71 Sunlander - must be the best surviving ..!

[baron]

nice clock

the rest is okay too :wink:

good to see another deluxe on here, lost count of how many that is

 

[Tim B]

More pictures of inside now at top of page

 

[Danbury Doug]

Absolutely stunning! 8)

 

[pippy]

Tim- Lovely to see the interior! Thanks for taking the trouble to post. I still can't post my pics of our pastel white Sunlander - tried for over an hour last night and still couldn't e mail them(thanks for advice Johnny -I don't think I've tried reducing the resolution yet so will try that). Our Sunlander is so similar - recognise those yellow curtains, cool box and tweedy orange cushions and even down to the sunlander sticker in the cab! We don't have a pop up roof though - did you get this put in? and the side panel material by the table has been removed from ours so it was good to see waht it looked like. We have a middle piece to the bed that was made up to fill in the space which is useful (labelled like a jigsaw piece to get it right!). There is a hammock to put in the front cab for a child. Lovely to see your pics :lol: -thanks!
Lynne

 

[Tim B]

The pop top is an original extra. Has your sunlander got a Sunlander badge on the front in the middle of the grill or has the van been re sprayed ?

 

[pippy]

Yours is a deluxe version then with pop up roof! - envy the extra headroom you have! (sean is six foot one)Loved viewing your photos. Looked round lots of vans at the VW show in Oswestry and Bodelwyddan and didn't find another sunlander so great to see yours in such fab condition. Ours doesn't have a sunlander badge on the front grille - our van was resprayed about eight years ago in original pastel white colour. We have the sunlander sticker on the front dash and a magnetic St christopher! Presume the original VW badge on the front should be chrome (ours in pastel white)The work colleague who we bought it from had the respray done - they bought the van about 8 years ago from a german man in Birmingham who had it since new - and brought it to North Wales- we've had it for two years and are the third owners. Yours looks in top condition! I have e mailed Mike some pics today but having messed about with them for so long, changing how I saved them, resolution etc, not sure how successful I've been! I e mailed David Eccles not long after we got the van - so maybe ours is the third van he knew of with (more or less)original interior. I'd wanted to be put in touch with the owners of the sunlander in the article but no luck. Sean has just found old pics of the van we were given (before the respray) and there is a sunlander badge inthe middle of the front grille and one on the back above the boot lock. Have just looked in our original instruction booklet and the elevating roof with two single bunks is listed as an optional extra - along with awning (which ours has) set of crockery, cab centre seat, etc....lynne

 

[pippy]

forgot to say Tim that ours doesn't have the reversing lights either - yours is definitely a deluxe model...

 

[Tim B]

I know how Sean feels, Im 6'3". The badge on the back of your van would have said "Devon Conversions". Your van must be the other Sunlander. I Emailed David Eccles last week and at that time mine was only the third one he had heard of.The blue one is owned by Carl and Nicki Witham but I havnt been it touch with them either. Their van is also featured in David Eccles book "VW Camping-The Inside Story". Its a great book you should get it if you havnt already. Its ISBN is 1-86126-763-0. I will be bringing the van over to vanfest in September, baybe we could meet up and compare notes. My camper was built on a Micro bus deluxe body and the reversing lights were fitted here in Jersey at the VW showroom before it was sold from new.

 

[Guest]

/drool /drool and /double drool at that interior. and your pop top! :shock: my new one cost £over 600 with bits. Its so mint!

did you have 2 large tables and how is the sleeping set up?

 

[Tim B]

It only came with the one table from new. The bed is a bit tricky. The 2 single seat backs slide up and out of the seats. They then lay across between the bench seat and the base of the single seats. The table then fits in between to fill the gap. It can move around a bit if the van starts a rockin' :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Danbury Doug]

Lovely hearing all about your Sunlanders. 8)
My parents had a '72 Danbury tin-top from new, and kept it for 15 years.
I remember my parents looked at the various conversions available, and somewehere I still have an original Sunlander brochure.
There was a (then new) orange and white Sunlander tin-top local to us, and I remember those Devon Conversions stickers/badges on the front, on the tailgate and on the dashboard.
Its so nice to see original cherished vans. I've seen a few in similar condition (various conversions) for sale during the course of time, and I've been so tempted, but I'd want to keep such a van in a garage, and sadly I don't have one large enough for a bay!

 

[pippy]

I think I may have managed to post a photo of our 1971 Devon Sunlander, not sure what the quality is as I've messed about with photos so much. Agree Tim that the bed is awkward to put together - the owners before us made a wooden piece to slot in instead of the table to stop the movement you talked about Will try to post other photos if this is successful. Not sure if we're going to Vanvest yet - would be great to meet up if we do - although "YOB" may feel inferior next to your deluxe wellcared for model and we would defintiely like your pop up roof! We were actually looking for a van with a pop up roof, but when we saw "YOB" we fell in love with it.
lynne

[/img]

[/img]

 

[Justin & Muttley]

I take it all Devons had the sticker on the tailgate - not just the Sunlander?

My Devon was stripped before I got it and there doesn't appear to be any way of finding out which conversion it had...

 

[pippy]

A few more photos....I'm getting the hang of it now at last although I know the quality could be better! I don't know if all Devons had a sticker on the tailgate (the old photo we have shows it above the lock on the top rear door (not the engine one) - is this the tailgate?

the large table slides out from under the high cupboards..the small one is stored by the spare wheel and fits under the cooker as well
[/img]

[/img]

quality is poor on this one, but I love the view - not far from Capel Curig, Snowdonia North Wales

[/img]

 

[Justin & Muttley]

...I don't know if all Devons had a sticker on the tailgate (the old photo we have shows it above the lock on the top rear door (not the engine one) - is this the tailgate?...

Yes, that's where my (faded) sticker is too!

 

[Tim B]

This looks promising. I hope these photos post. We had a meeting today, more splits than bays and only one other early bay. We were lucky with the weather.

 

[Tim B]

Ok looks like i have to put each picture on a different line. Will try again.

 

[Tim B]

Fantastic engine bay. This is Nigels Splity.

The other early bay.

Nigels splity

Over looking the bay.

 

[Wannabay]

Thanks Guys. Shes totaly 100% original and untouched. Still in factory paint.
Tim :lol:

apart from the ICE - I've fitted a period radio in my '71 Danbury and you can hook up your ipod thro' the aux input, like this

 

[Tim B]

That radio looks fantastic. Where can I get one like that ? Ive never been happy with the unit in my van but I cant be without the sounds.