IDRIVEACLASSIC reviews: 1967 Commer Van - Haylett Olympian 

In 1983/4...my Commer PB Camper...toook us through Europe ...Turkey ..Syria....Saudi Arabia ...Previously done the same in a lorry.!!!...I had to move the coil away from engine heat...Rebuilt the gearbox in Kavala(Greece)...My little Commer was wonderful....Graduated to Transits forever after....All Happy Days ( Even Today)...!!!!!

My dad had a bt one of these vans, i loved it when he would come home from work in it. Id leg it up the road and get a little lift in it as he pulled into our road. I sat on his lap and steered it into a bush once! My first driving experience, aged 6. My gosh i miss my dad and that van

Full marks to the owner. Everyone wants to go down the VW route. Great to see someone wanting to keep something British alive.

Hillman engine, Humber suspension. Commer, Humber and Hillman were all part of the Rootes Group. Great to see this one still running!

Bought one back in the 70's, engine leaked water like a sieve. I went to the local Post office depot where a mechanic advised changing all the core plugs which were notorious for leaking. Never leaked again after I changed them. Mine was a camper van too with the roof that raised up. We loved it.

Delightfully, RU-vid is putting a lot of your older videos that I’ve missed onto my feed. I’ve always had a soft spot for the wee Commer van’s. For years I had a little cameraman that was amongst my toys. I always had the vague memory that it came from a Commer. Just a few years ago I came across it, and did an online search & confirmed this. I was able to find a Corgi Commer van that was missing its cameraman so now he’s back where he should be after all these years! That’s a great example you tested there. You’d wonder these didn’t get the following that the VW one enjoys. They’re every bit as good & twice as quirky.

My grandpa is the founder and owner of Haylett Olympian! So lovely to watch this video x

I think these must give loads of “smiles per mile” when you’re driving them! ❤️

Back in the late 60's and early 70's, we used to hire a Commer just like this one for our holiday and drive about in Scotland or Wales and kip in lay-by's. Mum, dad, me and my sister. Happy days.

Almost expect to see Sid James or Barbara Windsor having a Carry On in this vehicle! The Commer was such a frequent sight in the 60's and 70's, can't be many left now though. Thanks for sharing this! Love and peace.

In the mid 90's I traveled to Belgium & The Netherlands from the UK via Dover in a Commer Luton, with a roller shutter type back door, belonging to the banjo player in our band. He was the only one in the band who had a vehicle. It was an empty unconverted ex removal van he used for his work. There were six of us in the band and girlfriends. We were on tour for 10 days, had half a dozen gigs, and managed a couple of days busking too. Bleed'n great time! We'd put a few mattresses in the back, our instruments, rucksacks, bedding, bags of food and beer, and off we went. The van was a bit weird. Top-heavy. Couldn't go round corners at any speed, felt like it was going to topple over. Apart from that it wallowed and rolled like a boat. Lots of room but we felt a little seasick in the back with no windows, there was always a scramble for the front seats to avoid that feeling. But the front had its own quirks, don't sit in the middle! Sitting on top of the engine for more than 15 minutes made your bits get way too hot! The engine ran hot in his van for some reason so his idea was to keep the heater on full all the time in the cab, to take the heat away from the engine, he said. Which made the cab ridiculously hot, even more so if you were in the middle. But while the three in the front were melting in shorts and t-shirts, in the back everyone else was in jumpers, gloves, and coats. Being a big empty box with an ill-fitting draughty door. Oh, the happy memories! The gigs were great! And the hospitality and accommodation provided by the Dutch and Belgian folk was second to none. But traveling in the big boaty oven fridge was testing. We did make it though. Did all the gigs, it took us all there and back and didn't break down once, not bad for an old van

I loved the Commer/Dodge van! They used to be everywhere in the 70's. Not seen one on the road in years!

My dad used to have one of these. In the winter, being an old style diesel engine (with no heating plugs), he used to heat the engine with an electric heating element from a cooker that he had attached to a long stick and he'd push it under the van next to the sump to heat the engine oil lol. That and a good few sprays of 'easy start' and about half an hour and it would start even in colder weather 🤣🤣😂🤣🤣

I could listen to you all day! 😃

OMG this is so special....thank you so much...it broke down all the time on the M6...but we did have an amazing holiday..Working for Heron at the time in Liverpool bought it privately for £ 800 it had covered 10 thousand miles all over Europe....fantastic vehicle...took it everywhere for six months then sold it to the Scouts association...so many happy memories of that vehicle....this would be 1978....wow...copper bronze base and white top...photos somewhere 🤗

Steph, you are a treasure!

Commer vans were everywhere in the 70s when I was young. It’s great to see one again. Another great video Steph.

Ooh I remember loads of these vans back in the 1970s, the bright yellow GPO (like British Telecom) vans lol they were still plenty around going into the1980s, looking very tatty and clapped out by then though! 😁😎👍

To anyone who has not driven a "cab-forward" van, they are such gratuitous fun, like being at the helm of a fishing boat, you're in a state of joy until you regrettably have to switch it off. In the Commer van, you were treated to the sight of the front headlamp housings right in front of you. Just don't crash.

Years ago I had a Commer Highwayman that slept 8! Not fast but handled leisurely long trips with easy and never missed a beat. Would def buy another.

I love campers, especially vintage ones. I especially loved this espisode! This is the best vehicle channel on YT. Aunt Barbara adores you!

This brings back memories for me. My parents' first Commer camper van was bought in 1963. We went everywhere in it, including holidays in Scotland and we never went on a campsite. I used to sleep across the front seats. There were curtains all the way round.

I bought a Bluebird Highwayman Commer on Gibtaltar and brought it back to the UK. That was like a bed sit in Fulham, brilliant.

Great review! I remember Commer vans being quite a common sight on the roads. I always liked them, particularly the way the wheels are tucked into the wheel arches. The world of the Rootes group is well worth you exploring. They had a reputation for making well built and finished cars and there are plenty of models to get to know, form the small Hillman Imps to the large Humber Super Snipes and Imperials!

We had a pop top commer camper when I was a kid, slightly different layout inside. We went to Scotland in it from the midlands for a holiday, we were a family of four. The top on ours had kids beds that rolled out, which was like sleeping in a tent on top of the van. Loads of fun.

I had a 1962 PA version 417FUG Very similar to this for 4 years as my first vehicle.. Loved it so many happy memories.

I had a 1974 Commer camper made by Hi Tor of Torrington..its had the permanent fiberglass roof....cruise at 45mph was its best speed because of the height..the engine noise next to the driver and unlike this example it didnt have an overdrive....u can see the lady pushing the button on the dashboard to engage it in this video....had some fantastic times in it and wonderful memories

loved to start mine with the crank handle... cool memories

I have a friend who used to drive one of these Commer motor homes. Being also into wood turning, and it being his only means of transport, he went to a woodwork exhibition in Dublin in it, after the exhibition closed, he decided to retire for the night. Well, that was OK, untill closing time, when the pubs regurgitated their clientele in various stages of inebriation. Some of the yobs realised they had discovered a camper van, with a camper inside it, and decided it would be fun to start rocking the van on it's suspension. Feeling vulnerable and outnumbered, he got out of his sleeping bag, jumped into the driver's seat, and drove off to find somewhere out of town and more suitable to spend the night. Suddenly, he found himself in a garda ( = police) checkpoint, wearing nothing but his Y-fronts, answering the usual questions, "Good evening Sir, where are you comming from?, where are you going to?, have you any mears of identification? Fortunately, after explaining why he was driving around downtown Dublin, at around midnight, in nothing but his underpants, the officer saw the amusing side of it.

You absolute legend! I've always wanted a Commer camper and if this is the nearest I'll ever get to it, I'll take it. 😊 One of the best classic motoring channels on RU-vid.

Such a cool van! Thank you Steph.

Love the top mounted wipers - proper old school van tech. I remember when BT had loads of these in yellow with Busby on the sides - kids ask your parents.

31 years in the motor trade still love the old stuff ,ex AA workshop mechanic ,now work for IVECO truck and van ,i also love old buses and bedford lorries

The Commer PB van was introduced in 1960, and by 1977 there was a facelift and renamed Dodge Spacevan and in production until aboyt 1983/84. The post office in red and British Telecom in yellow had hundreds until they all vanished into oblivion.

I live about a mile from the owner of this van. I said to my wife that it looked like the van from the thumbnail. I always wondered what it looked like inside and what it was like on the road. Thanks for that Steph

Had one like this when i was 10 beautiful

I used to own a motorhome based on an old Bedford CF van back in the 90s. I really miss that van and always regretted selling it. Same sort of arrangement as this, were you sit over the front wheels with the engine under a hump in the cab. I do love the look of the Commer vans too though. Something very aesthetically pleasing about them!

My father had one when we where little we drove to Warwick castle. Sounded like a hairdryer mid engined van😊. Also glass indicator lens and side lights

Thank you for doing a start-up on all your videos. I love hearing how different engines sound when they crank. This camper looks superb for long weekends in the countryside. Wonderful presentation as usual, Steph. Thank you!

I love this Commer camper its so basic and the engine is perfekt.👍👍👍👍😊😊😊

Only just recently found your channel and posted a couple of comments on some other videos you've done, love your enthusiasm for the older vehicles, makes a change from guys your age just wanting to build a ricer or some shitty hatchback, just subscribed 🏁🏁🏁👍👍 keep em coming

I absolutely love this RU-vid Channel. I have a VW T2 Camper but I've always wanted a Commer as we used to holiday in Commers and Austin J4 caravanettes when I was a kid 👍🎹🎹🍺

Just a wee heads up Steph. As a retired bus driver a tip on setting door mirrors on a commercial. Set them at one third vision on the vehicle an two thirds road.

Excellent Steph, thank you again. I love the old 'forward control' vans, Commers, Bedfords, J4s etc. Great video as always.

I think they are a lovely looking van. Back in the 60's my dad had a van not a camper but we would still use it for camping in. I would sit on the engine on a cushion while travelling (as you did back then lol) then slept across the front seats and engine while my parents and 2 sisters would sleep in the back which of course had no seats in sisters just got to roll around loose when driving ... Oh how times have changed

Brings back memories Steph started my driving in a commer van when I was 17 put the L plates on with my dad sat next to me. Good to drive, no power steering and boy does it need it.

Love these Vans. I nearly bought a Commer Cob years back it was supposed to be one of the ones that Jack Brabham had converted to Sunbeam Alpine 1725 engines was a gorgous van.

Mine was a 1968 commer campervan with pop up roof, i bought it in 1998 after passing my driving test so my first vehicle. i loved it and went all over the uk and some of europe in it, till i realised it was a bit of a death trap with the shorter axle on the front. i would buy one again though! but wouldnt drive it... just look at it.

I recently found your videos and i love them!

When I was in primary school one of my friend’s parents had one. Plus in the NW Highlands & Islands the Royal Mail had loads of red Commer minibuses.

I recently saw a Commer in the movie “Five Minutes of Heaven”. I’ve always been a 60s van fan, the Ford Econoline, the Dodge A100s and Sportsman, the Chevy Corvair van, but now I must add the Commer to that list. Great looking van.

Excellent video, I love the commer vans.. Lovely example you were driving. 😍😍

another lovely really well presented video. keep em coming.😗

I really enjoyed that, just watched a few of your vids Steph, great channel, gained another subscriber.

Loved your video - my dad had a Commer van camper in the early 80s and have always thought they were the best looking of all the vans, he didn’t like how it drove so we didn’t have it long but remember going to Blackpool in it for the weekend - brought back lots of memories

Love those Commer vans. I'd like one to haul classic bikes around. I'm enjoying your videos Steph. I've subscribed. Dean.

Fantastic video you’re doing a great job. Well done.

BT used to have loads of these, and i love the tucked in wheels too steph!

I find your channel this week ,I've subscribed as you pick all the best cars/vehicles to drive and you do such a good job of it . Keep it up ..

WOW! What an amazing van. Thank you once again for your fabulous insights. Love the semi-hidden wheels too!

Great video as per usual. Thank you.

An enjoyable video about this vehicle. I have never driven a camper van before but did drive several Commer vans during my service in the RAF back in the 1970's. We used them mainly for transporting aircraft parts to aircraft on the airfield which had to have parts replaced or fitted. We also had Commer minibus type vehicles for transporting aircrew and groundcrew to the aircraft parked on the airfield ready for taking off. They were great vehicles to drive. The RAF airfield vehicles were painted in a bright yellow and if not on an airfield painted RAF blue/grey with the RAF roundels on them. Commer vehicles were also widely used by the Royal Navy and the British Army.

Ohhh Steph...more great memories! My dad had a bright orange 1968 Commer Autosleeper. We had some great family times in the 'OC'! I've just subscribed, going to love looking at these videos!

The Mystery Machine, driven by a delightful blend of Daphne and Velma. Yikes!

Me encantan esas camionetas! Excelente estado.

I would be transported around in one of these with my brothers and sisters as a child. Happy times.

just found your channel Steph great channel really enjoying your vids .. just subscribed!

Loved watching this ....my dad had a 1968 commer dormobile in mint green , on cold mornings it was my job to manually crank over the engine with the cranking handle , but these Van's were underpowered and sometimes could not handle big hills

Spot on projects, Jim Stokes etc can supply new manufactured parts for your classic vehicle - info only not an advert - any other videos on Rootes group vehicles

So glad I found this one, I cut my teeth working on Commer PB’s as an apprentice for a fleet operator and haulage contractor that ran so many of these. They’d also been a Rootes dealer until just before I started so we had all sorts through the workshop inc Hillman Minxes, Hunters, Commer Cobs both Minx and Imp based. My own first car was a 1959 Hillman Husky.

This is back to basics, I like it. Did some camping in a T2 Westfalia and T3 in France.

I had a bright yelliow one of these in the early ,1980s for my job as a bt engineer. It was quite fast but the brakes were terrible first thing in the morning. Several colleagues rolled their's over. One had to be recovered with a crane! That engine in the cab was also very noisy. Nice to see one still being loved....

The reason the front wheels are "tucked in" is Roots group had a glut of old Humber car front axles, so they were used up in the Dunstable van plant. As a boy, in the 60's I used to drive one of my fathers Commer PB's around Millbay docks, Plymouth of a sat afternoon. So many times those narrow axle fronts would get steered by the rail tracks in the roads.

Keep up the excellent work, Steph

Its great to see the trust Commer van again i had an Autohome conversion of the Commer camper van it was a left hand drive in the 1970's , mine didn't have so much engine noise as the one in the video as i fully insulated the cab and engine cover, we used it for weekends away and longer holiday it was a very nice van.

Thanks for the ride. I've heard of the Commer van, but I'm not from England. I've never seen one, even whilst I was visiting England back in 2016.

We owned OUV 409 F which was a miminbus with long side bench seats. My Father converted it into a motor caravan. They had a double bed in the back and I slept across all three front seats. Good memories but mechanically unreliable with water loss. I remember we hacksawed a rectangle in the metal dash and drilled two holes so we could fit a radio with two knobs. Would have been around 1971/2.

Nice one Steph thank you.

Hi Steph another cool video .. so jealous you get to drive some great cars.

"Nearly 400 on SORN" Ayyy, I fall into that group, for now. :P Great vid too!

Absolutely gorgeous...! The van's also rather lovely. ;-)

If you are a fan of Rootes vehicles, go to Moffat every June for the biggest classic car run in Scotland, organised by the Scottish Rootes Enthusiasts.

We had one of these in the pick-up variation at the Garage where I worked as an apprentice in 1976. If you took a corner too fast, the thing used to pitch and roll like a Boat. They had a narrow track and as you can see, the body is a lot wider than the wheels. If you had anything heavy, like an engine or a Gearbox in the back you really had to watch your step, but just the same, I used to enjoy driving it as you were sat very forward, over the front Axle. Happy Days 😊.

This is a great channel. Your knowledge of these vehicles and their history, as well as the role they played in our socio-economic history, is phenomenal. I'm an engineer and I've always been interested in the way things like technology, product design, music style and fashion all interact to create a particular zeitgeist or spirit of an era. And if I may say so, without wanting to be the least bit creepy or detract from your obviously brilliant mind, you look absolutely amazing. I expect you hear that a lot and I appreciate it is not exactky de rigeur at the moment to say such things. However, I grew up in an era where a man could compliment a woman and it was simply good manners.

We used to hang out in an old abandoned commer, Good times! Lol

Great Channel. Great host. Great cars.

Great vid Steph, love the van!

Still beautiful

I had one of these about 20 years ago in white and rust ! Mine had a small wardrobe in the back, I put a chemical toilet in it, trying to fit inside the wardrobe to use it was a laugh , very good review

I love classic cars, vans. Well presented babe. It's when cars, campers had character. 😉

That looks like fun! I used to drive old Renault ambulances at work and the engine as also between the driver and passenger seat. We used to have to lift some cowelling up from between the seats to check the oil dip stick :)

Hi Steph still catching up with all your great videos I remember loads of these vans around when I was a kid. I think that they ended up being badged up as Dodge vans in the 1980s

I had one as a motorcycle race transporter. It amused me that the back and forward movement of the long gear lever was massive, but the left to right movement, across the gate, was tiny. As a result changing from 2nd to 3rd without catching 1st gear was tricky. As they got older, many were scrapped with knackered gearboxes as a result.

I drove one in the 80s as I was working for a bakery they had it on gas and petrol they do 70 miles a hour they were roomy but got left behind afte the hi ace came nice video

Great! First vehicle I ever drove was a Commer PA, like that one, but a diesel panel van....the diesel ones were a bit more noisy...used to eat gearboxes as well, possibly due to overloading....

Hello from France, Back in the 80's when I lived in the UK, my Dad had one of these Commer PB vans when I was in my mid teens. His was an L reg 1973 example and had been used to transport scrambler motorbikes before he bought it. Came complete with a grand prix mini steering wheel - which wasn't very appropriate considering the lack of power steering(!) My Dad managed to fit a Ford Transit steering wheel and also a lockable fuel cap, to replace the rubber bung one. By the 1973 model, the dashboard had been changed and was more rectangular. I don't remember his having the start button you mention in the video. Back then I rode around in the back on the floor! How things have changed now regarding road safety! Previously he had owned a 1971 Capri GT 2000, so had a few parts for that left. When the front shock absorbers went on the Commer - he ended up replacing them with Capri ones. You mention that the suspension is rather floaty, with the Capri shocks it was rather BOUNCY! Especially on those concrete slabbed housing estate roads in my native Leicester! Thanks for the review on this van. Brought back many memories. My Dad installed a CB radio in his, with a large antenna on the roof. They were very versatile vans. British Telecom used the later face-lifted Dodge badged version - remember seeing those yellow vans well into the 80's! Excellent RU-vid channel and fun to watch. Keep up the good work! John.

Always love Rootes group cars, the Sunbeam Rapier H120 is a favourite.

My Ol man used to have a Commer Highwayman. We spent many hours at mostly less than 50mph going around the country. They used to be everywhere. But as rare as hens teeth now.

Hey Steph, you can drive my 6.6V8 commer when it's done.

I will endorse the sentiment of many commentators. Great video and memories of a rarely unseen classic.