The Ultimate Kombi bay-window camper.. How would you do it?

Okay, I have a Kombi low-light Bay pop-top camper sitting in my shed. I want to create the ultimate new-era camper, not recreate something from the 1970s.

Now, I know a little bit about camper/RV fitouts etc but I am looking for suggestions...

I'll begin with this: it will have its disc/drum brakes rebuilt and all suspension checked/replaced. New windscreen. I'll probably throw in a twin-carb 1916cc for some grunt. The pop-top and annexe will be re-stitched with waterproof/windproof vinyl-backed canvas rather than the old-skool bed sheet crap.

I am really interested in people's opinions and experience for the interior fitout: what are the layouts etc of cupboards, equipment for the inside

I own a 12V Engel fridge so that will be installed.... what else?
Stove?
Cupboards?
Sinks?
What can't you live without?
What is nice to have?

How would YOU do it?

have u ever seen pics of that Purple Beast with the V* in it ? She was around for a few years, belonged to a guy down the gold coast.

It was cool

Buggy Brad wrote:have u ever seen pics of that Purple Beast with the V* in it ? She was around for a few years, belonged to a guy down the gold coast.

It was cool

Was his wife blonde? I seem to remember flipping through their photo album that was on display at a show...not sure if I am thinking of the same bus. 😊

yeah she was Blonde and use to wear painted on Purple pants that matched the kombi.

😁 Was wondering why I remembered that bus

Now thats a camper.👍

mine's nicer

For my own liking, bugger the true fit out of a stove and cupboards. I would be looking for good useable space inside for sleeping or lazing. Create something trick for actual removeable storage that will hold portable stoves and supplies that you need. Cupboards in my opinion are useless when that small as there are so many hidden spaces and corners and are not utilised. Roof top DVD and sound for my liking.

I'm with GT Mac, not sleeping in the back of your Camper that is.

I would fit is out as an entertainment Bus not a camper, cool bed and couch combo, DVD, Flat Screen Surround Sound etc much more useful day to day. Solar panels on the roof.

Have a modern removable Annexe fitted to the side that can have 3 walls. maybe a shower can be collpased into it too!

Then buy yourself one of those fold out kitchen cooking trailers, just tow that when you go away, save lugging the camping gear all the time.

Think of it as your building a "drive in" bus and tow the camping trailer bhind, best of both worlds.

Cheers,

David

yeh i remember that purple bus, who can forget those bumper bars........0h yuk, the rest was really nice

Modular is the way to go. Different modules that you can slot in and out, depending on what it is you're doing. Rock'n'roll bed, mount the stove on the door, so you can swing it out and cook outside if you want. Swivel seats at the front - captains chairs.

I think you should use a ej20t for some grunt,
with a alternator to run your doof doof and some nice kool air conditioning for when you are cruzin around in your ultimate new-era camper.

Why reinvent the wheel? I think old Kombis should be preserved rather than chopped up to fit Subarus etc - there won't be many Kombis left in another 10 years to do that to.

The ultimate Volkswagen camper - the VW T5 California. Made in Hanover by Volkswagen AG, not by Westfalia (who are now fully-owned by Daimler Benz).

VW Factory fitout, wide choice of options and accessories, modern VW TDI engines with 128 kW/300 Nm, VW 6-speed DSG, option of 4Motion 4WD.

You can also get excellent Australian-made conversions by Trakka in Sydney. Check out the next Caravan and Camping Show when it comes back to Rosehill Racecourse. And if the T5 is still too small, there's always the Crafter.

And thats a bad thing ? 😂😂

Phil74Camper wrote:Why reinvent the wheel? I think old Kombis should be preserved rather than chopped up to fit Subarus etc - there won't be many Kombis left in another 10 years to do that to.

That purple Kombi camper had a great interior fit out. Very nice with polished timber floors etc etc. But the exterior was fugly. He tried to fibreglass the front bumpers onto the front but eventually it started to crack and don't get me started on the lift job... talk about rough!!!!

Then again his Missus looked good too from 100 feet too.....

Pre-'74 T2 Kombi ('low light') camper conversions are much rarer than the 74-79 versions, as the Sopru conversion company was still privately owned at that stage and operated only from their Adelaide head office. LNC Industries (VW Australia's parent company) took them over and moved the head office and workshops to Sydney, so there were many more of the later 'high light' Kombi campers made than the earlier 'low lights'. I see them becoming more collectable in years to come, so it's well worth keeping one looking, at least, like it was made by VW - unlike that awful purple thing.

Pull out all the windows and fix the body rust first. New window rubbers are readily available, both for full size side windows (left and right), or the shorter stock windows with the flipper windows. You will probably find the frames of those are rusted out.

Redoing all the mechanicals - brakes, gearbox, engine - is a very good idea. A modern rebuilt Type 1 engine such as a 1916 will work well and give good performance, but keep the cam stock - you want good performance off idle, not at a milliion revs. A Kombi camper is heavy. By all means fit twin carbs, filter and pointless ignition, but try to keep the engine bay looking stock - don't use chrome goodies - and the vehicle's value will increase.

As for the inside, I suggest using whatever modern goodies you like but try to keep it looking as though VW built it - not like a mobile brothel. Layout depends on what you want to use it for. A fridge is very useful. Modern 12V Engel fridges are great and will keep things cold as you drive, but what if you camp? Fit a second battery and crossover and use that to power the fridge. Campmobiles came with 3-way Electrolux Ram20 fridges - 12V for driving, 240V for caravan parks and LPG for remote campsites. New ones are brilliant but cost around $1200. Get your Kombi wired for 240V - later Soprus had a 240V hot plate next to the sink.

Sleeping in the Kombi is the main thing you'll use it for, so build the conversion around the seat-bed. Cupboard space is up to you. Earlier Soprus had a flat, sink-level cupboard down the drivers' side, but later ones had a higher 'hanging space' cupboard at the right rear. This is really useful! Also useful is the rear roof shelf cupboard, perfect for pillows, blankets and towels. Undersink space is best for things you don't use much. Front tall cupboards are useful for cups, plates and food. A fold-out table is a good idea. A stove will probably not get used much, unless you really want to go away for a while. My old stove is going to be retired (as it rattles and doesn't work well) and I'm going to replace it with a compact portastove that uses push-on gas cans, rather than plumbed LPG.

Don't make the furniture out of laminated MDF - it's way too heavy. Use 12mm marine plywood, which can be stained and finished to look very classy (think of an expensive sailboat interior). Gaudy plastic or mirror-finish interiors might look kewl for a short while (see purple Kombi or 1980s Viscount caravan) but date very quickly. Classy stained and polished wood never goes out of style.

Roof DVD players are a good idea in theory but won't work in practice, as you sit in the wrong position to see them comfortably. Who wants to sit in the back and stare upwards? For kids-passengers in the back, fit a 12-240V inverter and simply plug a laptop computer in to play DVDs on the move. Their screens and sound are better too.

Don't go too heavy on new roof material - remember that the fibreglass roof has to fold down over it and latch or clip securely in place. Normal tent material is fine. Don't forget the flyscreen windows for ventilation, with zip covers, just like the Sopru campers had.

VW Australian Factory campers evolved for local conditions over 10 years (and were different from European Westfalia campers). They had a lot of good ideas that you can develop yourself - but feel free to use their designs as a starting point. They work!

What do you mean did she need some spot filler as well lol.😂🙅 just joking
That's not nice I hope she or he isn't on the forum.

You need a bigger tv in it as well to watch your porn lol.

LIFE IN THE LOW LANE wrote:That purple Kombi camper had a great interior fit out. Very nice with polished timber floors etc etc. But the exterior was fugly. He tried to fibreglass the front bumpers onto the front but eventually it started to crack and don't get me started on the lift job... talk about rough!!!!

Then again his Missus looked good too from 100 feet too.....

I think it goes without saying that you rack off the aircooled mota and rear drums. just about any V6 on the market would do a good job of pushing it. I like the idea of the H6 subaru and a porsche 5 speed or auto. A diesel would be nice but it doesn't need a VW badge on it. heaps of other companies are making great tdi style motors. whatever you do you want a comfy cruiser, not a race car.

put a subi engine in it and set it up as a go anywhere, camp anywhere bus.😂

that looks very cool. 😏

ok, I'd suggest looking at the layouts that Trakka is doing to current transporters, as they are great and very similar to their old kombi conversions, more comfortable seats up the front is a huge thing, and a modern engine, probably subaru, maybe with a hydraulic clutch?

It will remain aircooled but get a freshen-up of brakes etc.

I like the 'day lounge' idea but I will be setting it up for travelling/camping so will have on-board fridge, stove, water etc

Keep the ideas coming, folks...

LIFE IN THE LOW LANE wrote:He tried to fibreglass the front bumpers onto the front but eventually it started to crack and don't get me started on the lift job... talk about rough!!!!

Then again his Missus looked good too from 100 feet too.....

the technical name for that is a 'stealth moose' ahah its a chick that looks good from a far but fugly up close

for me it's a padded floor and a full bar with keg on tap and a bucket of burbon i would put a nice picture in a frame on the padded floor so my friends would have something to look at while they were down there

Top idea greedy, I have decided I will install two Engels for drinks...

And GTMac - good idea on the 'modular and 'removable' idea. It's much better to cook outside on a nice warm night, than inside

OK Seriously i wouldnt waste me time or money on a old Kombi🤪 and i think you will not eva.
😂 only time will tell😂😂

ian.mezz wrote:OK Seriously i wouldnt waste me time or money on a old Kombi🤪 and i think you will not eva.
😂 only time will tell😂😂

Time and money? No worries, I have and I am

So keep those ideas coming, craZy kiDs!

The purple camper looks a bit different now, the current owner ditched a lot of the mods (but not the V8!)

Glad to hear you're going to stick with a VW engine, gearbox and brakes/suspension for the Kombi. A 1916 will be perfectly adequate for what the vehicle will do - VW sold 12,000 Campmobiles in Australia from 1970-79, more than any other make before or since, so that many VW-powered owners can't be wrong. Forget this nonsense about Subaru engines and rubbish from these pseudo VW enthusiasts - they are missing the point. Kombi Campers are for enjoying the back roads and scenery at 80 km/h, not for cruising at high speeds on motorways. Get a T5 if you want to go everywhere at 120. As the sticker on Fillmore the VW Bus in 'Cars' says, 'Life Begins at the Exit Ramp.'

OK if you want to fit a sink, water, fridge and stove, the only thing is what layout? There are two basic ways of doing it, which is putting the stove and sink in the right-hand wall unit (along the side behind the driver), or in a self-contained unit behind the passenger. Independents like Swagman and Trakka (early on) used to do the former, while Sopru preferred the latter, which is better. You could improve on the standard layout by fitting the fridge/stove unit on a swing-out bracket, which Trakka can supply. The whole unit could then be rotated out the side door, so you cook/get beer outside, but the whole thing is still self-contained. Have a look at the Dometic (Electroclux) range of RV/caravan fridges at http://www.dometic.com/enau/Asia-Pacific/Australia/Product-ranges/RV/Refrigerators/

Sopru tried two different water systems. Earlier models like mine used a 20-litre jerry can-style plastic container under the sink, with a standard caravan-style up/down hand pump. Later models used a much larger metal underfloor tank, which was 40 litres or more. This was much heavier, but it freed up space inside the Kombi as it was mounted outside. Whichever way you go depends on your layout and how much water you want to carry. You can fit modern electric pumps and switches too, rather than the old hand pump, if you wish. All these sorts of goodies can be bought from caravan accessory shops like Camec http://www.camec.com.au/

Have a browse through their catalog and you'll get some great ideas. How about a 12V fluoro downlight in the pop roof, for reading? Electric fan for blowing cool air? Portable shower? Camping toilet? Removeable stove? 240v hotplate? Even a tiny 240v microwave oven?

Anything you could fit to a caravan, sailboat or cabin cruiser, you could fit in a Kombi camper.

Daimo - there's some *nice* colours there! 🤪

I don't mind Subie transplants and I love the idea of a 200km/h screamer Kombi but yes I will be retaining air-cooled power. Will be the 1600 for now - with twin carbs, 009 and exhaust - as the engine seems to run fine. The engine is filthy outside but looks like new under the rocker covers which means to me this Kombi has spent 25 of its 37 years doing nothing...

I had a good look at my stripped interior last night and will investigate the swing-out idea for the stove, with a sink unit behind the driver's seat. Lighting will be LEDs. My Engel fridge can be used as a seat, and I reckon a detachable table top will be a good idea...

If you're in Sydney, come to the Club Veedub meeting next Thursday week (18th) at the Greyhound Club, Yagoona. You're welcome to have a look at my Kombi's layout. There'll be others there too.

I'd start by steering clear of conversions done by Land Cruisers Australia. Their camper conversion is why I never think twice about doing major things to my van. Wrecked from the conversion company.

What I have learned is that a good camper:
* Has its windows mounted correctly, and the holes rustproofed.
* Shouldn't have a warped pop top.
* Shouldn't be an auto.
* Should not have a chunk cut out of the engine inspection cover to make a wardrobe fit.
* Should be remotely watertight.
* Should have some sort of panelling put over the bare bay window structural work.
* Should not have any holes drilled from the cabin to inside the wheel well.

Do I need to go on?

Let's just say if you are doing it, do it your way but do it properly!

I agree with nearly all of those points; standard Kombi windows (at least with the flipper windows) are a rust weak spot. The flipper window frame is only painted steel and crumbles to dust eventually. If yours are OK, you can cad-plate them and put them back with new rubbers; but if your furniture covers them, you may as well just put in one-piece flat glass. I only have working flippers in the sliding door and right rear.

Sopru tops were well made and fit perfectly; a function of semi mass-production. The fibreglass can be sanded smooth and painted in two-pack. Competing tops from aftermarket companies may not be as good. The ones that try to sit flatter don't work as well. It's better to have the strong, hefty curves of the Sopru roof that fits well, at a slight cost of greater wind resistence, than a sleeker top that leaks.

Yes it is the wardrobe that should be slotted so the engine cover can be lifted. That's what the factory campers have.

Factory campers kept the stock interior panels on the sliding door and the left rear panel, beside the back seat. These are easy to make in 3mm mdf, with foam and vinyl as appropriate. The right side is covered with furniture. And I certainly agree with no holes drilled through the wheelwells! Sopru campers were not perfect however; they were recalled in the early 1970s for fitting roof mounting screws that were too long and poked almost down through the headlining above the drivers head! You should not be able to feel mounting screws when you push the headliner up with your fingers.

I disagree about the auto - mine is an auto and is wonderful to drive in Sydney traffic. On the highway its overall gearing is almost the same as a manual. It does have a bit of a thirst for fuel, which I can live with. It can handle any slope I've thrown at it so far; only reverse doesn't really like a climb but it's fine in normal parking movements. Autos were only fitted to Type 4-based Kombis so this doesn't apply to low-lights.

I'm not sure what poptop mine is, but it needs new seals - I will find the rubber profiles at Clark Rubber. The lift-up scissors need rebuilding (today's task, in fact).

No inspection hatch in mine and all the factory sheetmetal is unmolested (except for the poptop of course, and some rust). Most people I know - including me - travel with a backpack so I proabaly won't try to make it a pseudo home unit with wardrobes etc. Instead, I will try to build-in storage for a backpack or two.

I reckon I can install a 40-50L tank under the floor and I'll pipe it up with either a hand-pump or a 12V. Might fit a tap/external shower just inside the rear hatch

We should be able to tell what top it is if you can post a photo. Yes Clark Rubber have a great range of generic rubber profiles, as well as the pinch welding that goes around the edge of the fibreglass.

Yes only the Type 4 engine Kombis had top engine hatches, so that won't affect your interior layout or access to the engine bay. Glad to hear your sheetmetal is unmolested so far - another reason to preserve that baby!

I find that 20 litres of water from the jerry can tank under the sink is plenty, but it's nice to have more. I think Camec sell flat caravan-type water tanks, in metal or poly. If you have water you'll need a sink. Camec stock caravan ones, but they are bigger than VW ones. Early Soprus just had a square stainless sink, around 40 x 30cm, set into the laminate chipboard top (not good). Later ones had a much bigger stainless pressing, around 100 x 30 cm, which included a sink, drainage board and flat work area (or where the optional 240V hotplate went). That's the one to get if you can. As you mount the sink at waist height, just below the window line, you might as well build a storage cupboard unit for it to mount to. I have the fold-out table mounted onto that.

Yes you may not need a wardrobe configured for hanging space, but it is amazing how much storage space you need when you get away for a few days. Whatever storage space you build (whether shelves, cupboards or wardrobe), you will use. That's why caravans have so many storage areas - camping stuff tends to breed.

Phil74Camper wrote:We should be able to tell what top it is if you can post a photo.

There's a pic on the first page... after taking a look at some other Kombis, mine appears the same so I reckon it's the 'factory' jobbie. What does Sopru mean Phil? Can you give us a brief history? U2U if you wish

sopru...conversion mob that did campmobiles for VW australia...revered in some circles😂


[/img]

I'll eventually do the same - update a 74 camper - for family camping.
my idea is:
a rock n roll type bed in the back
a single chair/storage behind the drivers seat
a fold out table between the two.

sink and stove will be outside - can't think of anything worse than cooking etc in the car.
a roll out awning for shade.

so the inside will be similar to the current vw "beach" campers but using a air-cooled '74.

hmm I like this:

http://www.danburymotorcaravans.com/tours/T2RIO/DANBURYT2Rio.htm

This is just about spot on:
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=67170&page=2

yeah but it still needs the roof cut for the pop-top 😂

What's the opinions on 240V power? Do those that have it, ever use it? I think it would be good to save gas (boiling the kettle) when in a tourist park...

How do I *legally* wire it up?

if you're going to camp at powered sites just carry an extension lead...then you can use your toaster and hairdryer🤘

I always thought Kimm Garland at Indian was on to a good thing with his stretch Kombi then you would have all the room you would need, even room for a spa.

You should be able to write some of the resto off on tax as you would no doubt be driving this Kombi to far off exotic photo shhots for your work???

Cheers,

David

How do I *legally* wire it up?
well to start off with you would need to be a licenced electrician and I seem to remember that there is a special licence required to wire motor vehicles and caravans etc.

I decided o keep mine as a (Deluxe) micro bus and have easy to install cupboard/bed. ~20min on my own to convert from 9 seater to camper.
Interior as a camper is basically a cupbards from the back forwards, level with the rear deck. That is the base for the bed (queen size).
There's just walking room between the front seats and cupbards. Front seats swivel to face backwards, and cupbard top becomes bench top for those rainy days.
I have the cooker as a unit I slide out, it's fully self contained an allows cooking outside of car (I hate sleeping with dinner smells lingering).
Roll out awning with sides makes for living room (2.5x3.5m).

Everything bolts to stock seat/seat belt mounts, so no mods to original bus!

A few nice extras were 6A solar panel, 45L extra fuel and 45L water tank. Full length roof rack for added insulation, and with awning both sides keeps car cool inside in summer, Engle fridge, two spare wheels, magnetic curtains with flyscreens etc.

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=21916&page=1
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4445&page=1

I'd have to write a small novel for all the work done in the ~4 years getting ready for our 6 month round Oz trip. 4 years later the only things I'd re-do would be make it all much lighter and make the awning detachable.

The only down side now is I set it all up for two or three people, now as a family of 4 I will be re-making the camping bit soon.

Stock VW Sopru Campmobiles had the 240V input mounted on the left rear quarter, a 15-amp (large earth plug) socket with a spring flap over it. These are are standard part and are still available brand new at Camec.

The 240V was used to power the 3-way fridge (to keep it cold at caravan parks), via a two-socket power point near the front of the sliding door. L had aoprus, a 240V hotplate next to the sink. There was also a 240V powerpoint fitted near the sink for plugging in 240V accessories.

It's a pretty simple wiring job but yes it should be done by a licenced electrician. I am not aware of any additional requirements, but ring Camec or Trakka for advice; whatever applies to caravans should also apply to campervans.

donn wrote:How do I *legally* wire it up?
well to start off with you would need to be a licenced electrician and I seem to remember that there is a special licence required to wire motor vehicles and caravans etc.

What I should have said was, what are the requirements for legal 240V wiring?
'Big Pin' socket under a flap, earth to vehicle body, circuit breaker...

Can the wiring be run under the floor, or must it be internal to vehicle body? Must it be run in a separate conduit?

Surprisingly, this info is difficult to find

I will be 'roughing in' the wiring (extension cord) to specs, then get a leccy feller to actually wire the power points

Don't use extension cord (3-core mains flex) lead! It is a requirement to use 15A 240V wire, like normal household wiring. Use the standard 240V AC mains cable, twin/earth wiring, in the stiff white plastic shield. You can buy it at Jaycar, or at electrician supply stores. No it doesn't need a separate conduit, it is just runs through the cavities as approriate - just like house wiring sits in the wall cavities. Don't run it under the floor or outside the vehicle.

From the standard left rear external 240V input, the power supply is split. One mains cable runs up inside to where the rear hatch hinge is. In a factory camper this area is covered by the internal rear storage shelf, with the cable running across the rear of the shelf, inside the vehicle. It then goes into the body cavity above the windows (covered by roof lining), and runs to the front of the right rear cupboard, where it terminates to a standard powerpoint. Later Soprus had an additional extension down to the hotplate below.

The other lead simply runs from the external input forward along the passenger side to the front of the sliding door, where it terminates in a double power point. This is where the fridge plugs in, as the fridge 240V cable simply reaches up behind the passenger seat and plugs in. The fridge is not 'hard wired' in.

I only learned all this when I pulled mine apart when I was rebuilding it, so I rebuilt it the same way.

Thanks Phil but I wish to conform to 'new' specs, including circuit breaker. I also need to know about 240V in-vehicle wiring regs for another vehicle I am working on. Like the VW, it will require wiring in 'wet' areas outside the confines of the bodyshell

I will probably install a 'hidden' socket to operate a mains-powered 12V battery charger, too, for my dual battery system

I would recommend against a stove-in-the-bus. I find it too gross for cooking in the Bus, except maybe to boil water for a cuppa. I just have a standard camping stove I take along, and set up outside. It doesn't rain that much. 🤪

As far as sinks go... every bus I've seen with a sink have suffered (perhaps not the best examples of busses). There will always be spillt water and some goes under the boards/flooring. Again, I just take along a small bucket and wash stuff outside. A plastic "multi-tub" (as I call it) can do just about anything. Get a rectangular one rather than round so it packs better.

I am happy to sleep on the floor on some camping foam mats, so I have no bed in the Bus.

I have just about no camping equipment in my bus at all actually. I prefer the space and flexibility, and would prefer to do most things outside, anyway, while camping. Makes the Bus lighter, I can move more stuff when I need to, etc...

So I'd second the 'drive-in' bus concept. Keep it simple. Flexibilty. (Not much help here am I?).

Good luck dude, A.

EDIT:

[i (Not much help here am I?).
]

err... no!

I have been stuck in a vehicle overnight in crappy weather so I appreciate being able to cook inside... Then being able to go to bed without placing so much as a foot outside... That's why Kombis are cool

No worries, I don't know the current 240V requirements as I only rebuilt my Kombi exactly as it was wired (by Sopru) in 1974. I guess what was legal then would not be legal now (same with the way the LPG was plumbed).

One of the best sources for conversion ideas is the Caravan and Camping shows. The Sydney one is at Rosehill Racecourse once a year. Great to wander and sticky beak in all the factory caravans and campervans, from the small camper trailers to the huge winnebago-style buses and everything in between. You are bound to come up with a few ideas. Not sure when the next one is though.

As for the 'layout', I can only say that there is no point in trying to reinvent the wheel. Use the VW factory campers as a starting point and improve from there. Campmobile sinks don't leak, have plenty of storage underneath and are super convenient. Likewise the rear seat folds into a very comfortable double bed, which beats sleeping on the floor. In a drizzly roadside area on a cool evening, or a warm sandy patch beside the beach, with the roof up and a cool breeze blowing through, I know I would much rather be in a properly fitted-out Campmobile than a semi-converted Microbus with plastic bins everywhere!

VWCOOL wrote:

[i (Not much help here am I?).
]

err... no!

I have been stuck in a vehicle overnight in crappy weather so I appreciate being able to cook inside... Then being able to go to bed without placing so much as a foot outside... That's why Kombis are cool

you are spot on! that is the ultimate reason why campmobiles are so good.

I got bogged once on a sandy track late in the arv...by the time i frigged around a bit it was dark...so i cooked a steak opened the fridge for a cold beer or two and went to bed. next morning at first light i was on my way...kombi style👍

rocknrob wrote:

VWCOOL wrote:

[i (Not much help here am I?).
]

err... no!

I have been stuck in a vehicle overnight in crappy weather so I appreciate being able to cook inside... Then being able to go to bed without placing so much as a foot outside... That's why Kombis are cool

you are spot on! that is the ultimate reason why campmobiles are so good.

I got bogged once on a sandy track late in the arv...by the time i frigged around a bit it was dark...so i cooked a steak opened the fridge for a cold beer or two and went to bed. next morning at first light i was on my way...kombi style👍

Sounds like my yarn! Digging in the morning with a fresh mind after a good night's sleep is much better than digging in the dark, in the rain, after a 14-hour day of being led past the point of no return by idiots, not having lunch or dinner, breaking a front diff and destroying the winch...

Oh, it wasn't a Kombi

So yes having and internal stve - but one that can be used outside the van - is top of my list that now includes:
2-seater, extra-single bed (1200mm wide)
Fridge with lift lid to double as a dining seat
Dual batteries with 240V backup charging
Tucker box - also doubles as a dining seat
Island table (removable for out-of-car use)
Internal sink/undercar water storage
Vinyl-backed canvas poptop canopy with midge-proof mesh and internal roll-down 'clears'
Skylight/vent with internal midge-proof screen above bed
Day-use backpack storage shelf inside pop-top
Cargo net style storage above bed
Overhead console above drivers' seat for map storage
Detatchable midge-proof mesh panel for tailgate opening
Hand-held shower inside tailgate
LED lights above sink, stove with reading lights above bed
Varnished timber furniture finish with 'beach house' yellow and blue trim

keep the ideas coming folks

yeah i've got an idea...you keep packing weight into a kombi so whats stopping you? hehe...otherwords have you thought about your brakes? haha...not taking the piss but i think its funny😂

anyway check these out...happy to share any info if interested👍



[/img]


[/img]

it'll be lighter than 'original'
And no, my brakes won't look like that:
Mine will be slotted!

No you don't need to spend money on souped up aftermarket brakes. You are building a comfortable, versatile lifestyle vehicle for cruising, not a race car. Factory campers used stock brakes all their lives and they sold 12,000 of them. Reconditioned, top-condition stock brakes (ie new master and wheel cylinders, new pads etc) will be more than adequate, so just make sure everything is fresh and 100%.

Stock campers had flyscreened openings in the pop-up roof material, with zip-over covers in roof material. I am not sure that 'clear' would be the best way to go, as you want the option of complete privacy. The stock roof skylight (with VW symbol in it, of course) had a swing-down aluminium frame flyscreen too.

A flyscreen curtain over the rear hatch opening would be a great idea, as you could camp with the hatch open and keep the mossies out. You could make it out of normal plastic flyscreen material, and use a flexible magnetic strip sewn into the top of the curtain to simply stick it to the Kombi's opening. Don't forget to make another larger one for the side sliding door, again with a flexible magnetic strip along the top and sides.

I didn't worry about a drivers' overhead console - I am 192cm tall and my head only just clears the stock roof lining. The dash is more than adequate for maps, or you could also made a driver's door pocket, like a 40-bhp Beetle.

Yeah the brakes will be re-coed to begin with. I intend to develop a Kombi brake upgrade and my own Kombi will be the first test unit.
I hate maps and stuff reflecting in the windscreen from the top of the dash, so I'll install an overhead console to store maps and clutter... Good idea on the door pockets, Phil, mine needs new door cards so I'll probably incorporate some