California Dreaming

Written by: John Barlow

As I sit here in my dingy subterranean office (well almost, there's certainly no window to speak of!) I couldn't prevent my mind from wandering. Initially my thoughts turned towards the weather which has been frankly awful for a number of summers now. I can remember a time when me and my little collection of pals would pack a few items (mainly beer and instant noodles!) and head off on a Friday after work for a spot of camping.

The summers seemed never ending with sunburn for everyone, due to lack of protection, which nearly led to another story but I won't go there! Copious amounts of warm cider (West Country Lads) were consumed. This usually resulted in some pretty degenerate behaviour and got us thrown out of numerous campsites! A record I'm not proud of as you can imagine.

I recently tried to recapture these halcyon days with my wife but women just don't seem to enjoy the same experiences. You know freezing to death at night, unbearably hot by 6am the next morning. Warm lager for breakfast, uneasy silence for the entire 3 hour journey home, that sort of thing! It started me thinking that there must be a more desirable outdoor experience that doesn't start with attempting to erect a hideously complicated tent and ends in divorce proceedings. I suddenly had a moment of clarity and remembered the legend of the Volkswagen Camper!

Of course, I should have thought of it before especially as I only had to recall my teenage years when after enduring soggy tents and cold showers my parents finally decided to invest in a VW Camper. I remember it was a 1974 type 2 1.6L , a Devon conversion I think although no doubt some VW fanatic will correct me on this statement. What I do know is that my Stepdad bought it from a lorry driver and the next day several generations of my family embarked on a journey of discovery that ended about ten miles away when a few valves in the engine decided that they had had enough of life.

Luckily my Stepfather was quite mechanically minded and we were able to fit a reconditioned engine. Regrettably our problems did not end here and over a number of years a pattern emerged of family holidays starting out all smiles and I-spy games, only to end prematurely on the back of an AA recovery truck. I seem to recall we were on first name terms with some of the AA patrol men.

I remember one year in particular I was somehow deemed to be responsible enough to be left at home whilst my parents went away virtually dragging my long suffering sister with them along with some French student by the name of Gaston or Christophe. Yes! I thought a week of partay-ing for me. Imagine my horror when only a few hours later the all too familiar flashing orange lights of an AA truck appeared through the curtains with the smouldering remains of the camper on the back. It was quite serious this time as it had caught fire in the car park of the Swansea Leisure Centre. Luckily the plucky French lad had managed to extinguish the flames by using a shaken bottle of lemonade as an improvised fire extinguisher, (a handy tip to remember) thus preventing an inferno. The poor old camper looked rather forlorn though complete with blackened air intakes and a melted distributor amongst other things and another holiday had been cruelly cut short.

I'm happy to say though that the latest generation VW camper is about as far away from the aforementioned nightmares of yesteryear as you can get. The California is the latest incarnation and having recently checked one out they are the business. With car-like performance and luxury interiors you could happily spend the rest of your days languishing away in one of these.

Some say they don't have the soul of the good old air-cooled VW's. True there are a few die-hards who spend hours removing rust from their beloved vans you may encounter many in North Devon during the summer months holding all the traffic up!

However after recounting the above tales I know which one I'd go for. Don't take my word for it though there are plenty of specialist VW Van centres who will point you in the right direction.

An RV or a Caravan?

If you are in the market for taking your home with you on holiday, you basically have three choices, the tent (or trailer tent), a caravan or the recreational vehicle or RV. All have their advantages, but what is the best choice?

The Tent

Of the three choices, the tent is undoubtedly the cheapest, and the trailer tent variation can be quite comfy to, especially as much of the living accommodation is off the floor in the body of the trailer. But it is still a tent and as such offers limited luxury and protection from the elements cannot match that of a eurovan or RV.

The advantages of the tent are price, ease of towing not to mention it is easy to store when you are not on holiday!

The Caravan

Caravans come in all shapes and sizes these days and there is one for the smallest car, and the largest, some being veritable double axled paradises on wheels with every comfort you can imagine. Even the smallest is more difficult to tow than the trailer tent though and some people just do not want to tow in the first place (which of course means that they have to go for a basic tent or a RV).

The advantages of the caravan over the tent are obvious in that they offer a better class of accommodation, are more durable and are normally a lot bigger, a far better choice for a family.

The Recreational Vehicle (RV)

The RV has been with us for many years, perhaps the one that sticks in the mind (at least for those over 50) is the VW camper van as used by countless hippies and Australians for there travels across the globe. Today however, the RV is a lot different and in most cases a lot bigger, and has luxuries un-thought of by the first RV users.

The top of the RV tree is occupied (you guessed it) by the American Motor Home, vehicles of such size and luxury that they need an HGV licence before you can drive one, some even having a garage at the back with a Smart Car for those shopping trips etc.

When it comes to luxury, even the top of the range caravan cannot match the biggest RV, with its sliding walls (which extend the living area out each side of the body) higher ceilings and well, just pure luxury. Of course, there are smaller RV's, some smaller than the good old VW Camper Van, with one for every taste.

When it comes to disadvantages the RV however has quite a few, not the least cost, even the smallest being a big purchase, whilst the largest can cost 250,000 quite an investment! Besides the initial cost, there is the running costs and with fuel consumptions in the low 20's mpg (even less with the big ones) and the fact that you need to road tax and MOT them every year (and that can be expensive for the HGV variants) makes them a poor bet for anyone on a budget.

But then, the American Motor Home has never been something for man in the street, they are for those with a high disposable income or those that sell up and decide to live in one instead of owning a house. They offer true luxury and for those that want to live the high life on the open road, the RV is really the only choice.

5 Tips for Purchasing A Used Camper

1 - Separate what you want from what you need

You will probably have some idea as to which sort of used camper you are looking for. But do you really need that class? If you haven't done so already then you should really spend a few days in a similar model to the one you would like to buy. Renting or using a friend's rig for just a few days will give you a clear idea on how suited you are to that particular size of rig. You may be looking at 'Class A Motorhomes' and realize that it is in reality far to spacious for your needs, difficult to drive and park and you may come to the conclusion that a smaller model would be a better investment. Or the opposite may be true. You may be looking at small campers when in reality you need to be considering a large 'Class A' rig. Getting clear on this will take only a few days and will save you a lot of hassle later when it comes to buying your own used camper.

2 - Check Out The Vehicle History

Investigate the history of the vehicle you will be buying as deeply as possible. This means asking to see all the paperwork, including any repair bills and receipts for spare parts. This way you will get an idea as to what has been replaced and can hazard a guess as to what is likely to need replacing soon. You also need to check that the VIN number matches that on the vehicle and that on all paperwork it is the same number. Try to find out how many owners it has had and you may even try to contact the previous owners and ask them if they can remember anything of importance that cold be a problem.

3 - Check Out the Mechanical Side

Taking a qualified mechanic with you when you view a motorhome or camper is highly recommended, even if you are mechanically minded yourself. Your mechanic can be checking over all that is the driving and mechanical side whilst you inspect the living area, bodywork and coach work.

4 - Check Out The Bodywork

Have a good look at the outside panels, check for corrosion and laminating where the panels are bulging and separating from the side of the vehicle. take a good look inside at the ceiling especially in corners and on top of wardrobes or cupboards. Check for signs of damp. Also check the floors in the kitchen area and the bathroom. Soft floors can indicate corroded wooden supports as a result of leaking water system.

5 - Check out fixtures and fittings.

Try everything. Firstly to see if the living area is comfortable and secondly to see if it all really works as it should do. Just sit in the dining area, make sure you will all fit comfortably, sit on the sofa or armchairs and make sure you can see the TV or talk to each other well, test out the bed, etc. Then check for functionality. Open and close every single cupboard door and locker, both inside and out. Turn everything on and off again. Test absolutely everything - There are bound to be things that need attention. These should be noted down and used later when negotiating the final price.

The best place to look for a real bargain in used campers is in a police auction or a seized auction.

Source: Barry Bushnell

Four Wheel Boxes

Contributed by Michael Rad

Vans have been around since the 1960s and the very first van that was available in the U.S. was a Volkswagen. The word comes from caravan, being the last part of this word. The idea behind the van was that a car was simply not enough, a van being able to transport more people or more goods. So, the van is larger than a car but smaller than a van, and has the shape of a box on four wheels. In some areas, the vans are called LSV, designating light commercial vehicle. Pay attention that a van has diverse meanings in different parts of the globe. In Great Britain a van is a multi purpose vehicle, while in Japan it is a small bus that carries people only. These boxes on four wheels can be of diverse shapes and sizes, ranging from a mini van to a 5 meter long vehicle (this being the maximum length of a van).

As mentioned earlier, the Volkswagen was the very first van in the U.S. Today, the Volkswagen Eurovan camper is a popular van as well. The latest launched model is the generation T5 type 2 Transporter. This has an aerodynamic design and has many improvements compared to the first Transporter. Ford is another well known manufacturer of vans. The Ford Transit Connect was introduced in 2002 and is a panel van, and won the award of van of the year 2004. This model will be available in the U.S. in 2007 as well. However, the most popular van from Ford still remains the older Ford Transit. The Transit connect shares some of the Transit's features, but has some improvements and differences as well.

Fiat is also considered a good van manufacturer. The Eurovan from Fiat was a series launched that comprised many features. The Fiat Ulysses is such a Eurovan, being introduced in 2002. The second generation of Fiat Ulysses has a great design and a V6 sturdy engine and 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic transmissions. The Fiat Ducato is also a successful model of vans. The third generation of Ducatos was launched in 2006 and is both for transporting good and people, being able to carry up to 4 tons (the Ducato Maxi).

If you are hunting for a van, there are plenty of other manufacturers to choose from. You can get a van from Chevrolet- a Sportsman, a Nomad or a Supercarry, or you could get a Citroen van, a Daihatsu or a Dodge. Other manufacturers of vans are Vauxhall, Honda, Toyota, Suzuki, Renault, Peugeot, Nissan, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi and last but not least Mercedes Benz.

Vanagon Features

Information taken from Wikepedia

With the engine and transaxle mounted very low in the back, the Vanagon had much larger disc brakes in the front, and drums in the rear. Axle weight is very nearly equal upon both the front and back ends of the vehicle. Unlike the Microbus before it, the Vanagon was available with amenities such as power steering, air conditioning, power door locks, electrically controlled and heated mirrors, lighted vanity mirrors, and a light above the glove box (most of which were essentially standard equipment in later models).

The Vanagon did have A/C althought the air conditioning was, rather un-conventionally, of the "hanging" type. That is, all components of the air conditioning system on the Vanagon camper were internal to the vehicle hang from the ceiling. The air conditioning housings are infamous for cracking and falling down after the vehicle has gotten older, and there were even recalls issued to address the problem.

Starting with the 1986 model year, there was available a greatly improved air conditioning system that not only does not suffer as badly from the cracking housings, but also does a better job of cooling the interior of the van on hot summer days. This later system features an "airliner" style plastic duct that runs the length of the Vanagon in the center with adjustable outlets at set intervals, rather than cooling the entire rear section via a single bank of outlets facing aft above and behind the front seats.

The controls of the Vanagon camper are above the sun visors in the front of the vehicle for both systems until the 1988 model year when they were moved to the dash. The air conditioning ductwork for the 1988 and later years was, arguably, a much more attractive color, being grey instead of beige. The grey color housings hold their color better than the beige, which tends to yellow considerably over a several year period.

This was one of the few campers that ever in which the automatic transmission was tougher than the manual transmission, which was caused by the fact that, up until the 1990 model year, the 3-4 Gear Synchro Slider Hub was of a flawed design. This could result in cracking, or even breakage, causing the transmission to get stuck in 3rd or 4th gear. A new 3-4 hub design less susceptible to stress fractures was implemented sometime in late 1989, first showing up in early 1990 model year vehicles.

The automatic was a standard hydraulic 3-speed unit, the same 090/010 unit as used in Audis of the era. These featured an aluminum case for the transmission section, and a cast iron case for the final drive section.

The 091 manual transmission was a 4 speed unit, featuring a lightweight aluminum case.
The automatic features a 1.0 ratio top gear, while the manual features a 0.85 top gear.

The Vanagon ford have some unusual features, such as the fact that the brake master cylinder is inside the dashboard. The battery in gasoline-powered models is located under the passenger side front seat, to protect it from the elements. There is a compartment of slightly smaller size under the driver's side seat, for a second battery, which wasn't present except in the case of certain "Weekender" camper models.

The oil filler tube for the engine is located behind the flip-down license plate door, and this requires extra care when pulling into a full-service gas station, as the gas station attendant will most likely try to put gasoline into the oil unless instructed otherwise, as the caps are not clearly marked. Most early vans had a twist-on/off gas cap right on the outside just under and behind the passenger side door. A locking cap was optional for the Vanagon, but like other amenities, became very common on later models.

The spare tire lies in a tray under the very front of the van (as the engine is in the back), just below the radiator. To get the spare out, one must undo a 19 mm bolt in the bottom of the front bumper, pull a small latch back, and swing the tray down.

Overall, these vw campers have exceptionally well-built and strong chassis (frames) that are often found to be as good as new underneath, thus creating a platform with good scope for very long life if given even the minimum attention annually.

VW Camper Future

If you are curious about the vw camper future, Volkswagen is looking to make some huge innovative improvements to their westfalia campers. In 2007, Volkswagen had a design contest for the future vw camper and they received thousands of amazing designs.

Here are some videos of what the future of the vw camper may bring:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJXTBZLRfR4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18JszKBSSJI&feature=related

As you can see many new additions would be brought to the vw campers. Special aunnings that include a screened in area, solar features, a grill that can be transported outside, many new storage compartments, and so much more. This is exciting to all those who are looking for a new camper, or loved the old vanagon campers and westfalia campers from volkswagen's past.

For more information on volkswagen campers and their future visit www.verdier.ca

Colorado VW Campers

If you are looking to buy a vw camper in the Denver area, there really is only one place to find the best volkswagen campers in the state of Colorado. JDB Imports has the cleanest vw camper inventory in the country and specialize in vanagon, eurovan, and westfalia campers.

JDB Imports is located in Northeast Denver and has three warehouses full of vw campers for sale. They have been selling volkswagen campers for over 20 years and are truely the countries best vw camper dealer. They only work on vw campers and specialize in restoring old models into beautiful campers.

If you are looking at purchasing a motorhome or camper soon, you need to look into the inventory that JDB has. VW campers are the most fuel efficient, user friendly camper on the road today. Most models at JDB Imports range in year from 87-04' but all have brand new interiors. All of the campers at JDB Imports go through a 100 point inspection before becoming part of their inventory. The mechanics at JDB Imports specialize in vw campers and are the best in the country. There is not another vw camper dealer out there that has the experience or expertise of westfalia or vanagon campers which sets JDB Imports at the top of the list.

If you know you want to purchase a Vanagon, Eurovan, or a Westfalia camper you should test drive one from JDB Imports in Denver, Colorado. Call them today (303) 287-9797

Brief History of the VW Bus II

The first generation of Volkswagen buses were built from 1949 to 1967, and are known as split-window buses or 'splitties'. Buses built after 1967 are known as the 'bay window models'. Where these offspring may lack the personality of the originals they feature modifications including winding windows and a top speed of 80mph. After 1979 more modern versions were developed and these became known as 'wedges'. For the original Type II devotees the charm was lost and the cosy vw camper had become a bungalow on wheels.

The splitties sported a split windscreen (obviously) along with a sweeping v-line front and a large VW emblem. These buses were 170 cubic feet (about 4.8 cubic meters) in volume and were spacious enough to hold a 15-hand horse. The vw bus had the engine and axles of the Beetle but had a unitary construction supported by a ladder frame instead of the central frame platform. The payload was roughly 750kg and the engine had a cubic capacity of just over 1100cc with an output of 18kW at 3300rpm (very low!). The terms 'ladder frame' and 'central frame platform' refer to the construction method of the chassis. The ladder frame is two longitudinal parallel girders or beams upon which the suspension, engine, transmission etc are mounted (hence the name).

The VW bus is good for carrying direct loads. The handling is poor, partly due to a lack of torsional stiffness so it performs badly when cornering. The central frame is made of a central spar with ribs to which the engine, suspension, body and so on are attached. The load carrying capacity is not high, but the torsional stiffness inherent in the design ensures that the handling is good. This contributed to the poor handing of VW Type IIs but also explains their usefulness as transporters.

The VW Transporter can carry up to eight people and the two rear rows of seats can be removed in order to transport greater loads. As the design was so elementary, Volkswagen turned out 90 different body amalgamations over the first five years. These variations included buses, pick-ups, fire engines, ambulances, beer wagons, refrigerated ice-cream vans, milk floats, mobile butchers shops, bread vans, mobile grocers, ordinary delivery vans and the more familiar camper (the last variation).

50 years from original production, VW buses are as popular as ever, and they are enjoying a renaissance among the surfing community (as well as others). Presumably this is because they offer copious space to store boards, equipment and friends along with a cool sense of freedom. The Volkswagen bus owner must be prepared to frequent second-hand specialists for parts and to spend a great deal on fuel (expect no more than 25 miles to the gallon) but the rewards are great. There are also numerous customisation opportunities including lowered suspension, tinted windscreens, adding a V8 engine and the groovy paint job.

There are now plans afoot to develop a new generation of bus in the same vein as the new Beetle. Called the Microbus, it is to include a table with games console and Internet access and a camera at the rear above the license plate. The actual engine spec and performance have not been released.

JDB Imports - Denver's Leading VW Camper Dealer

If you are looking for a volkswagen camper, there is only one place to look! JDB Imports is located in Denver and has more vw campers than anyone in the state of Colorado. They have a great selection of several Vanagon, Eurovan, and Westfalia makes and models. Not only do they have a great selection, all of their vw campers are very clean. Their entire inventory is in great condition and honestly some of the cleanest vw campers out there.

John Bigelow is the owner of JDB IMports and has been working with German automobiles for over the 35 years. As a former BMW Technician himself, John has a great knowledge of the workings of German autos.

JDB Imports specializes in VW Eurovans, Vanagon Campers and Westfalia Campers. All of the inventory is typically 1984 and newer. JDB Imports also has recent trade-in's that are for sale, make certain that you check out their vw inventory for both of our "VW Campers for Sale" and also their "Recent Trade Ins".

JDB Imports is a family owned business in the Metro Denver Area and has been in good standing with the Better Business Bureau the entire time they have been in business. There is not a fleet of fancy talking salesman at JDB Imports, and there is not a special of the day. JDB Imports takes the time to really inspect every vehicle purchased, and goes through a full "reconditioning process" for every VW Eurovan that they purchase and sell to their customers.