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Words Henry Willis Pics Dan Pullen

VW Kampers have moved into the modern Transporter market, and this demonstrator shows they’re already right at home

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he saying ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’ is oft-used in the modified Bus scene, but nonetheless it’s appropriate with this 2012 T5.5 built by the team at VW Kampers. More often than not found knees deep in restorations of Splits and Bays, rather than fettling the new breed of Transporter, everything points to the fact that the guys have hit the ground running with this conversion, that has served as a demonstration Bus since they bought it as a blank canvas direct from Volkswagen last year. Their intention all along was to build something a bit special and showcase what they are capable of to an entirely new audience.

Tucked away in West Sussex, VW Kampers’ have 15 years

of resto/conversion experience under their belt and this is abundantly clear when looking around their latest offering, a creation, that has come a long way in a short time.

All kinds of retro Campers have been crafted under the guise of VW Kampers, from Bays returned to their stock glory to custom Splits that have been lowered, tubbed, narrowed and everything else in between, positioning the close-knit team exactly where they need to be for dealing with large-scale modifications such as this.

Managing director, Ian Harris, freely admits the T4 / T5 movement was too exciting not to get involved with, citing the rapid expansion of the modern Transporter market as reason enough to turn their skills on. ��

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The Reimo 333 bed is massive, yet a full kitchen unit still fits down the side!

Ian makes a point of saying he’s glad to have on board resident T5 expert, Tom Varkala, who has previous with top line show cars, having won a prestigious Top 20 award at The VolksWorld Show with his custom Marathon Beetle.

Every corner of this conversion exudes quality and for good reason, as Ian and his team pride themselves on “not skimping on anything.”

Tricks of the trade

With beds in the pop-top there’s room to sleep four in comfort

Entering their workshop as a basic Panel Van, this T5 has come out looking super smart, with equipment on board to rival anything built by Volkswagen, though with an interesting twist. Ultimately, this Camper has been built to be sold, as Ian is running a business at the end of the day, so it has been built as a shop window to display their talents.

The full camping interior is complemented by exterior modifications that wouldn’t be seen on any Campervan leaving the VW factory, which is important when you consider it actually costs the same amount to buy as a standard California. But that’s where it plays it’s trump card, for the price of a base model California you can have a brand new Camper built to your spec with the sliding door

on the right side for the UK market.

Some of the most notable modifications include the 30mm lowered Sportline suspension and the genuine Sportline wheels, detailed in black and complimented by tinted side windows, a black roof and leather-clad seats inside, both up in the cab and in the living area.

For all its rugged looks, this mean ride still returns a wallet friendly 46mpg, thanks to its modest 114bhp, 2.0-litre diesel engine. Using VW’s clever Blue Motion technology you get the most out of every mile and it’s spec like this that makes a T5 the polar opposite to an old Bus, and therefore better suited to the wannabe Camper owner looking to cover serious mileage.

Take this machine camping and you’ll enjoy the same levels of equipment and finish as you would in a California. A Smev oven is de rigueur in the world of modern Camper conversions but is standard fitment here. Top quality items like this make a real difference when relying on your own facilities to prepare food while away and not being restricted to cooking by hob, of which this also boasts two, plus a sink.

A Waeco fridge / freezer combination is the icing on ��

Take this machine camping and you’ll enjoy the same levels of equipment and finish as you would in a California

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It’s like a new Bus, because it is one

Leather-clad cap’n’s chairs exude luxury the kitchen cake, but all this is useless if you’ve nowhere to sit and eat. To that end, the front captain’s chairs, with integral leather armrests, swivel to face the rear Reimo 333 crash-tested bed, which is seperated by a dining table.

The same bed, when in seat mode has pukka three-pont seatbelts so is capable of seating three in total safety, either when out camping or on daily driver duties - incredibly important for anyone considering buying a Camper who doesn’t like the thought of it sitting on the drive for most of the year.

The cab is generously equipped to cope with the daily grind. A great many of its component pieces come from VW’s executive cars and the seats have been clad in dark grey leather with contrasting stitching to further up the opulence quota.

Above all this you’ll find a Reimo-style pop-top. The roof is one of the most important assets this Bus can offer as a

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Campervan as it provides both form and functionality. This one means you can sleep two up top while the full-size rock ’n’ roll bed down below can accommodate a further two adults to make it a truly useable family ’wagen.

The welcome addition of electronic gizmos like parking sensors, combined with its short-wheelbase, frugal engine and comfy spec make it a manageable town car too. In fact, you could easily forget you’re driving a Bus and not something much smaller and more manageable.

Now the team at VW Kampers have cut their teeth in the modern Transporter world, and made such a fine job of it, a partnership has blossomed with M J Warner, a well-established, independent Volkswagen sales company in Buntingdon, Hertfordshire, who will now be selling their customised Buses. If you’d like more info or to discuss having a T5 built to your own tastes visit www.vwkampers. com or www.mjwarner.co.uk.You’ll be glad you did.