Table of contents for Issue 132 in VWt

ON THE UP... Hello and welcome to issue 132 of VWt magazine. We’re not wanting to blow our own trumpet here – okay maybe we are, a bit - but getting a feature in VWt magazine is kind of a big deal. Even more so these days, as in the three years I’ve been editor I’ve seen the water-cooled van scene grow massively and with that comes even more competition for features in the hallowed pages, let alone the coveted cover spot. Every month I stress over what should take prime position and often change my mind almost daily, as some months we really do out-do ourselves with the quality of vans we shoot... whoops, there goes that trumpet again! This month is another one of those months, where to…

Unlike the other feature I penned for this month’s mag – David Hughes’ Doka – another David – David Carter – wasn’t trying to forge a new path or reinvent the wheel with this T5.1. Instead, he used a fairly familiar recipe with his T5.1 build but incorporated some pretty trick but subtle mods along the way – the kind of thing that stands out as soon as you look at a photo and wonder why no one has done it before. Right from the off, this project had the makings of something great. David started the build with a 2011 (61 plate) Pure Grey T32 panel van – widely regarded as the best colour Volkswagen has produced for the Transporter range in the last couple of decades. I remember…

First off, yes, VWt is a magazine that revolves around the water-cooled side of things, but there’s no denying we’d be very little without our elders. Well, let’s be honest we’d not exist, would we? So, although we tend to frequent the shows with newer models of VW, there’s one predominantly air-cooled show a year that we never miss and that – as you can probably guess – is the VolksWorld Show. And there’s a few reasons for this, one is that VolksWorld is our sister magazine – and you’ve got to support your siblings, even your much older ones. Secondly, every year we’re invited to inject a bit of new age Transporter goodness into the Summer Lawn show area and lastly, quite simply it’s the best damn air-cooled show…

If you saw last month’s issue, you’ll already know that my beloved T5.1 was in the trusty hands of Skyline Roofs for an awesome Aurora pop-top. The Aurora, a streamlined low-profile roof is one of Skyline’s best sellers, it’s available in short and long wheelbase for the T5 and T6. It boasts a latch down locking system, railed canvas application, larger scenic canvas and comes fully TUV approved which means it meets the very high standards of the German equipment laws - which is a real sign of quality. It also has a 5-year warranty. Add in to that the fact Skyline have over 450 traders throughout the UK and mainland Europe, and they produce over 4,000 roofs a year from their North Somerset HQ, there’s really no one better…

MAY 12th – 14th GLAMPFESTMarket Flat Lane, Knaresborough, Yorkshire, HG5 9JAwww.glampfest.com 19th – 21st VW BREAKOUTSanta Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, Northants, NN29 7XAwww.santapod.co.uk 21st CRUISE TO THE PROMBeach Road, Beach Lawns, Weston super Marewww.veedubfamily.org 25th – 29th DUBS IN THE MIDDLE 8Ashdown Farm, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 7ENwww.dubsinthemiddle.co.uk 26th – 28th VOLKSFLINGBiggar Showfield, Biggar, South Lanarkshire, ML12 6PNwww.volksfling.co.uk 30th – 2nd (JULY) CARRY ON CAMP OUT 6South of England Showground, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6THwww.carryoncampout.co.uk JUNE 2nd – 4th VAN JAM 14Lincolnshire Showground, Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln, LN2 2NA.www.vanjamboree.co.uk 4th CAMPERS & COFFEEHellingly, Hailsham BN27 4DSwww.campersandcoffee.co.uk 8th – 11th ALIVE & V-DUBBINHaughley Park, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3JY www.aliveandvdubbin.co.uk 9th – 11th BRISTOL VOLKFESTBirches Farm, Bristol, BS48 3RN www.bristolvolksfest.co.uk 16th – 18th MIGHTY DUB FESTAlnwick Castle, Northumberland, NE66 1NBwww.mightydubfest.com 17th – 18th PLAYERS CLASSICGoodwood…

HOT VANS Living the dream suggests the existence of one dream but, of course, everyone’s vision of what the dream actually is will vary magnificently. As with many things in human life, we really do like to hold something up as being the true pinnacle of an idea. Ladies and gentlemen, with that in mind may we present to you exhibit A of ‘living the dream.’ In a nutshell, it’s a brand new, highly modified T6.1 Highline camper van with two Labradors in it being driven around the country and beyond by two people of an age whereby retirement is a word that would only be associated with you if you were a professional footballer. The couple is Bethany & Kel Aston (35 and 45 respectively) and the dogs are…

If David Hughes got asked one question by everyone who’s ever seen his T4 Doka, it’s: “What’s the bed from?” But speaking to the man behind this insane creation, it’s clear that this question never irritates him, nor is he guarded about the conversion and what’s involved. As someone behind two businesses that bring others joy – King Kone Desserts and Retros at the Rising Sun in Abertillery, South Wales, his demeanour shouldn’t be surprising, but the infectiousness when he talks about his projects is, well, infectious. So, what is the bed from and what’s the story of how it ended up on the back of the T4? Firstly, the bed is from an Isuzu D-Max – hence the feature title. But the story of how it made it on…

After reading Glenn’s ‘Awesome Drive-Away Awnings’ piece in last month’s ‘Show Season’ special edition of VWt, I decided it was finally time to get one myself. With a trip to the River Dart Country Park for the Spring Camp event and a questionable weather forecast, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to test out some new gear with my partner Jen. There are so many options on the market it can be a little overwhelming, what do I actually need from an awning? I decided it must have a drive away option, I wanted something that would allow Bonnie (our Spaniel) to roam freely between the van and the awning (my old popup gazebo doesn’t allow this). Something that is easy to put up and store when not in use,…

HOT VANS If you want to modify a van in 2023 and not pay for it for the rest of your life, you need to be at least one of three things. A painter, a suspension guru, or a person of means as they used to say in the olden days. Meet 41-year-old, Paul Cuthbertson. He states his occupation as Vehicle Paint Sprayer. In other words, he’s on the list! Paul is part of the Lockdown boom when it comes to VW Transporters. It was ignited by the sudden loss of freedom we all experienced and was intensified with a newfound excess of spare time. “Yeah, it was the summer of 2020 when I thought about looking for a VW camper,” he confirms. “I looked for a while until I…

If camper vans are meant for adventure, it makes you question why so many owners are intent on making them almost undrivable. Some report trouble getting off their own driveway while others have been known to become wedged on a country lane showing just the slightest amount of camber. We’re joking, of course, you know we love the fun and escapades of a slammed van, but seriously just look at this absolute machine. Doesn’t it make you want to jump in the driver’s seat and just head for the nearest mountain? The owner and builder, 32-year-old Marcel Jöhren from Mühlhausen, Germany loves adventure and Volkswagens in no particular order. With this 2018 T6 4Motion Multivan he has combined the two with effortless style and panache. “To be honest, I didn’t…

WIM DE PRETER’S 2011 T5.1, BELGIUM Hello VWt, I have a question for you guys, I wonder if there is a possibility that I can appear in your magazine with my T5.1? I’m from Belgium and will also be coming to the VWt Festival (Good choice fella! – Glenn) this summer together with my friends from TransporterHQ Europe. Ever since I was a little boy, I was always a massive fan of VWs, in fact I even got married in a VW Bug and bought one later also. A few years later I bought a totally stock T5.1 and made it to what it is now. The biggest challenge with the build is living in Belgium, the laws are very strict and it is not easy to get my Transporter…