Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 120 i VWt

Hello and welcome to issue 120 of VWt magazine. The VW van scene can be a mixed place when it comes to builds, to those rolling in newly converted big bucks T6.1 campers and Crafters to those in T4s with a budget that wouldn’t even cover a deposit on a new van. We try to cover a bit of everything at VWt, as inspiration can come in many forms. Maybe there’s some tech on a new build you want to add to your older van or maybe there’s something about the soul of an old camper you want to inject into a newer build. Anyway, as I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, it’s not what you spend but how you spend it, and this is an issue that…

RIP WALNUT Hey VWt, sorry, couldn’t help not sending you some pictures of the ‘Wondering Walnut’ hope you don’t mind. Unfortunately, it got wrote off over Christmas, so I brought another van for my sister Alison to replace it, but this time I’ve built it 10x better. Just a little surprise for her! But it’s come such a long way, pretty much from scrap to show standard. I’ll send some photos of it soon, I’m sure you’d be impressed with what I’ve done. Peter Edwards via Instagram VWt: Hi Peter what a shame, Walnut looked like she was a right beauty. We can’t wait to see what you do with your next project, your sister is a lucky lady. HIGHER OR LOWER? Hey VWt, Can you please stop featuring so…

OUTWELL CAMPANA LOUNGE CHAIR With great lumbar support from the wrap-around design, the high back design of the Emilio lounge chair allows you to really get into a relaxed frame of mind. Easy to set up thanks to the frame design and straps in four corners to attach the seat and easy to carry too. The small, packed size, sturdy powder-coated steel frame and large flat feet make it ideal for the beach, camping and outdoor events where storage space is at a premium. Price £72 www.outwell.com STATUS ERROR SNAKE, RATTLE, NO ROLL TEE Get ready for those long hot summer nights with this fresh tee from Status Error. Featuring an SE logo on the chest and large back print featuring a snake wrapped coilover design. The t-shirt is 100%…

I have a confession, out of all the front ends for Transporters the T5.1 is my least favourite… I’m a big fan of the T6 and the T5 (I think that’s because they are more curvy). As far as I’m aware nobody has gone from an original T5.1 backwards to a T5 front so that seemed like a great idea! That was until I started the job… It couldn’t be any old original front though, it had to be the Multivan front, the big wide opening grille with no fog lights and no splitter, that’s the one for me! Over several months I collected parts from all over the place ready for the conversion, including an extended bonnet from Stephen Jones in South Wales. To go from a T5 to…

JUNE 3rd – 5th VAN JAM 13 Lincolnshire Showground, Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln, LN2 2NA. www.vanjamboree.co.uk 9th – 12th DUBBED OUT VW FESTIVAL Ashley Hall, Ashley, Altrincham, WA14 3QA www.dubbedout.co.uk 10th – 12th VANLIFE FEST Scampston Hall, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 8NG www.vanlifefest.co.uk 9th – 12th ALIVE & V-DUBBIN Haughley Park, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3JY www.aliveandvdubbin.co.uk 10th – 12th BRISTOL VOLKFEST Birches Farm, Bristol, BS48 3RN www.bristolvolksfest.co.uk 17th – 19th MIGHTY DUB FEST Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, NE66 1NB www.mightydubfest.com 18th SIMPLY VW Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire, SO42 7ZN www.beaulieu.co.uk 18th- 19th PLAYERS CLASSIC Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester, PO18 0PX www.players-show.com 23rd-26th GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester, PO18 0PX www.goodwood.com/motorsport/ festival-of-speed/ JULY 1-3rd CAMPER JAM 22 Weston Park, Shropshire, TF11 8LE www.camperjam.com 8th – 10th DORSET VOLKSFEST The Showground, Worgret…

You know the deal. Every now and then, something comes along that just takes things to a different place. Well, this is one of those moments. This is an every now and then and it’s all Lyndsay McEwan’s fault. I mean, not entirely but he certainly has a lot to answer for! With his encouragement, energy and downright goading the boys at Van Haven in Dorset have created what they effortlessly describe as automotive art - and who can argue? Aside from all those previous qualities we mentioned, thankfully Lyndsay also showed up with rather deeper pockets than average. Always useful when your custom, hand polished wheels alone set you back a cool £16,000. Yes, you better strap yourself in for this one. It’s special. “I’m like a kid! If…

Fancy a fun packed day of Transporters? We thought so! Then why not get yourself and your Transporter to the first ever Vee Dub Transporters Open Day. All types of Transporter are welcome and the crew at VDT tell us they are expecting well over 100 Transporters at their Loughborough based site. There’ll be the opportunity to chat vans and products with the Vee Dub team, meet van fans and the chance to enter giveaways and competitions throughout the day. There’ll also be a barbeque, drinks, entertainment, games and product showcases from top brands including Bilstein, Auto Finesse and Forge Motorsport. Vee Dub Transporters was founded in 2010 and began life in a garden shed. A decade on and lots of work later they now have a team of over…

I’ve been a part of the VW scene since the mid-late ‘80s; even though I didn’t get my first Beetle until age 16 in 1991, I was buying magazines, going to shows (or dragging my parents to them) and spending every waking moment thinking about building them. In my early formative years, the UK style of customising VWs was heavily influenced by what was going on in California but then morphed to the point that UK Cal Look was a style unto itself. You see, although thousands of VW fans in the UK at the time were trying to soak up everything they could that was coming out of California, we didn’t have the internet and those influences were limited to sporadic magazine coverage, between issues of which you had…

One of the true joys of a curated magazine like VWt is the variety of content this format allows us to bring to you. A magazine written by fans for fans should always be at the very forefront of what’s going on. But, most importantly, it should inspire. There are countless features that begin with the owner or builder of the vehicle in question having picked up a magazine and realising their goal in life. It’s an honour and privilege to be involved in something that carries such potential, and in that regard today is a particularly good day. Ecowagon is one of the most well-respected camper converters this country has to offer. When a company like this decides to build a demo van, you know it’s going to be…

It’s official! Show season is in full swing and with it a whole load of fresh rides that have been waiting all winter to show us what they’re made of. Some will be built. Some will be bought. Each will have its own unique story, yet few will mean as much to the owner as this 1994 T4 does to Mark Woodward. We recently met Mark in a field in Somerset. He’s not a farmer producing cider, there also happened to be a few thousand others in the same field being treated to an absolute belter of a show at VanWest. We’re always on the lookout for feature vans and, as you can probably tell from the pictures, we like to keep our personal definition of such an all-encompassing one.…

The historic town of Tenby in the heart of Pembrokeshire, with its 13th-century medieval town walls, pastel colour scheme and bustling harbour, offers a picturesque seaside experience. Having been a leading health resort in the Victorian era, its miles of sandy beaches and revival architecture provide a relaxing environment for families. Alternatively, visitors can venture along this stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast path for wildlife watching or take a boat trip to Caldey Island, a beautiful Holy site that offers a haven of peace and tranquillity. Away from the golden sands, Tenby Museum and Art Gallery dives into the region’s natural and maritime history, while providing striking views of the many colourful fishing boats as they bob up and down in the harbour. Where: Tenby, Pembrokeshire, South West Wales Postcode:…

In May 1992, Klaus Wohlfarth created the foundations for his retail business KW Tuning. Three decades later, KW is a world-renowned manufacturer for coilovers, motorsport dampers, and alloy wheels. The heart of the KW automotive group is the Fichtenberg-based suspension manufacturer KW automotive, which Klaus, together with his brother Jürgen and many dedicated employees, has turned into a global leader for vehicle suspension. The KW automotive Group employs 1,200 people worldwide in addition to the alloy wheel manufacturer BBS and many other well-known brands. Happy 30th anniversary KW! Save us some cake please... oh and a set of Variant 3 coilovers.…

JUST KAMPERS SOLAR 120W CHARGING SCREEN We love a clever bit of kit, and this new and exclusive Just Kampers Solar Charging Screen is just that, in fact the guys at JK told us: “It’s one of the coolest products we’ve made in our 30+ year history!” And that’s saying something, have you seen their product range?! Designed by JK in collaboration with Texenergy, the off-grid power specialists, this solar charging screen is a great way to ensure that your main vehicle battery, and your leisure battery, never run out of the ol’ go-go juice. So how does it work? Well, the solar charger screen simply folds out to cover your windscreen and captures energy from the sun before converting it into electricity. It will you give 120-Watt hours (120wh)…

It’s human nature to be sceptical. Well, maybe not raw human nature, but a human nature seasoned by years of living our lives and having our trust broken. When we’re small children, we’re usually pretty gullible – if someone imparts some knowledge to us, we tend to believe it right off the bat and we may even believe it a few times until it becomes apparent that it’s a mistruth. Experience and getting beaten down by society’s apparent lack of trustworthiness can turn us into hardened non-believers. It’s not difficult to see how this becomes our new reality as we grow older and wiser – just look at the state we’re in as a society with anything from dishonest politicians to internet scammers and ‘News’ outlets consistently trying to sell…

If you saw the last issue, you’ll already be aware that last month was centred around the T6 ‘velle rather than my T5.1, as our daily hack just hit the big 40K, so I had to shell out for a major service, timing, cambelt, tensioner and water pump amongst things. Yep, that was an expensive month! So, this last month has been more about doing miles than doing mods, which has been nice, as after all that’s the whole point of these vans right? To spend some time driving them and exploring, rather than just using them on the school run. There’s been a few shows for the T5.1, but the main trip this month was a long weekend trip away with the T6 to Woolacombe over the school holidays…

Send us yours: Ever dreamed about seeing your van appear in the pages of VWt? Make that dream a reality! Simply e-mail a selection of good quality high-res images of your van to glenn.rowswell@kelsey.co.uk along with a full spec list and add the subject title ‘Your Vans’. But please remember, if you didn’t take the photos, you MUST have permission from the photographer to use the images in the magazine, and all images should be free from watermarks (by submitting an image you assume responsibility for any copyright infringement). So, what are you waiting for? Let’s see those project builds! IAN VAN HORN’S 2006 T5, CORNWALL Hi VWt, this is Lady Blue our 2006 T5 T32 LWB. She’s 130bhp, has air con and has been lowered 60mm and sits on…