SOAKING in hot seawater and being smothered in freshly picked seaweed on a beach is the latest outdoor sensation being offered by The Camper Van Cookbook author Martin Dorey. The BBC Two presenter is offering the natural beach-side spa experience as part of a bespoke weekend for VW camper owners.

“Seaweed baths are relatively common in Ireland but here in the UK it’s not something most of us would consider – even though many beauty products have seaweed in them,” he said. “Sitting in mineral-rich seaweed is odd, at first, but feels fantastic on the skin. I’m going to be demonstrating how good it is by setting up my own home-made seaweed spas during my series of Campervan Weekends in Devon this summer.”

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Martin, who presented the TV series One Man And His Campervan also promises other wild experiences on his bespoke weekends. As a lifelong camper, VW owner and cook he, along with small team, will pass on their knowledge about living in the great outdoors, hopefully giving newbies and VW camper owners a weekend they won’t forget. Continue reading »

Article source: http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/Camper-Van-Cookbook-author-offers-spa-experience/story-18209284-detail/story.html

Take me there: camping in southwest France

Retro charm meets digital technology in a new fleet of VW camper vans for hire in southwest France. We Dub You is a new venture from British couple Yvette and Tony Martin, who have equipped their five classic combi vehicles with iPhone/iPod music and phone systems as well as iPads loaded with films, games and guides. Keeping with the hi-tech theme, electric bikes are available to hire, too. Pick up your vehicle at the airport and the vineyards of Bordeaux, the sunflower fields of Dordogne or the surf beaches of Gascony are yours to explore. Seven nights cost from £375, based on pick-up and drop-off at Bergerac Airport (wedubyou.com).

Article source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/jan/06/vw-camper-france-learn-skill

Having been raised by parents who took me on weeks-long camping trips that involved paddling a canoe, tramping over glaciers and eating freeze-dried beef bourguignon and fish we caught ourselves, you’d think I’d know what I’m doing when I ditch the city and head for the hills. But the last time I went camping with my son, I forgot matches. I broke one of the support poles in my borrowed tent. Overall, I fared only slightly better than a friend, who went camping without cooking gear and was forced to heat soup in a dog bowl.

Maybe it’s living in the city or the opportunities I’ve been given as an automotive journalist, but my preference for ehxperiencing the great outdoors these days usually involves sleeping inside. I’ll hike and climb all day, but when the fire’s reduced to embers, I’d much rather retire to a camper than a tent.

Continue reading »

Article source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/kukui-408920-westfalia-took.html

De Van Surfer – a bed shaped like a VW Camper Van

Sadly, this is strictly for kids. But on the plus side, if you install this De Van Surfer bed in your child’s room, you’ll have one of the coolest kid’s bedrooms around.

This is, as you mint have guessed, a bed shaped like a classic VW Camper Van. Not just a bed either. Of course there’s one of those if you nip up the side ladder, but down below, is a desk area on one side, with seating and storage on the other, complete with some nice retro upholstery. Continue reading »

Article source: http://www.retrotogo.com/2013/02/de-van-surfer-a-bed-shaped-like-a-vw-camper-van-bed.html

Hippies of the world: wear black flowers in your hair.

The VW Camper, or VW Type 2 to give it its official designation (the Beetle was Type 1, by the way), is finally to cease production on 31 December 2012 in Brazil, its last home.

The reason for the exact date is that it will no longer meet Brazilian legislation from Jan 1, 2013. From then, all cars sold in Brazil must have ABS and twin airbags (health and safety gone mad, blah, blah), and the venerable VW would need total re-engineering, which just isn’t worth it. It could be sold in other Latin American markets next year, but without Brazil, the largest economy in the region, the numbers just don’t add up. Continue reading »

Article source: http://www.verdictoncars.co.uk/jsp/vocmain.jsp?lnk=101&id=5185