Dormobile-Stuff.com

If you have ever fancied owning a Dormobile, and wonder what it may be like, one simple way to experience it is to hire a car from one of several UK based hire companies that will lease you one for anything from a weekend to a month. That way you can try out the benefits (and perils) of ownership without any of the risks as the realities of a classic Dormobile are very much like any classic car – there is a bit of a romantic image attached to it that can sometimes be at odds with real life.

Classic campers do need love and attention and you can’t expect levels of refinement or performance of a modern car, and a hire period would give any potential owner great experience of this, with the reassurance that if there are any problems, the hire company will be straight out to help you.

A quick search via google reveal several hire companies, for example South West Camper Hire on 01392 811631, they have this classic 1975 Volkswagen Camper dormobile conversion for hire:

Another candidate may be this dormobile, known as “Rooster” that is available from North Coast Campers, you can reach them on 01840 230232.

How do you recognise a “proper” dormobile?

Well, two ways spring to mind, the first being the type of roof fitted. Martin Walter usually fitted a side hinged roof that took up about 3/4 of the length of the vehicles overall roof, as pictured in the image above. Martin Walter conversions usually featured two glass windows and two opening vents in the fibreglass roof section.

The second and rather less obvious way would be to look for an official Martin Walter metal plate riveted to the vehicle, as seen in the picture above.

There’s a host of information on Land Rover dormobile conversions on the internet, and thankfully it’s all gathered in one place, or one great website to be exact.

Compiled originally by a fine fellow called John Hess, this was a stand alone website and has now been incorporated into a larger Land Rover site called Land Rover FAQ.

If you’ve ever wanted to know anything about converting Land Rovers, or what they are capable of, then please pay this site a visit. It is fair to say that being Land Rovers, the typical journey is a fair bit more epic than the usual camping holiday to the coast that your usual dormobile would experience, with some stunning adventures listed on this site.

Please follow this link for a great read: Land Rover FAQ.org.

Here’s a fantastic original advertisement from the Martin Walter company in conjunction with Bedford. It’s a great original photo used as an advert in the early 1960′s featuring the Bedford CA van with an official Dormobile conversion, in a 2 tone style that you just wouldn’t see on a van today.

Here’s a great little blog from someone called “Barspeed” who has recorded his travails with a 1965 Bedford CA camper van that was purchased in less than perfect condition.

He has had some of the typical highs and lows that the owner of any classic camper will recognise – trying to get the car through an MOT, replacing faulty electrics etc. The blog hasn’t been updated in a little while unfortunately, but it’s still a good read.

to have a look at the blog, just follow this link: Bijou The Bedford