a few questions

Hi everyone,
My wife and I are currently looking into getting a new VW camper and have a few questions, having stumbled across this site in Google I thought you might be able to help!

1) How easy is it to take a buggy/guitar/other bulky items round in it day-to-day? Can you use the bit behind the seat as a kind of boot? if so how easy is it to get stuff in/out of it (especially if you've had to strap a child or 2 in first!)?

2) Is it possible to get Isofix point installed (I'm guessing not but it's worth asking!)?

3) Does having the sliding door opening out onto the road when you park in the UK cause problems, particularly with children getting in and out?

4) Does anyone use their Camper with small children (our son is 11 months at the moment and we hope to have more in the nearish future!)?

5) Would places who do custom interiors for old Bays be able to do the same for new ones?

Thanks for your help, this seems like a really helpful site!
Rich

Hi Rich - welcome on board.

I'll try to answer your questions in turn. I have a 9 year old son and regularly drive him and his cousins of equal age around but have no experience of using my Bay with babies on board. I'm sure there are others on here who do though.

1. Yes I do use the 'boot' area for bulky stuff (but not above the top of the rear seat for safety reasons) and it is very useful that the tailgate is high up so you can open it easily when parallel parked. The kids that I have on board love the legroom in the rear.

2. If you want an isofix point installed that's going to be a welding job - but not impossible. I occasionally carry a mate's 3 year old in a car seat which makes use of the fitted 3 point belt - works fine.

3. Simple answer is park with that side to the pavement - got a feeling that maybe illegal but it doesn't seem to stop millions from doing it - plus you can park tight to the kerb. I'm lucky to have a drive and rarely need to parallel park so it's not really an issue for me. People who have opted for the MINI Clubman don't let the fact the door is on the driver's side put them off having an interesting motor. I actually find it really handy having the sliding door on my side.

4. As mentioned I have no experience of using the Bay with babies on-board.

5. Yes I'm sure they would. You show them the money .... they'll turn it into whatever you want! Just make sure you use someone who has lengthy experience of Bay conversions and can show you examples of their work.

Camper and Bus Magazine has loads of traders in the back pages advertising their conversions.

If you want to know if a Brazilian Bay's going to be right for you - hire one for a few days. I hired one from snailtrail.co.uk (speak to Steve) and campinavdub.co.uk have 3 cool Brazilian Bays too (speak to Fiona.) Please mention our site if you do. They're both on the Facebook Fan Zone that runs alongside this forum. Plus of course one of our members has one he hires out too:vwcampervanhireessex.

Good luck with your research and hope to see you with a new Bay soon.

Can't help with the UK specific questions as we live in Belgium - we have an 8 year old and a 3 year old who have been been basically living in a van for 2 and half months each summer since they were 5 and 1:

We have 3 point seat-belts fitted and for our youngest use a britax and mow a michelin (europe) seat our eldest has progresses through fiited seat and now a brtax adujstable back booster.


Whe we just potter around locally (within a 200km radius) we have taken a large britax buggy (pain fro camping but day to day ok) a small mother care stroller great for camping and even out Charriot cheetah system which is a bike trailer and buggy/stroller combined Chariot USA

But for camping a backpack while they are under 2 is even better

As for sleeping our eldest uses the poptop he has loads of room and our youngest a cab hammock that we got in germany but just campers and bluebird sell them in uK. All we did was rig up a cargo net just in case



They have both done over 20,000 k in the van and like i said that has included 2 x 40 day round europe wanders