Sommaire pour Issue 128 de VWt

HELLO 2023... Hello and welcome to issue 128 of VWt magazine. If you’re reading this – which it seems you are – congratulations you’ve made it to the year two thousand and twenty-three. There’s usually only one way to kick off a new year and that’s by making lots of resolutions, many of which will fall by the kerb side before we even make it to the second calendar month. After recently listening to some words from a very wise man – Mark Walker, a mindset coach who also just happens to be one of our fantastic feature writers - this year I am going to set intentions, not resolutions. What’s the difference? An intention is something you’d like to do, rather than something you MUST do, where anything less…

ROBENS COBRA STONE 5 Robens, has introduced this awesome new super-versatile tent to its popular Adventure range. The Cobra Stone 5 dome offers great base camp accommodation with vehicle awning potential for groups, active families and those embracing micro-adventures on four wheels. The free-standing dome sleeps five, provides full standing height throughout and is constructed from tough HydroTex HD polyester fabric. It comes with aluminium alloy poles to reduce packed size to 71cm x 33cm and weighs just over 12kg, ensuring easy transportation and storage. Top kit for sure! Price £810 www.robens.co.uk BRO! SOCKS Baby, it’s cold outside! So, treat your feet to some of Bro!’s new super comfy crew socks. These feature additional cushioning on the underfoot, are available in two sizes S-M (UK 5-7) and L-XL (UK 8-11)…

It doesn’t take long to get warm in the van now I have a diesel heater, but in the winter months - in fact all year round in the UK - it would be nice to have the van already at a comfortable temperature before even stepping out my front door. One of the big things that attracted me to the Autoterm heater over the cheaper options was the upgrade to be able to control the heater remotely via the Autoterm modem. It’s a small device that takes a sim card and has a wiring loom so it can plug straight into the original kit that comes from Autoterm. The installation is super quick and easy, and it allows me to now control the heater via the app that is…

HOT VANS Rarely has there been such a straight line from one singular life event to VW ownership than that drawn by Ryan Lang and his family. The fact it should end up as this slick, custom machine is genuinely an added bonus. Ryan recalled the moment for us. “My partner, Nat and I decided to take the kids camping a few years back,” he begins. “So, we toddled off to Go Outdoors and spent a small fortune on a ton of camping gear including tents, stoves and chairs then headed off to Yorkshire.” He continues, “It was a disaster! It didn’t stop raining all weekend. My air bed deflated and we were all just cold, wet and miserable.” At this point, fate could wait no more. “On the Saturday…

It’s easy to let impulses lead the way in this life; I know I spent years swapping vehicles on impulse, without ever really catching myself and letting self-control win out. In my case, it didn’t help that I was always buying pretty big projects, even long after I was enjoying being out in the garage working on them. If I could define misery – for me – it’s having a line of projects that I’m putting pressure on myself to work on, but having zero inclination to work on them. It was only in the last year or so that I noticed the pattern and caught myself, selling off four cars in one month alone and, now that life has a better balance – and I’ve developed the self-control to…

Despite its show scene looks, this T6 Highline twin slider is an absolute workhorse. Not only does it ship Alex back and forth to work every day, it also does the myriad taxi runs you can imagine that come with a household consisting of six kids. When that is all said and done, on the child-free weekends the trusty Transporter becomes a campervan. In short, this thing has got it all and not only that, it does it with style. “The Touran was a nice car, and with the extra row of seats we could get everyone in,” says Alex. “The thing is, as the kids inevitably grow the issue of space becomes more pressing. In January of 2022 we had the chance to upgrade to the T6 and jumped…

GO EXPLORE Stunning driving routes, country walks and first-class cultural treasures, all of which you’ll find in the UK’s first-ever national park, the Peak District. The area boasts show-stopping attractions, such as the stately home of Chatsworth and the fascinating World of Wedgwood, but look a little deeper and you’ll encounter a whole raft of must-do experiences. Part of the Peak District’s charm is its enviable landscapes and stunning geological make-up. Discover this in more depth by heading into Poole’s Cavern, an ancient natural limestone cavern with colossal illuminated rock-sculpted galleries to explore. Book onto a guided tour to understand the history of this magnificent underground scenery. Head into the historic spa town of Buxton, where healing waters have been attracting visitors for centuries, and book in for an indulgent…

VWT DISPLAY AT VOLKSWORLD SHOW 2023 Europe’s coolest air-cooled VW show VolksWorld is back at Sandown Park, Esher from the 18-19th March. There will be hundreds of show quality vehicles inside and out, club stands, traders and a whole floor of swapmeet tables. And, like last year VWt will be taking over the famous Summer Lawn with a dazzling display showcasing the best water-cooled Transporters in the UK Plus, there’s live music, other VW related amusements and of course a bar. Why not come for the weekend and camp? It’s the best way to enjoy the show and soak up the atmosphere (and some beer!). Plus, you can bring the family, kids go free* and there’s loads for them to do at the show. Tickets are on sale now, so…

VANSHADES CHAIR PODS So, after you’ve been driving for hours, you eagerly arrive at your destination, ready to put your feet up and catch some rays with a much-deserved beer. Time to grab the seats and... oh no, who forgot the chairs? That’s right, you did! Yep, they’re still in the garage you great big buffoon! If only there was a way to store your chairs in your Transporter and forget about them until you actually needed them... there is! Say hello to the all-new Chair Pod, from the creative geniuses who bought us Window Pods, Vanshades. Those clever guys have been busy developing this brand-new product for the Transporter market, a great space saving product than can be fitted in less than ten minutes. The Chair Pod is a…

HOT VANS We’ll start by confessing it wasn’t easy to arrange a shoot of James’s stunning T5 as he spends much of the year working abroad, any windows of opportunity were significantly minimal. His job as an electrician may be nothing especially out of the ordinary, but where that takes place perhaps is. The unusually warm weather on the day of our shoot is a clue, but we imagine that was nothing compared to the sweltering temperatures James must endure on a daily basis when he’s working in Iraq. “I’m usually away for months at a time,” James explains, “so any leave I have in the UK with my family is very precious.” This led James to find ways of spending quality days out and trips away with his partner…

SEND US YOURS: Ever dreamed about seeing your van appear in the pages of VWt? Make that dream a reality! Simply e-mail a selection of good quality high-res images of your van to glenn.rowswell@kelsey.co.uk along with a full spec list and add the subject title ‘Your Vans’. But please remember, if you didn’t take the photos, you MUST have permission from the photographer to use the images in the magazine, and all images should be free from watermarks. By submitting an image you assume responsibility for any copyright infringement. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s see those project builds! MARTON FERENCZ’S 2004 T5, SKIPTON, YORKSHIRE Hey VWt, this is my 2004 T5 1.9tdi ex-builder’s van with 234K miles on it. I bought it two years ago from eBay and…