Sommaire pour Issue 90 de VWt

The VolksWorld Show is Europe’s largest indoor air-cooled VW show, with hundreds of top quality cars displayed inside and outside the hallowed halls of Sandown Park in Esher, Surrey. There are also club stands, traders, a whole floor of swapmeet tables, live music and other VW-related entertainment throughout the duration of the show. If you want to make a weekend of it, why not come for the weekend and camp (pre-booking via the website is essential, you cannot turn up on the day and camp)? It’s the best way to enjoy the show at leisure and soak up the atmosphere. Make sure you bring the family too, because kids go free and there’s loads for them to do. By the way, early-bird ticket deals are running until the end of…

This is a true story of rags to riches. Hard to believe, but the beauty splashed across these pages was bought on eBay as a Scarab Green base model to be torn apart for spares. There is hope for us all! Ste Hoyle is the man behind it, and he just so happens to work for C&H Camper Conversions in Huddersfield – handy that. “My best mate, Carl, set up his business with Holly a few years ago, and I’ve been with them since day one,” explains Ste. “I went up to Scotland to bring this Van back to the workshop. It looked like two dogs had lived in it, and it had clearly had a hard life. The doors were gaffer taped shut, but it had an MoT and…

From the hottest day on record on the Thursday prior to the event through to some summertime rain on the Sunday, it’s fair to say Bug Jam 33 (27-28 July ’19) was a pretty wild weekend, even for the most seasoned ’Jammers. But, come rain or shine, the old Bug Jam festival vibe was still in the air as tents went up, flags were hoisted and barbies were lit. Come evening time, our glorious British weather did nothing to dampen the spirit as hardcore Bug Jammers partied the nights away in style. The Main Stage kicked off the weekend’s evening entertainment with Band Theft Audio, followed by The Spitfires and headliner Ash. The Dance Zone showcased Retro Reunion, bringing us the best and biggest club hits to dance to until…

Often accused (admittedly, quite often by me!) of being a temperamental and troublesome purchase, the 2004-2015 T5 Transporter has to be one of the easiest VW Vans to live with since Ben Pon first scribbled his sketch in a pub in Holland at the back end of the 1940s. The problem is, many of the more affordable T5s out there have been used and abused by builders, sparkies, plumbers and plasterers up and down the country. As such, it’s possible to get on the T5 ladder for a surprisingly reasonable sum, and high mileage need not necessarily be a concern, but you want to see some evidence to back it up. If the owner has kept on top of routine servicing and remained ahead of the well-documented T5 weaknesses that…

Although the majority of models are, at the time of writing, still within the anti-corrosion warranty issued by VW, some particularly hard working and older T5s might be suffering from lower 10 inch rust issues. Check around the bottoms of the back doors, front and rear wheelarches and within the front doors towards the lower rear edge. It’s common for hinges to sag and cab doors to drop over time, causing them to rub through the paint in the lower back corner and corrosion to begin. Other than those simple checks, rust shouldn’t really be an issue with any T5 unless the Van has been poorly treated or accident damage has been badly repaired. Bear in mind commercial vehicles are well known for receiving less paint at the factory than…

“the urge to make things out of old junk” With pretty much any vehicle ever built, you can only really ever guarantee one thing – different people will react to it in different ways. Speaking to Matt Redfern about his T4, I quickly realised he is more aware of this than most. He’s had over 100 night and day opinions on his Van, from young children thinking it looks like a spaceship or a Transformer, to old men thinking it was purpose built for some kind of military operation. And we suspect some less understanding ones, too. And then there’s me. Brought up on The A-Team, this Van takes me back to Saturday afternoons in front of the TV as a child. Fair warning. If you didn’t grow up in…

Habitation frustration Dear VWt, Having enjoyed many years of caravan ownership, my wife and I have decided it’s time to look into a small motorhome as we’re finding it increasingly difficult to manoeuvre and maintain a full-size caravan these days. We’ve seen some very nice hi-top T5 and T6 conversions, which would suit our needs, but I’m concerned about the safety aspect of used, or older, conversions. I was under the impression that a motorhome fitted with gas hobs and / or heaters, fresh and waste water tanks and electrical accessories (12 / 240V, leisure batteries, RCD etc.) require regular habitation inspections – as per a caravan. These ensure they are fit for purpose and safe to sleep in. But having looked at a few VWs so far, I’ve yet…

I bought my T6 Panel Van specifically to transport myself, the wife and our bikes around the UK and Europe, endeavouring to seek out the best cycling routes on route. This is my first attempt at converting a VW Transporter. I am a toolmaker by trade, and tackled a good chunk of the conversion myself. I started out with some of the simpler stuff like the soundproofing and interior panelling, and ended up machining bespoke parts to hold the bikes in place internally. “seek out the best cycling routes on route” I purchased a set of low units from Evo Design in Wareham, which worked out really well and suited my needs perfectly. Next came a double seat swivel from Kiravans, which really opened up the living space. Dan from…

February 02 Camper Mart The International Centre, St Quentin Gate, Telford TF3 4JH www.campermart.co.uk 16 Dubfreeze Stafford County Showground, Staffordshire ST18 0BD www.dubfreeze.co.uk March 08 Ultimate Dubs Telford International Centre, Telford TF3 4JH www.ultimate-dubs.co.uk 21-22 VolksWorld Show 2020 Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey KT10 9AJ www.volksworldshow.comE: volksworld.show@kelsey.co.uk April 04-05 Dub Shed Eikon Exhibition Centre, Lisburn, Northern Ireland BT27 5RF www.dubshed.com 09-13 Camperfest Chester Racecourse, Chester CH1 2LY www.camperfest.co.uk 10-13 Wonderland 2 - The Dubbers of OZ Chillington Hall, Brewood, Wolverhampton WV8 1RE www.dubscollective.com/ dubs-in-wonderland 19 GTI Spring Festival Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Way, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants NN29 7XA www.gtifestival.com May 15-17 Big Bang Camper & Bus Show Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Way, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants NN29 7XA www.big-bang.co.uk Sponsored by www.meguiars.co.uk RUN A SHOW? Why not tell us…

The Autoglym Show ’n’ Shine Competition was held on Saturday this year and showcased an outstanding congregation of VWs, covering everything from air-cooled classics to the latest Transporters. Whether you were there to see the ultimate custom car, rare original or restored beauty, Bug Jam 33’s impressive line up made judging particularly hard. Congratulations to Shaun Howe who picked up the coveted Best of Show award with his silver ’56 Oval Window Beetle and to Steve Thompson who bagged Best Late Bus / Van with his black, 2011 T5.1.…

“it’s clear T6.1 fever is high right now” The team behind Rotherham-based Transporter sales, tuning and conversion specialist, Leighton Vans, has always prided itself on never being too far from the cutting edge of the Transporter scene we all know and love. And so in the early part of December 2019, the company hosted an open evening to give loyal customers and fellow automotive businesses their first glimpse of the hotly-anticipated Volkswagen T6.1 Transporter. Even though the first examples of this facelifted Van had only been in the country for a matter of days at the time, Mike Leighton and his team pulled out all the stops and put on one hell of a show. Four T6.1s were in attendance for the evening, one of which had already been given…

So, you’ve decided what’s really missing in your life is a VW Campervan. Listen, it’s a perfectly normal thing to experience. There’s nothing to worry about. If you don’t have the longing yourself, it’s guaranteed someone close to you does. So what are you going to do about it? If you think about it too deeply, you may find you never actually get started. Never scratch that itch, as it were. And then where would you be? We spoke to someone recently who has been installing two pop-tops a day on VW Campers for the last six months, so they definitely don’t come into this category, but there are plenty who still do, so let’s give them some encouragement, okay? Starry night The number of converted Volkswagen Transporters out there…

To some, it may seem odd to take a successful product and re-design it, but then if you don’t, do you risk just standing still? Take the Vision Conversion from the guys at VisionTech Automotive (VTA) as an example. When it was launched, it was revolutionary in its class, the units being made from a glass fibre composite, which offered a serious weight saving over the usual wood. Not only this, but being of a slick, fully painted design, they were something that had never really been seen before. Well, just when you thought the product couldn’t be improved upon, Dan and his team have done it again. Cue fanfare. Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce the new 20/20 Vision conversion from VTA. Ta da! Popular front Before we…

Newton Commercial is well known throughout the classic car scene for some of the best automotive interior trim kits available for an ever-growing range of vehicles, but is now moving forward to cover later Transporter models, too. Currently employing around 60 staff, Newton Commercial combines the latest machinery and technology with traditional skilled machinists and experienced coachtrimmers to produce a range of unique, hand-finished products. We’re talking carpet kits, seat covers, formed floor mats and even a range of complete seats trimmed to your individual specifications. There really isn’t much these guys can’t do to help restore your Van’s interior. Before we dive into a guided tour, let’s take a trip back in time to find out how and why the Newton family business began. The apprentice While the business…

Club gatherings are always a blast, and we’ve spent plenty of chilly but fun evenings at pub meets in the off season. However, as great as they are for catching up with old friends and meeting new people, mid-week evening aren’t always convenient and, let’s face it, it’s tough to see what’s going on when it’s dark outside. So when we spotted the Suffolk VeeDub Transporters (SVT) were holding a breakfast meet, we decided to get up bright and early on 24 November and head over to Suffolk Waterpark to check it out. We were impressed. Barry and Kerri Powell run the club and explained to us that the SVT summer meet attracted a lot more Vans than expected, and the car park could handle, so many had to park…