The VW Campervan Experience

........QUICK BREAK FROM THE USUAL CRIME FICTION STUFF TO MENTION ANOTHER PASSION............

We’d been a family of VW Campervan fans for some time, but finally took the plunge to hire one recently for a few days to feed that passion.

Tuesday 10.45am
We arrived to collect ‘Dharma’ a very good looking metallic blue/green 1971 Bay from Darren at Drivemycamper.com in Smallfield in Surrey.
We were given the run-down on all the controls – those that functioned or were necessary anyhow – whilst the children played with his lovely dog, Toffee.
Darren had called me a few days before to let me know there was a ‘hot-start’ problem with Dharma, so the engine would need cooling time before restarting – but as we were not planning lots of stops, we decided to take the risk as otherwise the whole plan would have been scuppered as all his other three campers were already out on hire.
During the description of the controls and the run-through of the do’s and don’ts I lost count of how many times problems, or potential problems, were described as ‘all part of the VW Camper experience’.

With a parting comment that the last renter nearly ended up in the duckpond at the end of the driveway, we were on our way – stalling before the end of the road, after ten minutes of trying to locate any of Dharma’s four gears!
Fortunately I was able to fight the giant steering wheel (I normally drive a little Vauxhall Zafira and wasn’t used to being able to rest my elbows on the wheel) to avoid the duckpond on the way out.

We’d decided that, for the first day, we wouldn’t attempt too much mileage – so chose Brighton as our destination – specifically the Marina area – in the hope that parking would be easier – so only 32 miles to achieve to get there.
I knew that the driving would be different from my Zafira (now safely locked away in Drivemycamper.com’s storage unit), but I had no idea just how different it would be.

Within moments I missed my power steering, responsive disc brakes and the acceleration when needed. I also missed electric windows when needing to hurriedly wind down a window for a hand signal when I thought the indicators might not be working (they were, by the way).
The one thing we all thought we’ miss the most we actually did without very comfortably – the sheer ‘cool’ feeling of driving a campervan must, in some way, reduce the need for air conditioning!

Once on the open road Dharma handled well, but had to be kept in check by more subtle steering wheel fighting than I think the rest of the family were aware of.
It was only as we approached the Marina at Brighton that the realisation that ‘stopping’ and ‘maneouvering’ were soon to be required again, and my palms became clammy at the thought.

Avoiding the mutli-storey car park – not wanting to become ‘roof-less’, we settled on a space in the far corner of the Asda car park and, after ten minutes of trying to find the key that locked the driver’s door (there were only 2 keys but they seemed to have a major identity crisis as to which lock they served) we were off to explore the Marina and its shops.

We returned about an hour and a half later, put the table up inside and sat in the camper to have our lunch.
Dharma was equipped with a full cooker/sink/fridge set-up, but for our first trip we’d decided we’d stick to picnic lunches to keep things easier and tidier – we’ve been known to burn salads!

I was exhausted from the new driving experience, but the rest of the family were desperate to hit the beach and the pier – so, we loaded up to set off up the road.
It was only then that my parking spot choice proved to have been less than clever. A large bollard in front of me and the most elusive reverse gear I have ever found – when I did eventually find it.

We parked up for the second time miles from the beach, to ensure space in front and behind the camper so we’d be able to get out easier later in the day and, after another ten minutes of key juggling (and yes, there were still just two keys to choose from) we set off on a very long walk to the pier and the beach for a few hours.

We returned with VW postcards and notebooks found in the beach giftshops and spied our first fellow campervan (parked opposite) of our trip – bizarrely, we never saw another one on the road during our whole three days of travelling!
So, we were happy, tired, and ready to set off back home for the night.
And it was at this point that both keys decided they would not open the driver’s door.
We’d already been advised that the passenger door and sliding door needed to be unlatched from inside and so, as far as I was concerned, we were stuffed and stuck in Brighton. Even the AA card was grinning about it (from the inside of the windscreen!).
I paced round the campervan and then an idea struck – if I could get the barndoor above the engine open then I could try to climb in from the back and climb through to unlatch the doors.
But I didn’t want to break Dharma’s nice white bumpers and, besides, I have an adventurous ten year old daughter – so, after a bit more key juggling – I posted my daughter into the back so that she could climb inside and unlock all the doors -Job done!
Then a fifty five mile ride home to park her outside our home to be the envy of our neighbours for a night – but not on our sloping driveway for fear that the handbrake might not be as strong as it should be.

Weds 28th July

We loaded up and set off to the most local garage to home to fill up with fuel before risking the ‘hot-start’ problem.
The guy at the garage looked admiringly at Dharma as I paid for the fuel and I told him he might get to look at her really closely if she didn’t start as he’d have to help me push her off his forecourt. But, she behaved just fine and we set off to my Mum & Dad’s in Beltinge, near Herne Bay (70 miles) and did the trip in only about fifteen minutes longer than it normally takes in the Zafira.
When we arrived, as the plan was to sleep in the campervan there, I located the reverse gear once again and roared her onto the driveway and then we stacked slabs and a stone tortoise in front of the wheels (just in case!).
Then, after a quick tour of Dharma’s facilities to Mum & Dad, we had lunch and then set off for a long afternoon walk to Herne Bay, along the beach, a trip to the arcades and a fish and chip feast at Pete’s Fish Bar on the front.
After the long walk back, we popped open Dharma’s roof and folded down the two top bunks before lifting both the children up into them for a trial run.
Unfortunately, within seconds, both had decided that sleeping that high up scared them and so it was decided that sleeping in the house was probably best for all concerned. So, yes, we all wimped-out at the actual ‘camping’ part of the deal.

Thursday 28th July

We set off early into Herne Bay and got fuelled up to the maximum ready for the journey back to Smallfield to return Dharma.
She started first time, every time and, once again, gave us a good journey (although I did find Detling Hill’s descent down its winding road a little unnerving without the response of power steering and the brakes I am used to!).
Half an hour from Drivemycamper.com’s location we called to let Darren so he had time to get there to meet us.
We gauged our arrival time just right to enable us to get plenty more photos of us with Dharma (of which there are loads!) before handing her keys back.

After a quick handover and collection of our own car, we were on our way again – feeling worryingly low and in a car who’s steering responses and brakes seemed no to be on hairtriggers compared to the last few days’ driving.
Darren did comment that he would have stayed fairly close to the van storage area himself (straying no more than say 30 miles from there, in case of any problems for a first time user) – we’d clearly taken a good gamble in our Herne Bay trip but all had gone absolutely fine.
Besides, if anything had gone wrong – that’d ‘all be part of the VW Camper experience’, right?!

Keith B Walters