Table of contents for Issue 92 in VWt

There was a time in both the air and water-cooled VW scenes when everything was lowered, following the general rule that everything looks better lowered. It’s true, of course, but anyone who has ever owned anything slammed will have a tough time arguing that they’re not a pain to live with at times, and never more so than when talking about a lowered Camper. Unless you never go camping in it, at some time or other you’ll likely want to take some back roads, or park up somewhere off the beaten track. Even just traversing a seemingly flat field can be fraught with trauma for the low. But these days there is an alternative, and it’s gaining popularity all the time. The advent of #vanlife and pics all over social…

“I bought it originally was to transport my model aeroplanes” Do you remember what you were doing the day Harry and Meghan got married? It’s not exactly the moon landing, or JFK, but whatever your take on the whole thing, it was unarguably a day full of that thing we British do best – pomp and ceremony. You may have been glued to your TV set, you might even have made the pilgrimage to Windsor itself or, like Darren DuRose and his wife Wendy, you likely had bigger fish to fry and largely missed the whole thing. This particular fish is from 2004, has a 2.5 TDi engine and a beautiful Reflex Silver coat. Okay, it’s not a fish. As we all know by now, there’s no such thing as…

As anyone who has built a Van on a tight budget and shed their own blood, sweat and tears in the process will I’m sure agree, some of the pro-built Vans we feature here can leave you speechless. Not only are many of them based on the highest spec Vans you can buy straight off the VW showroom floor, they then often go on to have at least as much as the purchase price invested again in high-end modifications. Vans like this are great to look at and read about but, let’s face it, they can also be way outside what someone on an average income can afford. Maybe it’s for this reason that I really like Richard Hudson’s T5. It’s been built on what you might call an average…

“The most important things for me were to make the interior useable… and get it on its arse” Given the penchant for the pesky torsion bar front suspension of the T4 to get in the way of major league ride height reduction, there’s always some clever bugger who devises a way of going just that little bit lower than the next guy, or gal. For some, the only logical, cost-effective and safe way to really slap a T4 on the floor has been to adopt the power of hydraulics. Admittedly, in times gone by ‘hydros’ had a bit of a reputation for unbearable ride quality, compromising the very notion of daily driver practicality in the process, but not any more. Nottingham lad, Warren Fells, knows only too well that you…

Hi VWt, I’m a builder by trade so a work van is my bread and butter. However, having slammed my previous silver T5, I found out the hard way that it wasn’t practical when traversing building sites or moving heavy loads. After scraping it around for a while, I found another job that came with a company work van and, as my wife wasn’t keen on the ride, I ended up selling the T5 as it just wasn’t being used. “I wanted to build a more useable Van” But, I wasn’t done with VWs. Far from it. In fact, I continued to scour the internet for a new project. This time round, though, I wanted to build a more useable Van with hydraulic suspension so I could raise the ride…

We all love our Vans, right? I mean, anybody with a T5 that’s running on fluorescent yellow 20in Rolls Royce wheels and air ride can’t do anything but love it. They’d have no choice, would they? Unless their heart and mind were somewhere else. Some place where you don’t need water to survive. A dimension so out of date that internal combustion engines rely on air to cool them. Yes folks, I’m afraid it’s true. The owner of this Van is from the dark side, otherwise known as the air-cooled VW world. And what’s also true is he doesn’t love his Van. At least, not in the way you or I might love a Van anyway. What’s wrong with you, Tom Goldsmith? “I tolerate it,” he laughs. “It’s a means…

“beautiful valleys, sleepy villages… mountain streams and a mighty waterfall” The annual European road trip has become something of a tradition in our household. Our two young boys, now six and eight, have been coming with us since they were only a few months old and we have covered many thousands of miles in various Vans, ranging from a lovely early T4 Caravelle with petrol / LPG through to a hi-top Peugeot Boxer and latterly, our beloved T5.1. I have converted all of the Vans myself, and each one has been slightly different as our needs have evolved with time. We have had everything from pop-tops with the traditional full side cupboard interior through to bunk beds and a lovely double bed in the hi-top. As the boys have grown…

Just to recap, I bought my SWB 2.5 Multivan from Germany in October 2017 when it had a meagre 106,000km (65k miles) on the clock and have made pretty good use of it since. A habit it’s been harbouring, and something I’ve generously overlooked from day one, however, is an intermittent rough idle. Bear with me for a moment while I try to describe exactly what it does. It runs fine for ages, pulls strongly, and basically does everything a 170bhp 2006 Van should. But then, for no obvious reason, it occasionally splutters like an unfit hound on 40 a day at tickover. This coincides with a pungent unburnt fuel smell from under the bonnet, which soon works its way into the cabin. It’s the not knowing when it’s going…

VWt& LOWDOWN DISPLAYS On the main lawns you’ll find not only a collection of past and future VWtfeature Vans but also an impressive selection of show vehicles assembled by the Lowdown Transporters club. This extensive showcase of Campers and Vans will cover all years and models and is sure to be buzzing all weekend. Better still, there will be different vehicles on display each day, so weekend visitors (or Campers) get the best of both days! RETAIL VILLAGE Our retail village really is a haven for VW lovers. It’s guaranteed to be jam-packed with everything you could possibly need for your VW, including secondhand parts, rare accessories, clothing, gifts and plenty more. The biggest names in the VW scene will be there to showcase their latest products and services and…

Generation game Dear VWt In September last year I popped along to an event called Busfest as I wanted to gauge prices of T4 Campers. I soon realised that what I want and what I can afford are very far apart, but I’ve since rearranged my finances and have started to search for my perfect Van online. The question I have is regarding factory-built California Vans, in particular the Last Edition models, which a few traders suggested are the best of the bunch. First, I’ve not been able to find any factory-built, right-hand drive T4 Campers for sale, only T5s (which are out of my price range). So I’m now wondering were the T4s left-hand drive only? Secondly, I’ve spotted a few Vans labelled as ‘Generation’ models for sale in…

“we needed to make more memories and do what we love together” Chloe and I owned a T4 a few years ago, which is really where our passion for VWs began. However, we ended up selling it as I was working away a lot and it just wasn’t being used as much as we’d have liked. But it wasn’t long before we began to regret the sale, so decided we’d buy another Van at some point in the future. We had a big shock last year when Chloe was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and we realised we needed to make more memories and do what we love together right away, not put it off for the future. So we sold my race bike, my Mk5 R32 Golf and Chloe’s…

March 21-22 The VolksWorld Show Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey KT10 9AJ www.volksworldshow.comEmail: volksworld.show@kelsey.co.uk April 04-05 Dub Shed Eikon Exhibition Centre, Lisburn, Northern Ireland BT27 5RF www.dubshed.com 09-13 Camperfest Chester Racecourse, Chester CH1 2LY www.camperfest.co.uk 10-13 Wonderland 2 - The Dubbers of OZ Chillington Hall, Brewood, Wolverhampton WV8 1RE www.dubscollective.com/ dubs-in-wonderland 19 GTI Spring Festival Santa Pod Raceway, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants NN29 7XA www.gtifestival.com 24-26 Dubs at the Mill 2020 Haselbury Mill near Crewkerne, Somerset www.scrumpydubbers.co.uk 24-26 Techenders Victoria Farm, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 5AU www.techenders.co.uk May 03 Stanford Hall Stanford Hall, Stanford-on-Avon, Leicestershire LE17 6DH www.stanfordhallvw.com 07-10 Derbyshire Dubs Wardlow, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 8RW www.derbyshiredubs.co.uk 07-10 The Only Meet Is Essex Orsett Showground, Orsett, Essex RM16 3JU www.vw-tomie.co.uk 07-10 VW Campout Budle Bay, Northumberland www.vwcampout.uk 08-10 Vanwest Taunton Racecourse, Orchard Portman,…

If you’re a fan of shows, events and camping weekenders, the winter months can seem every bit as dull and dreary as the weather outside. Fortunately, there is a solution to those mid-winter blues for those willing to leave the awning and BBQ at home and try a one-day cruise to the North Norfolk coast instead. Darren and Claire Walton of the Cambs Transporter Club organise this annual cruise, which began as little more than a few club members enjoying a ride out to Hunstanton. Fast forward to 2020 and Run To The Hun is a fully fledged calendar event, attended by clubs and individuals from all corners of the country. These days, both the cruise and the takeover of the Waterside car park are pre-approved by the local authorities…