The vast majority of VW camper vans we see on the roads or at a campsite started their
lives as Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. And they were converted by professional converters
or DIY enthusiasts. But which Transporter makes the best camper van. One of the companies
that should know better than most is Redline. They've been in the leisure business for more
than fifty years, they convert their own campers and they\'92ll help you convert yours. If
I wanted to convert one of the modern generation of VW Transporters, do you go for a Panel
Van, do you go for a Kombi or a mini bus. There are different vans, yes. In our opinion,
the value in a Kombi or a Caravelle is already there because it\'92s already been converted.
It is already something. So you're best if you want to convert something, to start with
a standard panel van. The sky's the limit with a panel van. And you've already been
taken some way down the road when it's already part converted in a Caravelle or a Kombi.
So leave those, just convert a panel van. I don't think a lot of people realise there
are a lot of spec levels for the VW Transporter. It stats with the Startline - the middle one
is a Trendline - and the top one is the Highline. They all look the same. There are different
weight ratings in the van. But the main differences is the Startline is your basic entry level
van. Textured bumpers, no colour coding. No air con. No bits and bobs. The middle one
is a Trendline - it goes come colour coded, it has reverse sensors and cruise control.
But in the Highline, there's multi function steering wheel, more sound deadening, and
all of the other bits and pieces - air con as standard. So the higher spec you buy in
the first place, the less you're going to need to add to make it really nice. And the
more desirable it is as a base vehicle. It also feels a bit more car like. Less van like,
because of the sound deadening and the insulation in the doors. Whichever one you go with, you
may have the option of short wheelbase or long wheelbase. What impact does that choice
have on what you can do? The majority that we convert are short wheelbase. I you are
using them as a second vehicle, as a lot of our customers do, so they change the second
car, they can go shopping, they can do the school run, it's all about can I park comfortably
in a parking space - and the short wheelbase makes that very easy. The long wheelbase,
depending on what your particular weekend outdoor pursuit is, you may need the extra
space, and that\'92s when people say there's six of us, we go sailing and whatever, and
we've got a lot of clobber, so we just need the extra bit of room and that\'92s when we
would do a long wheelbase. Obviously the difference is the space that you get, but doesn't prevent
you or allow you to anything particularly different with the conversion? No not at all.
But there are a couple of conversions that we do - and that others do - that are best
suited to a long wheelbase because you need that extra room. Give me a flavour of what
that involves. Well, for example, if you have something where the roof elevates the other
way, sometimes you see that any are maybe wondering why, probably because you've got
something like a fitted toilet at the back. So you've got to have the headroom, and you
wouldn'tt have the fitted toilet right up behind the driver's seat, so it's done at
the other end of the van. Therefore, to give you the head room, the roof elevates the other
way. Any advice on condition or mileage, presumably the best you can get, but what I'm really
getting at is how difficult can it be if maybe you have a van that has been a builder's van
and it is not in the best shape it could be? It will be all down to an individual's budget
- we get that - the advice is - be as new and as low a mileage as possible - it might
be more difficult to fund that initially, but longterm, you\'92re going to be better
off. Do you find there are common things that people forget to check, or people come a cropper
because there was something about the the vans that they've not seen when they've bought
them and then when you start to convert them you think oh oh! As a converter, yes we want
to be as new as possible. Yes if it's got history we're never quite sure what repair
it's had, how straight it is, whether it\'92s got a service history. You know a bucket full
of miles. But we do understand the thing about budget. But there's got to be a limit. We
want you to be very happy and we don't want to compromise the conversion that we put in.
And have it compromised by something that's not quite right about the base vehicle. But
if anyone\'92s got a van and they bring it to us, we would look over it and advise accordingly.
Looking around here on your stand at the show today, it's s all VWs - why VWs? Well, it's
a very good base vehicle. We can convert on other base vehicles, but ion our experience
it\'92s all about residual values. And the Volkswagen badge has an enormous following.
And so it's just a no brainer for us. It's kind of stood the test of time hasn't it?
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