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Poppy’s Adventures in France

We live near Oxford so Calais was not practical
as we wanted to hit Bordeaux, so we went
Portsmouth to Caen and Le Havre to Portsmouth
as the return due to pricing and availability. We got
a good rate through the camping and caravanning
club discounts that more than paid for this year’s
membership fee. We also took out AA European
cover, although it was about £80 a week on top of
the annual cover charge, expensive but reassuring!
In theory every town in France has a mechanic
and they are all the older fashioned mechanics
who know our simpler engines extremely well,
chances are this extra insurance would have
been unnecessary.
Prior to setting off, we had been having some
engine issues and multiple mechanics locally had
looked at it, most recently a half day that resulted
in a cable tie forcing the air filter to always run with
warm air intake not cold. A very expensive cable tie!
Our latest tank of petrol showed running figures of
just 18mpg which wasn’t good either. We decided
that actually the real issue was the carb and since
we have a second van and that one has the same
original carb, we could swap them over and see
what happens. One quick read of the Haynes
manual and a bit of Internet research and the swap
took around 10 minutes! What a transformation!
Poppy had more power, better idling, no cutting
out, no holding back and the problem was solved
just before the trip. Following the advice from
our illustrious President Malcolm at a recent AGM
weekend, we also bought a split charge relay and
fitted it, total price £7 and that charges the leisure
battery when the engine is running, the solar panel
keeping it going when parked.
Other prep work for a big long trip was to make
sure that on board were the bits that we might
need. Spares – Rocker cover gaskets, throttle and
clutch cables, set of plugs, points, condenser and
coil. Some wire and termination plugs, electric
tester (even the screw driver with the light bulb
from the pound shop), set of bulbs, some fuses
and a fan belt. We also took 2 litres of oil, checked it
each day and in fact only used about 300ml across
the whole trip. Then we packed the tools – Set of
sockets, adjustable spanner, screw drivers, feeler
gauges and of course a cork screw! Other useful
stuff – torch, you need a high-vis jacket per person
and they fit under the passenger seat along with
a cheapo (we paid £2) plastic triangle also under
there as they need to be accessible from the cab
area. We didn’t bother with the breathalyser, you
are supposed to have two but there is no fine for
not having one. If you wear reading glasses, you
are supposed to have a spare pair in reach of the
driver too. We took the log book, MOT, insurance
doc and a photograph of each one just in case and
we needed them to get out of the UK as a lot of
stolen vans used to get driven out of the country.
We also kept our passports with us at all times
even when out for a walk, just in case. The Michelin
2017 map of France and a sat-nav for those times
when the map just doesn’t do it were essential.
We stayed at the camping and caravanning
recommended site on the Saturday night in

Caen as the ferry docked around 9.30pm and
it was literally half a mile from the ferry port but
expensive at £26 per night. The morning was
bright, the sky looked promising and the van was
running well, our ultimate aim was Bordeaux but
given the breakdowns of recent years, we were
just going to enjoy what fate brought us. Maybe
Sunday would see us stay over in Nantes? Well the
motorways are for fast cars and you can pootle
along in your van on free roads and they are all
deserted, beautiful countryside and clean villages
and towns. Nantes came and went before we
stopped at the supermarket for bread and cheese
and by late afternoon we arrived on the west coast
at a village called Jard sur Mer about 200 miles
from Caen, Poppy running better than ever, the
site found in the Aires book was six euros per night
and was right by the sea, a little village for strolling
and they had an ice cream shop too. Monday
morning waking up hearing the ocean and we
still had no plans or sites booked for the rest of the
trip. We bought a book from Amazon of the Aires
Camping Car Europe version, there are signposts
all over too of big camper vans signposting a place
to stay – often a car park in town but most are
free, pretty, clean and have CDP and fresh water,
although some charge for the water. That evening
we were in St Emilion, on a vineyard having a BBQ
and drinking wine made from the grapes that
surrounded us on all sides.
We had never done the exciting bit of setting off
with no booking for the night and just looked at
the map each night for where to head the next
day. Sometimes the Aire that we aimed for just
didn’t cut the mustard, often we found something
better on the way, vineyards being our favourites
and along the way we stayed by the Dordogne,
the Charantes, on vineyards, distilleries and in
pretty villages. Sum total cost apart from the
first night was twelve euros site fees and we
came back with a lot of wine bought from the
people who make it. We visited Bordeaux, Bourg,
Cognac, Bergerac, Monbassilac and other places
making wines plus cultural places like Oradour sur
Glane (a village retained as it looked after a 1944
massacre) and Arromanches les Bains (scene of
the Normandy landings) amongst others. Day
time exploring towns, villages, medieval chateaux
places of interest.
As usual, at each fill we log the fuel consumption as
we have done since purchase and we managed to
get up to 29.7mpg averaging 26mpg across a 1,400
mile round trip which alone saved us £100 on
petrol. Since June 15th this year your mobile works
in Europe on your UK mobile contract so there are
no extra charges which meant we were online and
able to make and receive calls without worry. The
overnight ferry from Le Havre meant a full day of
fun and exploring (and ice cream) before getting
on the ferry as it took us home. Docking at 6.30am,
we zoomed through the English countryside and
were home by 8.30 just before the locals started
heading off for their Saturday shopping trips.
What would we do differently? Well for sure we
loved it so much that we want to go back soon.
We would know that on Bastille Day the shops
shut at lunchtime making our last afternoon’s trip
to the Hypermarket to fill the van before getting
on the ferry a fruitless venture! We’d go for longer
and spend more time practicing French before
heading off. What a fabulous time was had by
all. There were a great deal of campers sharing
their experiences, one from a Dutch couple who
annually drive their modern van down to Italy, take
the ferry to Greece and have 3 weeks wild camping
on deserted beaches. Maybe once we retire that
will be possible! There were no flights involved, no
hotels, we did eat out quite a few times but plat
du jour gives you great quality food with lovely
ingredients for a set price meaning that the whole
trip was really very inexpensive and we arrived
home with 20 bottles and a whole lot of memories.
Anyone know the nearest place I can get moules
et frites?

Wakey Wakey!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is vw-winter1.jpg

Yes, it is that time again. Hurray! Finally, after the long winter in our non-mobile houses, we can get out our beloved vehicles.

Checklist

Hopefully you all followed the article Time for bed/ to help put your vehicle to bed for the winter. Now that spring is in the air and we are starting to think about getting out and communing in nature, this is a key time to get things ready.

Doors locks – there’s nothing more annoying than a failed lock. get it fixed now before the season really gets going. Door lock issues can be very straight forward but a simple lubrication can be key. Pun intended. A non residue lubricant is best to move the dirt away as WD40 can leave enough gunk to create issues. We favour silicon spray. A little into each lock.

Windscreen wipers – did they perish in the cold winter freezing them to the windscreen. Inspect and replace now.

Water – check the radiator if you have one. Ensure that the bottles that you emptied in the Autumn / fall have no mice, carefully hidden Christmas presents or mildew. Clean with a weak Milton solution if it is drinking water or food related.

Batteries – check the charge on each battery with a good meter. A flat battery can indicate an earth leak. A failed battery needs careful investigation.

Carburettor – Or equivalent. Check for good operation, no stuck flaps or other deterioration over winter. If you are a professional, this will be straight forward. If you are an amateur, a test drive very close to home will highlight problems! But only after the other checks.

Brakes – your vehicle should roll easily, otherwise this can indicate jammed brakes. Parking in gear for long periods of time can be better for your brake health than a jammed set of brakes. Check the brakes for operation. Check the brake fluid level. If it has been more than 5 years, change the brake fluid as it is hygroscopic and slurps up water incredibly quickly. Water is not a good fluid for applying the brake pads to the disks.

Seals – inspect all door seals for any signs of damage, water ingress or other problems and sort them out now. Glue any loose bits back down with the correct glue.

Windows – ensure that they all open and close fully. Or at least as fully as they did last year if applicable!

Ignition – Once you are feeling confident, get in to your pride and joy and turn on the ignition to number 2. Look at the lights on the dashboard. Check there ARE lights! Are they what you expect / are used to seeing? Have you got fuel (for those with a working fuel gauge)?

Crank it over – don’t expect it to start immediately but things should kick into life within a few seconds.

A little test drive on your driveway will allow you to test the brakes, maybe the steering and other important parts. Softly, softly.

Stay local, take your phone with you and warm clothing. Just in case!

Once you get home, assuming that you have a big smile on your face, make a list of snags, get indoors, put the kettle on and start planning for your summer.

Check out the events page and come and see us at a meeting soon!

Ask The Mechanic – Fitting reversing sensors

The Mechanic then received a question from Club Member,
Peter Rogers, who asked:
I have a T2 Bay 1978 model, and want to fit reversing parking sensors. I was planning on fitting the sensors to the rear bumper, but the installation instructions state that they should not be fitted to metal.
Is it possible to fit the sensors in the metal bumper with insulation around the sensor unit, or will the sensors still not work?

With no previous experience of fitting parking
sensors, this one got The Mechanic thinking.
From research, it would seem that parking
sensors work more effectively when mounted
into plastic bumpers and most retro-fit
instructions seem to state this also, however due
to the age of the vehicle, there is a lack of plastic
to mount the sensors on the rear of the vehicle
(or anywhere!), but there may be some possible
solutions, although they have not been tested
and are advice only.
A late bay rear bumper has a centre depressed
section for an optional rubber centre strip. The
sensors could be mounted into this strip and
that may stop any interference from the metal
bumper, they would also be virtually invisible
due to the black strip and black sensors.
These strips are available from Just Kampers for
£45 or you can buy the pair for the front and rear
so the bumpers still match for £85.
Another idea could be to make holes in the
bumper with larger diameters than the diameter
of the sensors. Then fit rubber grommets
into these holes and then fit the sensors into
the grommets, thus providing an insulated
mounting point for the sensors that should be
minimally distorted by the metal bumper.
Grommets are available cheaply in most DIY
stores or online

The Mechanic – Dinitrol for T1, T2, T25

This instalment of The Mechanic looks
at how you can protect your VW for
years to come using Dinitrol products.
The biggest threat to any classic vehicle is rust
and unfortunately our beloved Volkswagens
seem to suffer badly. Rust is an iron oxide that
forms by a reaction between iron and oxygen
in the presence of water. With the British
climate being renowned for its rainfall we
need all the help we can to keep rust at bay.
There are numerous products on the market
to help combat rust, if you do your research
there are various opinions on the most suitable
solution. Waxoyl and Dinitrol seem to offer the
best results and the choice of which product
to use comes down to personal choice or ease
of application.
WAXOYL is a long established and proven
method for combating rust. It is a petroleum
based wax product with self-healing
properties that contains oxidation inhibitors
that slow down the growth of rust. It works
by covering the treated area, thus preventing
water and air contacting the treated area.
DINITROL is an oil based product that
contains rust inhibiting ingredients to treat
and stop rust after it has been applied. It also
forms a barrier that prevents further corrosion
occurring. Dinitrol is supplied in several
different forms, a cavity wax for use in inner
sills etc. and an under body wax that dries to
a flexible tough film to withstand rain and salt.
Waxoyl is generally suitable for use on vehicles
that have been restored and have fresh
metal welded into them, whereas Dinitrol is
designed for vehicles with existing surface rust
due to its rust killing abilities.

Guide For a Split, Bay or T25
The range of rear engine transporters are all
unique in their own way, but all suffer from
corrosion in the same way. One problem that
is particular to a Camper is that we create
more moisture due to us living inside, just
boiling a kettle will produce large amounts
of rust inducing steam, sleeping in the van
presents its own problems as we sweat and
breathe out moisture. The underside of any
Van is straight forward to protect. The usual
suspect areas such as inner sill, front valance
etc are easy to access from underneath, but
the inside structure is more challenging. The
front and side door cards are easy enough to
remove but the rear will require removal of the
interior furnishings and panels to gain access,
a time consuming exercise but worthwhile!

Member’s Motor – Paul and Suzanne Dunstan – Lola

Sitting by the log burner one cold winter’s
eve, my wife Suzanne and I had a very
uncomfortable chat with decisions to be
made just after Christmas last year; Delilah
our 1970 Early Bay had become the problem
child all VW parents hope won’t happen. After
several years of happy times, forgetting all
the damp nights from the leaky pop top and
refusals to start after a weekend away, the
steady drip of cash to keep her going turned
into a deluge when we found out her engine
problems, whilst not terminal, were not good
news. Our soul searching kept coming around
to the inevitable; we’d have to let her go, listen
to our heads and not our hearts. We’d toyed
with the idea of getting a T4 a few years ago
but air-cooled was always the previous winner.
Who couldn’t fail to love the look, the sound
and the feel of the old Bays and Splitties?…
Only the hopeless romantics and the ones
with deep pockets!
Everything happened in a whirlwind shortly
after the New Year. Delilah advertised and sold
within a matter of days to a wonderful fellow
from Kent who would have the time and
expertise to return her to her glory and just
days after and several viewings of vans in all
conditions and specs, we picked up a T4 2.5TDi
SWB short nose, new conversion from Will at
Coast Campers near Bognor. Will had turned
around an extremely sound, low mileage work
van, fitted her out with a ¾ rock n roll bed,
swivelling double passenger seat, Dometic
twin burner and sink, 240v/12v fridge, split
charger, hook-up and plenty of storage by Evo.
Suzanne soon had her named Lola (think The
Kinks / trans-porter) and we began adding the
personal touches. We are Pagans and into our
Nordic heritage and culture, so we set about
sourcing decals to make Lola look that little bit
different to your average camper. It’s surprising
how much you can save by not looking at
camper/vehicle stickers and decals and look at
interior decorating instead!
We traded in our Skoda estate and downsized
to a Fiat 500 and I immediately began using
Lola as a day runner, something I’d never even
contemplated with Delilah, and as soon as the
weather picked up we started to get away for
weekends and day trips. So far, we’ve travelled
the Hampshire countryside, done Dorset and
Wiltshire, and sailed over the Solent for a long,
long weekend at the Isle of Wight Festival.
Our first weekend away was to Eype/West Bay
near Bridport; Highlands End campsite is on
the cliff tops and has excellent facilities to suit
all needs and pockets. We love Dorset as it’s so

close and it offers everything for a weekend as
relaxing or active as you’d want. We even took
Alfie the pug with us but the pesky rabbits
occupying the campsite on the clifftops kept
him alert all through the small hours with their
thumping and such. The luxury of having a
van that was guaranteed not to leak helped
with the relaxation but missed having a pop
top, meaning we had to bend double or kneel
down to cook. The ease of shifting a lever and
pulling out the bed was fantastic, especially
putting it away again in the morning rather
than the near IKEA building process we
needed with Delilah’s bed. I’d never got around
to finishing the hook up on Delilah either
so having power to the van took away that
modern day first world anxiety of smartphone
battery watching and also meant we could
take an electric kettle with us for that lifesaving
morning cuppa just that little bit quicker.
Soon after the Dorset trip, we were off to
the Stonehenge Camping site at Berwick
St. James. What a wonderful site, with big
communal fire pits, small but spotless facilities
and only a 4 mile walk from the hallowed
stones themselves. They even have VW only
pitches! We’re already looking to book there
for next year’s Summer Solstice so we can fully
appreciate the atmosphere and meet up with
other like-minded V-Dubbers.
6 months in and Lola has given us back our
freedom to get away when we want and know
we’ll get back without the worries we all have
when on the road in a 47-year-old air-cooled.
We just did the VDub at the Pub festival at
Wimborne with friends who hired a T6 camper
(we’re in the process of getting friends hooked
on campervans). It’s a great little family
friendly weekend and there was every type
of VW under the sun there. As always you get
to wander around the campsite and arena
being nosy and chatting to other owners
(shout out to Steve and Dee with Matilda)
comparing interiors, engines, colour schemes
and everything in-between and always come
away with ideas for the next addition or
modification. When time and money allows,
ours will be to get Lola a pop top to save our
aching backs and knees.
I know we’ve lost some of the kudos and
glamour we used to have but in their own way,
T4’s have character and can be whatever you
want. Reliable and versatile, Lola will hopefully
last as long as the originals with the same
amount of dedication and TLC and will give
us many years happy ‘vanning in the future.
We’ve already got the next weekend sorted,
Somerset with our latest campervan convert
friends (keep it quiet though, they’ve got a
Renault – we tried!

Camper hunting – Keith Bolton

It all probably began when I was at university
back in the seventies and my supervisor had
an early 60’s Split Screen in which he drove
most of his students on course visits. I was the
proud owner of a black and chrome Honda
SS50Z motorbike, which I would take along and I
used to race the VW back from our trips. The result
was always the same: I easily out-accelerated
it, but then on the long straights it gradually
hauled me in with its 60mph top speed. Once
it was ahead I hung on in the slipstream until
gradual asphyxiation forced me to fall back to
watch helplessly as the speeding Kombi slowly
slipped away, laying smoke like a WW2 destroyer.
It was in those days that a love was kindled, and
it lay unrequited through many dalliances with
big Citroens, British sports cars and assorted
Land Rovers.
Then a couple of years ago, my Defender betrayed
my trust one more time. I knew instinctively that
it was over and what I had to do and that was to
seek out my first love: My wife, Jenny (different
sort of first love) and I decided we would look for a
Camper. We knew we could offer it a good home
because we had already had a garage able to
accommodate the Defender. Jenny, for different
reasons, was equally keen to enjoy a break. Not
long ago I had to drive a borrowed and stricken
T25 at night in rural South Africa and met lots of
friendly people every time I stopped, the problem
being that I couldn’t persuade them ever to get
back out again! We knew we would forgive an
old Camper for breaking down because we knew
that’s what they do and also because everyone
says it’s how you make new friends.
So here are some experiences and tips we picked
up on the way. I hope not ALL of it is obvious.
First was to go to shows and flatter owners into
showing us round their Campers, asking to
see their best welding repairs. Then I turned to
websites where I found most on Car and Classic,
Auto Trader and eBay. Split Screens were out of
range, so as is so often the case, I went for a younger
model and was easily seduced by the softer lines
and less expensive tastes of Bays, especially early
ones. So began the long phone-calls and longer,
fruitless trips from which, to summarise, I learnt
to be very suspicious of: anything selling near a
canal, anyone poor at maths or grammar (body
110%, drives excellent, etc.), anything just painted,
anything wet and trader jargon (got to be right,
good clean motor, first to see will buy, etc).
Now for some hopefully practical tips, especially if
like me, you are not mechanically talented :

  1. Find a local specialist you can trust. I was
    extremely lucky to come across Jez and Lou
    at Dubtricks near my home in Harrogate, who
    actually spent ages humouring me and looking
    at photos of possible purchases which I took
    to show them, even though I wasn’t even a
    customer. They were just really prepared to take
    an interest and offer advice – though I suppose
    they might have reasoned that if I turned
    up one day with a basket-case, I might try to
    persuade them to work on it!
  2. Best tip – Take a camera with a powerful flash
    and photograph every inch of the underside of
    as possible. Holes appear through Waxoyl as if
    by magic when you get the pictures onto your
    computer and I could easily have bought a
    lovely looking late Bay from its confident owner
    if my photos hadn’t shown it to have a chassis
    with a LOT of extra ventilation – holes show
    as jet black against the reflected wax surface
    and weld lines show up like a relief map of the
    Yorkshire Dales.
  3. Take a WEAK magnet, like a fridge magnet. A
    professional-looking heavy magnet has expert
    pose value but it’s more like a metal detector
    and will find metal deep beneath, whereas a
    fridge magnet will fall off if there is filler under
    the glossy paint. Also take a powerful led torch.
    Used at an angle, paint texture changes
    and panel ripples show immediately.
  1. VW in the sixties and seventies had OCD and
    plastered their vehicles with ID plates. The
    Camper we bought has to date revealed plates
    next to the windscreen, behind the driver’s seat
    and deep under the carbon on the floor of the
    engine bay. It is good if these match and even
    better if you check it all out on the internet from
    the m-plate codes behind the driver’s seat (on
    our U.S.A. import). It is also fun because of what
    else you find. I dug up from under the front
    seats an anti-Vietnam war badge, something
    to do with a rabies clinic, a strange-looking
    cigarette end and a scary looking dead spider.
  2. Documents – Ideally import documents and UK
    log book which all match up. Historic vehicle
    status is great for forty year-olds and apart from
    free road tax you should still be allowed into
    London freely once new emission zone rules
    come into force in 2020. This could spread to
    other cities, so it’s a thought.
  3. Choose your van based on the seller and where
    the vehicle lives, as well as the Camper itself.
    Ours had lived in a big garage in a big house
    in the country with a Porsche and the owner’s
    kids all loved it, so maximum points there. I
    should add that my wife does say I am easily
    fooled!
  4. Beware the prices of spares. Ours had a broken
    jalousie window from a break-in attempt and
    it took me six months to find another and
    that basic-looking little Westy folding table
    top will set you back around £200 on eBay in
    mint condition. I thought I might need a new
    front-hinged roof as mine was warped into a
    pagoda impersonation (I wondered at first if
    it was a rare Japanese import) and they seem
    totally unavailable. Luckily Jez and Lou with
    a combination of a super hot day, probable
    extensive sunbathing lying on top of the roof,
    lots of leverage and remarkable skill, have
    returned it to shape without it cracking. I still
    don’t know how they did that, but it saved me
    over £2000 on a non-original replacement.
  5. In my view, don’t worry about left-hand drive or
    right-hand drive. There seems to be a premium
    for right-hand, but you are never remotely
    going to overtake anyone so it’s just not an
    issue. I’m OK with my German VW having
    German left-hand drive (OK it’s American, but
    same point, sort of).
  6. Lastly, to come back to the beginning, it’s really
    all about rust. European vans will probably have
    been restored, but a recent paint job will stop
    you knowing how well, despite photos – I am
    a photographer and can make ANYTHING look
    good! USAs, South Africans and Australians
    may be rust free, but may not if they lived near
    the coasts (most South African ones) or in salty
    winter cities (lots of USA ones). Conversely,
    European interiors are more likely to be in good
    condition, but at least you can readily see if the
    hot climate ones have baked themselves to
    biscuits and dust.
    So, after it all, we have a lovely Early Bay Westfalia
    Campmobile, with an original interior in amazing
    condition. It has never had any welding and it’s
    recently been to Dubtricks for a new engine,
    clutch, dynamo (though it’s ended up with an
    alternator as the Hella recon dynamo was faulty),
    replacement fuel lines, rewires to make it less likely
    to immolate itself and some UK headlights (despite
    passing its last mot with USA lights!) The thing
    is all this is incidental to having good bodywork
    and a good interior, everything mechanical can
    be fixed and there are clearly specialists out there
    who are enthusiastic, expert and a pleasure to
    work with. There are also excellent parts suppliers,
    such as NLA, Just Kampers and VW Heritage with
    prices for moving bits reasonable, far less than
    for modern vehicles, though if anyone knows
    of a LHD early bay steering box for less than the
    average mortgage, do please let me know! We
    can’t wait to get it back on the road.

The Mechanic – Engine Bay Fire Suppressors

With the summer holidays looming and
everybody planning their travels and holidays,
have you planned your maintenance and
checks of your VW in as much detail? It is
very important to keep your van maintained
properly, but with the hotter weather and
longer than usual journeys; even the most
well maintained engines can suffer problems,
such as perished or split fuel hoses. Something
such as a split fuel hose could mean really
bad news for classic (or even modern)
VW camper owners.
Every summer there are reports on social media
of at least one classic VW that has caught fire
and been lost. Although good maintenance
and preparation should prevent this, there is
always that small chance and a fire suppression
system will provide extra insurance against
losing your van to a fire.


Fire suppression systems are now readily
available and vary in function and cost.
There are manual systems that operate using a
lever and cable to activate the suppressor and
there are also automatic systems. Automatic
systems are preferential as they require no
input from the driver to activate.
Within the automatic suppressor range there
are two main systems that prove to be the
most popular.


The first one is a cylinder (much like a fire
extinguisher) that is mounted in the centre
of the engine bay over the engine and if a
fire occurs in the engine bay, the vial over the
nozzle melts, releasing a gas agent at 240 psi.
The nozzle is designed to ensure 360° dispersal,
meaning that the gas will completely fill the
engine bay. The gas is released at -19°C so will
cool down the engine bay helping to prevent
any re-ignition of petrol vapour. This system is a
small scale version of what is used within oil rigs.

The second automatic system is also a cylinder,
but rather than mounting the cylinder directly
over the engine, the cylinder is mounted
within the engine bay (usually) but out of the
way, (usually the left rear side of the engine
bay is most spacious). This system uses a linear
detection tubing which is installed throughout
the engine compartment. This tubing can not
only quickly and accurately detect a fire but
also extinguish it before it can damage adjacent
components. The tubing is connected to the
cylinder valve and charged with nitrogen or
compressed air. This pressure is utilised to hold
back the extinguishing powder in the cylinder.
Should a high temperature or fire occur, the
pressurised tubing will burst and the powder
will be deployed from the burst hole directly
onto the fire.
Both systems are fully automatic and come
with a full fitting kit.
Fitting is relatively simple and requires no
wiring or electrical input.
The first system with the 360° dispersal nozzle
can be purchased for approximately £60-
£100 and the second system that utilizes the
linear detection tubing can be purchased for
approximately £180-£250.
The design is personal choice and we would
not merit one over the other, but The Mechanic
has had experience of fitting the second system
and found it simple

Member’s Motor – Glenn George – Mavis

In December 2016, Club member Glenn George from
Dartmouth, Devon, alerted us to the fact that his
trusty 1973 Bay Window Devon camper “Mavis”
had been used as a getaway vehicle during the
heist of a security van during a Pirate Festival! This
was not the usual getaway that Glenn was used
to; he preferred the kind that involved camping!
However there was no need for alarm as “Mavis”
was used for filming an episode of BBC1’s
“The Coroner”, now in its second series and
with an episode titled “Pieces of Eight”, “Mavis”
provided the perfect cover for a robbery during
Lighthaven’s Pirate Festival and Glenn has given
an account of his experience below.
It started with a phone call from Adam at AJs
VW in Paignton (where Mavis has been serviced
for 43 years), Adam told me that he had been
asked if any of his customers had an old camper
and were willing to take a couple of days out for
filming in and around Dartmouth. As I work just
a few miles over the river in Brixham I thought
this sounded like an interesting proposition so I
agreed. The next few weeks I spent speculating
what would be involved, as it is BBC policy to not
give too much away. I asked around if anyone
knew of this “Coroner” series, as I must admit I
hadn’t heard of it myself

When the day finally arrived I headed off to
Bantham and was quite impressed with the
military precision that had gone into the
planning of the day. I was sent a list with details
of all 70+ people and where and when they all
had to be. I arrived at 9am and found an assistant
Director who fetched a couple of wardrobe
assistants. I got a bit nervous at this point, but
it wasn’t me they were going to dress up, it was
Mavis! At this point I was concerned with what
they might do to her, but they assured me that
they would clean her up afterwards. She was to
be dressed as a Pirate Van, she looked a bit funny
but they were very gentle.

I was asked to drive Mavis down a very steep hill
to a small sandy cove where there is a beautiful
view of the river and an old boat house. “Drive her
on to the sand a bit” I was told, whilst surveying
the green tinged last few cobbles of the socalled road, I didn’t think this was the best idea
but was persuaded by the crew. So I drove half
on and then reversed a bit to see if she’d get off
again and she wasn’t going anywhere, well and
truly stuck! This was when I realised how friendly
everyone was as they all chipped in with pushing
and pulling to get Mavis back on to firmer
ground. During the rest of the day’s shoot, Mavis
only moved about 3 feet and it took till gone
6pm to wrap the scene which lasts about 90secs
on screen! Once this shoot was finished, we had
to negotiate the very steep hill again, this proved
to be a challenging ascent which was assisted by
the 4×4 Mule usually used to transport lighting
rigs and camera equipment.

The second day of filming was eventful in a
different way, no steep slippery slopes but
filming in the centre of Dartmouth. It was here
that I learnt Mavis’ role was a getaway vehicle and
I also learnt the sense of humour underpinning
the show! When I was told that they would
hi-jack a security van and bundle someone into
the back of Mavis I laughed because I know
that all things T2 happen at their own usual
relaxed pace.
The first take was in progress when the “Pirate”
tried to quickly open the door, he used a few
nautical phrases that were heard echoing around
the Dart Valley. I offered a solution for myself to
crouch inside the van and persuade the door
to open with my foot as the handle was pulled
down. The director agreed to try this and it was a
successful 2nd take.
Our first experience with the Beeb was very
interesting and fun. I’m not sure we get to see
Mavis at her best, or any of the really fun scenes,
but I will keep my eye out for the out-take shows!

Type 2 T1 Split Screen Buying Guide

We appreciate that most of our members
already own a VW Camper, but not all of our
members have taken the plunge just yet and
some may be looking for an additional project
or a change of scenery.
Over the coming issues, we will take a look
at the Volkswagen T2 in its various forms and
provide some information as a buying guide.
This issue, we start with the Split Screen.
Driving
An early VW such as a split will not be the best
motorway vehicle, but if you don’t mind taking
it easy there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be
enjoyable.
They can be like an “old bus” with their huge
thin rimmed steering wheel and like a bus,
don’t expect it to handle like a modern
vehicle. It will be slow, use lots of fuel and
will more than likely break down one day,
but that’s the fun of VW Camper ownership (or
so they say!).
Remember also that the split screen buses
have smaller engines than the later models
and will b less powerful than what you
may be used to.
Bodywork
This is probably the most important part
of any potential purchase. All classic VWs
suffer terribly with rust and splits are no
exception. If you can find one that is pretty
original and rust free, you’re onto a winner!
But this is highly unlikely due to the age of
the vehicles and that previously there wasn’t
as much interest in these vans, meaning that
a lot of them have been repaired badly. If
possible, you want to avoid putting someone
else’s shortcuts right, but chances are that
most out there for sale has at least one
questionable repair.
Rust can and will affect most areas of
bodywork, especially the bottom 6 inches. This
includes the lower front panel, outer sills, rear
corners and wheel arches. Other hotspots are
inner sills, chassis rails, outriggers and jacking
points. It’s worth having a look at the floor,
tailgate, bottom of doors and areas around
window rubbers.
If you come across a van that you decide to
take on, repair panels and sections are readily
available from many specialists, but before
handing over the cash, ask yourself whether
you are ready for the commitment that project
will require.

Engines
Air cooled engines can be reliable when
properly looked after, but the stress put on
them by the extra weight of a van, especially
a fully fitted out camper, can eventually have
an effect. As discussed in the last issue’s
“Don’t Panic, Ask The Mechanic!” feature on oil
temperature, oil is one of the most important
components of the engine, so it is good to see
evidence that the oil has changed regularly.
Oil leaks are common, but some are trickier
than others to repair and may require engine
removal, something worth thinking about
with any potential purchase.
Blue smoke when revved can indicate worn
valve guides, lack of power could be a number
of things but could be a compression problem.
When the engine isn’t running, give the lower
pulley a tug as excessive movement/end float
could mean main bearing wear, resulting in an
engine rebuild.
Running gear
Lots of Split Screen vans have been lowered. If
done sympathetically it can improve handling.
This is commonly done using adjusters on the
front beam. If this has been carried out it is
worth checking the quality of the welding and
the adjuster itself. The rear is usually adjusted
by turning the rear spring plates on the torsion
beam or by using adjustable plates, these
should also be checked for condition.
With regards to brakes, there’s not too much
to worry about as everything can be replaced
inexpensively, but to check things are set up
ok, make sure the van pulls up in a straight line
on a test drive.
Interior
There have been various companies offering
camper conversions over the years and
generally there’s little to choose between the
different conversions. It’s worth viewing as
many different vans as you can to see which
internal layout works best for you. If you’re a
purist, original condition will be important.
Otherwise, as long as items such as the
sink and cooker are working, the rest of the
interior cabinets and upholstery can be easily
refurbished. Watch out for home conversions,
items such as fridges need to have proper
external ventilation, so make sure these are
in place.
What to Pay
As you’re no doubt aware, all bus prices have
gone through the roof in the last few years
which is good news for owners, and rubbish
for anyone interested in buying. Realistically,
you are unlikely to find a split screen bus
in any shape or form for anything less than
£10,000 with the cheapest kombis likely to be
£15k-£20k. Half decent bona fide split campers
that are ready to roll will be anything from
£20,000 right up to £60,000-£70,000.
Buying an import from the US or Australia
might be the best option to avoid bodywork
issues. The key will be to swot up on where
they rust and go into the buying process
with your eyes wide open. If you do buy a
rusty project, rest assured if you are able to do
the work yourself you’ll be sitting on a great
investment. If you propose to pay someone
else, bargain accordingly and bear in mind
there’s always going to be more rust than you
first envisaged!
The opinions expressed here are the personal
opinions of the author and do not necessarily
represent the views and opinions of The
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners Club.

Ask The Mechanic – Oil

Oil is one of the most important components
of your engine. Without oil, an engine will
overheat and fail. Many Dubbers keep a close
eye on oil levels and top up as required, but
is this enough? Keeping the oil in your engine
at optimum temperature is as important as
maintaining the correct level.
Monitoring the oil temperature in your classic
VW has always been tricky and normally
requires the fitment of an aftermarket system
that can look out of place, be challenging to
install and leave a large dent in your wallet.
However, there is a simple yet very clever
product called “Save My Bug” that can help
you to monitor the oil temperature without
breaking the bank.

“Save My Bug” is an oil temperature dipstick
that replaces your original dipstick and
connects to the oil pressure switch with an
18” wire included in the kit, allowing you to
monitor the engine oil temperature without
the use of an aftermarket gauge.
The oil light on your dash will now not only
operate as an oil pressure warning light, but
will also become an oil temperature warning.
In normal conditions the light will remain
off, if the engine oil temperature starts to
get too hot it will flash, if the light comes
on steady, the engine temperature is
excessively hot (or there is an oil pressure
problem) and you should pull over and stop
the engine immediately.
This has made keeping an eye on oil
temperature whilst driving a doddle and the
installation takes less than 10 minutes for all
levels of ability.
It is available for both the Type-1 engine and
Type-4 engine from most well known aircooled VW specialists for around £30-£40
depending on application