and maybe clogged up some of the threads on your tinware or engine case with paint. Even if you haven’t, 40+ years of life will have given rust and dirt a…