VW campervan owners sign in!!

[Quadrophenia]

lets talk all things campervan!

We have a tintop danbury 1971 conversion, whilst it looks very tidy its beginning to go rather rusty and is need of some serious welding...i spend half my life worrying about it!! the danbury conversion works well for us as it seats all four of our children in the back! We are members of our local vw club The Shoe county dubbers and have loads of dub friends who we camp with at shows regulalry. I also occasionally post on VZI but am more of a lurker , have made some good friends through that site....anymore for anymore?

[Quadrophenia]

wills the danbury and devon conversions seat 5, in fact our danbury seats 7 with seat belts and sleeps the 4 kids in the van whilst we bunk in the awning.

[isgrassgreener]

Just sold our 1966 split screen VW so not part of this club anymore

[mabel1973]

we are looking at having a buddy seat fitted as we have DC3 on the way in November.

I wasn't sure how much of a possibility it was, but saw a few fitted that looked good at Run to the hills.

[moosemama]

We have 5 3-point seatbelts, but our camper used to be a panel van a looong time ago.

We have the driver plus a double seat in the front and 2 3-point belts on the rocknroll bed.

When DD1 arrives in January we will fit much better in the camper than in the car! (And there's enough room for the 3 dogs as well!)

Some vans are fitted with a buddy seat behind the driver or passenger which can then accommodate another seatbelt but you have to make sure it is one of the newer/safer style buddy seats rather than 'a cushion on a box' style.

Newer vans ie Type 25, Type 4 onwards have a better range of seating options available as well and can have either buddy seats or sometimes fittings for a captains seat by the sliding door (I think those would only be in ex Caravelles though).

When we were thinking about changing to a new bus we spent a lot of time on autotrader and ebay looking at photos of all the different internal layouts - then we decided to keep the one we've got (well he is part of the family after all).

[Surfermum]

We have a T4 called Spike. Dh builds campers and we took it to Cornwall to try and sell during our holiday - but fell in love with him and kept him. He's great, we've had so much fun in him this year. We're off to the New Forest this weekend in him and have booked for Oktoberfest too.

Wills - the ones dh builds have 5 seatbelts - 3 in the front and 2 in the back. So far we have slept 3 in there (us in the double and dd in the boot!). When we take dsd with us too we take a small tent for one of us to sleep in.

[Skramble]

You might get enough seat belts but if its a VW you want it means putting 2 or 3 kids in the pop top bed or turfing the hardy ones out into an awning.

[Wills]

OK so it is possible. But can you get a VW version that does it?

[Skramble]

I always wanted a camper so when exH left thats just what I did, its not the VW I always wanted but it is a camper. (Old postie van). I ran my little car for a while as well but it is off the road now and I am using just the van to get around, bugger to park and heavy ont he fuel but I decided it is cheaper than running a second car.

[susiecutiebananas]

I'm just too of you all I want a van so so much. Has been my dream for about 15 years of or so. I regret the day a didn't buy a Beautiful '76 pop top in "spearmint cal" paint. She was perfect, inside and out. I just walked ( or drove actually) away, as I couldn't think how i'd get it home and my car! It was in cornwall... Why? Why did I not just drive one home and get the train back for t'other?

Sorry to gate crash... just was feeling too jealous!!

I will, be joining you all one day, really I will!

< positive emoticon >

[Skramble]

My camper (not VW) seats 5 with seat belts I can put in another seat to make it 6 but can't stretch out in bed . Sleeps me plus kids OK, with partner I would have to use the awning probably put kids in awning or partner and DS and us girls can sleep in the van. I want a high top van with a longer wheel base so I can put in a high cab bed for the kids and a proper size bed/ diner area.

[Wills]

Can you get 5 people into a Campervan legally? i.e. can I get myself, dh, dd1(8), dd2(5) and ds(2) in and sleeping down at night? Would love to have a campervan but can't see how it would transport us as so far not seen any with enough seat belts.

[VWLady]

No Quad I am not going (and you are already there). DH is around, if you see him, tell him hi from me. We're like ships in the night over the 6 week holidays, I am just back from very very long time in the caravan with the dcs. And I had to take the darlings to the dreaded HSM today while he hangs out with chums.
He was at Shakespeare County last weekend too, another nice little trophy for the shelf.

[Quadrophenia]

our vw club isn't geeky although it probably looks it to outsiders. we are camping at santa pod this weekend for vw Action, I can't wait, is anyone else going?

[mabel1973]

we went our 1st camper van club meeting last night at a local pub....saw loads of lovely vans and beetles...felt a bit geeky though!

[mabel1973]

Ours was so low we were restricted as to where we could go and the ride was bumpy to say the least, everytime we hit a man hole the whole bus went with a huge bang and we thought bits were going to drop off!
Whilst we were on holiday recently we broke down and had to take it to a garage in Dorset called Kombi Klassics, they were great, v helpful but did tell us off for our low profile tyres..they said we had o rplace them with van tyres ASAP!

[Quadrophenia]

oh wow i love low buses, my friends have just bought a 1969 dormobile which is ridiculously low with a narrowed front beam from a splitty, it looks very cool although as you say is very inpractical. Ours has lowered suspension but we are looking to go lower!
My friends who had a bench seat deffo used the front passenger seat for their baby seat although you may have to fit a longer seatbelt.
I have become very geeky about aircooled vw's

[mabel1973]

Hi Quadrophenia.
We have a rock & roll bed, which the boys have their seats on, then there is a bench seat along the side..which I am assuming is where originally the cooker etc had been.
The guy we bought it off was more interested in housing his bass bins than cooking a fry-up in it I think! It was seriously pimped! so low we couldn't drive anywhere for fear of speed bumps, exhaust off a motorbike, and leopard print interior !!! We have had it raised 3 inches and replaced the exhaust...I am yet to work on the interior!

I am not sure if the bench seat would be suitable for a baby seat, but we have got to take it to our local garage soon anyway, so maybe they'll be able to shed some light on it.
Since buying the van I have become addicted to reading camper and bus mag (learning all the lingo!) and can see me turning into a serious geek....they seem to do that to you these camper vans don't they!

I love our awning too...so much space and so easy to put up...v jealous of you off to cornwall...have fun!

[Quadrophenia]

hi Mabel what interior do you have in your bay? I would probably put a baby seat in the front and sit on the buddy seat in the back?
We have a khyma awning to, it is lush, we will be putting it ip in two days time when we go down to cornwall

[mabel1973]

oops!

[mabel1973]

Hi

Can I join??
We bought our 1969 tin top bay in january, we've managed a few camping weekends this year, as we bought a Khyam awning for it, and took it down to cornwall in july, although we didn't stay in it (we'd booked a cottage before we bought it).
We've had to have seatbelts put in the back for our 2 ds's (3.5 and 2), and they love it!
We are expecting DC no.3 in december and not sure how we are going to accomadate the baby seat in the back.
Any ideas?
Someone suggested a buddy seat to go behind the right hand front seat, next to the sliding doors, but have also read these donot offer much protection in a crash.
Also we are thinking of maybe venturing to FRance next year, DC3 will be about 7 months....is this crazy??? [grin}

[Quadrophenia]

VW lady i know your dh's Beetle!!!

I love vw drag racing, Judgie from RNJ motorsport is our mechanic he is featured in ultra vw this month!!

[Skribble]

OK its not a VW but I have an old posty van that was semi kitted out as a campervan and I have re done most of it now just need to put in a bench and reinstall the sink somewhere .

[Quadrophenia]

Bohemian bint thats pants but at least he is fixing it...have heard so many stories of people buying them and having to fork out alot not long after!!
of courser t25 owners are welcome
a friend of mine has a bay with a viking roof...it is wicked..I sometimes really regret having a tintop.