Table of contents for Issue 159 in VWt

ARTIFICIAL INSANITY... Hello and welcome to the July edition of VWt magazine. I am pleased to announce it’s another issue packed with killer vans and neat ideas to give you the necessary kick up the jacksie to get your own Transporter looking just as cool. I have to confess, I’ve been having a few sleepless nights recently about artificial intelligence. Yes, mad isn’t it? Every time I glance at my phone I am confronted by its influences. I’m into history, but when I see a grainy black and white image depicting a WW2 scene, only to learn in the comments below that it’s been ‘tampered with’ by the hand of AI, it’s all a tad worrying. Likewise, my socials seem to be bombarded by AI-generated posts about everything and anything,…

TIDY TRAILER However adept we all are at finding storage solutions for our vans, we could all do with a bit more room from time to time – especially if we’re big into a space-gobbling hobby like surfing or biking. And with this in mind, Phil Dryburgh came up with the cool and clever concept of the Tidy Trailer. “I was driving around Sandbanks, Poole, and saw all these wake boarders and board schools towing ugly white boxes behind their stunning Transporters,” explained Phil, “and then I started noticing vans with expensive carbon bikes casually hanging from the back. It got me thinking there must be a better, more cool looking solution.” And indeed there was – and what he’s come up with is surely the ultimate van accessory; a…

Almost all I knew about Ben Stoker’s T4 when I arrived to meet him and his van was that it was green and a little bit different so when he turned into the car park where we’d agreed to meet, it wasn’t hard to guess that this was the van in question. On the outside, it is stylishly subtle. T4 aficionados will instantly see it’s been modded, but to the ‘punter in the street’ it’s simply a tidy green van. I’ve got to admit I like a Transporter which hides a few surprises, and this one certainly does. After I’d spent a few minutes walking round it and admiring the bodywork and the Irish Green (LB6B) paint, Ben pulled open the side door and I did a double take! Perhaps…

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!…

Known the world over for its unending quality, refinement and indisputable reputation for elegance and excellence, Rolls-Royce is a car brand unlike any other. Revered by rock stars and royalty alike, it’s a symbol of British engineering at its best. So when VW fan and heating engineer John Gordon was looking for a set of wheels to grace the T6.1 Transporter he was building as a demo vehicle for his new business venture, bespoke van builders Voodoo Developments, he knew there was only one choice that would give him the level of class he craved. “I originally stumbled across the Rolls-Royce Phantom wheels by chance,” says 38-year-old John of his T6’s extraordinary rims. “I was browsing eBay one night when they popped up for sale from a breakers yard. I’d…

CHRIS HOMER, Hi VWt, I’m Chris Homer, 38, and I’ve been in love with Volkswagens since as long as I can remember. I’ve had Mk2 Golf’s and a Jetta GTi 16v and when I started going to shows I fell in love with Transporters and their usability and decided I wanted one. I had a short-wheelbase T4 for a while until I made the decision to take the plunge and invest in a T5. I brought LOW_LA nine years ago now, she was just ply-lined and carpeted. I quickly added a rock ‘n’ roll bed with seatbelts and that was it; I went to a few meets and cruised around in her for a good few years like that. Lockdown came and I started to get the itch to do…

As photoshoots go, the afternoon spent with Sam Kay-Butler-Hughes, AKA ‘DJ Sam’, has to be one of the most surreal ever. Picture the scene; it’s a red-hot sunny day and just a stone’s throw from a busy town centre, shoppers are driving in and out of a popular car park. Nothing unusual so far, yet regular visitors would have noticed something different that day. Suddenly, there’s a mysterious black van pumping out endless tunes from a turntable and there’s a random bloke on the floor with a camera. With the sun shining and that slick musical soundtrack, for those few hours, it seemed all felt good in the world and our woes and worries all too briefly forgotten. Greeted with smiles and nods of approval, maybe every town centre should…

We don’t often feature Caddys. It’s not that we’ve got anything against them, mind. It’s just that we rarely come across any that are eye-catching or provocative enough to be worth sending out a photographer to shoot. It’s as simple as that to be honest. But when we first clapped eyes on Jamielee and David Spinks’ unique and totally bonkers looking swamper-themed creation we went all in, got on the blower to one of our top snappers and arranged a date that was as soon as feasibly possible. “We both always liked the look of the Caddy,” explains Jamielee, “it was the perfect size for us both and what we wanted to do with it”. Jamielee and her husband, David, admit they are both consumed by Wanderlust and having enjoyed…

The basics of hopscotch are a universal constant – something that can unite people the world over, regardless of a common tongue. A numbered grid, chalked onto the pavement, upon which a stone is tossed to designate the number to be missed out as the scotch-hopper in question makes their way up the ladder to the home base. Timeless stuff. There’s also a rich symbolism tied up in this apparently simple act; more than just a process of juvenile bouncing, hopscotch acts as a metaphor for the journey of building a project vehicle for people like us. You’ve got your lowly base point, your aspirational end goal, and between the two points you find a linear process studded with jeopardy and potential peril. What’s more, as the numbers increase, so…

VANLIFE FEST – 20th-22nd JUNE Scampston Hall, Malton, North Yorks, Vanlifefest.co.uk VanLife Fest is the ultimate family-friendly campervan festival. You can enjoy live music from some of the best tribute acts in the UK, FREE family entertainment, including climbing walls, a circus, and archery and even enter your pooch into a dog show. Plus, you can discover unique campervan gear, outdoor kit, and artisan crafts in the Route YC trade village. Refuel at fully licensed bars and indulge in mouthwatering options from top street food vendors. Oh, and don’t miss the Coffee Club— with talks, demos, and stories from VanLife community legends. Whether you’re relaxing with a brew or dancing to the bands, you’ll be sure to find something for everyone. VanLife Fest isn’t just a weekend – it’s an…