Table of contents for Issue 125 in VWt

That’s all Volks... Hello and welcome to issue 125 of VWt magazine. Adios, arrivederci, sayonara, auf wiedersehen pet, however you say it, it’s goodbye to show season for another year. Yes, we know there’s still a few shows for the more hardcore showgoers and campers amongst us, but for most it’s over. But rather than be saddened by what has past, let’s reflect on 2022’s show season – it was a cracker! Not only did we have a full calendar of events – now Covid seems to have (mostly) departed – but we had a summer season where the weather mainly did what it was supposed to. Hello sunshine, cider and heatwaves! But worry not, as we still have plenty of great show and event coverage to warm you up…

CANNA BACKPACK Vango, has teamed up with Trakke, to create the ‘Past Tents Collection’ a bespoke range of bags constructed from recycled tent fabrics. First in the collection is the Canna Backpack crafted using fabric from Vango’s Icelandic II tent, the spacious main compartment is protected by a waterproof zip and has a padded laptop sleeve that fits a 14” MacBook Pro. The Internal compartment features a white tent liner and a label exclusive to the collection showcasing the numbered edition. Price £120 www.vango.co.uk DEUS EX MACHINA T-SHIRTS Australia’s Deus ex Machina (god from the machine) seems to be conquering the UK and we’re not surprised, what with their quality range of killer clothing. Why not treat yourself to a Zephyr Pink Budgies tee or the Bone White Slow Burn…

HOT VANS The top ten best-selling car brands in Japan are, unsurprisingly, all Japanese. Mercedes is the strongest challenger at number 11 with Volkswagen and BMW hot on their heels. Turn your eyes to commercial vehicles and European manufacturers are virtually non-existent. Just imagine living in a country where a Volkswagen Transporter is a bit of a rare machine! Then picture adding a dash of the UK modifying scene to what is already an unusual sight on the streets. That’s exactly what our guy, Hayashi from Tottori City in Japan has done with this 2021 T6.1. Hayashi says he was fascinated by the commercial vans he saw in Europe, and the low vans were just too cool. He wanted to bring one to Japan and do the same thing! ‘Van…

OUT THERE At Vee Dub, we’ve always recognised how special our community is. No matter who you talk to, no matter where you go, you’ll always find someone you can chat to for hours about every tiny little upgrade you want. With 13 years of retail experience in the bag, we wanted to make this year one to remember. After brainstorming tonnes of ideas, we thought that an open day, with the aim of making as much money for charity as possible, would be an awesome choice. The 16th of July came around quickly and over 300 of our incredible community members attended. Throughout the day a huge variety of products were out on display along with our T6 ‘Archie’ and T6.1 ‘Smurf’. We also had plenty of entertaining games…

OCTOBER 2022 21st – 23rd VAN JAM 13 Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln, LN2 2NA www.vanjamboree.co.uk NOVEMBER 2022 6th ULTIMATE STANCE The Telford International Centre, Telford, TF3 4JH www.ultimate-stance.co.uk 18th – 20th WINTER CAMPOUT Croft Farm Waterpark, Tewkesbury, GL20 7EE www.dubsinthemiddle.co.uk DECEMBER 2022 2nd – 4th DUBS CHRISTMAS CAMPOUT Croft Farm Water Park, Nr. Tewkesbury, GL20 7EE www.dubsinthemiddle.co.uk 10th THE VEE DUB CHRISTMAS CRUZ - SAT Tower House Car Park, Nailsea, BS48 2XX www.veedubfamily.org 11th THE VEE DUB CHRISTMAS CRUZ - SUN Marine Parade, Weston Super Mare www.veedubfamily.org JANUARY 2023 20th – 22nd JANUARY CAMPOUT Croft Farm Water Park, Nr. Tewkesbury, GL20 7EE www.dubsinthemiddle.co.uk FEBRUARY 2023 5th CAMPER MART The Telford International Centre, Telford, TF3 4JH www.campermart.co.uk 10th – 12th VALENTINES CAMPOUT Croft Farm Water Park, Nr. Tewkesbury, GL20 7EE www.dubsinthemiddle.co.uk MARCH…

HOT VANS If you’re looking for something in life to bring the whole family together, then a campervan would be the perfect place to start. If you ask us, then more specifically a Volkswagen camper! They epitomise freedom, fun and togetherness. I mean, for the most part they’re bloody small so you better be comfortable in each other’s company! The Hill family from Lancashire have taken the family camper vibe to the next level. Although, on the surface this LWB T6 looks as though it was purely built to win shows. Air ride, custom two-piece split rim wheels and a Plush Automotive interior does not scream dogs, babies and weekends towing a horse box and yet here we are. Andy Hill, egged on and mercilessly cajoled by his wife, Jess…

HOT VANS You may have heard of Forty Winks and the sublime Kombi beds they offer, but you might not realise that it came out of a hobby business started by two mates. It was the brainchild of Ryan Jameson and designed by best mate Adam Hickling, who’s been a silent partner in the business ever since. “We’d sell a few beds and fit them on the weekends, which was handy when I walked out on my job in marketing one Monday morning and had Forty Winks to fall back on” added Ryan. What followed was Ryan putting in three days a week on selling and marketing the beds and 4 days a week doing freelance marketing. It worked for a while and took the pressure off Forty Winks, giving…

HOT VANS The chances of finding a totally immaculate and unmolested VW T4 panel van these days is pretty slim, especially one painted in factory Friesen green. This lucky find gave Rob Whyles a head start for what would still turn out to be a two year long camper conversion project which now includes a rustic oak interior and an array of unusual mods. Unusually, for such a major project, this is Rob’s first foray into the VW brand as previously he was more of a Ford guy. “I had a few classics, mainly Mk1 Escorts which I still love, but fancied a change,” he tells us, “I have to admit I prefer the VW scene more.” Swapping allegiance from one manufacturer to another is quite unusual but moving away…

GO EXPLORE The small seaport of Whitby, on the North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast, has captured the imaginations of visitors for centuries. From inspiring Bram Stoker’s renowned novel Dracula to its exceptional seafood offerings, colourful beach huts and imposing cliffs, this captivating environment is well worth a visit and has a rich history to boot. Surrounded by the picturesque North York Moors National Park, the entire stretch of coastline is chock-full of quaint fishing villages, including Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay to the north and south, as well as numerous Blue Flag beaches and the 13th-century ruins of Whitby Abbey. You can look forward to tucking into award-winning fish and chips, and relaxing aboard the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a heritage line criss-crossing the moorland. Alternatively, why not explore…

OUR VANS It’s almost as if a switch has been pressed and that’s it, winter is here. It’s dark and cold in the mornings, and the van is often covered in ice. It feels strange, as it seems like a very long time since it was last this cold, on the plus side I guess that means we had a long summer. The thought of shivering away in the van all night isn’t attractive and as I still want to use the van throughout the colder months, that means it’s time to fit a diesel heater. There are lots of options on the market, some are very cheap, and others that are seemingly very expensive. The Autoterm kit sits in the middle of the market and offers great value for…

VITAL INFO: ❯ 195mm drop (from standard) - without the need for a hub mod ❯ 110mm of lift for clearance at drive height ❯ Custom designed air bags ❯ Dampers by BILSTEIN ❯ 2-year warranty on all components SOLOW AIR RIDE T5/T6 Want to properly slam your T5 or T6, but get the max drop out of the box without a hub mod? Then it’s not just your lucky day, it’s your god damn lucky year! The all-new, all singing, all dancing SoLow Air kit is here, and it’s a game changer for those that want their van lower than the average dropped Transporter. With years of air suspension design, development and know how the SoLow technicians have built a kit unlike any other on the market. Plus, it’s…

SHOWSBRISTOL VOLKSFEST I hate to go full on British and fulfil that stereotype, however I am going to talk weather. I’ve heard many people say things like “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing” or “it’s not bad weather, it’s soft people”. Clearly these people have not experienced camping at a show when you’re being battered by every type of weather imaginable and have only a van and a beer tent for cover. In previous years, Bristol Volksfest has been just about the unluckiest VW event on earth, as you name it Mother Nature threw it at it. If there was a 3-month heatwave with one weekend of downpours, the poor guys at BVF would be on the receiving end of that downpour. Well... not this year,…

We get a pile of correspondence land in the VWt mailbox with the subject title, ‘this will make a good feature’. Nine times out of ten the heart-warming story accompanying it makes us smile and often provides great content for our ‘Your Vans’ section or a snippet in news. But when an e-mail arrived from Guy Deacon CBE with a link to a short, professionally-made film by Rob Haywood it made us hurriedly want to find out more. The footage showed a determined looking Guy stare directly into the camera lens and tell viewers he’d got Parkinson’s and was driving his T5.1 California solo overland from the UK to South Africa. To say watching it was moving is an understatement. I learnt from the clip that his motivation to do…

SEND US YOURS: Ever dreamed about seeing your van appear in the pages of VWt? Make that dream a reality! Simply e-mail a selection of good quality high-res images of your van to glenn.rowswell@kelsey.co.uk along with a full spec list and add the subject title ‘Your Vans’. But please remember, if you didn’t take the photos, you MUST have permission from the photographer to use the images in the magazine, and all images should be free from watermarks. By submitting an image you assume responsibility for any copyright infringement. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s see those project builds! ELAINA AND MARK LONG’S 2015 T5.1, GLOUCESTERSHIRE Hey VWt, Mark has always been a VW fan and built a Baja Beetle as his first car. When we decided we wanted…