Reader Rides (trial thread)

[T'Onion]

OK , There's talk of closing the 'garage' and maybe going back to what we use to have back in the day.

So here goes , feel free to post a few pictures of your ride , maybe keep it to say 5 , do a write up about it ,Start with what you have , make model etc, try to include things like extras you have added, work that you have done/doing , trips and adventures you have been on , and maybe anything else that you may feel needs to be added .
Please add a link to your blog , website , photo dump ect ect


Like I say this is just a trial run to see what kind of input we get from you the members


Please don't reply to anyones thread , otherwise it will just get clogged up with rubbish , if you need to add anything like pictures or text just use YOUR E D I T function


I'll do mind later

[itchyfeet]

Updated March 2017

[meggles]

Here's my van. Bought it about 4 years ago off the bay. Bought unseen Turned out to be a good buy. Had it LPG'd by Gasure. Lot's of work been done to it since and now 'rustoleumed'. I camped on 'that' beach on Anglesey. Y'know, the one where Rev Pimp Daddy tried to teach his van to swim. Went to a pikey meet, did the Lakes, lots of east cost of Yorkshire trips but loads of Northallerton meets with some great folk. Had lots of good times in 'Frankie'. Hopefully many more to come.

I'll post more pics when I can find them

[mark]

we have had nowt but fun since we bought our camper (from the for sale pages on here), 1991 autosleeper 5 speed 2.1 dj, had a couple of issues that have been down to bad servicing and totally preventable, once we got on top of servicing (if that ever happens) the van has been brilliant apart from having the knack to miss shape the odd tyre, 2 and counting. had a brilliant fortnight in france last year and a damp fortnight in cornwall the year before. what with trips to north Yorkshire and weekends away we're loving it. this year having a week up north and a fortnight on the south west coast and hopefully get to meet a few of the faces of the names I know quite well.


I like this pic because its that hot the grass is straw coloured



arty shot


this is a pic of our first night camping



and a pic of my skinny old bird

mark

[keith]

This is my 89 westy Joker



Bought blind off ebay about 8 summers ago. Best thing ive ever spent money on.

I reckon its original paint, still has all of the german stickers on. started life as a JX 1.6td which got swopped out 2 years ago with a 1.9 tdi ahu with chargecooler amd .216 injectors. At the same time Aiden rebuilt the box and legthened the 5 th .
Its lowered a bit on Brickwerks Supplied eibach springs and B4s.
Its had front and back brake rebuilds, new exhaust, new battery and thats about it.

3 breakdowns .....1 jx injector split......but kept going all the way home, 1 glow plug fuse broken and 1 split water hose.



Weve been to france about 4 years running, Sailed to Santander and drove back, West Coast of scotland, south coast of britain, east coast and to Wales.






Weve been to vanfest, bustypes, bustopover,deva, camperjam....at least a couple of times.

Just fitted a 100 watt semi flex solar ......and thats about it

[terryvanman]

Here’s my van, its a 2007 Bilbo Celex LWB, I bought it new after saving up for years, in 2007 and have covered nearly 40.000 miles in it.
I've driven it down to Spain 4 times and Greece once and lots of the UK. We always try to get out in it every weekend, even if its just up the road to the river in Richmond where we sit and read the papers while drinking a coffee and eating yummy cakes.
In the seven years I've owned it I haven't had to spend a penny on anything apart from tyres brake-pads, servicing and next week a stainless exhaust go in. Its automatic so the wife can drive it and it has the 2.5 TDI 130 HP. It really can move and coming back from Spain last year in a panic to catch the ferry, saw 120 MPH on the speedo,,,it was slightly down hill and the speedo was probably telling lies.
I don't think I will ever sell it, if I did I would buy another one with the same layout as I don't think it can be improved on.



Campsite in Spain

[The Reverend Pimp Daddy]

Out with the old..Sadly it needed nearly every panel replacing.....


The start, only had it 1 week

More to come

[wxm1873]

Bought last year 1987 Caravelle CL 1.9 , has been converted to run on Lpg
I'm the third owner from new and she originally hails from Berlin

[jason k]

First van, rebuilt from a wrecked pop top, changed everything, engine box etc, running on dellortos, sounded ace



then got seduced by this, 2.1dj karmann cheetah, it flew but I hated it!!



so bought this, westy California, it didn't look like this when I got it tho! 2.1mv pas, lowered on -50 avos, bilstein b6, polybushed, westy lean shims, factory cloth captains recaros , double glazed , webasto etc and absolutely loved it!! really regret ever selling it....


then got tempted by the dark side, you know power economy air con etc so bought this.... 2002 California event 2.5tdi special 50th anniversary edition, got it from Germany, again lowered it, fitted sachs supertouring shocks and fitted a rear arb to make it handle anywhere near as well as my t3 cali did.



but in reality nowhere near as good a camper as a hi top t3 westy

then found out we were expecting so currently run this......
2000my karmann Missouri based on a LT2, its a 109 2.5tdi, has a king size, double and single bed layout with shower room, bog etc


its posh camping and a lovely thing to use however I'm getting a hankering for another t3 cali, so when little uns bigger I'll be back!!

[bluebays]

Owned quite a few vans but the first T25 i owned was this ...Bilbao Conversion.



Then this ...Devon



This....Whitestar



Now this ....Karmann Cheetah,And a few inbetween but i never took any pics



New Rims ...

[andypandy1930]

If I knew how to post pics ( computer stupid me ) I would so started with a joker pop top then Cali pop top that I imported from Germany then up until yesterday my karmann gipsy also a spell using my folks Cali hi top and now back to another Cali pop top running an afn flipped box and currently in the bodyshop

[T3luestar]

This is my Bluestar, pretty much stock apart from it's slightly lower and a few cosmetic touches.



And this is it being used as it should be.

[Jim San]

Our first van, pestered the good lady into getting one (as she was to be the owner) so I had somewhere warm and dry to get in and out of my wetty.

Loved this van, bog std ex AA 40+ mpg, Kombi seats in back with a foldaway bed. Had it for about 3 years, it drove beutifully.


Van 2 came along about 3.5 years ago, hard to believe but its even better than the T4, it drives better, easily more reliable, more powerful and handles the corners nicely. Bog std again running gear but interior has decent R.n.R bed and benched seat down one side for massive amount of storage. Not as eco as the T4 but not bad at 35+


at some time or other we had a Caddy mk2 - nothing to see here. Horrible little van that was hated from day one. Doors used to freeze shut and bts would fall off, it was wifes daily and dog transporter but it had to go and was replaced by a much much nicer A4 Avant - which in all honesty is a lovely car to own and drive.

Have now collected (Feb 20th) the van I have wanted for years and years but always shied away because of one reason or another. Still awaiting UK rego so its safely stored awaiting some wiring work, soundproofing and insulation + the Westy interior fitting into it. Trouble is its 30 min drive away so not exaclty handy to work on.
Was going to put pop roof in but actually like having the big roofrack with ladder on the back, pretty handy

Not very economical, 1.9MTD, very loud, handles like a pig. I love it, drove it home from Sweden 2k km and it ran very well. Looking forward to getting it finished and enjoying it for many years to come

[slowbus]

Thought I would take this chance to share some pics of my small collection of vans stretching over the last 10 years, from one of my first road trips to getting ready for my biggest excursion yet.

1990 AutoSleeper 1.9 petrol. Road trip around Scotland about 10 years ago


1982 (despite appearances) Westfalia Joker 1.9TD. Trip to Puglia (Italy) about 8 years ago


1990 Westfalia California 1.6TD. After a brief fling with Motorhomes, I am now happily back with Volkswagens and getting ready to head off in a couple of weeks in a year long road trip (details to follow soon)

[danmetallic]

This is our 1988 Westy Club Joker called Franagon (it's from the number plate). We've had her for just over a year. Before that I had a Bay for a long, long time (grew up with one, then learned to drive in one then one as my first car).



In terms of mods and additions we've replaced all interior lights with LEDs and added some discrete 12v and USB sockets but otherwise everything is stock westy.



Had to do a few bits of body work mainly due to a builders van scrapping down the side. New Speedshop stainless exhaust and I think we've had a new radiator.



Travelled down to Paris last Easter, trips to Wales, Dungeness and weekends away pretty much every weekend Summer or winter.



Really want to raise her a bit (yes, RAISE) and add some beefier AT tires. And a new roof canvas at some point, but in no rush.



Driving around the West Coast of America this Easter, sadly not in Franagon but a big RV. Can't wait! First stop Joshua Tree.

Loads more pictures here: http://www.volkswagent25.com/tagged/our%20t25" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;