Sommaire pour Issue 160 de VWt

ANYTHING GOES... Hello and a warm welcome to the August edition of VWt magazine. Alongside all the cool feature vans this issue, we’ve got a piece on lowering. Specifically the often discussed and hotly debated topic of whether air is better than static. When you read it you’ll discover, like most things, there’s pros and cons to each method of lowering your van so it’s a case of counting your cash, thinking about your expectations and picking the setup that’s likely to suit you best. Now, I am aware the mere mention of ‘slamming’ can prove a tad contentious among some of you readers. And indeed, it’ll needle those that prefer their vans to retain its factory ride height. Fair do’s, I get it 100%, but in most instances if…

“The LT broke new ground when it came to its cab layout” Given the current popularity of the Crafter, you’ve got to admit the LT was way ahead of its time wasn’t it? Afterall, it was significantly more accommodating than a Type 2 but small enough not make a nuisance of itself, and certainly not big enough to be called a truck. Yet somehow it’s never gained the enthusiast following it deserves. Well, at least not one that’s as strong and vibrant as for Volkswagen’s more compact Transporters. That’s a shame given that it was the first front-engined VW van and made big strides in terms of ergonomics, and was pioneering when it came to bridging the gap between car and commercial, a theme that’s at the heart of VW’s…

As has been the norm for me, for as long as I can remember, notwithstanding The VolksWorld Show in March, Dubs At The Mill signals the start of the VW calendar, and 2025 was to be no different. So once again I ventured down the M5 and deep into the Somerset countryside to see what this enthusiastic Scrumpy Dubbers Club had laid on for their 12th year. Let’s start with the obvious; there was a mill, surrounded by a large section of VWs, as you would expect from the name, and that included just about anything from an immaculate Splitty, to a like new T6.1, and everything in-between such as a slammed Bay (front/back bumpers actually touching the ground) and a monster T4 creation. And not just Transporters either, there…

Own a super-tasty Transporter, Crafter or Multivan and want it featured in these very pages? Then show us what you’ve got! Please e-mail a good selection of images that show the exterior and interior of your van to ian.cushway@kelsey.co.uk along with a spec list and add the subject title ‘Feature me VWt’. If we like what we see, we’ll get back to you ASAP about the possibility of a full VWt magazine feature shoot. So, what are you waiting for? Get snapping and show us your van, we’d love to see it!…

When is a sports car not a sports car? Well, when it’s a big ol’ bar of soap with a bike rack in the back. Yes, this T6 is a practical and sensible Transporter, and there’s no avoiding the substantial cuboid profile, but this unique creation is a high-octane tearaway at heart. Everywhere you look you’ll find custom additions and upgrades that make H19 MND a master of the T6/sports car mix: the one-off Radi8 wheels, for example, informed by the design of the E26 BMW M1, and the Recaro front buckets joined by an R-Line trimmed rear bench, and the forthright Darkside Developments mapping that hauls the 102bhp TDI up to a more effervescent 185bhp. This thing was built for fun, with the essence of sportiness at its very…

DAN WILLIAMS Hi VWt, I’m a business development manager from East Preston, West Sussex and this is my Reflex Silver T5.1. I’ve always wanted a camper and there was no doubt in my mind that when the time came for us to buy one, it had to be a VW. So after an extensive online search to find the right one, and with foreign travel blocked by COVID, we took the plunge in July 2021 and travelled to South Wales to pick it up. The previous owners had the van converted in 2018 by CamperKing, giving it the internal GTI trim and kitchen fit out that it still has today, but there was still plenty of scope to make some modifications, most of which would just be cosmetic. First came…

“the key is to first decide exactly what you want from your van’s suspension system” When it comes to automotive suspension, there is a variety of options to choose from if you want to improve it. Of course, ‘improve’ is a subjective term, as what might be considered an upgrade for some, may be thought of as the complete opposite to others. With that in mind, the key is to first decide exactly what you want from your van’s suspension system; is it to be as low as possible whilst still being able to navigate speed bumps and inclines, or is the ultimate in handling what your heart desires? Maybe you want a budget option, or you often carry heavy loads and need something that can accommodate the extra weight?…

You know what they say, if you are not evolving, then you are going backwards, and despite the uncertainly in the VW show scene at the moment, Dubs In the Middle have just pulled off their 10th event – this time bigger and better than ever, and in a brand new location. It’s still in the ‘middle’ of the UK, and had basically just moved from one side of the M5 to the other and now sits at Hanley Castle – a venue that’s probably twice the size of the one they’ve used for the past nine years and just down the road from Malvern where Busfest is held. So a new location, with much more space to spread out it, even if you did have to notch up a…

“Volkswagens are in our blood... every member of my family has got one and between us we've restored too many classic models to count” “My parents had a 1303 Beetle in the ‘90s and my uncle and cousins all had Beetles too” “Volkswagens are in our blood,” laughs 23-year-old Alex Boughen. “Every member of my family has got one and between us we’ve restored too many classic models to count. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t surrounded by VWs. It’s become a bit of an addiction really.” Alex recalls the first time he started taking notice of the fleet of vehicles that were an integral part of his life from the tender age of seven. “My parents had a 1303 Beetle in the ‘90s and my…

For as long as mankind has been able to bang rocks together and communicate in anything more than a system of grunts, there’s been one mantra which people have been using to proffer one another as advice: ‘Get a Golf.’ Alright, maybe the habit doesn’t stretch quite that far back, but certainly to 1974. When Volkswagen decided to replace their evergreen Beetle with a box-fresh new radicalist that delivered haymaker after haymaker to the traditionalists, there was more than a little gobsmackery among the automotive community: this pesky little upstart had its engine in the front, and a water-cooled engine no less; it was a hatchback, with boxy styling and all sorts of unseemly ideas. But it immediately became apparent that this bullish chancer was by far the best-in-class; indeed,…

JULY 25th – 27th BUGJAMSanta Pod Raceway, NorthantsBugjam.co.uk AUGUST 1st – 3rd T3 BUS MEETUpton upon Severn, WorcesterT3busmeet.com 3rd TATTON PARK VW SHOWTatton Park, Knutsford, CheshireTattonparkvwshow.com 8th – 10th DUBNESS – GATHERING OF THE VANSClune Farm, Dores, Loch NessDubness2025. wescantickets.com 8th – 9th KAMPER FESTQuex Park, KentKamperfest.com 8th – 10th VW FESTIVALHarewood House, LeedsVwfestival.co.uk 15th – 17th VIVA SKEG VEGAS CLASSIC VW SHOWRevesby Country Park, Boston, LincsVivaskegvegasvw.co.uk 15th – 17th VOLKSFEST WALESBreconVolksfest.wales 29th – 31st VANWEST CHILL OUTCheddarVanwest.co.uk 29th – 31st VW ACTIONSanta Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, NorthantsVwaction.co.uk SEPTEMBER 12th – 14th BUSFESTThree Counties Showground, MalvernBusfest.org 12th – 14th CARRY ON CAMPOUTSouth of England Showground, West SussexCarryoncampout.co.uk 13th – 14th CAMPERS & COFFEEHellingly, East SussexCampersandcoffee.co.uk GET ADDED Got a meet or event that should be in here? Drop us an email…