Reader Rides (trial thread)

[Louey]

I started out with a 72 crossover Bay, but too much rust meant it was beyond my abilities and finance to keep.

I then bought an 1989 Devon plated Twin Slider tin top. The interior had kitchen and storage behind the seats and a full width RnR bed. I eventually sold it on after a couple of engine nightmares. Not a bad van, bought for £500 and sold for more than that




Took it to France 3 times, a four week tour of Ireland, Scotland, Wales many times, The Lake District and many other places.

I don't have a VW at the moment, but I've made some good friends/acquaintances on 80-90 so I spend more time on there than the Tranny van forum.

This is Frank

Lots more room and drives really well

[paulgg]

Hi, this is my 86 single cab, bought off the scrap man, for its value in scrap !, he'd been given it for scrap by the previous owner, after seeing it in his front garden, & knocking on his door, the scrap man had filled it up with scrap, ready to tow into the scrapyard when I spotted it
This is it after we started stripping it down, it was complete, with locker doors & drop sides

The drivers side sill was abit rotten !!

But it didn't turn out too bad, applied for the log book & job done

Used it for one year, in 2010, now sat in my garage unused

Since I bought my 91 autosleeper trident, off ebay, unseen, from Cornwall, bought on the Thursday, flew down on the sat morning (cheapest option), camped in it sat night, drove it home to sheffield Sunday, that was its test drive

Since I've had it, I've refurbed some 16in amg pentas & fitted them,


fitted a westy towbar, & caravanstore awning, & enjoyed

Now bought a 71 portafold, to tag along for extra kid space


Now bought two more tridents, both 89's, & when ready, hopefully going to offer them out for hire

Well that's the master plan, & dream, so let's see how it goes !!
P.s, sorry about rambling on, & all the pics

[KylieKamper87]

Our first van, a reimo conversion and great fun



Only just sold it

The we had this amazing karmann autovilla which is like driving a house to campsite , with balcony.



We now have a t4 cheetah which is great but still got the t25 bug and dreaming of a syncro doka ...

[ColG]

My first experience of T25's was a Karmann Gypsy which was bought on a whim after a cold camping weekend. The family absolutely loved the posh camping but a job redundancy meant it had to go;


With the gang at VW Festival 2012


Looked a bit rough when I got it, it took a steam cleaner and a lot of elbow grease to get rid of the ganja smell inside;



Had our current Westfalia for 18 months and we love it for different reasons, it's easier to use mainly. It came from California originally, has only done 70,000 miles and is very original;


The only mods I've made are the roof bars which are bolted to the pop top so it doesn't restrict the pop up usage


Now got us a little trailer to match;

[Tobyt25]

This is my first vw camper, but owned several vw's over the years. I brought it off eBay last june thinking it was a good buy. Its 1980 air-cooled. Since it was purchased its had four new tyres, new curtains, table, seats, rock n roll recovered, all new cupboard doors made, new made bog box/bench seat, new floor, new devon stickers, angel eye head lights, crystal indicators and tail lights, new discs, brake pads, break pipe lines, fuel lines, new fridge.......oh and a recon engine. It had been newly painted 'probably to cover up all the rust now coming through' oh in a custom colour so cant touch it up. Needs a full re spray eventually. A total Lemon but we love it and don't want to sell it. Ill get there eventually. Got a new roof vent/light that needs fitting, want it done as I'm afraid ill botch it. Oh here is the inside

[Ning]

Switzerland
Otto. We've been to :- New Forest. Devon. 4500 km trip to Italian lakes. Cornwall. Wales. Cotswolds. Norfolk Coast x many. Etc 17500km in first year!
Love it.
Italy

France

[dandaz]

this is my third bay





The kid is 18 now...

i have had over ten bays and I still have this



I have had maybe 6 T25`s this been the first




and this one currently

[bluedirtydigit]

I bought the van last June spotted it for sale in Somerset it was very clean and tidy full service history and 71000 on the clock the last one I had was a devon pop top and I hate to think how long ago that was over 25years I think. The van was the usual white with boring brown stripes (sorry meggles) so we decided to change it and had it wrapped as the body was good. we have just had the upholstery re done, and power steering was added by Litesteer made a lot of difference it's now a pleasure to drive, added a rev counter and a reversing camera which works well, put some stainless bling and chrome bumpers on it as you can see not to everybody's taste but we like it added some extra lights inside and some driving lights outside the headlights and driving lights are all angel eyes just to be different.
It already had a towbar on it so I bought a dolly for it so I can tow either my 1200cc bike or my VW Trike and it tows them very well. When I got it, it was a nightmare to drive I could not put it in top gear unless I was doing over 40mph I spent a lot of time cleaning the carb and adjusting timing changed the plugs coil and leads it now pulls in 4th from just over 15mph which makes it lovely to drive around towns. I have just had it MOTd and it sailed through with no advisories while it was in the air we had a good look underneath for rust and there isn't any in fact it is well and truly coated with waxoil so all is good.
Not sure what I will add next! maybe a Subaru engine to help it on the hills not cheap but the wife has offered to pay for it so I guess it has to be done besides it has got everything I want on it now I even added door pockets to both doors.

[trucker]

Our first van
Autosleeper 1.9dg
A lot more rusty than it looks in the pics


In the Dordogne


Our current Westie
Was a 1.6JX now a 1.9AAZ


Somme last year

[dsa]

Moved on to a T4 Westfalia California last year its a 1.9 TD pop top. Not had to do much so far just a service and added some wind deflectors ,leather steering wheel cover and gear knob and clear front indicators









And I made up a wind deflector for the side loader window from an old Lt one I had in the shed

[Fudgy666]

This is my 1982 2.0L(CU) Pop Top.

Brought in March 2014, and my first VW.

Running (With a little encouragement ) but currently SORN whilst it gets a little tidy up before the summer.





Currently de-rusting the floor, laying a new wooden floor, and running in all new 12V leisure electrics.

Fingers crossed back on the road by Mid-June for a maiden voyage down to Avebury for the Summer Solstice.

[DevonMark]

Victor The VW, Sheldon Hi-Top with a home brew camper conversion, bought at the end of August 2012.

Had a few issues in the first 6 months or so, most of which were down to the carb. This has now been reconditioned by Bromyard and he's running like a dream (touch wood...). We've also re-upholstered the rock and roll bed in blue and white vinyl, re-carpeted about 1/3 of the inside so that it's all grey (rather then grey and off-mauve as it was when we bought it), built a fitted a 'lip' for the high top to stop luggage flying off when we brake, added blue & white gingham magna blinds, a swivel base for the passenger seat, added the blue stripes (previously one was grey, one was rainbow), new clutch, new interior light, some lovely cab mats from MegaVanMats and new sun visors. That's all I can think of for now!

Next on the never ending list is re-covering the front seats to match the rock and roll bed and fitting nice chrome hubcaps, painting the wheels behind.

It's our first van and we absolutely love it. Can't imagine not owning one. Used it loads for weekends away last summer, mainly in Devon and Cornwall (we're very lucky to live where we do, all of the photos below were taken in Devon), but also get loads of use out of it during the winter taking my mountain bike to various trail centres. Planning to venture further afield this year, with a trip to Wales pencilled in for July.

[rikg24]

[kevtherev]

Bought 2004







started making changes soon after









first incarnation







second incarnation

[G Dub52]

This is our first van after many years doing the shows finally got one for me and the mrs