Sommaire pour Issue 112 de VWt

Hello and welcome to issue 112 of VWt. So, that’s it then, show season is all but over for another year. But wipe those tears away from your eyes and worry not van fans, as it’s time to smile and reflect on an awesome 2021. Especially after the deluge of excrement that was 2020 (maybe it’s best we just try and forget all about that year?). Sure, there were plenty of event casualties, including our very own Volks World show – which is back 19-20th March 2022 btw – however, we were fortunate enough still to have some excellent events, lots of laughs and salivated over more terrific Transporters, Caddys and Crafters than ever. Yes, it’s been challenging but I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated being at shows and meets…

“After selling my previous demo, a Paul Smith inspired T5, I bit the bullet and decided to buy new” Name: Ashley Medhurst Age: 39 Occupation: Owner of Unique Furniture UK Instagram: @uniquefurnitureuk First car: A 1981, Mini Clubman Estate in Mr Bean Green – swiftly painted black! Dream car: Controversially – it would be a motorbike! Aprillia RSV4 1100 Factory Hardest part of the build: Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, getting hold of parts! Favourite modification: Custom made basket weave window pods What lesson learnt from this build would pass on: Rome wasn’t built in a day! What’s next? Future plans are always swimming around in my head, but I’m currently working on a Swamper style van which should be ready in early 2022.…

MEET & GREET Hey VWt & Glenn, I just wanted to say it was great to meet you at Busfest in the sunshine surrounded by great vans and like-minded people. I loved hearing your passion and history for these great machines. I’ve attached a couple of photos showing my base for our three days at Busfest, a snap of the great live music, my new vintage plates and ‘van tattoo’ that a skilled dude did on our van whilst chatting over a cider. Hope to catch up at a show again soon. Keep up the great work on VWt. Thanks a million! Kier Walsh via email VWt: Hey Keir, the pleasure was all mine! Thanks for your kind words, it makes all the days/nights stuck in a dark room worthwhile.…

When three lads who share rather a lot of the same DNA all decide to build Vans, the outcome is rarely as triumphant as the Monk / Hirst Transporter shaped collaborations. The three Leeds lads in question consist of Ben Monk, 27 - the youngster of the group, Dad, Simon Monk, 53, and his cousin, Michael Hirst, 58. Together they’ve built this intrepid trio of adventure wagens destined to explore far and wide, but it hasn’t always been this way. At the very start, Michael was the first to join the VW ranks and thanks to his occupation as an upholsterer, things were soon starting to look rather special. MICHAEL HIRST’S T5.1 “I just wanted a nice van to go away in, it has definitely spiralled out of control.” said…

STEP 1 GET INSPIRED Research is an important first step, as you need to tool yourself up with the knowledge before you start ripping things out of your van. Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon said: “Research is creating new knowledge.” And he’s not wrong, though we’re not sure he ever built a van before. Also, this is the fun bit as it will get your creative juices running wild. Luckily there’s never been an easier time to research interior ideas and get inspired thanks to Mr Google et al and of course your favourite VW Transporter magazine... that’s us by the way! You could cut things out of the mag you like (or scan them) and do a physical mood board or an online one…

We don’t care how wild you think you can camp, you can’t beat being comfortable. Yes, there are plenty of ways to try and stay warm using thermal clothing and extra thick duvets, but a heater quietly ticking away giving you lovely warmth cannot be underestimated. Until a few years ago such heaters were a considerable outlay. Costing upwards of £800, fitted, understandably they were often left off the build list of many a self-built Camper conversion. Now the game has changed, with the advent of the cheap and very affordable Chinese diesel heater offering comfort for all at a fraction of the cost. There’s other aftermarket heaters around that might prove a better long-term bet, of course – so you pay your money and take your choice. If you’ve…

The only VW Transporter magazine you need! BAND OF BROTHERS SLAMMED, COOL AS F**K AND DAILY DRIVEN › WE GET THE LOWDOWN ON TWO BROTHERS AND THEIR AWESOME TRANSPORTERS Plus The world’s greatest feature vans, events, guides, news, products and more Transporter related tomfoolery than you can shake a dipstick at… *Contents of the next issue may be subject to change Don’t miss it! To subscribe visit here: http://shop.kelsey.co.uk/subscription/VWT…

It’s pretty much part of the territory. If you’re a lover of Volkswagen, then there’s a strong likelihood that you’ve got the love for other German marques. Vorsprung durch technik and all that jazz. There is, however, always that one name that stands tall above all others. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn’t have a Porsche if they could? With the utterly bonkers market for a decent 911 these days, that ship may well have sailed for many of us but that doesn’t mean to say we can’t dream. Nor does it mean we can’t take a little inspiration here and there. Ashley Medhurst, otherwise and more rightfully known simply as ‘The Upholsterer’ has gone a little further than just being inspired. Through the vehicle of his Long…

It wasn’t long ago that the opening gambit for a swamper-style van would be raving about the next big thing. It would have been describing a game-changer and a bellwether for future trends. But here, in autumn 2021 it must be accepted. Swampers are not ‘the next big thing’ anymore - they are the big thing! Shaun Campbell is not alone. 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 just kind of evolved. Even the original purchase wasn’t exactly planned! “I bought it…

AUTOGLYM BODYWORK, WHEELS & INTERIOR COLLECTION Designed to give your van the ultimate finish, this pack features Autoglym’s top selling products. Items include Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner, Super Resin Polish, Clean Wheels, Instant Tyre Dressing, Wheel Protector, Interior Shampoo, Fast Glass, plus a finishing cloth, microfibre drying towel and lots more. The perfect gift for any van lover. Price £75 www.autoglym.com ALPINE ADVENTURE AUDIO SYSTEMS Built for the T6 and T6.1, Alpine Adventure Audio systems perfectly unites function with form while allowing you to enjoy audiophile grade sound quality. Enjoy whilst the beautiful photo-etched stainless-steel tweeter grilles look stunning in your A-pillars. Also adaptable for T5 & T5.1 with some modification. The perfect upgrade to gift yourself this Christmas. Go on, you deserve it! Priced from £339 www.alpine.co.uk GTI STYLE RED…

GEAR KNOBS, PRICED FROM £15 So, the number one of our first super-sexy six interior mods. What will be the king of them all? Surely it must be the humble gear knob, right? We mean, think about it, is a van really modified without an aftermarket, or at least uprated, shifter? Anyway, knobs come in all shapes and sizes. Some people like a big one, some like a fat one, and some want nothing more than them to be a bit of a showpiece. But, the only really important thing is how they fit in your hand, that’s the key to the best performance. Shifting effectively is a timing and coordination game and, believe it or not, getting the right knob can make a huge difference to how you drive.…

Being your own boss can, at times, be a recipe for admin- fuelled grief, but it’s a position with a long list of perks when you get it right. It’s a route to making the would-be nine-to-five fit around you; setting your own hours, deciding what you want to work on and calling the shots on how you want to do it. Perhaps most importantly, it’s also an opportunity for some of us to sidestep the run-of-the-mill company cars and vans and factor in the biggest perk of all; the shop truck. There’s certainly nothing run-of-the-mill about Dave Goodwin’s choice of workshop wheels, but then the same applies to his working life. An automotive trimmer with over 22 years of experience under his belt, including stitching hide at the Aston…

Jamie Douglas has always enjoyed sport and the great outdoors. His hobbies include running, mountain biking and rock climbing, so it’s no surprise he often ends up in remote places with minimal options for a stopover close by. Until recently, Jamie had loaded his car to breaking point with camping equipment and had the accompanying dread of having to erect a tent before darkness fell after a long day out in the hills. When it comes to idyllic camping trips, that scenario doesn’t quite fit the bill, but his purchase of this fully loaded VW T6 complete with ABT bodykit and a cleverly thought-out interior by Leeds-based Insane Vehicles appears to have provided the perfect solution. “My usual routine would be to travel in my car and leave it at…

The feature title could just have easily have been Marmite, because VW Friesen Green, like Pistachio Green on the T4 vans, has a habit of dividing opinions. Let’s face it, most people go shopping for a van to convert with the ‘anything but white’ mantra, even though the popularity of white cars and vans has now come full circle. Robert didn’t mind the jade green hue, but it still gained the Snot nickname right from the start. As with a lot of the solid colours with high pigmentation in them, the main problem with these greens is fading and matching; they fade and go dull pretty quickly, so when body shops go to blow in or repair an area it tends to look a bit off. Rob says he’s planning…

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking, why the feck is TRAX in VWt? Isn’t it a modified car show full of Vauxhalls, Fords and Japanese stuff? Well, yes, it is. But these days TRAX has more variety than Forest Gump’s bumper size tin of Quality Street, in fact we saw everything from American pick-up trucks and low riders to classic VWs and supercars. Truth be told, in all my years attending TRAX - which is a lot as I’ve been to every event since the late ‘90s - I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much diversity on display. And yes, TRAX is that old and yes, I am even older. As a long time attendee (as a punter and mostly during my days on Fast Car magazine) there…

SHAKER MAKER Want something modern, timeless and high-end looking? What about this twist on a shaker style kitchen. The custom-made shaker style units were designed by owner Tom Kahler and built by vanfurniture.com along with the L-shaped seat bed, whilst the acrylic laser cut wall panels were sorted by Phil at Lazy Leisure. There’s also waterproof flooring tiles from Wickes, a Waeco CRX50 fridge with Gasland hob and a tap from Thailand that Tom picked up online. Check out the leather strap pull handles and amp style flick switches. So cool! Van: Tom Kahler’s T6 See more in issue 108 NETFLIX & CHILL Okay, we know this may not be for everyone, as converting your van into a mobile cinema may not be the best use of space, but remember…

If you read VWt on the regular you’ll know I’ve been searching for wheels for the T5.1 for over a year and that I’m constantly changing my mind as to what I want. This is due to a few things, first off, I’m very indecisive (are you sure? G). Secondly, there’s been so many amazing wheels launched this last year that just as I have my mind made up, something new comes along and changes it. My brain has been on overdrive. Do I keep it looking commercial, do I go posh and flashy, or do I get something in between? Then, all this changed again, as unexpectedly my dream wheels came up for sale. Now these are rims I am not indecisive about, so much so I’ve had a…

There always seems to be a few design flaws with every vehicle and I think it’s fair to say that for the Transporter, that gap in front of the windscreen is one of them! With a humongous crack and an MoT test date getting ever closer it was time to pick up the phone and get the van booked in for a replacement screen. After phoning one well-known glass company and them coming back with a price about five times as much as I thought it would be, I decided to double check with my insurance company to see if I had windscreen cover. It turns out that with A-Plan I did have windscreen cover, hoorah! And, it was going to cost me six times less than if I had…