VW Camper & Bus

It's a privilege putting this magazine together for you each month. Yep, it's full-on, so when I get time for a quick coffee break during the day, I chill by browsing various different VW Transporter-related Facebook groups. And after all, it's good to have a finger on the pulse, see who's doing what in which Buses. Some are geared to the classic Split Screens, others focus on Bays – and the most recent one I've joined is more about spanking new T5/ T6 conversions. And I have to say it's the latter that's pricked my interest, most notably posts from first-timers, complete Van novices, who've just purchased their campers. They're written by a wide hotch-potch of people – young, old, couples, families – and they're reaching out for advice about…

Having been put on hold this year, more details are emerging about 2023's much anticipated Bus extravaganza, organised by VW Commercial Vehicles, which is likely to attract more than 6000 Buses of all eras to its Hannover HQ. Touted as being the biggest meet of its kind anywhere in the world, the VW Bus enthusiast community will be given the opportunity to party together, listen to live music, talk shop and camp out for three days – "a festival as an expression of an approach to life," as VW puts it. Pitches can be booked from 12 noon on 15 August 2022 and just like at the legendary ‘Bulli Festival’ in 2007, the exhibition car parks will become a campsite for visitors from across the globe. Oh, and everyone's welcome – from…

You’ve seen everyone else doing it, and it looks amazing. You’ve got your Bus, chosen a kettle for the stove, and you’ve even gone as far as checking the long distance weather forecast just in case. So, for your first night in a campervan it’ll be a case of packing up and going, right? Well, not exactly because if you’re not careful things can quickly go belly up if you don’t do a bit of planning beforehand to make your first adventure a total success. Bare essentials Given the compact size of VW campers, less and light is the way to go so leave the kitchen sink behind. A stove for cooking outside, cutlery, some pans, bedding, folding chairs and a table are must-haves in terms of equipment. Some kind of rechargeable…

While it’s nice to be warm and cosy in your camper, in the height of the summer, even in Britain, it can soon get stifling. If you’re on a trip to Spain or the South of France – well, even in the shade you’re going to get a sweat on if you’re sitting inside. That’s why, with the recent heat wave, we were keen to give the TotalCool 3000 Cooling System a try. Suffice to say, it’s not air conditioning as such (it works on evaporation) but it still does an excellent job of making you feel a lot cooler. Indeed, the manufacturers claim up to 45% cooler air over 7m. Out of the box, the first thing to impress was the styling. In fact, with its quality grey and white appearance,…

Whilst COVID-19 well and truly put the kybosh on the last couple of VolksWorld Shows, it was great to be back on the hallowed turf of Sandown Park once again in 2022. Chewing the fat, soaking in the atmosphere and drinking in the sight of so many glorious Volkswagens once again. But was it just us, or were Bus numbers down? Both the Red Brick Area and indoor displays felt lighter on numbers than in recent years. Maybe the Beetle, and for that matter, the Karmann Ghia are making a well-earned comeback? Whatever the reason, Type 2s didn’t appear to be the main type of VW on display, which meant those that were in attendance found themselves under even more scrutiny than normal, both from the general public and show…

Remember the feature we ran on Nick Harding’s Pure Grey T6, creatively converted to a fully equipped camper by SK Campers near Leeds? Well, Scott Keegan and his team have been busy working their magic on more vans so we were invited back to take a closer look at one of their latest conversions. Morley-based SK Campers started in 2014 when Scott made the switch to camper conversions full time. “I’d worked in the building trade previously then when that trade went downhill, I decided to convert my work van into a camper,” said Scott. “I enjoyed doing it so decided to turn it into a trade.” Initially Scott offered conversions on a wide range of vans from his garage at home, but as popularity grew for VW Transporters he wisely…