A question of
Sportline Not many would buy a brand new T5 Sportline and then attack it with an angle grinder. But T5 specialists, VW-T, did just that…
F
or many, the T5 Sportline is the ultimate Transporter. For builders, plumbers and sparkies around the country, the 180bhp, 18-inch rims and a payload of well over a tonne make it a dream ride. And for those needing to carry people as well as loads, the Kombi version means a crew of six, as well as up to a tonne of gear, can all move around in style, comfort and speed. So you would think that a Camper based on a Sportline would be the ultimate Camper, right? However, Volkswagen, in its infinite wisdom, decided some time ago that particular delicacy would remain beyond the reach of mere mortals. Naturally then, the aftermarket conversion world decided to take things into its own hands. And of the ones we’ve seen so far, there are few conversions as well thought out and realised as this one from VW-T. That’s not surprising really as the Van in question is the company’s demonstrator, and was intended as such from the word go. It was designed to showcase not only VW-T’s technical skills, but also their approach to converting modern VW Vans, which is to blend innovation with factory-quality workmanship. So their latest creation would begin as a brand new Sportline Panel Van, as this is perhaps the least common base for a Camper conversion because, according to VW-T Manager, Tom Varkala, few people would spend the thick end of £30,000 on a Van and then start cutting it up. VW-T would though. Tom explains: “The only official VW Camper conversion is the California, and it always feels a little expensive for what you get. It also feels a bit clinical and soulless and, because it’s based on a left-hand-drive chassis, the sliding door is always on the right. It’s well thought out and has some nice features, but we decided we wanted to do something a bit special.”
Words Jim Blackstock Pics Dan Pullen
Direct connection
So Tom and owner, Ian Harris, spec’d-up and bought a brand new Sportline Panel Van, straight off the showroom floor. They went for the full house 180bhp engine and seven-speed DSG [direct-shift gearbox] combination. Tom continued: “Ian owned an R32 Golf in the past with DSG and felt it was the best of both worlds. You can leave it in automatic when you’re pootling around and it’s smooth and comfortable. But, if you want to rag it a little, you can use the flappy paddle shifts or the lever. It’s brilliant.” Their Van, finished in Deep Black Metallic, duly arrived and was used as a runaround for a month or so as the workshop was full of customer work.
58
CAMPER&BUS
However, with Busfest fast approaching, a decision was made to crack on with the Sportline conversion. The first job involved a huge leap of faith, as Tom explains: “The first thing we had to do was take our brand new, £30k Van and start hacking metal out of it, for the windows and the roof. That was quite a daunting task…” However daunting it may have been, they did it and replaced the metal in the Van’s sides with genuine VW tinted glass all the way back on both sides. They also �� CAMPER&BUS
59
Cab has been treated to a top spec Kenwood multi-media system, and that’s it, the rest is factory VW Sportline
The first thing we had to do was take our brand new, £30k Van and start hacking metal out of it
That’s a lot of badges, denoting a lot of Van fitted an SCA elevating roof, complete with folddown double bed. This low-profile system sees the bed raise with the roof on its own gas rams, but then pull down when needed, California-style. Externally, the Van is factory Sportline, from the tinted lights to the sidebars and the 18-inch rims. The Sportline runs 30mm lower than the stock Transporter as standard, and this was exactly the look VW-T was after, according to Tom. The new roof was colour-coded to the factory black, while the VW-T graphics are based on an old Porsche design, to create something subtle yet effective. Even with the roof and the graphics, this Van wouldn’t look out of place on any VW dealer forecourt or motorshow stand in the world, it’s very stealth and very factory. Open the doors and again, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a factory conversion. The finish,
60
CAMPER&BUS
design and materials used are all OEM quality. Up front, the driver and passenger seats remain trimmed in the factory Sportline leather, but there’s now a swivel mechanism beneath the passenger seat so it can be spun from the factory location to face into the rear of the Van when parked. And while the Kiravans conversion is effective and crash-tested, it’s no mean feat spinning the seat around. “The first time took a while,” Tom said, “but, once you get the hang of it, it’s not too bad. The only real problem is it’s very tight for space, but opening the door does make it easier.”
Entertainment centre
The team also spec’d up the Van with the Kenwood multi-media system, the top level when it comes to entertainment and useability. This includes European sat nav, DAB radio, iPhone integration
and Bluetooth, TV input, pretty much everything you could need in a modern Camper. Moving into the back of the Van, Tom and the guys installed a crash-tested RIB 112cm rock ’n’ roll bed. Though calling it just a rock ’n’ roll bed doesn’t really do it justice. In seat mode, it has two sculpted areas with deep, contoured cushions and individual head rests and seat belts. However, as countless people can attest to from experience, trying to sleep on seats that are comfortable enough to spend hours sitting in at a time can cause nightmares. Or at least uncomfortable nights. Not in this case though, as the RIB design sees the seat base and back flip over to form the front of the bed, so that in bed mode you actually sleep on the underside of the base and the back of the seat back, which are significantly flatter. Combined with the rear section, which can either be folded down to��
112cm rock ’n’ roll bed flips and folds to make a perfectly flat bed base
VW-T can expect lots of questions… asking if this is the replacement for the California…
Piano Black interior units and the sliding door on the correct side for us Limeys Top quality appliances abound, like this Smev sink and twin burner
Waeco looks space beer,
CRD-50 fridge great and has for plenty of too
Swivelling front bench seat Rear seat trimmed to match the factory Sportline fronts
form a perch seat, or up to increase luggage capacity, this produces a completely flat mattress to sleep on. No more sleepless nights. The furniture is based on one of VW-T’s standard designs, but modified to make it bespoke to this vehicle. The choice of materials – Piano Black finish with a gloss worktop – was made to continue the factory feel throughout the interior. At the front, there is a Waeco CRD-50 sliding-front fridge, eliminating the need for a hinged door. It also features a blue internal LED which, as Tom put it, “pimps it up a bit.” Occupying most of the worktop is the Smev 9222 integral twin burner / sink unit, featuring a microswitch within the tap to start pumping water from the tank located in the rear of the wardrobe unit,
where the gas locker is also situated. Between the fridge and the worktop, along the full length of the unit, are three deep storage drawers, while below these, aft of the fridge, is more storage, this time accessed via a horizontal roller shutter door so it can be accessed when the bed is folded out. Naturally, there is a leisure battery and 240V hook up, with split charging and also an on-board charger to do the same when hooked up. The electrics are all controlled by a Sargent system, with the panel mounted to the front of the wardrobe unit, above a 12V power outlet. There is also a pop-up, three-way Power Pole gang socket built into the worktop and, in keeping with the overall theme, this can also be recessed with appliances plugged in to keep things clean and tidy.
There are several loops of lighting throughout the Van to suit different moods. There are flushmounted, task LEDs above the cooker / sink with two swan-neck lamps in the roof to make life easier for occupants of the high-level bed. An LED strip light above the rear seats on the sliding door side mean there are no black holes inside, while a hidden chrome reading light built into the wardrobe is a useful addition. The end result is a superb Camper conversion. It’s subtle, powerful and built with top quality materials and components, which would easily fool anyone into thinking it is the work of Volkswagen’s own production line. We think VW-T can expect lots of questions at shows this summer, asking if this is the replacement for the California… CB CAMPER&BUS
63