Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2022 i VWT Lifestyle

“I knocked at the door and a deal was done... I paid him the money and picked it up later that day” I purchased our Bus back in 1995 when I saw it in the previous owner’s front garden in Reading with a ‘for sale’ sign in the window. I knocked at the door and a deal was done. He’d recently moved to this address and had overlooked the fact there was no garage and didn’t want it left outside exposed to the elements. I paid him the money and picked it up later that day. He had removed the original interior to suit his needs as it was used as a day van to take his mother out on picnics so only contained white painted wooden boxes. My first…

“We couldn’t be happier with our camper, we’re highly delighted with the workmanship” You don’t need us to tell you that the market for compact campers in the UK is booming. For most people there is only one name when it comes to such a vehicle, and that’s Volkswagen. For 70 years VW has led the way and the latest T6.1 has no intention of dropping the baton. This level of demand has inevitably seen an increase in your options of where to buy and, ultimately, how much to spend. At the top of the tree will always be those produced at the factory with manufacturers warranty and OEM spec equipment. The two major downsides still remain however, those being the much higher retail price tag and the lack of…

“when it comes to out and out practicality and diversity of use, the pop-top will always win out for the average van” There was a time when high-top (or high-roof) vans were pretty much the un-coolest thing on the planet. In the UK, we had Bay Window Buses fitted with the Sheldon high-top, making for hilarious handling characteristics and hit-every-branch-on-the-way-down ugliness. Gradually though, the tides have been turning and, in terms of Bay Windows, factory high-roofs and those by US converter Adventurewagon look pretty cool these days and have shot up in value. What prompted the change of attitude? Well, the fact that a fair number of slammed high-top early Bay Window Campers were built around 10 years ago brought them onto a lot of peoples’ radars; they were cheap…

“my list of mods are things that I’ve found in my 30+ years of experience to make the most pleasing changes without compromising on usability or reliability” This one is TRUE but ‘better’ is very subjective; the modifications I’m going to list here will probably not be the most popular by any means. The popular vote may be slammed suspension, twin carbs and wood rim steering wheels (and I’m not knocking these) but my list of mods are things that I’ve found in my 30+ years of experience to make the most pleasing changes without compromising on usability or reliability. 1. SOUND DEADENING/INSULATION Just about every production vehicle that rolls off the production line could do with some extra sound deadening and thermal insulation; cars and vans are built to…

“the best and most ingenious campers I’ve seen recently have been bespoke builds” I have always had a love for Campers; it’s what got me into VW Buses in the beginning. Growing up in a family who owned a caravan was cool, but it always fascinated me on European campsites when people would turn up in cute old VW campers. They’d come and go with ease too, without any of the shackles of caravan ownership and I knew I had to get one as soon as I was old enough. Over the years I’ve owned everything from T1 (Split Screen in Euro speak) to T5 and everything from Devons, Danburys and Westfalias to home-converted ones across all the different platforms. I love a nice original classic Camper (and currently own…

“I find Bays much more relaxing to drive; there’s much more interior space, especially in the cab area and they don’t feel as cramped or antiquated” I totally get why people love Split Buses; the look and shape of them are so pleasing to the eye, as well as being very iconic. Due to their explosion in popularity back in the early 2000s, you could even argue that their shape is more instantly recognisable than the Beetle nowadays. Every brand seems to want one as a promotional tool and demand often outstrips supply, which is why the prices skyrocketed about 10 years ago and never came back down. But are they better than a Bay? Well, according to some, Bay Window Buses will always be ‘fat chicks’ that aren’t cool.…

What Buses have you owned, do you have one at the moment? I've had T4s, a Peugeot Boxer (which probably doesn’t count but it was lovely!) and my current T5.1. So what was your favourite? 2002 short nose T4 for looks – it’s a modern classic at its best and a timeless design. The 5.1 gets it hands down for driving experience. We usually do a lot of long distance UK and continental driving and the T5 just eats miles. And the AC is a massive plus. Where’s the weirdest place you’ve camped in your Van? That'll be the back of a building site in West London in my T4. I used to use my Van for working away and it was my hotel on wheels. Then there was the…

After five years of intensive development, the countdown’s officially started for production of the game-changing ID.Buzz. Indeed, by the time you read this it will already have made its double world premiere in the guise of a five-seater (ID.Buzz) and practical van (Buzz Cargo). Volkswagen Commercial is currently putting a fleet of prototypes through their paces across Europe, the final test runs taking place under everyday conditions between Barcelona, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Hamburg and Hannover. Despite that whacky paintjob designed to disguise the final styling of the Buzz models, Volkswagen says it’s stayed loyal to the original Transporter ethos. “Both ID.Buzz versions draw on the stylistic elements of the legendary T1, the original Bulli. Those elements include extremely short body overhangs, maximum utilisation of space on a minimal footprint,…

After many years of careful study, we think we can now identify three distinct types of VW owner. There are the ‘forever’ owners, who buy a car and are content. Their car is ‘a keeper’ and the one they always dreamed of and will never part with it. Then there are the ‘creators’. The thrill for them is entirely in the build and once finished it’s swiftly moved on to facilitate the next build. Finally, there are the ‘floaters’, owners who simply can’t make up their mind and flit back and forth with cars. The owner of this factory sunroof Deluxe definitely falls into the latter category and to explain it we need to go travel back two or three cars in the history of Jon Pratt, who hails from…

“When I pulled the ply from the wall above it, I found a mouse nest inside the insulation!” In case you’ve been hiding under a big stone somewhere, ‘swampers’ are big news right now. And for good reason. They’re a perfect fit for the whole ‘no limit, total freedom’ go-anywhere Van lifestyle ethos that’s trending at the moment which explains Shaun Campbell’s butt about face change of direction with the 1.9td T4 you see here. Having experienced life getting rattled about in a slammed T4 (well, six to be exact) he’s decided to literally up his game. By the look of the van, you’d be forgiven for imagining he set out with a clear plan of action on how he would achieve the final look, but the reality is it…

Having been into VWs for 35 years and an air-cooled VW owner for 30 of those, I can back up the fact that this myth is 100% FALSE. Is it the advent of the snowflake generation that is scared to drive anything old further than their local supermarket that has perpetuated this myth? Maybe in part; the air-cooled scene has grown exponentially in the past 20 years and, with the huge popularity and rising iconic status of Split and Bay Campers beginning in around 2002, it brought a huge amount of new owners into the scene who had never owned a classic vehicle before. You can spend a ton of money on a Split or Bay Bus to modernise it and make it go faster, have lighter steering, air conditioning,…

“I’d much rather see someone happily driving a T5 or T6 Van than I would a person who’s trying to turn a Split or Bay into a T6.” These words, spoken by a friend of mine, mirror what I’ve thought for a long time. If you need a Van that can speed down to Cornwall every weekend at 80+mph fully laden with surfboards, camping gear, kayaks, kids and bicycles, with a jet-ski on a trailer behind, just buy a T5 or 6 and do yourself a big favour. T5 and T6 Buses are cool; I owned a T5 for a couple of years back in 2011-2013 which I converted into a Camper and used to tow classic VWs all over Europe as part of my business back then. I did…

This one is really subjective. A few years ago, I would slam the suspension on any VW that came into my possession; I wouldn’t even wait to get these VWs, many of them imports, on the road before I hit them hard with the lowering stick. At that point in my life, I felt that all cars looked better lowered and while this may be true to a degree, there’s also a lot to be said for a vehicle that looks ‘right’ – stock and unmodified looking with only OEM+ looking modifications. I love an all-original stock Split or Bay if I’m honest and that also extends to the T25 and T4 nowadays; I won’t be fitting alloys or lowering either my Westy or my ’91 T4 Panel Van. But…

One of the most common failure points on T25/T3 Vans is the rear swing arm mounts. Hindsight is wonderful; the design of the swing arm mounts on this era Bus always seemed quite curious and a step back from the rear suspension mounting point on a Bay Window. Like the adjacent sill panels, the mounts can rot quite badly and be quite tricky to repair; the best course of action is usually replacement and that’s what we tackled on the Van in the pictures. 01 Get cutting Before breaking out the grinder and welder, you’ll need to assess the area to be repaired. In some cases, you may be able to get away with carrying out a localised repair with some thick steel. When we began work on the Van…

NEW SHOW SPONSOR Great news – the iconic brand Empi has just come on board to sponsor The VolksWorld Show which takes place at Sandown Park, Esher on 19-20 March. Their announcement read: “EMPI Inc is excited to confirm our event sponsorship of the 2022 VolksWorld Show and we are looking forward to meeting EMPI dealers and Volkswagen enthusiasts from all over the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. Please stop by the EMPI booth in Surrey Hall stand #3 to see our latest performance parts and accessories.” To buy your show tickets please visit www.volksworldshows.com…

For as long as mankind has had the ability to bang things with rudimentary tools and communicate with a system of advanced grunts, the species has relished the idea of being told that something shouldn’t be done. It’s a primal thing: tell a child that they’re not allowed to touch that cake, or that they shouldn’t swing the wonky fence panel aside to see what’s beyond the end of the garden, and what do they do? You’ve got it. The mischief is ingrained, it’s just human nature. And even more powerful than the received wisdom that something shouldn’t be done is the notion that it can’t be done. We, as a species, love to be set a challenge. ‘That sofa won’t fit in the back of your car,’ a bystander…

As with any scene, the VW fraternity has plenty of people from different backgrounds who all bring something different to the mix. Like it or not, one of the things this creates though, especially with the advent of social media and the fabled Keyboard Warriors, is a bunch of Chinese Whisper type myths about VWs, how useful they are and what makes them better. Having heard all the myths (and then some) as a foot in for the greenhorn to the world of campervan ownership, we’re about to debunk 10 of the most prevalent ones for you...…

“The 2.5TDI models were always the ones to own and held their value extremely well; they were a great Van to drive back in the day and still are, despite their age” It’s funny how things seem to go in circles in the VW scene. Years ago in the UK (and more recently in the USA), Bay Window Buses were considered uncool, typically the reserve of ageing Hippie types who sported grey ponytails and yoga pants. It was only the fact that the supply of good, cheap, Split Screen Buses all but dried up that made people shift their perspective and move attention toward the models that were easier to afford – the Bay Windows. It was a similar story with the T25. In fact, the T25 is the ‘mother…

“The cost of air-cooled Bus maintenance shouldn’t be high, and most service parts cost buttons to buy” Until my son was born in 2004, I’d driven daily air-cooled vehicles for over 10 years. Even though cars and vans these days have more gadgetry and are generally built with more power, I still don’t think the air-cooled era Vans have lost relevance in terms of being able to be used daily throughout the year. They will happily cruise along at 60mph, which is enough to keep up with modern traffic in the slow lane and, to be honest, it can be a much more relaxed experience than buzzing along in the outside lane all the time. Looking at the costs alone of using a classic daily, as opposed to a modern…

“it’s nice to sit inside a Bus with a fridge, sink, cooker and all the camping kit and caboodle you could imagine, but will you ever really use any of it?” There’s a common misconception, peddled probably by some of the traditional conversion companies themselves, that you really did need everything and the kitchen sink when you went away in your Camper. Well, quite frankly, it’s not true. Okay, yes, it’s nice to sit inside a Bus with a fridge, sink, cooker and all the camping kit and caboodle you could imagine, but will you ever really use any of it? The vast majority of VW folk who drive their Buses on a regular basis use them more as ‘Day Vans’. By this we mean Vans you can drive somewhere,…

Whatever the trials, triumphs, peaks and troughs of Volkswagen, one thing has remained largely constant about the company – and that’s the badge that it uses to identify itself to the world. The VW roundel is one of the world’s most recognised logos, its prominence naturally helped by all the machines that have showcased it as they’ve spread across the globe over the decades. However, despite the core design – the letter ‘V’ sitting atop a ‘W’, both enclosed by a circle – things have developed over the years. From the original monochrome creation with its rather unfortunate protuberances in the shape of a swastika, through to the introduction of colour during the 1960s and onto the 3D style more recently, the overall look has remained similar even if the…