Loads of reasons: Nostalgia, as my dad bought a new Devon tin top in 1972 (I was 8 ). We went on long holiday trips in it and down to school as well. White over red. We all loved it. I like old cars and I like air cooled engines (currently have a 1976 BMW flat twin and had 2 x Citroen Dyanes before as well). Simple vehicles are nice to work on. My wife likes the idea of camping, but not getting cold and wet. The bay is a compromise without being the size of a truck. Our 9 year old is autistic and a bit of a handful. We would like to take him away with us, but he doesn't settle and keeps everyone awake, so he goes off to a respite carer when we're away. He loves campers and caravans, just sitting in them chills him out, so we're hoping that he will relax if we can bring our own space with us and then we'll be able to take him away with us from time to time. We want a vehicle to take to the beach, somewhere to change and make a brew / give the kids a cold drink.
That's great Owen. I hope that works out for you guys - even days out is cool. My 20 yr old is also "on the autism spectrum" as they say, though more the aspergers end so luckily for me he's no trouble at all other than worry.
I think we were mostly inspired by friends. Seeing pics of my mate taking his family away up north in their LWB Landy on a whim and all the places they've been made me realise I want to get out and see more of this country and others. Then another mate bought a T25 and took a few weeks driving from Scotland to a wedding in Italy and I just thought "I want to do that". Given that I can't be bothered with camping under canvas a van was the only option. Plus, I've always just loved aircooled dubs.
Nana Ruth and Grandad Eric got me into VW's especially campers from the age of about 3. They're both gone now but they're love of dubs is being passed down
Both myself and Mrs B were born in the very early 70's and we must of had a good childhood as we adore everything 70's. And I don't mean this passing phase of "Retro"...We bought Maggie 12 years ago.. I love camping, which once meant free camping on Dartmoor with Bivvy bag and rucksack....... Mrs B wanted something more homely. And the 70's camper of the time seemed such a great Universal vehicle. When we came home with it my Dad said "You must be mad!!"... I took that as a compliment )
My dad's in the "must be mad" camp. Frivolity not his strong point but I try and make up for it. When we bought our first house he wanted to fit a big strip light in the kitchen to save us electricity.
like many...in the mid 80's i got my first beetle...i was already a regular at camping in tents. so the two where combined. i had a few mates that did the same as me and we where going to shows from the mid 80's on. 89 or so we all had a bit more money, loved shows and camping and vw still, we where getting more addicted to it all and we all got vans....we called them vans way back....ha ive been all over old europe in one for the whole of one summer in 92 and many many a road trip and summer holiday all over our island of great britain...i simply love doing it so a natural progression to a van, it covers all bases for me. travel camping air cooled vw classic motor . my hobbie is looking after it and using it. ive had the snail ten years and other LB T2 13 or something like that before hand. i cant see myself not owning a vw camper of some description. owning one is also much easyer now with the web and great forums like this with like minded people...ive met some and i like em too!
must be cos i luv rust and lots of work ha! there coooollll arent they its a dub thing had a few t25 t4 and bay and now looking for something bigger but has to be a vw like i say its a dub thing for me its in the soul O0
Ours was a kind of spur of the moment purchase too. Denise had a bug as her first car back in the late 80s but when I met her she was driving around in a knackered Nova with a couple of kids. After a while I saw a bug for sale in a local garage and we bought it for her to replace the other knackered car we bought to replace the nova. Our other 'family' car at the time was Toyota Estima, great family car with 8 seats that where full with our 5 kids by then. Once the oldest stopped wanting to go any where with us we looked at campers but the cost was kind of prohibitive at that time so I was looking for a squareback as a cheaper 'practical' aircooled car for me. After searching for a while I stumbled across my Type 4 Variant on the Type 3&4 Club for sale section and one thing led to another. I soon got bit by the Type 4 bug and have ended up with another one that is slowly being restored, a much rarer 2 door 411 sedan...but I digress... Back to the van. At the end of last year we started one of those HPI claims against Barclays and much to our surprise in February they refunded £5800 to us. We were planning to do the sensible thing and clear the credit card bill but I just happened to be poking around on VZi and saw a microbus for sale just up the road. One thing led to another a fortnight later I was driving home from Guildford in the van. Still have the wife's bug, my Type 4s and now the van. Eventually one of them will have to go and, as much as it pains me, it will have to be the Variant which has been a fantastic dub to own being very pracical and able to tow our Rapido Confort with ease around the country with the mutt riding in the boot. However, the van does the same as the 412 my wife loves her bug too much to part with that and the 411 looks happier than the 412, thats the sacrifice I'll have to make to fund the 411s rescue, eventually. In the meantime I'm going to enjoy driving all of them
hey zed , re your dad and strip light, my (now x) father in law would , when driving in the evening, would not put on the car headlamps until he absolutely had to ,cos he was of the opinion he was saving electricity , no matter how many times i explained vehicle elec. systems, i swear i"m not making this up !i sometimes miss my x , but not that fella , oh no.
My username should be the giveaway in this conversation. . . . and I think they look cool. . . . . . . and Jen was fed up with camping at Glasto.
