VW Campervans And Much More

05/11/2011 By Leave a Comment

VW Campervans And Much MoreVW Campervans And Much More

If you are a fan of the VW Campervan you will love this collection of images which range from the weird to the wonderful in the world of all things VW. The creator of the video has brought together a large collection of iconic images which depict the VW genre in all its glory. The sound track may not be to the liking of all but the images are great.

Watch out for the numerous VW Splitscreen campervans the first being a crazy image of one splitscreen stacked on the top of another, clearly parking space is an issue in Germany. The colour co ordinated vw splitscreen camper in the field missing a hub cap and casually sporting a series of hay bails shows the everyday versatility of this old bus. [Read more...]

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VW Campervans The Riviera Conversion

05/11/2011 By Leave a Comment

VW Campervans The Riviera ConversionVW Campervans The Riviera Conversion

Riviera / ASI Campers

In the 1950’s and 60’s Riviera Motors in Oregon were the main distributor for Volkswagens in the Pacific, north-west, where camping was extremely popular.  The Westfailia Campers were in demand as they could get to places that the larger RV’S could not, and dealers could not get enough of them.  VWoA would only allow dealers  to have Westies if they also took a certain of commercials, which they did not want to do as these did not sell nearly as well as the campers.  In the mid 1960’s Knute Ovale, the owner of the Riviera Motors began talks with the Vancouver, Washington ASI camper conversions,  regarding building their own conversions.  In 1965 the first of these new Riviera Campers came on the market and similarly as the VWoA had done to them they struck a similar deal with their local VW dealers, insisting that they in order to get their Westfailia campers they had to purchase a certain number of Riviera conversions.    Initially there was some scepticism, but this was soon dispelled once they had seen the quality of the build and saw customers buying.  Unfortunately as there were no serial numbers, there is no record of the number made. [Read more...]

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VW Campervan Cooking

05/06/2011 By Leave a Comment

Cooking in your VW Campervan can be fun if you know what you want to cook. Jarred Fell of Juicy World has a good recipe for Thai Chicken Curry.

He starts by putting extra virgin oil in his frying pan on the vw campervan burner, then he adds garlic, ginger and onions together with the Thai green curry sauce. he mixes this as it cooks and manages to crack a few inane jokes as well.

Then he chops up his chicken breast (note his preference for a double D) and mixes in. He then adds half a tin of coconut milk and lets simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile he cooks his preferred jasmine rice and thens serves with a mysterious rice tower and then goes on to climb into hsi campervan for some obscure reason to eat it. He then answers his phone which catches fire..........

Ah well the recipe looks great for eating outside your VW Campervan this summer so watch carefully and enjoy.

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VW T4 Campervan

04/13/2011 By Leave a Comment

Looking for a VW T4 Campervan but unsure whether it will suit your camping needs? then watch this video of a T4 hire van and maybe even hire a for a week first to try it out. The video shows you the fridge,sink and hob arrangements as well as the large amount of storage space and cupboards available for all those camping essentials. The bed folds easily and the video shows you in very short time how versitile the T4 is for your camping needs.

You can view a selection of VW T4 Campervans For Sale here.

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VW Campervans The Moortown Conversion

01/28/2011 By Leave a Comment

Moortown Motors which was based in Leeds was another firm that started converting VW Buses into Campers in the late 1950’s, with the first demonstration model being shown at the Motor Show in 1958.

It was based initially on the 1958 Mircrobus with the finish to interior being a two tone dark over light green colour with a palm green over sand green with a soft green upholstery.   Moortown worked with an established local cabinet maker, Bamforth of East Heslerton and the woodwork was finished to a very standard.  The headliner cloth was replaced with a PVC one and a translucent plastic roof ventilator was an optional fitment.

The front bench seat was used as child berths and the space over the engine compartment.  The cooker could be used from inside or outside of the van as it could be accessed by  flap down sides.  The large table top could be stowed away under a roof compartment when not in use to give extra space.

The flooring was light green  to match the upholstery and the table, sink and cooker were all faced with green Formica.

In 1960- Moortown launched an extended range which included the Standard and Atlas vans in addition to  two VW versions now on the Kombi or Microbus and designated the Mark 1A and Mark 2A. The Mark 1A was almost the same as the previous VW Autohome except that it was updated with an extra fluorescent light and did away with the gas lighting.  The front cab seat base also swung up to make child’s bunk beds.   Another addition was a plastic washing up bowl was fixed in an additional cupboard that swung down in position under the push/pull pump tap.

The Mark 2A was almost the same but had a slightly higher level of trim and finish.  An optional extra was a strap over tent extension was also available.

In 1962 Moortown revised their layouts and introduced two new models the Mark 1B and the Mark 5.   The Mark 1B was almost identical  to the previous versions but the Mark 5 was ahead of its competitors as it had a walk through cab layout with divided front seats.  The bench seats from the Mark 1B were moved further apart to create more space and the main table was a little narrower to give better access.

From 1960 Moortown models also had the option of a fitted Calthorp Elevating roof.  It was still possible to order the  hinged Perspex roof ventilator up until 1963 but then it was discontinued.  Other optional equipment that was available included a lightweight awning or a complete tent awning.

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VW Campervan Restoration

12/22/2010 By Leave a Comment

If you are looking for a VW Campervan For Sale I suggest you view this Youtube Video first. I really liked it and the choice of sound track is super.


Here are just some of the comments posted on You Tube about the video


perfect looks great man


I'm looking 2 go on a tour of Europe in a VW Camper Van as well!


this video is so perfect i feel like im going to cry. Much respect for all the work gone into it.


this video is so perfect i feel like im going to cry. Much respect for all the work gone into it.


Inspiring! Thank you! I can only imagine what this must have cost you, which is what has prevented me from TRYING to do what you've done..


I had a 68 camper back in High School, rebuilt it from the ground up. Man do I miss it. I would love to get another one and do another re-build, I just don't have the time I had in High School.


 

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VW Campervans The Holdsworth Conversion

10/26/2010 By Leave a Comment

Richard Holdsworth Conversions based in Ashford, Middlesex started converting VW Vans In 1967. They began offering kit conversions and by 1972 when they became more established they moved to larger premises near Reading. They had ideal premisses sited on a disused WWII aerodrome and up to 50 campers could be assembled at any one time as there were 15 assembly bays. In addition to hand-built quality wood furniture, Holdsworth also used exclusive Scandinavia weave fabrics and could offer a full range of DIY conversions in addition to converting a used van. In 1995 the company went into receivership and relaunched as Cockburn Holdsworth but it never really recovered. Richard went on to work with Auto-sleeper developing their range of conversions. 

There were 2 main interior layouts of the Bay Window Holdsworths VW Campervans 

The first being the basic model and having the kitchen sited by the sliding door at the end of the bench seat. There was a pump tap for a washing bowl with a foot operated electric pump situated at the rear and seating was a dinette style around the table which laid between the bench seats for the bed. 

The second  had a stainless steel sink and drainer mounted in the kitchen cabine and a high level bed using the table and space above the engine and a unit behind the front passenger by the sliding door. It also had a fold out single seat. 

By the early 1970’s there were two elevating roof options, a concertina style pop top called the Weathershield and a side-hinged full length elevating roof with yellow/gold/brown striped canvas. Many people had roofs or kits fitted to their Buses.

Due to their design and build quality Holdworth conversions won many awards and continued with the launch of the T25 and by the mid 80’these conversions carried out by Richard Holdsworth were setting standards for others to follow. For two years running 1987/88 and 1988/89 it was awarded accolade Motor Caravan of the Year.

Two luxury models of the VW range were The Holdsworth Villa 3 and The Holdsworth Vision. In 1987 the Villa 3 was launched and The Holdworth Vision was based on the VW High Roof model and featured a very different layout and its spacious interior and quality fitments made the Vision one of the most luxurious and best equipped of the time. It set new standards that would soon become the norm when the T4 generation arrived.

Visit VW Campervans for sale for all the best information on your next VW Campervan

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VW Campervans The EZ Conversion (E-Zee or Easy)

10/18/2010 By Leave a Comment

EZ (E Zee as in Easy) Campers based in California were another American company who recognised the huge demand for the VW Campervan Westfalia conversion and the problem of supply  not meeting the demand. As a result this company began converting Panel Vans around in the early 1963/1964 and also declaring that EZ would convert your VW Campervan  into wonderful "weekend cabin on wheels" known as the El Viagero (meaning the Traveller). Like other US conversions the interior was closely modelled on the VW Westfalia Campervan.

The EZ interior was fully insulated and had a grooved wood panelling effect with the seating being vinyl covered. The rear bench seat converted quickly into a bed as it had automatically activated legs. Also mounts were fitted to the front bumper and the roof forthe fringed striped awning. From 1966 a a version based on the VW Kombi had the option of two-tone paint. It is the two tone paint scheme which makes this conversion stand out from the rest. This together with the wood interior to give that cabin in the wood feeling make EZ Campers a distinctive VW Campervan conversion which is collectable and desirable today.

Visit our vw campervan for sale pages to view campervans currently for sale

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VW Campervans The Dormobile Conversion

09/28/2010 By Leave a Comment

In 1773 a harness manufacturer known as the Martin Walter company was founded but they soon began building coaches and carriages. With the invention of the motor car they started to produce high quality bespoke coachwork on Daimler and Rolls Royce bodies. In the early 1950’s they identified a need to come up with a vehicle that combined family and utility use and apparently there is the story that one of the Martin Walter directors noticed people were actually sleeping in their vehicles whilst waiting for a cross channel ferry crossing. So he came up with the idea of designing a vehicle that could be used to travel in and also to sleep in, and in 1952 they produced a model using a Bedford CA where the seats formed a bench for sleeping and a cooker was fitted. It was known as the Dormobile which is based no the French word dormir, meaning “sleep” By 1956 the Dormobile trademark, the raising roof and the swivel seats that folded in various ways were designed. No other converters were as well set up and Dormobile were the main producer of affordable campers.

The name Dormobile became an established name such as Hoover or Biro and was associated with quality yet affordable motor caravans and in 1960 when the move into the VW Campervan market reflected both the potential size of the market and the recognition of a very different style and image brought by the VW Bus. Such was the success of the “Dormobile” elevating roof was actually adapted by Devon as a standard option from 1962-67 instead of their own version. Westfalia also offered the Dormobile roof as an option for camping equipments.

In the late 1970’s Dormobile hit financial problems and did not convert any of the T25 models but in 1984 the business ceased trading. However in the late 1990’s the business was resurrected by former employees and now supply genuine spare parts.

In 1961 the new Volkswagaen Dormobile made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show with the famous slogan “Famous the world over, Volkswagen and the Dormobile Caravan. Here is another fine Dormobile conversion - a real home on wheels with that sleek, smart continental look’. It was available through the main VW Agents and became an officially approved VW convertion so they carried full VW warranty, and the Devon was the only other which carried similar backing at that time.

The literature at the time decribed it to be the aspirational lifestyle of middle England in addition to being an ideal home on wheels and ideal as a mobile grandstand at sports meeting, races and other outdoor displays or meetings of all kinds. It the weather changed then the huge roof windows gave an excellent viewpoint and there were always refreshments laid on, and having a radio was a great optional extra.

The Bay Window Dormobiles 1968 - The Dormobile Motor Caravan D4/6

With the new shape came a chance to alter the layout and the design and the front seat fold out cooker was patented and to allow more height in the cab area for cooking the elevating roof was moved forward and the interior was remodelled to create more living space. Upholstery was in wool moquette and finished in poppy red or gold with contrasting PVC borders and the roof canvas was either green and white or red and white.
There was also available a two berth with a fixed roof and optional extras included a childs cab bunk, tent awnings, chrome hubcaps etc.

LHD conversions were also available for export around the World.

The Dormobile D4/8 1970

A totally new version of the VW Dormobile was introduced with luxury rather than economy at the forefront. It was designed to seat 8 people in the forward facing position and also sleep 4 adults with an additional child in the optional cabin bunk.

A refrigerator was also available for the first time and a gold coloured removable carpet was added for that extra bit of luxury and to match this the curtains were a soft orange with the seat upholstery also keeping the gold theme.

The d4/8 was available with or without the elevating roof.

The VW Campervan Dormobile conversion is still much cherished today and many well kept models come up for sale from time at VW Campervans for sale

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VW Campervans The Danbury Conversion

08/23/2010 By Leave a Comment

It was in Chelmsford, Essex in 1964 that the Danbury Conversions launched their Danbury Multicar which was quite distinctive.  Unlike other campers they put its use as a motor vehicle first and foremost  and although comfortable the fittings did not detract in any way from this premise.

Conversions based on the Kombi, Microrubus and Panel Van were available to order but customers could also take their own vehicles for conversion.

All the fittings were detachable like the Pitt’s Open Plan design which meant there were a variety of layouts that were possible.  The cooker units were freestanding which meant that you could cook inside or outside but due the UK customs regulations specified that equipment in a motor home must be fixed so Danbury had to redesign this so that it was secure.  Sets of cutlery and crockery  which included a teapot, frying pan and saucepan were also standard to the Danbury whereas other companies did not include these items as standard equipment.

In 1969 Danbury came up with a different design with the advent of the Bay Window models and this was aimed at the dual-purpose user, a bit like the Multicar.  This included 2 forward facing seats aswell as a rear bench seat.    Unlike previous Danbury conversions the more modern ones offered the option of a pop-top roof.

Danbury was only one of three officially VW approved UK conversions in the late 1960‘s (along with Dormobile and Devon).  Although in 1972 they lost this approval when Devon entered into an exclusive contract but in 1977 they regained their status.

The Danbury was fairly basic but in 1977 a new version was produced with a very different layout known as the Danbury Volkswagen Deluxe and included the elevating roof as standard.  Along with other standard fitments it had a removable carpet which was laid over the vinyl flooring.

Danbury continued to be a VW approved converter over a number of years until the late 1980’s when they ceased operating.

Beetles UK began converting Brasilian Type 2 Buses in to Campers in 2002 and went on to buy up the name Danbury to use for their own conversions.  There were 2 versions of the Bay Window Type 2 and had all the looks of the original but with updated modern technology.

A multi purpose version  called the Rio  which was often called a ‘day van‘.  There was also the Surf which was the full on Camper for those who wanted a double bed, This design differed from most other VW Campervan conversions as you could gain access to the kitchen even with the bed being down.  In addition to all the standard updated fittings these were even fitted with a TV cabinet which had a flat screen TV and DVD player.

VW Campervans for sale are listed here

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