Vanwest

[Clem]

Made my first camping trip of the year so far! :mrgreen:

After driving the van for the first time on Friday, and after some umming and aahhing and chin scratching, we packed the van up on Saturday and went down.

Great run there down the M5, and found the venue in sunshine and heaving with vans. An odd set up where vans were intermingled with static caravans, tourers and general public .... we blagged into some club camping though which was cool.
Evening entertainment was in the 'club house' again, a mixed economy, but nice to have a 'real' bar and glasses etc. The facilities on site were superb and the pitches flat and close to roads etc.
Trade was mostly capming and lifestyle, but that said I got a reverse light backing I needed, and on Sunday we went to the beach ahead of the cruise, and by mid afternoon it was covered in vans. 8)

It was a very 'different' event, and very much the 'VW Holiday' it was advertised as ..... similar in spirit the the concept of early RTTS' I suppose too. It'll be interesting to hear what others thought?
As a family trip away, it was perfect, my only gripe that it was a bit pricey for one night (we paid the same as two nights) but thems the breaks sometimes. It was no buffers event, but I did that last week at Stanford Hall.

Best bit was driving home with some more confidence in the van after the engine rebuild .... twin Dellortos ROCK uphill! :mrgreen:

 

[Loxy]

Best bit was driving home with some more confidence in the van after the engine rebuild .... twin Dellortos ROCK uphill! :mrgreen:

Stock with Dells? or have you made other changes?

 

[easy]

What a strange weekend, i can only say that myself and our club will never be going to Vanwest if it is to be held at that place again. Most of my club were going to go home on the saturday, but we stayed and did have a good time, but only until we got told by the camp security (prick in a hi vis jacket who thought he had half a brain cell) at 10.pm!!! to keep our talking down!!!!!! ffs we were annoyed in the morning by one of the caravan owners we were surrounded by, mowing her plot!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :shock: :lol: probably getting her own back for one of us enjoying ourselves.

Piss poor location but excellent vw people all the same 8) i will be speaking to Adrian (the organiser) this week to pleed with him to move it back to haynes

 

[Clem]

Best bit was driving home with some more confidence in the van after the engine rebuild .... twin Dellortos ROCK uphill! :mrgreen:

Stock with Dells? or have you made other changes?

Its got a Bluebird 4-1 Exhaust, but otherwise stock.

So far

 

[Loxy]

Its got a Bluebird 4-1 Exhaust, but otherwise stock.

So far

Did you tune it yourself or have you had it rolling roaded?
Need to get mine done at some point probably @ raceshack or Interpro(?) in Bristol.


easy - I went on the Sunday just for the day with the family - I thought it seemed a little oddly laid out - but they let me in cheap so I can forgive them I guess

 

[rustydiver]

Went for the day on Sunday and it was just pants, the only good thing was the weather. Suppose i should have expected it cos it was only £5 to get in. Wanted to get a few bits for the van no one was there unless i wanted a t shirt. Wanted to get a sun canopy and wind break, they took the windbreak but left the canopies in the warehouse :? .
Went with a wad of dosh and came home with it.
Wont bother next year even though i am onle 6 miles down the road.

MR Easy seen your van on the old volk club pitch, all i can say is looookin sweeet. :mrgreen:

 

[analord]

Loxy wrote -
Did you tune it yourself or have you had it rolling roaded?
Need to get mine done at some point probably @ raceshack or Interpro(?) in Bristol.

I have a stock 1800 with twin Dells and I am booked at Raceshack on May 29th - will let you know how it goes

 

[Tiki-Al]

yeah went on the sunday too, the show was a shower of shite imo but the beach show and shine was good fun and ten times better than the actual show.

the stalls were pretty pants too, when will they learn we don't want to buy a tie-dye t-shirt or something that looks like my gran would wear it???

waste of a fiver.

 

[Clem]

Loxy - the carbs were pre-set by Gabriel off eBay. It does need a 'proper' tune however (it pops on overrun) but stays cool on the dipstick test (Im dead technical, me ) but I do aim to take it to Race Shack sooner rather than later for a tweak - luckily, I work half a mile away from them.

easy - Good to meet, at last! I can see how your plot must have been too close to the normals. Luckily we were a bit more embedded. We went to the club house and it was all very 'bingo' :lol: Later the band were good, but the 'comedian' was a fat kid in a cheap suit trying to belittle others for laughs ..... we hated him!

Rusty/Tiki - I can see that it wouldnt work for a one day visit, on the Sunday. It was deffo a camping thing.

 

[clyde]

Sounds like this was abit hit and miss which is a pity beause Vanwest 08 was one of my favourite weekends at a VW show in the UK for a long time.
Always thought the Haynes lay out worked but they did have alot of problems from campers and locals about the road crossing?

Is that Dells your running on the SP Clem or have you gone TP.

 

[rustydiver]

just spoke to a couple of people that went for the weekend, they thought it was crap never again.
camp site was spead out to much, to many holiday maker types in between the vans, the Hymer bunch wearing their dicky bows ties were just a bunch of t******s and the bouncer at the club hosue not letting everone in, if they were carrying drinks, didnt even let a pram in due to health and safety reasons. Club house wasnt a vw vibe one.

Other than that i think he realy enjoyed himself. :msn4:

 

[easy]

Went for the day on Sunday and it was just pants, the only good thing was the weather. Suppose i should have expected it cos it was only £5 to get in. Wanted to get a few bits for the van no one was there unless i wanted a t shirt. Wanted to get a sun canopy and wind break, they took the windbreak but left the canopies in the warehouse :? .
Went with a wad of dosh and came home with it.
Wont bother next year even though i am onle 6 miles down the road.

MR Easy seen your van on the old volk club pitch, all i can say is looookin sweeet. :mrgreen:

Cheers dood bit in the air at the moment but watch this space

 

[Bus'n'Bug]

We went for the weekend, turned up on friday afternoon and I have to say it was crap, we were camped up right opposite the Hymer club and Oh my god didn't we get some looks. The camping was far to spead out with a stupidly long walk to the main area which gave it no camping scene vib at all, we went to look around all the stalls on Saturday evening and everyone had packed up and gone (apart the lovely Honcho people, at least I was warm).

All the VW people we did meet as ever we fab and friendly but that and the trip to the beach we're the only good things about it.

I know I sound like I'm havin a bit of a rave here but there was no organization at all. I was looking forward to the van push which no one seemed to know about and when it did happen it was very poor, not a patch on the youtube giggle 2008 appeared to be. the music tent was tiny, hardly any room to swing a cat although I will say that the band 'Sixteen Stone' on Friday night were fantastic.

The kids only enjopyed it cause we spent a fortune on rides for them at the leisure park which was a saving grace.

Lets put it this way, if it's at Brean next year we wont be going, very poor show. ROLL ON PLYMFEST :lol:

 

[Bus'n'Bug]

By the way I forgot to add we broke down on the M5 going home so that didn't round the weekend of so well and we had to pay £212 to get towed home. thanks for all the VW passer by's that gave us a wave, it lifted our spirits if only a little, forgot to say the oil seal base cracked open hence breakdown, still awaiting to find out the extent of any engine damage.

We still love our bus!!!

 

[Tiki-Al]

ouch, unlucky... i heard the band on saturday night didn't even play!?

I would of asked for my dough back if that was the case...must say it was a rumor though as i wasn't there.

 

[mjknight71]

VanWest...well yes.....where do we start :?

Weymouth to Yeovil fuel hose, pump to T piece became pourus....got to Halfords at 7 mins to 8, replaced offending hose......decided to re-check it after 3 miles as you do....rhs carb flex hose split....fuel pouring over engine......luckily I bought 1m of hose.....after setting off 1hr late and a slight detour to cure fuel issues arrived at VanWest at 21:30 (dirty hands and cut arms......note to others if fitting twin carbs drill the welds on the air filter mount dont just cut it!!!!)

Oh and the other half missed the poorly signed turning (the one with the day glow orange large VanWest signs on)...but we made it.

Pitch was good size. Yellow area about 10 mins walk from 'show'. Site was just a mass of static caravans/tourers as far as the eye could see.... Toilets were good :mrgreen:

Show...what show whilst the were lots and lots of campers T2 - T5's they were spread every where........camping was here there and everywhere, day visitors were parked along a road.......not really a show

Traders......poor...the other half bought some shoes :shock:

Sat night Entertainment...wasn't sure if you were meant to be up at the show or down with the chav's at RJ's.....who ever the 'compere' was obviously came from local morgue radio after he had killed the atmosphere, the tp indie cover band came on played for while and went.......we sat in the small over 18's bar drinking and went to bed....

Sunday weather wonderful......some traders had gone...had a bacon butty and went home.

Someone needs to tell 'em they ruined it...even the mud bath of two years ago was better, i'm not one who is into the scene but it was poor.

:!: Good idea to move it didn't work sort it out :!:

"Easy" think I saw your bus :msn4: ......next to the made to look old blue/white splitty? Very nice.....admired the bugs on your club stand too.

Fav bus of the show was the 1958 hippy van on the VW Evolution stand.....love love love

 

[Waxer]

We went, it was the little-uns first holiday in the Bus.
Towed this with the Bay.

Everyone seemed surprised that it would pull it and I'm only running a stock 1600 with twin 36's on it. We try hard to keep weight to a minimum though.
Never pushed it over 55 unless down hill and then no more than 60, took our time, easy.
Oh, I came all the way up from Redruth!! 8)

The show was good in the sense that there were things for the little one to do but I understand what people mean about it being spread out and lacking some atmosphere.
It ticked the boxes for the first experience of shows for one of our party so we don't have to worry about the next ones now. Plymfest next and a lot shorter drive. phew.

 

[Loxy]

We went, it was the little-uns first holiday in the Bus.
Towed this with the Bay.

Everyone seemed surprised that it would pull it and I'm only running a stock 1600 with twin 36's on it. We try hard to keep weight to a minimum though.
Never pushed it over 55 unless down hill and then no more than 60, took our time, easy.
Oh, I came all the way up from Redruth!! 8)

The show was good in the sense that there were things for the little one to do but I understand what people mean about it being spread out and lacking some atmosphere.
It ticked the boxes for the first experience of shows for one of our party so we don't have to worry about the next ones now. Plymfest next and a lot shorter drive. phew.

As I scrolled down this thread I saw the picture and thought - hes never towed that with his bus its just parked behind it :lol:
Then I read your text 8)

 

[Waxer]

Tents are all well and good and sleeping in the van is fine but mines a microbus and a nervous 4 year old needed something a bit more solid to call her bed for the night.
I'm having trouble getting used to having all 3 of us in one room, she's a really noisey sleeper, but its comfy and warm which is perfect for me as I have some old injuries to live with.
I'll get more pictures and show it off soon.

Wheels were powder coated and will match the interior.

 

[Loxy]

Tents are all well and good and sleeping in the van is fine but mines a microbus and a nervous 4 year old needed something a bit more solid to call her bed for the night.
I'm having trouble getting used to having all 3 of us in one room, she's a really noisey sleeper, but its comfy and warm which is perfect for me as I have some old injuries to live with.
I'll get more pictures and show it off soon.

Wheels were powder coated and will match the interior.

Hi Waxer - hope you didnt take my comments the wrong way - my incredulity was aimed at the fact you managed to tow it there not what it was - if that makes sense? :lol: