VW camper with 4 seat belts, 4 births, kitchen and bathroom - LEZ compatible and fits in normal car parking spaces!

Welcome to the sale of our lovely vw camper. We’ve had some great trips together over the last 5 years: twice around the Scottish Highlands, South Wales, Cornwall, Western and Southern France not to mention weekends away in Sussex and Kent and of course many, many trips to the football pitches, running tracks and swimming pools around here in Crystal Palace.

She has had a lot of love: Banded steel wheels and load-rated tyres, suspension arms, springs, dampers, both batteries, a super efficient 12v Dometic CRE50 compressor fridge plus wiring, a newTruma Ultrastore Rapid GE Water Heater 10 Litre, cork floor, 2 new skylights, I have converted most of the lights to LEDs, bookshelves, some redecoration, I have converted the over-cab cupboards into two semi-separated single kid’s beds that fold back to retain the feeling of space. I have changed the sofas for 2 forward-facing rock’n’roll seats upholstered pink. The seats have storage underneath and behind, they slide out to form 2 sofas and they convert to a very large double. There was a lot of measuring and working out to achieve this but travelling sitting sideways is too dangerous to countenance. I also fitted swivels to the front seats and the driver’s seat has a safe under it. Kids all love going up onto the roof. I always meant to rig up a firman’s pole attachment so that they could go around and around and around and around.. but I’ll have to leave that with you!

We looked for a van that was LEZ compatible, “self-contained” ie has a bathroom and a kitchen, fits in a car parking space but has 4 forward-facing belted seats. There wasn’t anything so we made this. It also has the advantage of being able to sneak into sites that will take campers but won’t take motorhomes. The VW name brings a great following/parts availability and I loved the fibreglass monocoque of the Autosleeper. The fibreglass shell cannot leak, with a classic panel-built van you are fighting damp but this fibreglass shell is like a boat hull, it will outlast you and I. Autosleeper cupboards are super-solid too. The 2.0aac petrol engine is from the contemporary Golf GTI 8v but with a stronger bottom end. At the time people looking to strap a turbo to their golf sought out this version of their engine for it’s strength, it’s very robust. A diesel engine version would use less fuel but it would cost £100 per day into London, and be smellier. Motorhomes do a low mileage so mpg is less important than servicing and other costs.

Condition is good for 33 years old but it has accumulated many a blemish – stonechips, seam rash, plastic fatigueing, rust touch-ups, etc, etc all minor cosmetic. People do comment that it looks great though. Almost new MOT so no worries there ready to go.

We’d like to sell before our holidays start so open to offers. I am willing to deliver it anywhere in GB at 2-way cost price, but I will need a huuuuge non-refundable deposit.

Thanks and best wishes,
Ben and family