Interesting comment over heard at the NEC classic car show!

[Htotheunit]

Whilst looking around a rather nice split situated near the main entrance, someone else was looking inside the van when i over heard the conversation he was having with his friend, I butted in to give him a hand with what he was saying when he got stuck. It went something like this...

Man1- "Wow this ones nice"
Man2- "Yeah it is!"
Man1- "I'm thinking about getting one"
Man2- "Really?"
Man1- "Yeah, but not one like this, i prefer the later ones, without the split windows... You know, erm a.. I can't remember now!"
Me- "A bay?"
Man1- "Yeah, a bay!"

Anyone else find it amusing that a normal member of the public would know about the differences, and prefer a bay! Its usually the opposite way round!

Later on i found my favorite VW (besides the bus obviously) excuse the crappy pose and hair style :lol:

 

[Bessie]

They say the early bay is the thinking mans split and the next big thing... :wink:

 

[the councillor]

no no no no no... they said the early bay was the next big thing, but that's got to be at least 18 months ago hasn't it ?

then they said that actually they'd gone on about early bays so much that they'd become fashionable and therefore overpriced so T25s were the new next big thing, but again we must be talking all of a year ago ?

now i reckon the drive towards T25 fashionability (see, i'm even having to invent new words) stalled somewhat in 2008, and we're now being herded (albeit veeery subtly) towards those T4 things.

i think :?

:wink:

back in the real world - rather than the fantasy nonsense going on in my head - it doesn't surprise me about bays and 'the general public' because in my case for example i live on a 'fairly' (for cornwall anyway) main road, and even in the time we've lived in this particular house, when we first moved in you might see an air-cooled bus every once in a while, whereas in the last couple of years there's been a steady increase in the number of buses trundling by (we're at the bottom of a significant hill and you can hear them coming a mile off) and they're almost always bays... i know there are splitties in cornwall but the amount of bays i see out-number them significantly :twisted:

but the weirdest thing for me is that, even though i much prefer bays to splitties... and they're the last thing i'll read about in the magazines and what have you... i still always get that thrill when one trundles past up our hill

 

[froggy]

Me and the wife (the wife and i?) were discussing something along these lines earlier, i said that if we ever had to get rid of the bay then i would get a T4 and run it as a daily even though i prefer the look of a T25, but if i have to go modern then i'm going modern (not the T5 though)

 

[Htotheunit]

i still always get that thrill when one trundles past up our hill

for some reason, i've lost my attraction to splits, don't know why!.. Unless its a pick up.. Then i get exited!

 

[Gadget Boy]

now i reckon the drive towards T25 fashionability (see, i'm even having to invent new words) stalled somewhat in 2008, and we're now being herded (albeit veeery subtly) towards those T4 things.

This was mine 2 or 3 years ago I found it in Germany and brought it back . It was also featured in issue 2 of Camper an Bus . I loved it and now its owned by Empi 76 whos taking very good care of it . But it was recently featured in Camper & Commericial and the entire write up was Bull **** :twisted:

I always thought id never have a T25 but loved every minute of owning this one and in early 06 i got 9.5 K for it .the paint was like glass though :wink: Id consider a T4 as i took 5 mates to Spa and back in one :wink:

Gadget

 

[the councillor]

It was also featured in issue 2 of Camper an Bus.

'plain lazy' t-shirt as i recall ?

(not that i'm a magazine obsessive or anything you understand )

as for T4s (and T5s for that matter) as i once said on VZi there's no doubting that they're an all-round superior vehicle for doing just about anything in compared to a bay, but they're so different in every way apart from the fact that they've got the roundel on the front that i don't see how anybody can possibly make a connection between them... although i'm now heading down a road which might be considered inappropriate for these 'gentler' parts :wink:

perhaps a more fair analysis would be to ask who in their right mind would actually WANT to go camping in a bay, given that they're such a ridiculous compromise compared to the actual 'dedicated' stuff that's available at comparable prices these days :?:

i'm rambling again... back on-topic... bays are the best... oh yes 8)

 

[Gadget Boy]

It was also featured in issue 2 of Camper an Bus.

'plain lazy' t-shirt as i recall ?

(not that i'm a magazine obsessive or anything you understand )

perhaps a more fair analysis would be to ask who in their right mind would actually WANT to go camping in a bay, given that they're such a ridiculous compromise compared to the actual 'dedicated' stuff that's available at comparable prices these days :?:

My significant other says the full width westy bed in the Gadget bus is more comftable than our 1000 quid bed in the house so , I think there are reasons for still wanting to camp in a bay . But as for the present day Bays are 8K to 10K for a decent one than yes I can firmly say if you were doing a serious amout of camping then get your self an all singing an dancing T4 westy .

I must say that I know Rocket Ron on here has a very nice T4 westy in black that i was drooling over the last time i saw it ,and because its Rons it has all the toys too :lol:

Gadget

P.s You naming the Tshirt im wearing in one of my features is postively Stalking ya Know :shock:

 

[the councillor]

P.s You naming the Tshirt im wearing in one of my features is postively Stalking ya Know :shock:

i've often wondered if the necklace you're wearing is depicting a kokopelli figure, or if it's just a figment of STOP IT

joking aside, the full width westy bed IS the only bus bed to have, but it's the realisation (and for me it dawned on the banks of coniston water in 2002) that by the time you've got yourself, your family and your stuff all ensconced in a bay, and it's been tipping down all night, and you're surrounded by a foot or so of lake, that there's not really a great deal of room in these things is there

by the way... get you... "one of my features" :wink:

 

[Gadget Boy]

by the way... get you... "one of my features" :wink:

:wink:

 

[analord]

i used to get sick of people always saying "is it one of those split window ones" when it was mentioned that i have a camper. i reckon it is because a split screen is just too much money.

my sister in law wants a camper once their house is sorted and she will only consider a bay - nothing else - even though i showed her how much a T4 is etc with heating and all that. i even showed her my receipts for 10 years of work, but as she said - there is only 1 real camper...a bay window

 

[gninnam]

A few days ago, a chap at were i worked came into my office, first reaction was 'what's not working....' but no!

He said he had been told that I had a VW Camper van and was asking what they are like, what would it cost and best place to get one.
I was pleased that he had been pushed in my direction and I mentioned all the different types from Split to t5 and he was more interested in the bay - told him to get an early as they have the best looks and the tax incentive.
Told him to keep away from ebay and join a few forums to get a feel of what he would be getting into, plus the forums are probably the best place to purchase one.

The van would be for just him, his wife and the dog so a bay would be perfect, especially a tintop.

Lets see what happens :wink:

 

[strongy]

the earlybay camping was next to the t5 owners club at action...

they got up out of bed, they walked to the loo for a piss, then came back and cooked outside as they dident want to stink there van out,then sat around drinking beer...........sound familia???

so apart from the nice boring drive they had going, not much has really changed :mrgreen:

so il stick with the bay 8) as it makes me smile

 

[Joval]

I really like splittys, but only when somebody else is driving - I couldn't live with one.

 

[T2-Nate]

I really like splittys, but only when somebody else is driving - I couldn't live with one.

I second that :mrgreen:

 

[Guest]

Splits = Show Ponies?

discuss :lol:

 

[Benyon]

Never had a split, only had an EB since May, but there are far more bays as dailys, and a lot of stories of ppl selling their split as they're too scared to use it properly.

Would agree Johnny, splits are a bit of a show pony, bays are much more user friendly and a joy to drive regularly if not daily. IMHO

 

[Araon]

I love splits, a lot of the owners on the other hand :? then again the time and money maybe I'd be an anal **** as well, its still a van use the bloody thing I cant understand show cars myself, they should be for fun to use and care for.....

 

[RICH-I-AM]

Yep, agreed

3rd that

 

[Guest]

i drove a 15 window californian deluxe with a very very dodgy steering box, lowered and with no wipers in pouring rain to a wedding and the reception with seven scared passengers (@150 miles in total). It scared the crap out of me, the safaris leaked like a teabag (i got totally soaked), im ashamed to admit i still enjoyed it

I wouldnt buy one, too expensive in the first place, and because i'm anal and it would have to be fully restored, then id worry about constantly like above. Earlybays are where my allegiences lie, althought i do like all other classic VWs