Traveling With the Vw Bus & Camper

Introduced in the 1950s, the VW bus was designed to be multifunctional. Since then, it has come to symbolize fun, freedom, and adventure. VW bus owners fully incorporate their vehicles into their lives: Some treat them as an extension of their home, while others undertake epic journeys in them, across desert and sea, and through Europe, Asia, and Africa. Some strap surfboards to the roof and head for the nearest beach, while others soup up the engines and take them drag racing in California. All will spend hours restoring and customizing them and even more time talking about them with fellow bus owners. Traveling with the VW Bus and Camper is a tribute to this passion, to the owners who have lavished time, effort, and inspiration on their campers, and, of course, to the VW bus itself. This book traces the cult of the camper, from family errands to vacation home to design icon. Above all else, the campervan is living history and readers will find chapters dedicated to travel narratives detailing road trips from England to Afghanistan and back, ad campaigns that sell the VW bus lifestyle, and weddings and other family events that feature buses in their ceremonies. Obsession or addiction? See for yourself.

David and Cee Eccles have been around VW buses since 1976, when they bought a Splitscreen Camper, gave up their teaching jobs, and spent a year living in it while traveling through Persia, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and India. From 1990, they were very active members of the Splitscreen Van Club and for ten years edited the club magazine. Dave has since written two books about the VW camper and is also editor of Volkswagen Camper and Commercial, a bimonthly magazine dedicated exclusively to the VW bus.