vw shows

[thejinx]

My van should be on the road this summer. i have been looking at the shows going on around July and August and i have come up with the following:

JESUS they are expensive

I realise there is much going on but i have to ask, i am 45 my wife is also 45 some of the acts seem a bit modern for us, also it seems i am paying to look at other peoples vans and at auto jumble ( i actually want to do this). If we were to take my 18 year old daughter we wouldnt get much change out of a ton. Then there is beer and food and more beer. Add petrol to this and you are looking at 200 quid for a weekend. Are they worth it? I did go to Volksfest Wales in 2011 for a look and to be honest wasnt that impressed, the show and shine had some awesome vehicles but also had some boy racer heaps of junk and the auto jumble was poor.

 

[Myvanway]

Its hard to know which is the best show as they are mostly weather dependent.
Alot of the show are pricey now so I am being careful this year as I spent loads last year and it was a wash out for most.
I imagine Camperjam is awesome when the weather is good...I enjoyed it even though it was V-bad conditions.
Santa pod is on my door step and I haven't been in years due to the change in atmosphere (Chavs & Boy racers).
For me I know its top dollar but Busfest is the one, some might say H20 is pushing at taking over but besides the politics its a **** hot Family show with great facilities. IMO!
There are loads of smaller shows that are up and coming that are fantastic too, Last year was so bad that it is a had one to judge show of the year.
Camper & Bus mag normally have the show dates & Venues.

 

[Fortunate Son]

Hi, I'm 42(!) and I can highly recommend Dubs at the Castle - 19-21 July - it's an excellent show in a beautiful spot; Caldicot Castle. I've been once for the whole weekend and as a day visitor all the other times - it has a fantastically friendly atmosphere (a couple of guys on here are organisers I believe). I think there is the option of Earlybay.com camping too. The show and shine is always superb.

Another good show is Tatton Park - only a 1 dayer though on 4th August.

I know what you mean about dissapointing autojumbles, it seems to be getting that way at most shows I go to. The only shows I find any good for autojumble these days are Tatton Park, Dubfreeze, Stanford Hall and Busfest/Vanfest (and Peppercorn, although that has sadly gone now).

There just seems to be too many shows these days and I think it dilutes things down too much. I go to a lot less than I used to these days but I always get to Dubfreeze, Stonor Park, Bristol Volksfest, Stanford Hall, Dubs at the Caste and Vanfest/Busfest. There is also a great new show at Berkeley Castle (Gloucestershire - half way between Bristol and Gloucester) - I went to the first one, in 2011 I think and it was very good. I think it was cancelled in 2012 due to the crap weather - shame.

Hope this helps

Andy

 

[Myvanway]

Dubs at the Castle.
All the reports have suggested this is a fantastic show. And fairly priced too.

 

[Supertramp]

I might be a bit odd as I'm 22 but can't stand the boy racer/larger lout atmosphere at some shows.
I'm close to Tatton and really enjoy it, although there seems to be a lot more Golfs/Builder vans that I have no interest in.

I went to Vanfest the year before last and wasn't overly impressed.

I think I'd like Dubs at the Castle as smaller shows seem to be my thing.
Also hoping to go to Ninove this year so that should be fun.

 

[Myvanway]

I might be a bit odd as I'm 22 but can't stand the boy racer/larger lout atmosphere at some shows.
I'm close to Tatton and really enjoy it, although there seems to be a lot more Golfs/Builder vans that I have no interest in.

I went to Vanfest the year before last and wasn't overly impressed.

I think I'd like Dubs at the Castle as smaller shows seem to be my thing.
Also hoping to go to Ninove this year so that should be fun.

The show and shine was crap last year..IMO!
I wasnt bothered by the watercooled but its about VW's with history I understand the hard cores frustration.
Back in the day unless you were in a air-cooled dub you were asking for trouble at bugjam!!
Now H20 are the majority which is sad.. :?

SSVC display was great as was the trade and the Earlybay 'Clubcamping' made it. (Nice one Clem) :mrgreen:
With the Earlybay.com dislay along side SSVC that Clem'S going to sort !!!!!!!!!??????? It should be a good one this year. :msn4:

8) SSVC. & 8) E'BAY.

 

[AGC]

Stamford Hall for classic VW's and Alive and vdubbin for great atmosphere.... 2 of the best shows IMO

 

[sparkywig]

Dubs at the Castle is OK, or try VanWest in May. Berkeley show is good if it's like the 1st one.

 

[dave]

The only show i will definately do and pre book is alive and vdubbin, grat familty show, club run and ALL profits invested into the following years show!!!

 

[Harlequin]

for a chilled out campout followed by the best one-dayer shows....Stonor
or
Spa.....a show that has it all 8)

 

[KevH]

There are so many shows that you will want to work out exactly what you want from them before parting with your hard earned cash. We all have our favourites, but we all have different expectations too. And sometimes these don't make sense, for example I willingly travel 100+ miles to Malvern for Busfest but hate Camperjam which is just down the road, yet some would say they are similar shows.

You pays your money...

 

[T2 Brinky]

My van should be on the road this summer. i have been looking at the shows going on around July and August and i have come up with the following:

JESUS they are expensive

I realise there is much going on but i have to ask, i am 45 my wife is also 45 some of the acts seem a bit modern for us, also it seems i am paying to look at other peoples vans and at auto jumble ( i actually want to do this). If we were to take my 18 year old daughter we wouldnt get much change out of a ton. Then there is beer and food and more beer. Add petrol to this and you are looking at 200 quid for a weekend. Are they worth it? I did go to Volksfest Wales in 2011 for a look and to be honest wasnt that impressed, the show and shine had some awesome vehicles but also had some boy racer heaps of junk and the auto jumble was poor.

i think to sum up some shows are worth it an sum arn't im cardiff based an also go to volksfest wales its not the best show, but being local i like to support them, as said previously in the thred dubs at the casltle is great, i agree an well worth 200 for the weekend all in for party of 3.

However every body knows the weather is a major factor of any show, cheers

 

[thejinx]

i think i will go to Volksfest Wales this year as a day visitor and do the Dubs at the Castle as a full weekend. see how they go. My main aim is to do as much wild camping as i can, i have been recce'ing a fair few sites around the beacons and cant wait to try them.

 

[sproggy4830]

thinking out of the box , and i havnt researched this , but what about a trip abroad there are many cheap flights or ferry/eurotunel deals that could be cheaper than going to uk shows . has anyone any good ideas where we could go abroad for shows ?

 

[superfunkyfresh]

thinking out of the box , and i havnt researched this , but what about a trip abroad there are many cheap flights or ferry/eurotunel deals that could be cheaper than going to uk shows . has anyone any good ideas where we could go abroad for shows ?

I am currently creating a thread that lists all the shows in Europe and the UK. There are plenty of big shows out. I am trying to work out which ones I can do also.

 

[Marvel]

thinking out of the box , and i havnt researched this , but what about a trip abroad there are many cheap flights or ferry/eurotunel deals that could be cheaper than going to uk shows . has anyone any good ideas where we could go abroad for shows ?

Sounds like a good idea. I hear there is a nice little show in Belgium that could be reached easily via the train. I think it's at a place called Spa........ :lol:

 

[KevH]

thinking out of the box , and i havnt researched this , but what about a trip abroad there are many cheap flights or ferry/eurotunel deals that could be cheaper than going to uk shows . has anyone any good ideas where we could go abroad for shows ?

Let me know when you solve the problem of how to get a bus on a flight. I suspect that might need more than a little thinking out of the box. :lol:

 

[sproggy4830]

thinking out of the box , and i havnt researched this , but what about a trip abroad there are many cheap flights or ferry/eurotunel deals that could be cheaper than going to uk shows . has anyone any good ideas where we could go abroad for shows ?

Let me know when you solve the problem of how to get a bus on a flight. I suspect that might need more than a little thinking out of the box. :lol:

Good point well made, I didn’t really think about this did I. :shock:
However, as money is tight, my thoughts were more on the line of perhaps a few like minded people could club together, and travel together in a modern fuel efficient car sharing the expense of petrol and say a Chunnel or ferry crossing, especially from the south of the country (as many countries are within a couple of hours away), then perhaps a very cheap and fun weekend could be had by all.

 

[Clem]

My van should be on the road this summer. i have been looking at the shows going on around July and August and i have come up with the following:

JESUS they are expensive

I realise there is much going on but i have to ask, i am 45 my wife is also 45 some of the acts seem a bit modern for us, also it seems i am paying to look at other peoples vans and at auto jumble ( i actually want to do this). If we were to take my 18 year old daughter we wouldnt get much change out of a ton. Then there is beer and food and more beer. Add petrol to this and you are looking at 200 quid for a weekend. Are they worth it? I did go to Volksfest Wales in 2011 for a look and to be honest wasnt that impressed, the show and shine had some awesome vehicles but also had some boy racer heaps of junk and the auto jumble was poor.

I guess something to consider is theat VW shows arent for everyone. Loads of people have VW campers and simply use them for weekends or days away, and family holidays etc. Custom shows, parts stalls and bands in tents are probably a lot of folks idea of a nightmare ... but each to theyre own. One things for sure, a weekend show in 2013 that has all the 'stuff' going on, is never going to be a particularly cheap thing to do when everythings been added up.