help for a newbie - t2 74 devon style pop top

Hi - very new to all this, as never had a camper van before, but very excited about getting out and about with the family. Looking for tips on what works for young families re fitting a buddy seat behind the passenger seat, flip up or one with storage options? Where to get them and what i should look out for and pay?

Also any advise on the best type of drive away awnings to look at? Have a rock and roll bed fitted in the van, so also considering getting stretcher bed things fitted too, for 7, 8 and 4 year old kids. Is this overly ambitious and is it better to see how we go with an awning and using the van before trying to squeeze everyone in ?

Finally can you recommend who can do this kind of work near Wandsworth in London or is good to get a quote from? thanks very much in advance, regards Mark

 

Firstly, welcome to the forum & congrats on becoming the owner of a camper

So are you looking to sleep 2 adults + 3 kids? What in the way of sleeping arrangements does your van have currently?

We have a front hinge westy & a full width bed, my 8 yr old daughter is fine in the roof bed but my 3 yr old son currently sleeps with us in a full width rock & roll but we do need to sort a hammock over the front seats for him so we get the bed back

If I was you I would get yourself an awning and go camping, everything else will fall into place as you find your feet and then you can make changes to suit if thats whats needed.

Robo...

P.S. we love pics here

 

cheers Robo - its got a 3/4 rock and roll, and we have most camping kit already, so def lening towards getting out and about before rushing into adding sleeping options that kids will grow out of in a year or two...thanks for the advice

 

Greetings from another newbie. We had these buddy seats fitted to Dolly Daydreams so my niece could come out with us. The seatbelts were from a Karman Ghia. Will ask him indoors where he got buddy seats from later. We bought the frames and had them upholstered to match.

 

We swapped our buddy seat for a box seat. I have to admit the box is really useful for storage and easily accessible but I always liked the buddy seat as it is an ex-ambulance and the buddy seat was original.

 

Spoke to him indoors and he said got seats off ebay though saw same company at Volksworld this year. Also made a mistake about seat belts, they were actually from a Mark 1 Golf, oops....... They were only belts that were retractable and fitted.

 

very helpful Dolly Daydreams, thanks for that as we were also looking for fold down buddy seats in an attempt as well to make a middle bed, , welcome newbies by the way, I am not sure if I am still classed as a newbie as been on here since Feb/March time now..........hmmmm, had our camper Ollie since then too and could not be happier

 

thanks everyone - am speaking to VolksWares re getting an upholstered Buddy seat to match our interior as they seem to be the ebay seller - and glad that having seat belts sounds pretty feasible too

 

Hi Mark,

Welcome to TLB!

Another option to think about is a buddy seat with a porta-potti, built in. Very useful if you want to avoid trekking to the toilet block with the kids in the middle of the night Vanwurks do one that also has an extra clip on buddy seat http://www.vanwurks.co.uk/porta-potti-unit-for-volkswagen-t2-bay-window.html#.Ubcu4faG1uo

On the awning front the Khyam Motordome Tourer is very popular and easy to put up/down (I have one that I bought last year just before the rain started so have not had chance to use it yet). They do a range of different awnings http://www.khyam.co.uk/products.asp?s=Campervan / Motorhome Drive Away Awnings

Happy camping.

 

Can't offer any useful advice re kids sleeping arrangements, but welcome along, and don't forget to have a go at posting some photos of your van

 

Hello

 

Welcome. I can also recommend the khyam awning. I have the quick erect version with the 2 'double bedroom' annex.
Expensive but easy to put up and take down (once you've watched the video a few times). I bought mine in Leicester from J& R leisure?, it was at very good price as it was November!

 

hi welcome, to be honest if you have 2 adults and 3 kids you're living in dream world if you think you can camp without an awning, you'll struggle to make the beds/keep the kids from killing each other etc not to mention having time with the mrs while they sleep - you'll deffo need an awning as you'll simply not store the kit for 5 of you when the beds made up.

 

keep the kids in the awning they dont feel the cold! Get one with a built in bedroom section, it fits a double airbed in perfect. My two girls love it in there and we have had 4 in there, they keep warmer all together and you get some peace in the master bedroom. you can also store the fold up wardrobe and all your stuff, could not do it without my awning.

 

Hello & Welcome from The Colonial Contingent

 

cheers...looks great in the colour with you van...what make is your one do you know? looks like its easy to put up? anything to avoid or think about when buying a drive away awning? watched a demo of one online and they look pretty easy to clip on to the van...

 

not sure of the make in fact i didnt know it was red till after i had the van painted as i hadnt looked in the bag. it takes about 20 mins for the missus to erect ( awning ) whilst i unpack the beers. it is heavy and takes up a fair bit of room but fits widthways in the boot of the van. it clips on via 3 plastic pieces that slide on the awning then clip to the gutter, easy to drive away. dont look at anything too much on the web just get one bought and you wont look back. il have a look later to see if it has a make for you but think they will be all fairly similar. i would say i think an older square looking one looks a bit more suited to the bus than the newer tunnle type, just my opionion.

 

blue one for sale on here, ideal. you can buy the bedroom compartments on ebay for 25 quid.

 

cheers will take a look

 

welcome aboard Mr J