Any one on here ever fell victim to bay snobbery. I ask because I remember the bay I brought my bay I was driving her home and stopped at a services for some food. When I drove into the car park a saw a 'new' bay parked up so I thought I would park quite close in the hope of meeting the owner and having a good chin wag. Anyway, after my food I went back to my camper to start off on the journey home and I spotted the owners. A couple of 50 something's with two young children. All in the north face gear (you know the sort) walking towards my van which they had to pass to get to theirs. I glimpsed over towards them to see if there was any common interest and the couple gave me the dirtyest look in history. They even scanned me from head to toe and looked away in disgust. I could believe it, I was all excited after buying the van and they totally rained on my parade. Now I'm not normally one to react but I couldn't resist commenting to them as I drove past. The only thing I could think of was 'at least I'm not old you grumpy codgers'. Childish I know but it did relieve the rage I felt. Anyone else had such an incident or do I just attract nobs?!?
I've always found the complete opposite - campers make everyone want be your friend. Sorry but you must be a nob magnet
man thats bogus!! those 'new' bays suck in comparison, they were just jealous... im just curious to see how many of those watercooled engines are still alive in 40+ years....
Every other time I've encountered a bay owner it's been great. Moaning about petrol gauges and freezing feet but this is the only 'new' bay owner I've ever kinda met. Maybe it's the £25000 price tag that makes them feel above us lot not realising that we will most likely spend that on ours in the end anyway
not seen it with campers but i remember being at a vw show when the new beetle had come out and seeing people spit at the newbies! think it was at tatton. my vehicles are only aircooled but i had to say something to these idiots spitting at peoples new cars and was told that i didn't understand and probably drove a 'euro box' - there were swear words exchanged too. i felt so sorry for the bugs owned by these idiots and more so for the people who had bought their new car to a show, possibly for the first time, to be faced with that. when i first entered the vw scene i thought that all the folks involved must be salt of the earth lovely folk because of their love of the dubs. i soon realised this was at best very naive. :/
The only negative I get is oil on driveway related (which is probably fair enough). It is a constant source of delight that people you pass smile and seem to love campers. Once only have I had a shake of a head in a negative way and that was an old lady near our local corner shop. it threw me a bit as it hadn't happened before (or since). I find new buses T4 and T5 don't tend to wave but everyone else seems to share the love.
I remember watching a TV show once and it basically said why by a "new" bay for £40K when you can buy a fully restored '70 bay for half the price. And those are the people you have just met, who think cause its new its better when we all know original is the way forward.
Can't say I've ever noticed it from other bay owners, not that we have the "new bays" down here. You do get it a bit from the split screen mob once in a while but even that is rare, the worst are the motorhome people who seem to think that bigger = better. Tossers the lot of 'em.
In my experience its us looking down on New (new) Bay owners as a rule, personally if my bay went up in flames or whatever I would consider one rater than a T4/5 (more snobbery). Knobs are knobs regrdless of what they drive and there are plenty of idiots buying -in to the classic scene tbh. Thats fine but they are all experts 6 months in and then driving a T5 6 months later and slagging air cooleds off. (plenty of them in the magazines!!!!)
There does seem to be split/bay snobbery, but they still wave, quite funny really, as its much harder work living and camping with a split, they may look cooler, but bays are a definate improvement IMHO of course. i dont get why anyone would spend T5 money on a new bay! but each to their own
I never understood why anyone who likes modern stuff would want to buy a bay window even if it is new. It's still a 40 year old design.
i've heard people who have new/er bays say it's because they wanted a camper not a hobby. i'll wave at anyone in an old/retro vw even old sciroccos but i'm often just looked at as though i'm a loon :/
Older bay owners appreciate how to keep these vehicles on the road and the cost involved in it. It is a steep learning curve owning one of these but a useful life lesson. This is why we have sites like tlb/prototype bay/volkszone/the samba. The list goes on. all classic VW owners share a common love of these cars/busses. These vehicles cannot be fixed with a laptop and I believe all owners know this and this is why we wave at each other usually with greasy hands. Don't take it personally if you get a blank expression some people ar just odd.
agreed. there is the shared experience of a fellow owner both knowing the grazed knuckles from trying to undo rusty bolts and trips to casualty
I think the worst snobbery comes from top of the range caravan owners with their X5 tow cars once they get on site and set up their Caral with their wind breaks, they would rather look at the ground then look at you and if you speak I believe they think you come from another planet, and if someone pitches a tent near them they asked to get moved this happen on a site in Dorset in 2011, Not sure if they thought they would catch something, Steve,
it happens in all walks of life,if you went fishing somebody would look down on you cause you got the wrong gear,,,phone snobbery oh not got an I phone then...I do agree T5/T4 owners tend not to wave or as friendly but not all...it's the little old fella who walks up and tells.you about when he had bay window and loves a look in yours...that's what makes me smile.
the new bay owners were probably gutted when they realized there toy had lost half its value, i bet they wont even have it anymore ,if they wern't interested in another bay owner..
Remember that the majority of T4 and T5s on the road are actually builders vans. The drivers have no idea why some loon in a knackered old bus is waving at them. A lot more are driven by old folk. Again, no idea about the "scene".
Funny, we usually mention the snobbery from Split Screen owners! I've met some very nice new bay owners. I guess you just got a bad egg.
