Van Knitting

Saturday 14^th September 2019

Well, a life-long ambition has been realised.  All my adult life I have wanted a VW camper van – and now I have one.  

Anne van Shirley with Arthur looking on, taken near sunset at Steart beach not far from here:

She is in her 26th year, and still has the original engine.  She is bright orange – which is possibly my least favourite colour after brown.  And she has not been prettily pimped up, inside or out.  I fancy that all these attributes account for the bargain price I paid for her.  I was never going to be in the flash VW league and nor could I contemplate a big bodywork or engineering project.

Anne is a professionally Remo converted T4 Caravelle, short wheel base VW, with a solid high-top, a tiny cooker (2 gas rings and a tiny grill), a sink with a water pump from a tiny reservoir tank, a leisure battery, and a rock and roll bed. Everything in her is original, so it is like stepping into a time-capsule.  It is also like driving a tank, or so it seems to me, but I am getting used to that.  

Anne has just done her first 1,000 miles with me.  I have slept in the van and whilst it isn’t the best sleep ever I think this is because I am not used to it yet.  I have also never camped, in a tent, so I am learning how to live in what is essentially a high-top tent on wheels.  

I do absolutely love her.  The driving not so much, but I am determined to do this and I have driven her to Devon and Cornwall.  

Van life seems to suit me.  I have slowed down to VW pace.  The dogs really like it too, because they have their own van-beds which rest on the floor or outside if it is warm, when we are parked up, or on the back seat – the rock and roll bed converts from a basic sofa – where I can anchor their harnesses to the lap-belt fittings, for travel. They, like all dogs I suppose, like being with their people in small or visible spaces and Anne is that.  

She also came with an original roll-out awning, and an awning you can put up like a tent and drive away from!  But I have not mastered the latter yet and tend to mark my space just with the attached awning for shade and beach-barrier. 

I have kitted her out with all the essentials and I have, of course, a special van knitting bag, which at the moment has a 60% complete van throw. Not orange.  I have added some fairy lights, naturally, but slowly I hope to re-make the interior.  One thing that I really want are 2 front seat covers to go over the fabric of the originals – any tips?  These are single VW van/caravelle seats, T4, Remo conversion model.  I want stretchy covers that I can remove and wash, that will be good quality and not orange, ideally!

Van cooking has to be basic but that is fine with me.  My speciality is le van omelette – all the veg I can find, made into an omelette.  I think making my breakfast or a cup of tea in Anne is the very best thing of all about her. 

Keep looking for a bright orange white-top old dear racketing about the lanes of Somerset and Devon – that will be me, not Anne. And I’ll be driving a rather good looking VDub.  Joy rides can be given if workshop time allows…