SUVs

[Bonefishblues]

Bongos have their own Bongo subculture

As for Dubbers!

Al

TBF they have to stick together in their times on need - the verge of the A30 is always littered with broken down ones whilst Bongos sail serenely by

[Vorpal]

BTW, we've had eight Minis - two vans, two Clubman Estates, and four saloons.

In 30 years of motoring I’ve only ever owned 4 cars! Fiat Uno, Audi 80, VW Passat & a Skoda Estate!

Almost 40 years for me. From the time I started driving, until I finished uni & had my first decent paying full-time job, I only bought high-mileage used vehicles, so, I went through a few. One Datsun, a Toyota which didn't last long, a VW Golf, and a VW transporter.

Since then (about 30 years), I've had 3 cars, though I drove company cars for about 5 years. We've had the current Skoda Fabia estate for 10 years now, and it was used when we bought it. It's showing it's age, but still seems to run ok. We don't drive much, and I don't imagine that we will replace it when it dies.

Regarding nicknames for SUVs, my dad used to call them 'futility vehicles'.

[al_yrpal]

Bongos have their own Bongo subculture

As for Dubbers!

Al

TBF they have to stick together in their times on need - the verge of the A30 is always littered with broken down ones whilst Bongos sail serenely by

You are not wrong. Broke down on the single carriageway oposite Stonehenge and when I got to the Festival spent a bit of time with Doc Brown who also had a VW Brick and had also broken down, but, he managed to do it in a garage with an M&S food outlet

Al

[richardfm]

Is there a modern camper that is the size of the traditional VW one?

T5 and T6 VWs and...they are going to produce an electric one at an eye watering price.
My T25/ T3 has significantly more space inside than the modern VWs because the engine is at the back under the floor whereas in modern ones the engine is in front.
The other option is a Mazda Bongo, a s/h Japanese import which is slightly smaller in width. These are usually in great condition and fairly cheap.

Al

T5 and T6 are a lot bigger than the old VW camper vans

[al_yrpal]

T5 and T6 are a lot bigger than the old VW camper vans

True for the Splitty and the Bay Window but untrue where The Brick is concerned which is why I originally bought it. My neighbours T6 was much smaller inside and his seating was quite uncomfortable compared with my T25. He was a bit put out! However I believe you can get a long wheelbase T6, but most arent and I have never tried one. LWBs dont fit into a car parking space either.

Al

[Nearholmer]

To me, the attraction of a smaller camper is the possibility of using as an ordinary car, no way could I justify a camper and a car, so I’m thinking “what fits in an ordinary parking space?”. The old rear engine idea seemed to make good use of space, but the. I wonder whether a Sharan could be “camperfied”.

[PedallingSquares]

To me, the attraction of a smaller camper is the possibility of using as an ordinary car, no way could I justify a camper and a car, so I’m thinking “what fits in an ordinary parking space?”. The old rear engine idea seemed to make good use of space, but the. I wonder whether a Sharan could be “camperfied”.

Anything can be camperfied.I know someone with a Corsa van that's a camper.OK so it tiny but it suits his needs.A 'Rock n Roll' bed can be fitted in pretty much any large 7 seat people-carrier-type car.
There's dozens of smaller conversions on Facebook Market place.The Transit Connect,VW Caddy and Fiat Doblo are favourites.

[Bonefishblues]

To me, the attraction of a smaller camper is the possibility of using as an ordinary car, no way could I justify a camper and a car, so I’m thinking “what fits in an ordinary parking space?”. The old rear engine idea seemed to make good use of space, but the. I wonder whether a Sharan could be “camperfied”.

https://nimblecamper.com/car-camping-sharan-review/

[Nearholmer]

Very definitely potential there, thanks.

[Pebble]

Sleeping with the bike in the Berlingo

[pete75]

To me, the attraction of a smaller camper is the possibility of using as an ordinary car, no way could I justify a camper and a car, so I’m thinking “what fits in an ordinary parking space?”. The old rear engine idea seemed to make good use of space, but the. I wonder whether a Sharan could be “camperfied”.

https://nimblecamper.com/car-camping-sharan-review/

You can sleep in just about any car. It's as easy to sleep sitting as lying down.

[Vorpal]

Many hatchbacks (e.g. VW Golf) have enough room for one or two people, depending on size, to sleep in the back with the back seats removed, the back seat backs folded down, and the front seats pushed & tilted as far forward as possible. A small estate is a better option, especially if you want to sleep 2, but I have camperfied hatchbacks in the past. A (short) friend and I used a VW Golf that way to attend music festivals a few times. It was much more comfortable than a cheap tent. We added a tarp & a couple of tent poles to the back hatch to make a porch for sitting, cooking & socialising.

[pwa]

Like many people I regard huge Motorhomes with the same disapproval as big SUVs. Riding my bike I have been cut up by Motorhomes frequently. Motorhome drivers seem to have no idea of their vehicle's width. I remember my old boss buying a massive Motorhome on his retirement and having to trade it in for a smaller model a year later because of the difficulty of tackling narrow roads in remote scenic places.
Our VW Camper is the same width as a normal car and fits in a standard parking place. It doesnt have a bathroom or fixed toilet but that doesnt bother us. However its 1980 vintage means you do tend to accumulate a queue.
When I read a specialist Motorhome magazine it said that the average length of ownership is 2 years!
I recently got rid of my 2020 medium size SUV and bought a 12 year old Audi A4 clone which I am enjoying immensely.

Al

I think that quite a few VW camper drivers are reckless these days. Not all of them, of course, but there are a lot who seem to want to drive them like a hot hatch. I drive our short wheel base motorhome sedately, often waitng ages to overtake with grace and safety when a rushed, small margin pass might be tried by some. It is the state of mind of the driver that makes the difference. And we don't use ours when a car would do instead. Most weeks the motorhome goes nowhere. But when we want to do an overnighter sixty miles away in mid Wales, it is sitting there and ready to go.

[PedallingSquares]

I think that quite a few VW camper drivers are reckless these days. Not all of them, of course, but there are a lot who seem to want to drive them like a hot hatch.

That's because a lot of the T5/T6 etc are 200+BHP and actually go like a hothatch I've hired a couple and they accelerate like my 220bhp Insignia and will cruise all day at 90mph.Many are lowered on stiffer springs and 20" wheels and handle better than most cars!That would be my choice if I were to have one as I can't justify 2 cars but I'd want a camper that performs like my car.Unfortunately they're doing £20k+ for a good 10 year old model

[al_yrpal]

Having been to a 'Dubbers' meet once I can confirm that there are lot of knuckle draggers who own VW Transporters. Lowered suspension and the 'rat look' are considered cool. Doesn't surprise me in the least to hear of bad behavior.
As for mine, getting to 60 can be a bit worrying