VW Camper & Bus 02.2022

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Sponsored by
www.meguiars.co.uk

Takes a lot of work to get a T3 to sit like this,
but the results of our survey are in and they
say it is well worth it

54 Camper&Bus

CHARM

Khaleb Wassall wanted a low T4 but bought one of
the hardest Transporters to get really low, a Hi-Top
T3. And it’s beige, but hey, this Bus has Karisma by

the bucket load now

Words James Peene Photos Chuffed Media
Camper&Bus 55

Heated electric

seats courtesy

Wof Lexus e think it’s fair to say, we’ve a set of oh-so-’80s rims, it sets our Spidey-
featured a fair number sense a-tingling, and we’d happily place a
of Buses over the years. bet on them coming from a background of
Someone with more time modi ed hot hatches. And so it turned out to
be with this feature. When Khaleb Wassall
and, let’s be honest, more told us he’d been into VWs for ages, but not
Buses, we didn’t even bat an eyelid when
inclination than us could while away a few he said he had a history of modi ed Golfs.
Also, Polos and Jettas as it turns out. But
days counting them all, but if there’s one where did the desire to own a Bus come
from? Again, we weren’t exactly surprised
thing all those seemingly endless features when he revealed: “I was just tired of putting
up tents. I did own a Beetle at one point, but
have done it’s to have given us a sort of I never actually got that on the road or drove
it. I’ve owned this Bus for about six years
sixth-sense when it comes to guessing the now but it came to me by accident. When
I decided to buy a Camper a T4 was the
type of person who owns the machine we’re

going to be writing about. It’s a bit like we’re

Mystic Meg playing an automotive version of

Guess Who? We only need a couple of clues

about someone’s car background to work out

the sort of Camper that oats their boat.

So, when we see a slammed Type 25 on

obvious choice, due to my ’90s VW thing,
so I started looking around and contacted
a few local VW clubs to see if they knew of
anything for sale. It wasn’t what I was looking
for, but a guy told me about a T3 that was
just up the road so I decided it was worth a
look. It was an Autohomes Karisma 2. It was
completely standard except for some really
nasty Halford’s-style alloy wheels. It still had
the original owner’s manual too. I bought it
and then realised how hard it is to get T3s
really low.”

Current engine is a 1.9-litre Wasserboxer but a Subaru or 1.9 TDi conversion maybe on the cards soon. “If you want to
Passat’s are cheaper donor vehicles and the engines sit higher for more lows too increase the attitude,
you just need to
56 Camper&Bus decrease the altitude”

Wheels were an eBay score that all of the
forums said wouldn’t fit, but they must
because we’re all looking at them

Keeping tabs on the front and rear air ride.
There’s enough for four trips up and down
before the compressor kicks in
All of the air ride gubbins has been hidden
under the back seat. Four-way management is
on the cards, just so Khaleb can level the Bus
out whilst camping…

Camper&Bus 57

Now that’s why people love a hardtop. All that Boaty McBoat roof Looks like a US diner doesn’t it? Much
headspace, storage and room for an analogue TV more charisma than the old Karisma
We’re amongst friends here, so let’s speak interior and there’s an air tank under the
“Even something plainly shall we? A few years ago, a high- rock ’n’ roll bed as well
with all the charisma roof T3 would have been something of a
left- eld choice for a ‘cool’ Camper build but
or should that be there’s been a seismic shift in what makes
Karisma(?) of a beige something cool these days. It’s no longer just
Hi-Top T3 can have its Splits and Bays and, if anything, the more
out-of-the-box you go the better. Whatever
moment in the sun” you drive, get it really low (or high for that
matter – Ed) and it will draw a crowd at the
next VW show. As the old saying goes,
‘If you want to increase the attitude, you
just need to decrease the altitude.’ Even
something with all the charisma or should
that be Karisma(?) of a beige Hi-Top T3 can
have its moment in the sun.

It’s not just us saying that, even Khaleb is
of the same opinion, readily agreeing: “Hi-
Top T3s were not even remotely cool. Now
they are. High roofs look cool when they’re

Original Autohomes interior fell apart when it was removed but a friend stepped in to create this much really low. Aired-out, the roof on mine is now
more vibrant affair lower than some tin-tops.”

58 Camper&Bus Suffice to say, it took a lot of work to get
Khaleb’s ’85 Autohomes to sit like this, but
stance wasn’t the rst issue to be addressed.
First on the list were the old Saab 93 leather
seats that had been ‘ xed’ into place with
wood-screws through the front arches.
Khaleb says: “I removed them and bolted
in some Lexus IS200 front pews. They’re
electric and heated. My girlfriend Carly redid
all of the upholstery using vinyl off-cuts from
yacht material. She did fashion and textiles
at university and just applied what she
knows to the Bus’s interior.

“For the rst year of owning it, we just
used it and learned how to understand it. I
did all the things that people do, like tting
clear indicators but then it needed some
welding. More than I rst thought…

“The original Autohomes interior had
to come out so the cargo oor could be
repaired but all the chipboard just turned to
dust as I removed it. All of the cabinets were

redone using marine-grade ply and a friend Three-quarter width bed is roomy enough and
made them in return for me carrying out a looks the part, thanks to upholstery by Carly
paint job on his T4. We paid each other for
the parts and then just swapped labour. Camper&Bus 59

“The body wasn’t too bad considering,
but I ended up replacing half the load bed

oor, the inner and outer sill on the driver’s
side, front wheel arches and steps and some
bits around the windscreen. The usual type
of stuff. The oor had rotted because water
had got in behind the vents for the fridge,
so I deleted those. That also helped tidy the
exterior up a bit.

“The interior was freshly painted and then
insulated, using new ply lining and I tted
new leisure electrics. It took an entire winter
to get it all sorted.”

At this point Khaleb reveals: “I really
hated the colour to begin with. At the time I
painted vehicles so it would have been easy
to change it, but I wasn’t sure to what. I only
really liked it once the wheels went on.”

The wheels really do maketh the ride.
Along with being so far up in the arches,

A beige Hi-Top doesn’t sound very cool on paper,
unless of course the paper is a copy of your favourite
Camper mag. Looks the business doesn’t it?

of course. Khaleb says they’re a Mercedes “I bought it and then and lifted the Bus up when I need it. There’s
Brabus offering from OZ Racing and are realised how hard it is no point being on air if you still get stuck and
pretty rare. “Everyone on the forums said to get T3s really low” I actually use this Camper. On full drop the
they wouldn’t t but they’re on… The plan front end sits on the oor and there’s about
is to refurbish them at some point. I actually or air. I went for air to be different. 1cm of clearance before the fuel tank comes
planned to do that before the photoshoot, but “I bought the kit from Poland and myself into contact with the ground.
it didn’t happen. They’ll be gloss black with
diamond cut rims.” and Beetle Magic did the initial installation “It’s just on front and back management
but the translation to English went amiss, for now. The plan is to install four-way
Get down and they thought that aired-out I wanted a management at some point, just so I can
Swamper look. level it out when camping. I don’t actually
And we still haven’t come to this Bus’s play around with the air-ride that much, I just
raison d’etre, its ride height. Or lack “Liam at Dalton Engineering made it all ok. air it our when I park up.
thereof. Khaleb told us: “I initially bought He re-engineered everything, so it ran low
the lowest spring and shock kit you can “The need to modify stuff is still there,
get. I spent loads and it was only 17mm even though all the hot hatches are now
lower and with about 2ft of arch gap. I gone. It was always a bit of a pipe dream to
was pretty disappointed. Then I met Ben put something on air and I picked the hardest
Mugford who’s now a good friend of mine. car I’ve owned to do it. Everything was all
He parked his Bus on hydros next mine just a bit of a happy accident, from buying
and I just thought, enough is enough. Mine the Bus in the rst place to the wheels that
drove horribly and wasn’t even remotely low were £80 on eBay and the chrome bumpers
enough so I decided I needed to run hydros that a chap had and wanted to swap for my
black rusty ones.” As accidents go, this one
de nitely won’t affect Khaleb’s premium.

60 Camper&Bus



ROAD TRIP

Island
hopping
Strumble Head
Lighthouse
Pre-pandemic, Harry Nowan set off in his Bay
aving tackled the Picos de Europa
Hwith his mum, sister and sheepdog Wooly mountain range the previous year
in my T25, we’d decided to stay
to do a circular tour that took in all that our a bit closer to home for our next
trip in Campanula, my trusty Bay
Window. Starting off in our hometown, the

beautiful isles have to offer capital, we would head westwards to Wales,
cross the water to Ireland then return via
Scotland – ticking off some of the most glorious

Words and Photos Harry Nowan countryside the British Isles has to offer in
the process. We hatched a plan that involved

mum, Sam, little sister Sian and my faithful Old

English Sheepdog Wooly travelling with me in

Campanula, while my brothers Eliott and Nick

would tag along in Eliott’s Fiesta.

So, on a Tuesday, the rst week of our

trip, we chugged along the M4 westwards to

Pembroke Dock where we had booked an

overnight stay in a Travelodge. Not much sleep

was had as Wooly had her mind set on alerting

us each time someone passed our room

outside!

Wednesday was spent getting a little taste

of Pembrokeshire; exploring the castle, driving

further up to Newgale Sands, St Davids and

Fishguard. Driving through towns and villages

62 Camper&Bus

Despite challenging terrain, the ROAD TRIP
Bay took Ballaghisheen Pass in
Pembrokeshire castle
its stride

Round Tower in icited smiles and laughter as Wooly our time, stopping on the way in Ardmore to
Ardmore ed on sitting on the passenger seat looking admire one of Ireland’s Round Towers and in
ght ahead! Cork to do some shopping.
pper was served at Strumble Head
house, giving us a marvellous view of Arriving at Hungry Hill Campsite we
ferries coming and going. About an hour before set up camp and being utterly exhausted
departure we drove down to Lower Fishguard spent the afternoon sleeping. After all, we
to relish at the atmospheric bay at midnight. all wanted to be refreshed for the evening
Boarding time was uneventful besides Wooly entertainment consisting of traditional irish
being not so happy having to stay all by herself music with beer and dancing. Sian stole the
in the Camper. show by delighting everyone with her irish
dancing skills which she seemed to pick up
Irish hospitality very quickly!

We arrived in Rosslare at 4am on Thursday The following weekend was spent exploring
after a fairly rough crossing. Mum had that beautiful peninsula, visiting Dursey Island
booked a campsite from Thursday through cable car, organising a canoe ride for Eliott
until Sunday, near Adrigole in the Beara on Garnish bay and driving along a ‘must
Peninsula. Having arrived so early we took drive’ coastal road, the R575 to Castletown-
Bearhaven. Irish Roads are a delight to drive
with wild owers growing at their edges.

Dursey Island Campsite Hungry Hill
cable car
Camper&Bus 63

ROAD TRIP

Beautiful Isle of Beara Eliott having fun

Sunday morning found us packing up and The view from our
crossing over the Healy pass into County Kerry. cottage in Kerry
Meanwhile, dad ew in with another brother,
Jason, to meet up at the tiny Kerry airport. upkeep of Chaplin’s monument) insisting that
she took her small version of an accordian each
Mum had booked a cottage not far from time we went in that direction!
Waterville (where Charlie Chaplin used to
spend his holidays) on the water’s edge next to There is another must-drive road if you
Lohar Fort. happen to be in that part of the world – the one
that leads onto the Ballaghisheen Pass. Truly
Situated on the Ring of Kerry, the N70, it the Highlands of Kerry!
gave us endless opportunities to explore that
part of Ireland. Highlights included Valentia Unfortunately we could not go on our planned
Island, Portmagee Skellig, Derrynane beach, boat trip to Skellig Michael to see the prehistoric
Waterville and of course Killarney National Park bee huts and puffins as the weather was too
where we admired the famous Ladies View and stormy and all boat trips had to be cancelled.
exchanged Camper and car for a 1hp horse and
cart ride to the Gap of Dunloe.

Special mention should be made of a
fascinating bay near the village of Sneem where
the sand consists of corals, one of only two
coral beaches in Ireland.

Another highlight of that part of Ireland was a
drive to the Dingle Peninsula driving along the
Slea Head drive with its prehistoric bee huts,
Slea Head and a beautiful end to a long day: a
drive and a run for Wooly along Inch Beach.

Sian had made fast friends with a local
accordian player in Waterville (collecting for

Wooly enjoying Time flies...
the scenery
The week ew by rather quickly, and on Friday
morning we were packing up our cars again.
To shorten our trip we took another ferry going
from Tarbet to Kilrush on the Wild Atlantic Way.
This time to spend the weekend in Miltown
Malbay, near Spanish point where a lot of ships
from the Spanish Armada got wrecked in 1588.
We really enjoyed a restful couple of days, but
come Sunday we hit the road again!

Mum had booked a cottage in Portballintrae
in Northern Ireland. It should take only about
ve and a half hours to reach, but driving with
an old Bay with plenty of stops pushed the

64 Camper&Bus

ROAD TRIP

Dad with
Charlie in
Waterville

driving time up to eight hours. Lohar Fort
We even passed Father Ted’s house in the
“we made the most of a random clearing in the
Burren National Park, on the R460, not far from beautiful wilderness surrounding Loch Glentrool”
Coro n. With photos taken, we stopped off at
the Glencar waterfall on the N16 for a picnic and Dark Hedges used for the lming of The Game to Cairnryan, where Elliot took his Fiesta down
ice cream. of Thrones, and being only a 20-minute drive to catch up on work in London. Myself, mum,
away, that was part of our next day’s adventure. Sian, Nick and of course Wooly took the slower
We reached Portballintrae early evening It was not long afterwards closed off to car trail in the Camper.
and settled in. As we were located next to the traffic. Guess it’s one more reason for me
Giant’s Causeway, that was the long awaited to treasure my photo of Campanula driving We spent the rst night wild camping in
trip for the next day, the whole family and dog along it! Galloway Forest Park where we made the
having fun hopping about on the hexagonal most of a random clearing in the beautiful
shaped rocks and marvelling at their beauty. At the end of that week dad, Jason and Sam wilderness surrounding Loch Glentrool.
ew home from Belfast. The rest of the gang Unfortunately no starry sky; it was cloudy with
Another must-see local attraction was the crossed the North Channel in a ferry from Larne an abundance of midges!
Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. How proud was my
little sis when she managed to cross it single Ballaghisheen
handedly receiving a certi cate at the end! Pass

Ferry good

We seemed to be using a lot of ferries this
holiday, so another one took us to Rathlin Island
hoping to see the puffins we missed in Kerry.
Sadly we were out of luck because when we
visited the Puffin season was over and the birds
were back at sea. Instead then we spent the
day exploring the Bird Sanctuary and lming the
seals on the beach.

Before nightfall we all went to watch a
memorable sunset at our local Dunluce castle.

A place I always wanted to see were the

Inch Beach Prehistoric
Dingle Beehuts

Camper&Bus 65

ROAD TRIP

Father Ted wasn’t answering
when we called

Seals on Rathlin Island

Giant’s
Causeway

Off we went the next morning to the Red We wanted very much to reach the most Dunluce Castle
Deer Park, then on to Dumfries for some wonderful campsite at Gordale Scar in the
supplies. Our aim was to reach Kielder Water, Yorkshire Dales. However, we had to be If time had not cruelly forced us to return
stopping off at Lockerbie to search for the patient as our next stop was Ribblehead home, we could have carried on and on
location of the aircraft disaster in 1988. I Viaduct as it was on my mum’s bucketlist! enjoying the varied sceneries our British Isles
have to offer. The Van proved faultless, the fun
nally managed to locate the memorial site. We eventually reached the campsite and endless... and if our trip provides inspiration for
From there we took the B7068 (another set up camp in semi darkness. Sian could not others, then it’s mission accomplished.
get enough from that site with its charming
must drive!) from Lockerbie to Langholm then brook running through it and climbing up the Kielder Water
took a minor road (amazing) to Newcastleton, scar between the waterfalls the next day. We
from where we took the B6357 eventually also stopped off at Malham Cove, its top and
ending up in Kielder. Unfortunately, it was too bottom before heading home again.
late to hire bikes so we settled for a quick hike
to stretch our legs. Housesteads Hadrian wall

We were treated to an amazing rainbow
above Kielder water. The campsite for the
night was Bellingham, which we found
spacious and very clean. From there we went
next morning to explore Hadrian’s Wall and
the Housesteads.

Afterwards we did some shopping in
Haydon Bridge, crossing the Pennines on the
B6295 (how many must-do roads are there?!)
and then stopped at High Force and Cow
green reservoir for a quick look around.

Gordale Scar Campsite

66 Camper&Bus



BUS SHOW

Close to 300 Split Screen Buses assembled for the OCTO Meet near Los
Angeles – and we were there to join in the festivities!

Words and photos Stephan Szantai

The Volkswagen scene has Split and Bay Windows would participate in part to participants embracing the whole
undoubtedly changed since the the ‘new wave’ VW meets, as these vehicles camping lifestyle.
turn of the century. In fact, it suffered from a certain image they dragged
seems everyone is going ‘Bus from previous decades – Buses were usually Both the Blackstar and El Prado meets
crazy’ these days. Advertising associated with hippies and Flower Power. are part of the So-Cal VW Week, which
rms happily use them to convey that ’60s actually stretches over two weekends and
or ’70s beach lifestyle, auction houses In stark contrast, today’s VW show incorporates a wide range of events, from
are delighted to see the values of Type 2s scene truly embraces them, as reported a Volkswagen show/drag race (Bug-In #45)
reaching record highs and more grey-haired in our October issue’s report on Southern to a memorable cruise night (hosted by Der
and nancially stable individuals are joining California’s great Blackstar Campout. This Kleiner Panzers club). Yet Type 2 fans tend
the pool of buyers. Yeah, you might say that get-together held in conjunction with the to convene in a large parking lot located in
the Bus hobby is doing rather well! huge El Prado Show & Shine drew no less the city of Long Beach, near Los Angeles,
than 1500 Volkswagens, including a large for a shindig more to their liking: the OCTO
But, boy, what a change of attitude, percentage of Buses and Campers of all Meet. It happens to be the West Coast’s
compared to the 1980s and ’90s… Very few generations. It proved fantastic, thanks in largest gathering of pre-1968 Transporters,

Matt Devine’s 1962 23-Window Microbus – a rare model with double doors! Early patina Barndoor was nice, too
68 Camper&Bus

BUS SHOW

Ed Hugues’ freshly finished 1950 Panel stole the show

This cherry picker (known as Ruthmann Steiger) belonged to Shawn Mittleberger and featured airbag suspension, Porsche wheels and lots of rust
Camper&Bus 69

BUS SHOW

Argentinian couple Belu and Lucho had travelled from Argentina with their final destination being Alaska!
Homemade scooter was a wooden work of art and
had working front and rear lights

Check out the unique swap meet wagon + BMX bikes

aka Split Window Buses. participants. This year proved no different; felt comfortable visiting the get-together;
Long-time Camper&Bus readers might be an impressive 280 Split-era Transporters however, it was what you might call a
took over the venue. ‘local affair’. Borders remained closed at
familiar with the affair since we have featured the time, hence very few foreigners joined
it in our pages in the past. Hosted by the This pack of old rides invaded a paved the festivities. Even out-of-staters came in
Orange County Transporter Organization, lot behind grandstands that are part of the lower numbers than usual, as some folks
it takes place three times a year, typically Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium, preferred staying close to home. So, based
in the winter, summer and autumn. The home of the OCTO Meet since 2011. With on these facts, hats off to the Orange County
summertime edition – the subject of this Covid-19 cases being relatively low in Transporter Organization for managing to
article – often draws the largest number of Southern California at the time, many locals

Another rare Double Door Deluxe 1955 German Werkfeuerwehr (fire truck used in a factory) Barndoor has only
covered 7000 miles since new!

BUS SHOW

This truck’s running rare Crestline wide-5 wheels We rekcon this has to be one of the longest
Bus roof racks ever

“an impressive 280 Split-era
Transporters took over the venue”

1956 truck with
unique woodwork was
transporting a hand-built
mini Panel Van

Genuine Schwinn Sting-Ray bikes
Rich Wright’s 1961 Samba with 17in Porsche
wheels is a former VolksWorld feature car

Camper&Bus 71

BUS SHOW

Beach cruiser modified from the early ’80s was
brought to the event by Skinner Classics

1941 to ’46 Chevy headlights will fit on the roof
of a Split Type 2 with minimal alteration

gather such a larger number of Buses. thanks to the products awarded by sponsors Shawn Mittleberger cruised in his unusual
Americans love their trophies… Yet, such as Wolfsburg West, West Coast Metric, 1966 Ruthmann Steiger cherry picker with
ISP West and Skinner Classics. some serious patina, a Single Cab tted
since the rst happening in the late 1990s, with an airbag suspension kit and polished
the OCTO Meet promoters have made the This edition of the OCTO Meet allowed Porsche Fuchs wheels.
decision not to have them. This gives the visitors to discover various newly nished
event a very relaxed atmosphere, with what project cars, gathered in the front row along While cruising the aisles, we met a
seems to be a constant ux of Buses driving with other rare Type 2s, as has been the wonderful couple from Argentina, Belu and
in and out, as some folks come for only a tradition for years. Among the notable just Lucho, who displayed their Brazilian Bay
couple of hours. They often visit to check the completed rarities, we should mention Window, a model never imported into the
busy swapmeet/autojumble which plays a the 1962 double-door 23-Window Samba United States. They left their home country
key role in the show’s success. Incidentally, owned by Matt Devine, together with David aboard the vehicle four years ago, and
most vendors are encouraged to bring their Sweinhagen’s 1952 Deluxe Microbus and Ed have since covered 45,000 miles through
goodies in a Split Bus – you pay an extra fee Hugues’ exceptional 1950 Panel Van with 17 countries, suffering one robbery along
if you want to sell out of a non-VW vehicle. beautiful Radium lettering – one of the world’s the way. Their ultimate destination: Alaska!
The raffle always draws a large crowd as well, oldest Transporters. In a very different style, Check out the website viajayreite.com to
follow their adventures.

With US borders being once again open,
we highly recommend visiting one of the
OCTO Meets. The winter 2022 date has not
been con rmed yet, though it will likely take
place in February as usual. Check out octo.
org for further info. You won’t regret your trip
– a great way to enjoy California’s pleasant
winter season!

The Bus that starred in the movie Fast Times at
Ridgemont High with Sean Penn. What d’ya mean
you’ve never heard of it?

72 Camper&Bus

BUS SHOW

1977 Mexican-made VW Hormiga has its
air-cooled engine up front!
Rare Fumagalli wheels from Brazil are now
being remanufactured

“Shawn Mittleberger
cruised in his unusual
1966 Rithmann Steiger

cherry picker”

This ’62 Crew Cab with narrowed beam and 3.88 Bug transmission could Truck and mini-truck. Patina works well with a handful of chromed parts
have been yours for $45,000 Camper&Bus 73

BUS HISTORY

It’s a bit like a Bus...

Before Volkswagen got its own Type 2 off the ground, there was the
Tempo Matador – Volkswagen-powered, but front-engined, front-
wheel drive and with a very distinctive front

Words Richard Gunn

Picture: Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

It’s almost impossible not to smile at a before Volkswagen tried to kill it off as an machines, as war loomed on the horizon.
Tempo Matador. It looks like a slightly unwelcome competitor. But such scarcity Its G1200 light utility vehicle featured two
bemused alien badly in need of some has just made the VW-powered Matador 600cc engines, one at the front, one at the
sleep – although we mean that in a even more of a fabled beast. Sixty- ve years rear, working together to give four-wheel
genuinely affectionate way. But for after the last one was built, it seems a good drive. Sweden bought 400 of the things,
all the endearing cuteness, the Matador opportunity to look back on this most curious being a country where 4WD is rather useful
is both fascinating and pioneering. At of trucks. when it snows.
a time when commercial vehicles were
generally just very basic and traditional, Keeping Tempo Immediately post-war, Tempo got by in
it featured front-wheel drive, years before the shattered city of Hamburg by doing vital
Volkswagen (and practically everybody The full name of Tempo was Vidal & Sohn vehicle repairs. It started building tricycles
else, for that matter) got around to it. And Tempo-Werke GmbH, founded by Max Vidal again in 1947. In 1948, the company got a
it introduced Volkswagen to Australia well in Hamburg in 1883 to provide re- ghting new designer, Dietrich Bergst, who set about
before the marque itself made its own services for the coal industry. In 1927 Max modernising the range. And to help it out,
official inroads into the country that would and son Oskar turned their hand to building Tempo turned to Volkswagen. VW was also
grow to love it just as much as Europe and motorised vehicles instead – essentially re-establishing itself after the war, limited
the USA. Yet it survived in its original form cheap three-wheeler delivery carts. Soon, in how many Beetles it could produce by
for just a few years – from 1949 to 1952 – their rm was also producing military the amount of steel it could lay its hands
on. However, putting together engines and
74 Camper&Bus

BUS HISTORY

The Volkswagen engine was almost in the centre of the chassis. Fortunately, it
could be quite easily dropped

An Australian advert for the Matador. Cabin heating would have been a rarity
on any commercial vehicle of this era

“It looks like a slightly
bemused alien badly in

need of some sleep”

transmissions was much less of an issue, Later Matadors had their headlamps moved downwards, after they lost their Volkswagen engines
and so new boss Heinrich Nordhoff was Camper&Bus 75
more than happy to send a supply of them
Tempo’s way.

Lot of front

The Matador went completely against the
Beetle grain, by having its 1131cc air-
cooled VW engine towards the front of its
rudimentary wooden- oored tube chassis,
powering the front wheels. In fact, with the
engine behind the gearbox and under the
driver’s seat, it was practically mid-mounted,
like a sports car. However, with just 25bhp
to play with, it was far from a racer, with a
cruising speed of between 40 to 50mph
and a maximum velocity of about 60mph.
It handled well – albeit with a rather hard
suspension – but did get rather warm, thanks
to the close proximity of the engine to any
occupants. Access to it was via the cab seat
back. Although ‘access’ is probably rather
a strong word. You could more just look at
its very con ned location in despair rather
than tinker. Fortunately, it could be dropped
through the oor in only a few minutes if
anything went too badly wrong.

Van and at-bed bodies were offered,
and there was even an estate version for
those who fancied using one as a load-
lugging car instead. The rst 100 screwed
together were test examples lent to a
transport company and pretty much driven
into the ground. Once they had proved their
worth, full-scale manufacture began, with

BUS HISTORY

the Matador proving very successful: over few redesigns watering down the truck’s per cent share in the family rm he started to
13,000 of these ‘Bulldogs’ (as they were idiosyncratic appearance. They were even Hanomag in 1965 and from the following year,
nicknamed) being built from 1950 to May built in the UK by Jensen, in West Bromwich the Tempo name disappeared from vehicles.
1952. Australia proved a surprise hit market, near Birmingham, from 1958. Manufacture Ownership of what remained of Tempo
even though one magazine road tester got ceased in 1967. eventually passed to one of Volkswagen’s
a little confused, asserting they were “the great rivals, Mercedes-Benz, in 1969.
same unit that Rommel used in North Africa As for the company itself, Oskar sold a 50
to supply his army.” Um, not quite… and
probably not an error the Australian importer
was too ecstatic about. The Matador was
Australia’s very rst experience of any sort
of Volkswagen, for the Beetle didn’t appear
down under until 1952. Thus the vehicle
was regarded as something of a novel and
unusual contraption.

End of Tempo Matador survivors are rare – this mildly customised example was sold in the UK a few years ago

Unfortunately, Tempo’s success wouldn’t
last. Volkswagen launched its Type 2
Transporter in November 1949 and soon
began to regard vehicles like the Matador
as rivals stealing its sales. So in 1951, the
supply of engines and transmissions was
halted. Tempo persevered though – adopting
JLO then Heinkel engines, which were
actually SAAB units built under licence.
Neither proved as reliable as Volkswagen’s
motor though – naturally – and sales
plummeted. Nevertheless, production of the
Matador continued, with a 1.5-litre Austin
engine eventually being adopted and a

76 Camper&Bus

HEAT

Ecowagon create hand-crafted, www.ecowagon.co.uk 01209 843654
stylish and practical campervans.
Convert your lifestlye!

BUS HOW TO

THE KEY TO SUCCESS
How to sort your door locks and latches to make your Bus a super
slick one-key affair

There’s nothing worse than buying Words and photos Mark Walker YOU’LL NEED...
a Bus and being handed literally
a handful of keys by the previous I’ve lost count of the times I’ve bought Tool.................... 4mm allen key; screwdrivers
owner. Okay, maybe there is Buses or had a customer bring a Bus to me – flat and crosshead; fine
something worse: not being able with a similar tale to tell. But I’m here to show screwdrivers; longnose
to either lock or unlock your pride and joy, you that getting your locks sorted out and pliers; hammer and drift
either because the keys don’t work properly, onto one key really isn’t brain surgery. In
or because there’s something wrong with the fact, it can be a surprisingly therapeutic job Materials .......... Lock lubricant
latches themselves. to carry out on your Bus and one that means Skill Level ......... 2
you won’t be fumbling for the right key the Time taken........ 4-8 Hours
next time you exit your front door. Cost DIY............. £30 for parts
Cost Pro ............ £50-£300 parts and labour

Camper&Bus 79

BUS HOW TO

01Work out a plan/order parts 03Remove cab door handle
The Bus that was used as an example in the pictures arrived with no door Next remove one of the cab door handles to find the code there. The
keys but had a genuine VW ignition key that wouldn’t turn in all the door locks. procedure is as follows: Looking at the inner door handle, you will see the
As VW originally supplied Bay Buses with one key to fit everything, I figured it had escutcheon/surround. You will first need to remove the inner black plastic
been changed and decided to re-key the door locks to suit this key. scratchplate cover, if fitted, in order to access the screw. To do this, grab a small
flat screwdriver and insert it into the notch at the front edge of the inner cover/
More often than not though, when buying an import project Bus with no keys, scratchplate. You should be able to pry this out without too much effort.
or having lost keys to a Bus, the best course of action is to remove one of the
cab door handles and get a key cut from the code – I use Croma locksmiths in You will now be faced with a crosshead screw so remove it, being careful not
Southsea (023 92731770) who generally keep L and R code key blanks in stock. to drop it into the bottom of the door. The escutcheon can now be drawn off the
handle; you may need to pull the handle out a little to do this. Next, remove the
As a reference, the picture above shows the difference between early 1968-69 window winder handle by gently prying off the plastic covering the metal handle.
L code lock barrels (indented) and later 1970 onwards flat faceplates. It’s not Then use a crosshead screwdriver to undo the screw which holds the handle to
uncommon for Buses to be fitted with the wrong type of barrel in at least one the mechanism.
of the doors – you won’t be able to get your Bus on one key unless all of your
barrels are the same type, so check them first, then source good used parts at Now the handle should just pull off the splined shaft. It’s not unusual for these
a show or on the internet. While you’re at it, pick up some spare locks to dissect to get a bit stuck with age, so just wiggle it back and forth. The final step before
for the lock wafers, or try to buy some new wafers. If all else fails, or you’d rather you can unclip the interior panel is to remove the interior handle – 2x crosshead
give the locks to someone else, The Lock Shop at Custom & Commercial (info@ screws will free this, then it can be carefully unhooked and removed. You can
customandcommercial.com) should be able to help. They supply genuine keys now unclip the door panel and locate the 2x 4mm Allen headed screws. Remove
and barrels, rebuild existing barrels and can copy and cut keys from a code. these, being careful to support the handle as you do so. Put the handle seals in a
safe place for reassembly.

On the cab door handle, the lock code is stamped into the locking pin – clean
this area to access the code and then get a locksmith to cut you a new key. With
luck, this will then fit all of your doors and ignition.

02 Remove sliding door handle 04 Changing the ignition barrel
When it comes to removing a door handle to get a key cut to the code, If you’ve now realised that your ignition barrel is incorrect, or doesn’t have
the sliding door handle is by far the easiest. To remove this, take off the inner the right coded key for your Bus, then either live with having two keys, remove
plastic cap (if fitted) with a small screwdriver, then undo the crosshead screw. it to swap or re-key. The barrel can be a swine to remove if I’m honest and the
You can now pull the handle out of the door from the outside. If you’re lucky, the procedure for removal and refitting changed quite a bit over the years. The Bentley
handle is either in the unlocked position, or it has the key code stamped on the manual covers the removal procedure for all years of Bus – it’s beyond the scope of
square part that goes into the lock mechanism; some handles have the key code this how-to, to detail this procedure in full for all possible years.
stamped here and some have it stamped in the round cylindrical part that sits
inside the lock escutcheon. As you can see in the picture, it is possible to dismantle and re-key the
ignition, but the lock wafers are different to the door lock ones and used ignition
The handle in the picture was donated to my ’71 project Bus by the very kind barrels of the correct year are hard to find. The best course of action is to buy
Gary Tarrant at Cool Campers when I visited him recently (www.coolcampers. a year-correct ignition barrel from somewhere like Custom & Commercial, or in
co.uk). I hit a bit of a hurdle though when I cleaned the dirt off and realised that thesamba.com classifieds, then re-key your door locks to match.
the key code was hidden under the escutcheon and the escutcheon was locked
in position. I got around this by grinding the escutcheon thin with a flap disc on
a grinder and opening it up with a sharp chisel. Of course, if your handle is in a
locked position like this and you can’t access the code, then it’s best to try to get
a key cut to a code off one of the other handles first.

80 Camper&Bus

BUS HOW TO

05 Remove rear hatch lock
Removing the rear hatch lock is easier with the hatch open. If your hatch
is locked, then you can open the hatch from inside – you may need to remove the
interior panel to do this, then pull the latch lever towards you whilst pushing the
hatch open. It may be sticky if the Bus has been sitting a while. With the hatch
open, remove the three crosshead screws that hold the latch to the tailgate –
soak with penetrating oil first and make sure you use a well-fitting screwdriver,
or you’ll round off the heads (these screws are usually tight/seized).

With the screws removed, you can remove the latch, then access the
crosshead screw to remove the lock. As you remove the screw, support the latch
and be careful not to drop the seal/gasket.

06 Re-key sliding door handle 07 Re-key rear hatch lock/1968 cab door handle
With all of your locks removed, you can now begin the process of re- The process for re-keying the rear hatch lock and the 1968-only cab
keying your locks to match the same key. Starting with the slider handle, give it door handles is very similar; the only real difference is the locking pin on the
a good clean, so you can access the tiny grub screw that holds the barrel into end of the barrel. To remove the barrel, first undo the crosshead screw holding
the handle – you may need to dig out some grease/dirt to see it. Apply some lock the locking pin on, then remove, taking care to make a note of the locking pin
lubricant (not WD40) which will keep lubricating as time goes on and contains a orientation. You will now need to remove the large circlip. The easiest way to do
de-icing element too. this is to slide one end around until the other end is poking out across the notch
in the handle. Then slide a fine screwdriver under the protruding end and work
Now carefully remove the screw with a well-fitting fine screwdriver, being this around, making sure to shield the clip with the palm of your other hand to
careful not to round it off if tight. Then insert a key and carefully draw out the stop it flying off into the abyss.
barrel. Note how in the picture above I have removed the small brass lock wafers
and arranged them as they were fitted. The top right picture (above) shows the Then remove the shroud plate and spring, before arranging all the parts in the
three different types of lock wafer. The re-keying process is simple – you fit the order removed and giving everything a clean. You will now see, on the galvanised
wafers on a trial and error basis to the profile of the key you want to use. Make area of the barrel surround, a small grub screw. Remove this carefully and set
sure that the key is an L or R code to match the barrel as shown in Step 01. aside, before pushing the barrel out with your thumb. The re-keying procedure
is the same as in Step 06. Re-assembly is the reverse of removal. Remember
Carefully remove the wafers with long nose pliers before giving everything to thoroughly test that your re-keyed lock works and to clean and lubricate
a good spray and clean with lock lubricant. Be very careful with the tiny return everything before re-assembly.
springs; if damaged or missing, replace with ones from the spare locks you bought.
Now you can build up the lock on a trial and error basis; you will need the end of 08 Re-key cab door handle 1969-79
the wafers to sit flush with the barrel for the key to turn. Once you’re happy, slide The cab door handles are next on the hit list unless you have a 1968
the barrel back into the handle with the key fitted and turn a few times to check Bus (see above). These 1969-on handles are pretty easy to do. Use a crosshead
it turns freely. Remove the key, then try again. When you’re happy, give it one last screwdriver to remove the screw and locking pin, before noting how the return
lube, then refit and fit the grub screw. Don’t overtighten it. You can put a dab of spring is fitted (take a picture to remind yourself). Now remove the spring and the
paint or nail varnish on the end, or use Loctite. barrel can be drawn out from the front. Re-keying is the same as in Step 06. As
before, clean and lube before thoroughly testing that your new re-keyed barrel
works. Once you’re happy, you can re-assemble.

Camper&Bus 81

BUS HOW TO

09 Sticking handle trigger
If your cab door handle sticks in the in position, then it could be one
of two things: either the trigger is clogged up with dirt, or the spring assembly
is missing or broken. To remedy either, remove the countersunk screw with
a flathead driver before prying out the securing plate. You can now pull the
trigger out and inspect the components. Nine times out of ten a good clean and
lubricate will suffice, but on one of our handles the spring and spring cap were
both missing, so I took one off a spare handle. It can be fiddly to refit the trigger,
ensuring it locates correctly on the spring cap. Once this is done, you can refit the
plate and screw.

10Engine lid lock LOVE YOUR LATCHES
It’s actually not that common to find a Bus fitted with an original engine lid
lock (rather than a non-locking one) but if your Bus has one, or if you find one at Like your latch barrels, your latches can suffer from corrosion and with
a swapmeet, wouldn’t it be nice to have an engine bay that is safe from thieves. age can become clogged up with dirt and debris, too. The cab door
On first glance, it’s hard to see how an original engine lid lock comes apart; in latches can be a pain to wiggle out of the doors, but the rest of the
fact I’d never actually got around to stripping one until I put this feature together. latches are pretty easy to remove.
You’ll be pleased to know that it’s pretty simple, but would possibly be easier with
either a second pair of hands or a vice to clamp the button in the ‘in’ position – The latch pictured above is the rear sliding door latch from my ’71 import
you will need to push the button all the way in, in order to drift out the pin. project Bus. When the Bus arrived from Colorado, the sliding door was stuck
closed, it wouldn’t budge. It was clear someone else had tried to pry the
Once you have drifted out the pin, the button comes out as in the attached door open, causing some damage to the door. In the end, I removed the
picture. You can then remove the grub screw and re-key the lock as in Step 06 striker plate bolts fore and aft from the inside, which released the door. I
above. One thing to note though: I don’t think I’ve ever seen an original Bus with then removed the seized rear latch and gradually coaxed it to release the
the engine lid lock keyed to match the other locks and I’ve seen/owned a lot of striker plate.
original Buses. Maybe someone can write in and clear this up.
82 Camper&Bus I would normally soak latches in thinners for a few days with repeated
brushing, before thoroughly lubricating them and working back and forth,
but on this occasion I had access to an ultrasonic cleaning tank. As you can
see, the after picture shows the latch in virtually as new condition and I
highly recommend this process if you want trouble-free door operation. Of
course, if your latches still won’t work after this, then you’ll need to source
replacements.

One other thing to note with cab door latches: If your door locks and
unlocks perfectly when the door is open but not when it is closed, then in
99% of cases a new latch spring will cure this; they are available from AH
Schofield very cheaply. It is a fiddly job to replace; buy at least two if you’re
replacing one – I messed one up before fitting the second one I tried.

Give everything a polish with chrome cleaner before refitting and give
your doors a polish behind where the handle will go too – you’ll never
get a better opportunity to do this. Hopefully, your doors will now operate
correctly and you can ditch the big bunch of keys. Result!



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OUR BUSES

The day I bought it. You can see the previous
owner’s new Van on his drive but I prefer the

look of mine. Love is blind and all that

Changing lanes

Former editor James turned to the dark side when he sold his
Bay and bought a T5. It has not been plain sailing so far…

Owner info If anyone read my recent road trip feature, and my daily driver, a BMW 1-Series
they’ll already know that I sold my Bay M-Sport Coupe, didn’t cut the mustard. A T5
Name: James and now own a T5 Caravelle. So why suddenly seemed to offer the solution to all
Peene would a diehard air-cooled guy, someone of our problems and the hunt was on for a
who’s owned air-cooled VWs for 30 years, suitable vehicle.
Job: Regular suddenly switch allegiances? The truth is it
contributor just made complete sense. The Bay simply I like to think that all my years of service
didn’t t in with where my life is at right now. I on this and VWt magazine armed me for
Fleet: ’58 Beetle, have a young daughter with my partner, and the search ahead. Knowledge is power
BMW 1-Series she has two older boys. We also have two and all that. But, I decided to ignore all the
large, oa sh dogs and the tin-top Bay was just warnings people make about the 2.5 engine.
Work this month: too small, too low and too slow to get us all Everyone says the 1.9 engine is the better
Buying this Bus where we wanted to be. The funds from the bet, but I didn’t want a converted Van. I
Bay sale also came in handy during lockdown. wanted something with a nicer interior and
When things opened up a bit, we felt the more creature comforts. I wanted air-con
need to get away for a holiday. Nothing fancy, and heated front seats. I also didn’t want my
just a week out of the house so we bought little girl sat miles away in the back when we
a trailer tent and booked some campsites in were on the road so something with sliding
Cornwall. The thing is, we needed something seat rails was the preference. They also
to tow it and get us all there in one vehicle meant I could slide the rear seat forward to
put all the dogs and junk in the back and not

86 Camper&Bus

OUR BUSES

Heated seats. Am I getting old or am I just Sliding seat rails and room for all the family and Not sure about the window tints. Would I miss
someone who knows how cold a Transporter can assorted junk make this one helluva useful vehicle them if I removed them? That’s a decision there’s
be first thing on a winter morning? no going back on

have to clamber over them. Basically, a 2.5
CaravelIe ticked all of the boxes. So that’s
what I set my heart on.

Useful advice

I enquired after loads and discovered that
everything worth having sold pretty much
immediately or was out of my budget. There
was one that I kept coming back to on eBay,
being advertised by a dealer but it had one
price on eBay and another on Auto Trader.
He was evasive with my answers and offered
to hold it for a small non-refundable deposit.
No way was I going to do that. I also carried
out an MoT check (at gov.uk/check-mot-

Bodywork is worse than the
photos suggest. I’d like to
do something about the ride
height at some point too

No they don’t. First job was to desticker the windows Just what I wanted. A perfect occasional Camper
and cool weekday cruiser

Camper&Bus 87

OUR BUSES

I’ve always hated DVD players in Campers, but it kept my three-year-old I’ve not totally turned my back on air-cooled Volkswagens. I still have a ’58
happy on the way to Cornwall so I’m a convert to them Beetle project on the go

history) and discovered a list of advisories as air con wasn’t working and the mileage my BMW and had been in a hurry to get over
long as your arm. Now, advisories are only was higher than I’d hoped at 196K. Looking to view it. All in all, I thought it was the one
that. But they’re a valuable tool for anyone through all the receipts I could see it had for me, so I made an offer and I’d bought my
looking at a vehicle as they tell you what been given regular oil changes and following
you’ll need to do at some point in the not too a test drive, around town and down the dual rst ‘modern’ Transporter. Phew.
distant future. I’d advise anyone looking at a carriageway, I thought it drove well enough. That left me with a bit of time before my
vehicle of an MoT’able age to carry out that A little sluggish perhaps, but I reasoned that
one simple, free check. When I asked the was maybe because I’d just jumped out of holiday to nish xing up the trailer tent and
dealer if there was anything it needed he become familiar with the Caravelle. I was
said: “No. It’s all good to go,” so I knew that going to need it…
Bus was no good for me.
“The Bay simply didn’t fit in with where my life is
Then, fate took a hand. With only two at right now”
weeks before we were due to head to
Cornwall and faced with renting a car with
a tow bar, a 2003 Caravelle with loads of
history popped up only 15 minutes from me.
The only other likely candidate was a three-
hour drive away, was more expensive and I
didn’t like the colour. It did have less miles
on it and was slightly newer, but if the local
one turned out to be okay, I knew I’d buy it,
and I did.

A good bet The face of a man
listening out for
The chap selling it had upgraded to a
newer, LWB Caravelle for towing his strange noises on a
caravan. He’d owned it for seven years long journey in a VW
and had a stack of invoices and receipts. It
had also had some cool styling upgrades,
including a at-bottomed steering wheel,
some decent alloys with good tyres, a DAB
radio and there was a tow bar already tted.
Better still, there was a fairly recent receipt
for a clutch, which isn’t cheap on a T5 with
its dual mass ywheel.

The trade-off was the bodywork has a
few more bubbles than I’d have liked, the

88 Camper&Bus



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CURRENT LISTINGS

VOLKSWAGEN BAY CAMPERVAN VOLKSWAGEN BAY CAMPERVAN VOLKSWAGEN BAY CAMPERVAN

1973, 91500 miles, £10,500. VW bay window 1974, £17,500. Tax abs mot exempt. New interior, 1978, 68892 miles, £15,000. 1978 t2 bay front
1973. Inside the rock and roll bed/kitchen has sink, gas hobs. Three way fridge. New new cards, campervan in green with white top , 12 months
been replaced with a corner sofa, large enough to new front carpet abs rear vinyl flooring. 240 hook mot. no rust or welding , plenty of storage space
seat 7 people. There are 3 seatbelts fitted. Roof is up. All welding done. 1600 engine. Good gear , roof rack , electrics ,gas ,tv etc . built in electric
bamboo, door cards are Hessian sacks and floor box. Good straight van, ready to go!. Please call heater. Lots of extras. Please call 07958141159,
is reclaimed wooden floor boards. !. Please call 07801948145 , North West. West Midlands.
07890174625, South West.
110208 111000
110029
VOLKSWAGEN BAY CAMPERVAN VOLKSWAGEN CAMPERVAN
VOLKSWAGEN BAY CAMPERVAN

2003, 23600 miles, £23,000. 2003, Brazilian 1975, 40000 miles, £21,500. Australian imported 1984, 141074 miles, £8,500. VW T25 Caravelle
import, 38000 km, left hand drive, Danbury pop Westfalia RHD. In Excellent condition. Tax and camper van called Birt. Birt was born in Germany
top and 3/4 width rock and roll bed. Bespoke Mot exempt and regularly serviced. Owned and in 1984. He is left hand drive. I have owned birt
kitchen conversion with 2 x gas rings, gas grill, garaged by me for the last 15 years. Reconditioned since 2013 and am reluctantly selling him due to
3-way fridge, sink. Webasto petrol heater. Not 1600cc lead free engine fitted in 2007 and driven a change in my personal circumstances. Birt was
lowered, original steering. 4 x new tyres. A couple 10,000 miles since fitted. Newly fitted Rosewood resprayed from green to red in 2014. Please call
of minor rust patches in the usual places. Email steering Wheel And radio, CD player. Please call 07557350417, South West.
[email protected]. Glasgow, Scotland. 07944656660, West Midlands.
Please call 07825214219, Scotland. 109639
110497
109925

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VOLKSWAGEN CAMPERVAN VOLKSWAGEN TRANSPORTER VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 2 CAMPER

1963, £89,995. VW 23 Window Deluxe Samba. 2006, 180000 miles, Offers. Transporter, LWB, 1972, 125000 miles, £17,000. Key features: Full
Manual, green, right hand drive, leather interior, high roof, new MoT, new full service, cam belt MOT (last MOT Oct 2020), Bodywork is in a good
fully restored. Please call 01765 609798, 10,000 miles ago, recon gearbox, 1900cc diesel. condition with some areas which require attention.
Yorkshire and the Humber. (T) Please call 07806 931170, Greater London. Steerco Power-steering unit installed in 2018.
New JustKampers Gear Shifter Upgrade Refurb
111324 110312 kit installed in 2018. Modern interior with fitted
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VOLKSWAGEN CAMPERVAN VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 2 CAMPER roll bed. Drop down Buddy Seat and additional
buddy seat fitted.Please call 07811402227, North
1972, POA. T2 Van / Camper requiring completion 1979, 115543 miles, £25,000. Felix our West.
of restoration. New panels have been fitted well headturning Type2 VW campervan is for sale,
and there is just small amount of repair required we’ve owned him for the last 11 years. He is a VOLKSWAGEN TYPE 2 CAMPER
on LH floor edge (see last picture) and maybe a solid bus and bought as a rolling restoration in
couple of other small bits, but most of welding that time with much work completed by VW resto
is complete. Please call 01763262263, East of specialist Canterbury, Rusty Kampers. Please call
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110923 108621

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1967, £13,000. T2 Kombi van. Texas import 1971, 59740 miles, £23,000. Ruby - outstanding 1970, £28,750. T2 Deluxe Camper. Lovely
L.H.D. with age verification certificate. Deserves LHD 1971 Classic Westfalia Pop Top Early Bay. fresh paintwork that presents without dents or
continued restoration to complete project. We’ve owned her for 10 years. California import. scratches, unmarked wheels, original glass, no
Bodywork sorted, primed and resprayed Blue/ Creative Coachworks restored the body. Re- rust, many new parts including – wing mirrors,
White. Interior stripped ready for new fit out. sprayed in the original Chianti Red and Polar steering wheel, front seat covers, door cards
Needs overhaul or update of running gear and new White. Canvas pop top replaced. Please call (including sliding door), spare wheel cover, rear
engine. New Parts included: safari windscreens, 07376364747, West Midlands. view mirror, deluxe chrome trim, carpets, interior
wiring loom, front and rear light units, rear trims, window winders, door pulls, headliner,
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gearbox, donor engine, front window frames, and many more! The engine presents in very clean
more. Please call 01263 502151, East of England. rust-free condition and the tailgate area has new
carpet. Please call 07711645465, South East. (T)
110236
109013

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LAST WORD

The interview

Steve Lumley from London-based campervan hire and accessory company
CamperVanTastic (www.campervantastic.com) explains how he achieves
marital harmony on a camping trip and why it’s important to go for as long as you
can and plan as little as possible

What Buses have you owned, do you have one at the Old or new camper?
moment? It has to be newish, so de nitely water-cooled and with
I started with a 2003 T4 Westfalia California, left-hand drive plenty of power and the comfort of air conditioning that can
and with a powerful 2.5 TDi 150 BHP engine and still have get us reliably to the sunshine.
this today, lovingly maintained and cared for with nothing
but original VW parts. Cook inside or out?
Since forming CamperVanTastic in 2007 we’ve worked It’s always been mainly outside cooking up a feast on a
through every model and have seen every detail change Cadac cooker or Grillo Chef BBQ. Inside cooking is just for
right through to the latest T6.1. However the eet expanded when the weather is terrible or for a quick cuppa en route.
in 2020 to include the VW Grand California based on the
Crafter chassis in both 6m and 6.80m models. Beyond Would you ditch fossils fuels and go electric?
these we are hoping to get our hands on the new VW Without a doubt if we could get a similar range but that’s
Caddy California which I was fortunate to test drive at the the main issue so we might have to wait a bit longer for
UK press launch, and of course we are eager to welcome technology to improve.
the electric derivatives as soon as they launch! So we are
extremely lucky to be able to experience the developments Are you a minimalist or do you take the kitchen sink?
and put them to the test on road trips and camping I know what my wife would wish for! We have a love of all
weekends. outdoor sports and as the boys have grown so has the kit
list – bikes, surfboards, and now kite sur ng gear. There’s
So what was your favourite Bus? certainly no minimalist activities for us so we have recently
Our rst, the T4 Westfalia California. Without this we might invested in a trailer!
never have had so many adventures.
Prefer going solo, or take all the family?
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve camped in We’ve always taken the whole family and often make a
your Van? convoy with other families.
Now that’s a tough call but I guess free camping in -20C at
the foot of the ski slopes in a car park in France with my wife Favourite post-pitch tipple?
and children who were 4 and 5 at the time. We ended up A cold Peroni always hits the spot after the drive, cheers!
staying three nights having a blast sledging and skiing – it
was amazing. Where haven’t you been that’s on your list of must-visit
places for 2022?
Have you got any oddball camping rituals, like always The list is endless and gets more adventurous every year.
having to have a pair of slippers on inside, or pitching We’d love to take the ferry to Iceland and explore the island
up facing the toilet block? in our own campervan. We would also like to check out
Make sure the Illy coffee and Bialetti Moka are in the Turkey maybe travelling there via Eastern Europe which we
accessible cupboard so I get my caffeine x and I don’t haven’t explored much. With so much uncertainty around
have to disturb my wife in the morning! I am all for marital travel the campervan gives us the exibility to decide last
harmony. minute, so who knows where we will end up.

Never leave home without it camping gadget? Finally, your golden rule when away in a Campervan?
I am afraid I am a bit annoying in that sense, with a shop full Go for as long as possible as what you originally allow for
of gear there’s always plenty things to try out. Being a bit of is never long enough. Oh, and plan as little as possible so
a digital nomad, I always have my laptop. That way I can still that you have the exibility to stay longer or move on when
work and stay away for longer. you want.

What was your funniest/strangest VW campervan
moment?
This was also the scariest when we were touring Morocco
and we found a deathstalker scorpion in the campervan at
bedtime while we were camping on the edge of the Sahara!
After the shock and screams my wife wanted me to kill it but
I just icked it out and thankfully it was gone by the morning!

98 Camper&Bus

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