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

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 ?

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.

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...

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

Quote:

Originally posted by ian.mezz OK Seriously i wouldnt waste me time or money on a old Kombi and i think you will not eva. only time will tell

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ngDbt_PFyzU&feature=related