VW Campervan Ownership 1 Year On 

Thanks your comment :) Like we said in the video, we’ve been thinking for a while that we need to bite the bullet on something like a panda or duvalay. It’s great to hear the opinions of people who have used them so thank you for your recommendation 👍🏻

Totally agree!

@@VanVibesandSibesDuvalay. End of

Thank you, it seems Duvalay is a popular choice. It’s definitely a contender and one we’ll definitely consider👍🏻

Can I ask what you got, is the Duvalay just the sleeping bag with memory foam or is it a mattress type thing? We’ve just bought a t6.1 and wondering what to do. We see people with big mattresses taking up lots of room and others with nothing like that. We want comfort. Also if it’s ok can I ask what you put in the pop top? We’ve had a mattress supplied but it looks quite thin. Thanks Brian

Hi Sharon, thanks for the recommendation 😊 We’ve actually gone with panda in the end. It was significantly cheaper and they offer a 30 day trial. If we don’t like it we could send it back and get something else so we figured we’ve got nothing to lose. If the panda solves the problem it’s win win. Thanks for commenting 😊

Glad you enjoyed the video! We hope you have lots of amazing adventures in your van when you get it. Thanks so much for subscribing 👍🏻😊

Thank you, we’ll definitely check this out 👍🏻

What an awesome comment! Thank you so much! Hearing that people enjoy watching our content makes it even more fun to make. It’s great to hear that our awning video helped you to make a decision on one 👍🏻 Yes, what you see is what you get with us 😂 We agreed when we started making the videos that we’d always try to keep it real. Thanks again for a lovely comment 😊

I've got Renault trafic Campervan lwb. I don't understand why so many choose the swb. Makes an enormous difference the extra 400mm. They say it's for parking. Ive never had any problems with parking. And it's my day van as well.

@@daviddring8692 Glad to hear that the LWB works well for you 👍🏻 Louise Clark was saying that she regrets getting a SWB, whereas we’re really happy with our SWB. I think it’s each to their own isn’t it. We couldn’t fit a LWB on our drive even if we wanted one 😂 Thanks for commenting 👍🏻

Yes I remember you saying lwb wouldn't go on your drive

Hi Nick, ah sorry to hear that. What do you regret? The size? The conversion? Or is it because it’s full time? Definitely don’t think we could do full time in our campervan. Just not enough space with 2 big dogs. Having said that we love going away for holidays in it.

Hi 👋🏼 Glad you found something that suited you. Thanks for watching 😊

Hi Matt, thank you so much! It’s great to hear that you’ve followed the channel since the start. Haha yes everyone seems to be going bigger at the moment don’t they! We have no plans to go bigger as I (Lou) would not want to drive anything bigger on the daily. Our wheels are 18 inch VW Palmerston wheels. Yes stay tuned for the NC500 trip, I’m sure there will be some content coming. 😊 Thank you so much for your continued support. 👍🏻

Hi Andy 👋🏼 Thank you! I thought from your picture that your van looks very similar to ours! Have you got the same wheels as us? Duvalay certainly seems to be a popular choice 👍🏻

@@VanVibesandSibes Hi. Yep, it’s,the same alloys , 18” Palmerston, Cali upgrades.

We hope you find the van you are looking for, and that you have the best time travelling in it when you do :) Thanks for watching 👍🏻

Hi, thanks for watching 😊 In the video we were referring to adaptive cruise control (where the van brakes for you and keeps you at a safe distance from the vehicle in front). We believe this specific cruise control wasn’t available until the T6.1 😊 That’s another recommendation for Duvalay. We really do think this might be the way to go for us now. So many people swear by Duvalay. We are members of the caravan and camping club so we’ll definitely check that out, thank you! It’s great to hear that you love having your T6, we absolutely love having our van as well. Thank you so much for your comment 😊

Thanks for sharing, it seems the Duvalay is a popular option 👍🏻

Hi Thanks for commenting. It’s really good to hear a different view on the duvalay. It will really help us to make an informed decision on which option to go for. Thanks so much for watching👍🏻😊

Yes unfortunately it’s the nature of the beast especially when you’ve got a pop top like ours. We could have had a pop top with the frolli springs, but as we’re not the smallest people, we went for the one which would tolerate more weight. As it was a slimline pop top, the frolli springs weren’t an option. We got a panda mattress topper in the end and the comfort levels are a lot better now😊 Thanks for watching 👍🏻

I have a pop top with Frolli springs & I love it. It’s more comfortable than the rock-n-roll bet even with a good mattress topper.

To be honest that is the only real regret we have about the choices we made on our van. The automatic gear box would have been nice, but like you mentioned, they drive really well and we both still enjoy driving it without the DSG. We just couldn’t justify the extra money in the end. Fingers crossed that you can see past the manual gear box and enjoy your new van when it arrives 🙂 Happy travels! 🚐

Have you finally got your new van now Cathryn?? I know you’d been waiting ages! Hope its been worth the wait! We love the swb. Because we sleep in the poptop, there’s plenty of room for the dogs downstairs 😊 It really is awesome how having a campervan changes your life for the better isn’t it! Thanks so much for the support 👍🏻

Hell yes well worth the wait. I think vw have slowed the production to ensure their reputation of quality and finish. Yeah we do the same, sleep upstairs so the 2 labradors and cocker spaniel can have their room. Everything’s spot on. Did worry a bit after hearing other peoples little issue’s. Loving the foley springs. My hubby no longer wakes me up when he moves around. It suits me because I prefer a firmer mattress. Mattresses are difficult because what’s great to one person may not be for another. Hope u find a solution soon. I sleep better in my van than my bed…..

Glad to hear you’re pleased with it 😊👍🏻

Hi thanks for commenting! So good to hear that you love your van 😊 We actually forgot to mention this on the video, but I (Lou) kind of regret not getting a panoramic canvas as well. It was just an expense too far at the time unfortunately. Thanks for watching 👍🏻

Hi Alan 👋🏼 Welcome! Thank you so much for your kind comment 👍🏻

Hi thanks for commenting again 😊 Sorry to hear you’re struggling even with the Frolis. Yes I think we’ll definitely have to persevere until we find the right thing 👍🏻

Thanks for sharing 👍🏻

Thanks for sharing 👍🏻

Ok thanks for the suggestion 👍🏻 We’ve never looked at those so we’ll definitely check them out. Thanks for your comment 😊

Hi! 👋🏼 Not very often we hear from other people with New Wave conversions! 😊 What do you think of yours? We absolutely love ours! Top quality conversion for sure! 👍🏻

Yeah the quality is so good and none of those edging strips like the cheap conversions. Only thing I don't like is the door and the window behind the blinds could do with a cover as I think they look untidy.

@@KingdomTimes Do you mean you’d prefer it to look similar to the window behind the kitchen units with the wooden surround?? The no edging strip thing was definitely a massive factor in us going for that conversion. Love having the corian worktop as well 👍🏻

Hi 👋🏼 thank you :) We only have one fake glass panel on the van. We wanted windows all round, but there was no point having one at the back on the drivers side, as the wardrobe would cover it. To make it look even, the converter left the metal in tact on that panel and put a fake window there. We could have just had two windows at the front and left both back panels the original metal, but we really wanted to let as much light in as possible. We opted to have the rear passenger side done, and make it look like the van has windows all round with the fake glass on the rear drivers side 👍🏻

Hi! We are seriously considering getting a Duvalay so it’s really helpful to hear the thoughts of people who have tried them. Thank you so much for commenting 😊

@@VanVibesandSibesI'll be keen for a video all about Duvalay and how comfortable it is

@@JoolsUK Aww sorry, we ended up going for a Panda in the end. It’s definitely made a big difference to our comfort. If you want to see a video about Duvalay, I’m pretty sure Professional Moochers did a video about it on their channel. 😊

Hi 👋🏼 Yes it can definitely be noisy in the pop top when it’s windy. If it gets really windy, it can sometimes keep us awake. Normally at that point we decide it’s not worth risking it getting damaged so we drop the pop top down. This means we have to sleep downstairs with the dogs which can be cosy lol In terms of heating the van, we can only really comment on what we have, which is a Webasto diesel heater. It works great for us. Warms the van up really quickly and doesn’t seem to use too much diesel either. Thanks for watching 😊👍🏻

Hi, yes we thought about it a lot before we got the van, but we came to the conclusion that sleeping in the pop top was the best option for us. Using the downstairs bed would create too many logistical issues with the dogs. (I won’t bore you by listing them😂) They are huskies so they are definitely not a small breed. We actually really enjoy sleeping up in the pop top, we just need a simple solution for some extra comfort and we’ll be sorted. Thanks for the suggestions anyway 👍🏻

Hi 👋🏼 We went for a panda mattress topper in the end. It’s definitely made the pop top bed more comfortable 👍🏻 Thanks for watching 😊

Hi 👋🏼 No it’s still a commercial. We could send photos etc to the DVLA, but since they changed the rules in 2019, they would just come back and say it is a “van with windows” Our van instantly fails their new criteria because it has a poptop. I’m sure you could get a camper without the sink and hob. I know some people have taken theirs out because they don’t use them. You would end up with loads more worktop space! Personally, we like to have the sink and hob inside the van, especially for winter camping when we’d rather not cook outside. That’s the beauty of having one converted, you can have it exactly as you want it 😊 Thanks for watching

Sorry, completely missed this comment 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thanks for watching 👍🏻

Hi 👋🏼 Yes we use the pop top all year round. We’re both really warm sleepers so we never get cold once we’re in bed. Some people buy thermal covers for their pop tops which gives a little more insulation. We haven’t found this necessary for us, but it’s an option if you feel the cold and want to use the pop top all year round 👍🏻

Hi, thanks for commenting. Good work on ordering a Kombi, the transporter is such a good bit of kit. I’m sure you won’t regret it. Because our van wasn’t spec’d by us it didn’t come with factory fitted swivel seats. We therefore got Newwave Conversions (the people who converted the van) do add these. Ours are aftermarket swivel bases. I can confirm though that the height and lumber adjustment both remains fully working. That said if we were choosing our own specification we would definitely opt for factory fitted swivel bases- and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t effect any seat adjustment. Hope this helps.

Hi 👋🏼 Glad to hear you liked the video, thank you! Our conversion is the Verso by New Wave Custom Conversions. 😊

Hi James, thank you 😊 We did consider a California but ultimately the decision came down to the sliding door being on the drivers side on the California. With having the two dogs we thought it better to have the door on the passenger side so that it doesn’t open into the road when you pull up at the side of the road. The other thing about the conversion we went for was the curved cupboard behind the drivers seat which means when the seat is turned it’s not restricted by the cupboards. We also realised that it would be really nice to be able choose exactly how the interior looked which we wouldn’t have been able to do with the California. Thanks for commenting 😊

Hi 👋🏼 Yes our base van did have the 16” Clayton wheels. We actually swapped them out for 18” Palmerston wheels. To be honest we didn’t notice too much difference between the 16” and 18” wheels, however when we had the new wheels fitted, we did have the van lowered on comfort coilovers, so this could also be a factor when considering ride comfort. Thanks for commenting 😊

We’re subscribed to life is too short but we may have missed this one. We’ll check it out 👍🏻 Thanks for your comment :)

Hi, thanks for your comment. We went with an 18 inch wheel with lowering being done via a comfort coilover kit. For us we thought this would give the best compromise between aesthetics and ride comfort. As you mention we hear a lot of people say the ride is a bit rough on 20 inch wheels especially if its been lowered on lowering springs. In our van the ride is smooth without being harsh and body roll is kept to a minimum. Hope this helps.

Our T5 had 20” wheels when the previous owner bought it and he changed them for 18” wheels as the ride was too harsh with the 20s, it’s still a bit harsh with 18” wheels but we’re experimenting with tyre pressures to find a decent compromise. Ours is a T32 so may have stiffer springs than a T28 due to the greater carrying capacity. Hope this is of some help.

Hi Robert, thank you 😊 We’re actually thinking of doing a video about that so stay tuned! In the meantime, I believe New Wave Custom Conversions do show their prices on their website if you wanted to check them out. Our van conversion is their Verso conversion. Thanks for commenting 😊

@@VanVibesandSibes thank you!

Hi 👋🏼 We haven’t really had too much of a problem with sleeping in the van in the summer months. We find opening up the poptop windows really helps us. The downstairs of our van stays really cool at night which is great as that’s where the dogs sleep. We sleep fine in the poptop, but the only problem is the next morning. As soon as the sun comes out it’s like an oven up there so we sometimes have to get up a tad earlier than we would like 😂

@@VanVibesandSibes thanks.

Hiya, they are just some silicone ones we found on Amazon. I think they come in various colours. I’ll drop a link down below. Drink Coasters by Barvivo Set of 8 - Tabletop Protection for Any Table Type, Wood, Granite, Glass, Soapstone, Marble, Stone Tables - Perfect Blue Soft Coaster Fits Any Size of Drinking Glasses. amzn.eu/d/abZhJvn

Hi, yes they sleep in the van with us. We sleep up in the poptop and the dogs sleep downstairs. Dallas sleeps on his bed on the floor, and Sabre sleeps on the back seat. It only becomes a problem if the poptop needs to come down due to bad weather 😂 We always make it work though. Thanks for your comment 👍🏻

@@VanVibesandSibesi heard you say that in another video of yours. Hats off for that!

Our dogs are part of our family. They live with us in the house so of course they are allowed inside the van too.

@@VanVibesandSibes Weird!

@@byteme9718what’s weird about that hahah bizarre comment, I know absolutely loads with dogs In their vans 😂

Thanks for your comment Colin 😊 I’m sure I would love driving an auto. I’ve just never had one so I don’t know what I’m missing 😂