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Lowlight Camper Help...

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loosecannon Casual Dubber

31 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#950979
Hello,

I have been after a lowlight camper for soooo long now!! Can't find anything that's half decent, even for a project...
Now the question that might cause a LOT of controversy is about how and when the hole was cut in the roof? Did they come here as tin tops and then fitted out later? Only asking because of what I have read about Australian Campers / Fit out. I understand that they were done by VW but were they done here or imported like that?
Therefore is mashing a decent project tintop with a totally rusted camper sacrilegious to the VW community? I would be putting another Kombi back on the road...

Please haters be nice... 🙂

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,785 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#950999
your car - do whatever you want

That said - I think you will find ALL campers are modified vehicles and would need to be engineered that way

i believe some came with VW aftermarket approval, but I dont believe any kombi rolled out of the factory as a camper

Personally I perfer full micro busses and would have a bus with a tent over a camper
Futue te ipsum!!!

pfillery Insano Dub Head

734 posts · joined Dec 2011 ·

#951006
I'm wrecking a later (74) bay camper which I'm told is a Sopru conversion. There is no mod plate even though they were not done by vw. The roof cut is very rough and I thought it was a home done job but apparently that's the way it was done. No reinforcing or anything.

I wouldn't convert mine because I don't want a camper. But if that's what you want then go for it. I agree though that you would probably need engineering mods for the conversion.

You could do a non pop top camper. Have seen plenty of them.

AA003 Custom Title Time!

1,189 posts · joined Oct 2011 ·

#951026
All campers here started out as Kombis then had a hole cut in the roof.

Sopru was the official VW conversion.
I read it on samba, so it must be correct.

Sometimes Volkswagen dealers sell spare parts. Amazing isn't it!😂

68BUS Wolfsburg Wizard

485 posts · joined Jul 2011 ·

#951029
As a rule too, if you want it too look 'Factory' like a supro or similar, you need to mark the hole very very carefully then use an axe to cut it nice and rough and jagged 😁

As said above, if you want to convert a tin top so be it. Tin tops are worth more and always will be as finding a good one is harder to do.

Depending on where you are I am selling my 68 camper. It has started resto and does have more rust work but is a good base. Plus it was complete with all the hard to find bits before I started. In Brisbane. I stopped working on it due to kids and spending my weekend surfing whilst driving my on road bus.
1966 Aussie 11 Window

loosecannon Casual Dubber

31 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#951048
AA003 wrote:All campers here started out as Kombis then had a hole cut in the roof.

Sopru was the official VW conversion.
WOW, see I didn't know this... I am a novice to the Kombi world. Here's the thing though, I have 2 young children (5 & 3) and the idea of a grabbing a camper and taking off is awesome. But having said that who has had the experience of actually doing this? Is it what my imagination perceives? Or does the pop top never get used for actual camping/sleeping?

Any opinions/experiences would be greatly appreciated...

ragged Just ask if you need HELP!

478 posts · joined Jan 2005 ·

#951049
You will from time to time come across RHD campers that were shipped to Oz by British tourists in the 70's and never sent back. They have real nice things like 'limited slip diffs' that were factory fitted. When you look, you never know what you will find. Dave

vassy66T1 Wow ... are U reading this?

2,120 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#951072
loosecannon wrote:
AA003 wrote:All campers here started out as Kombis then had a hole cut in the roof.

Sopru was the official VW conversion.
WOW, see I didn't know this... I am a novice to the Kombi world. Here's the thing though, I have 2 young children (5 & 3) and the idea of a grabbing a camper and taking off is awesome. But having said that who has had the experience of actually doing this? Is it what my imagination perceives? Or does the pop top never get used for actual camping/sleeping?

Any opinions/experiences would be greatly appreciated...

My wife and I and our 2 boys (now 15 and 16yo) have done some camping and touring including 4 weeks inTassie.
The poptop (or in our case the Dormobile top) is excellent for both airflow, being able to stand up to get dressed etc, and the boys did sleep in it sometimes. Sleeping up top is handy when you are doing a quick one night stop or a break from driving (rest) and don't want to put a tent up for the tin lids (kids).
We absolutely love the camper. We are doing Jindabyne in June this year.
There is nothing about ours that is rough in the conversion. I would give the thumbs up for a good Dormobile.

loosecannon Casual Dubber

31 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#951127
Thank-you so much vassy66T1. I was a little doubtful on the pop top after lots of people have encouraged to just fit out a tin top...
Surely there's a camper out there somewhere...

vassy66T1 Wow ... are U reading this?

2,120 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#951173
Yeh bud! Keep looking 🙂

Scottkombi Officially Full-On Dubber

358 posts · joined Dec 2008 ·

#951224
There is the odd Westfalia camper that has been imported here - very rare though - they are the ONLY VW factory approved conversion and used sunroof models with the hole already there before they were transported to the Westy factory and fitted with their elevating roofs. Early bay ones pivot from the front and late bays pivot from the rear.

Dormobiles are the next best version.

Most Sopru ones will be rotten under the fixed fibreglass lower pop-top roof section so be very wary of them.

Best of luck with your search.
88 Caravelle Syncro Camper
89 Caravelle GL microbus - 5 speed
69 Microbus
05 Mk5 Golf 1.9 TDi DSG

Mr Bubble Head Insano Dub Head

829 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#951375
Scottkombi wrote:There is the odd Westfalia camper that has been imported here - very rare though - they are the ONLY VW factory approved conversion and used sunroof models with the hole already there before they were transported to the Westy factory and fitted with their elevating roofs. Early bay ones pivot from the front and late bays pivot from the rear.

Dormobiles are the next best version.

Most Sopru ones will be rotten under the fixed fibreglass lower pop-top roof section so be very wary of them.

Best of luck with your search.
I totally agree with that I've owned and lived/traveled in a sopru kombi in late 99 onwards and loved the poptop the fit out works well but I've recently picked up a 73 RHD westfalia which I've pulled the interior out and I'm currently tidying up for next summer to use. It came from germany and was delivered to the agent in england from the vin plate search. I think it went around eroupe before come to australia as when i pulled the floor up in the rear I found a 10 escudo coin from 1973. It might be one of those english torist left behind buses.
recycle, restore, enjoy