The Magic Of VW Camper Vans

VW camper vans are one of the coolest things to hit the road and van camping in a box on wheels gave a whole new dimension to the world of travel and camping. The VW camper world!

They have been around since the 1950's, look just marvelous and tend to put a smile on your face wherever they go. For some reason these marvelous camper vans won the hearts of many around the world.

The modern day versions may lack the character of the earlier models but nevertheless successfully continue the story of a legend, as the Volkswagen van remains the favorite choice for small and middle sized camper van conversions.

Based on the ever popular Volkswagen van, the first camper van conversion was done by a German company, Westfalia. One of the first hand built prototypes was bought by Erna and Helmut Blenck, a couple of keen travelers who made an epic journey to South Africa in it and in 1955 published a book about their travel in a Westfalia camper van, South Africa Today.

The magic moments...Lefkas, Greece

A few years later the first British company decided to introduce their own Volkswagen camper van conversion and so Devon campers was born. And guess what, converting vans became a profitable business for many others jumping on the same boat.

With the arrival of VW camper vans a new era had begun which set the standard for the future of van campers and motorhomes.

Nothing beats living out of your camper van. Having everything you need tucked inside and at the reach of your hand, you can stop whenever you want and decide when you'll go next watching the sunset. This is the magic of VW campers. Yes, these vintage campers are a bit slow and sometimes need your attention, but hey, that's just a part of the magical adventure!

Today they are cult vehicles and symbolize fun, freedom and adventure. Can you think of any other camper van so widely popular around the world and frequently used in movies, music videos and other advertising ads?

Well I don't think so!

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People And Their VW Camper Vans

VW campers are usually the pride and joy of their owners, which are of course a special breed of people. They pay endless care and attention to their VW campers and can have an on going conversation about the most important thing in their life...yeah, you got it, their VW campers!

Some people customize and paint them to achieve the look of their own. They create their own interiors just the way they like it. Others take on a full restoration project to restore the camper van to the original condition.

And they all gather up in hundreds and thousands on special events, take their loved ones on camping trips, long adventure holidays or just simply travel the world. Epic journeys to Africa, Asia and South America included. Some folks just don't give up that easy!

Being so popular has other advantages as well. Magazines, books and forums cover VW campers around the world. A large selection of companies such as Go Westy or Just Kampers have just about anything you need to enjoy and keep your van alive.

How about a VW camper hire? Surprisingly, quite a lot of small companies will let you hire any kind of VW camper around the world...

Anyway you look at VW camper vans I guess It's the down to earth simplicity, combined with the looks that put a cheerful smile on your face, multi-purpose capability and high quality craftsmanship that made this camper van so popular.

Wim from Belgium has also a lot to say about these buses.

Five generations have been produced so far, so let's take a look at them...

Five Generations Of VW Campers

The T1 or better known as the Splitscreen with the distinctive V shaped front panel and an air-cooled engine in the back was the first fully equipped Volkswagen camper van by Westfalia and definitely on the most "wanted" list among VW camper van collectors, reaching high price tags on the market when fully restored. No way you'll pass unnoticed driving around this unique camper van!

replaced the Split in 1967. A more modern approach in design with a one piece windscreen which is a common sight even today. Compared to the Split the van is comfortable to drive, handling is improved and the brakes finally work like brakes should do! Air-cooled engine is still in the back, but has increased in power and size through time.

Westfalia pop top roofs were installed, allowing standing height and additional two beds on the top so four people could sleep comfortably. Now, how cool can that be? Just stop wherever you want, pop the roof up, cook up a meal and enjoy the scenery!

The van is still produced in Brazil and is available with modern water-cooled Volkswagen engines from 2005. The Brazilian version is used by the British Danbury Motor Caravans for brand new and original VW camper vans.

The T3 introduced in 1979 was the third generation of the VW Transporter, known as the T25 in the UK and the Vanagon in the U.S. and Canada. The box shaped van grew in width and length and made a perfect base for VW campers. The camper van version in Europe was named the Joker and the California by the end of production. The back of the van still houses an air-cooled engine.

Westfalia introduced the pop top roof and the high top roof with an extra bed neatly tucked away at the top allowing full-time standing room at last! Storage room largely improved with the high roof.

The interior layout more or less set the standard for most VW camper vans today, with the kitchen cupboards and storage room running along the drivers side, the rear bench that converts into a double bed and the swiveling front seats creating a small, but comfy lounge with one or two swiveling tables.

In 1982, the air-cooled engine went to history books and finally made way to a more modern water-cooled engine. Horror of all horrors for the air-cooled folks. A notoriously underpowered diesel engine was added at the time and shortly afterward received a boost from a Bosch turbocharger!

With all the new plumbing VW camper vans finally received a proper fan-blown heater to keep the cabin nice and warm in the winter. Other car like amenities were available as well.

The top of the line and the most capable VW camper ever made is the 4X4 Syncro, built by the Steyr-Daimler-Puch company. They are highly capable quality piece of machinery still very desirable today.

After 41 years Volkswagen finally broke the tradition of keeping the engine in the back and in 1990 launched the T4 Transporter or the Eurovan for the U.S. market, the fourth generation with a water-cooled engine in the front. Westfalia kept the California name for the VW camper van world. A huge storage room is now the back and with new interior designs, this is just what a proper camper van needs. With the new line of powerful diesel and petrol engines and overall superb handling this camper vans were a huge step forward from the previous models. The T4 is still a solid base for many camper van conversions today.

In 2003 the fifth generation or the VW T5 was introduced to the world. Very similar, a bit larger and arguably better then the previous model. Volkswagen terminated its special relationship with Westfalia and for the first time produced their own camper van conversion, the California. An evolution of the interior, using a high quality minimalistic design, with a power-driven pop top roof. Wow!

A long list of companies such as Bilbos, Autosleeper and Reimo use the VW T5 for their camper van conversions today.

And if you understand German, the SpaceCamper is a young conversion company from Germany packed with all kinds of new solutions.

A 60 year tradition is hard to beat in any business today and based on the quality and versatility of the Volkswagen van, any camper van conversion will offer you many memorable adventures to come!

Well some people use the Westfalia campers and other campers to pull of the grid and just enjoy the magic of their life by living in a van.

Is This The Future?

Well I don't know. But check out this visionary camper van concept. This hybrid powered pop top camper van includes integrated solar panels in the roof. The Verdier Westfalia Camper has an awesome design and sports some innovative features like the swivel kitchen allowing you to cook either inside or outside. Just pick your favorite color and this video...

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