2007 Volkswagen Type 2 Danbury Camper

Built in Brazil and registered in Italy, this feisty little Danbury campervan was driven all the way from Italy to the UK by its equally feisty owner, a road trip we envy.

Because ‘DN 924GA’ really put its back into it and accomplished the cross-continent tour without faltering, which puts it in good stead for whatever plans you might have for it.

Sure, it’s going to be slower than a brand-new campervan but then it’s also got way more charm while still being every bit as practical, drawing friendly attention wherever it goes, and doing it all without suffering the horrific depreciation of a new vehicle.

Which makes it the smart choice for everyone from gap-year graduates girding their loins before embarking on a corporate life to recent retirees with a lump-sum from their pension and a headful of as-yet-unfulfilled dreams.

The Volkswagen is in a remarkably good condition with the sort of ripple-free flanks and decent shutlines we normally associate with a recently restored example, but then it was only built in 2007.

The bright orange and white coachwork is equally impressive, with a good shine to it and no obvious paint defects; even the extremities like the corners of the painted metal bumpers are free of scrapes and dinks, which bodes well for the quality of its care.

The 14-inch wheels are simple painted steel jobbies, albeit fitted with a set of very good chrome hubcaps. The tyres are matching 185R14 Michelin Agilis, all of which have good tread.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

If we’re being picky then the front and rear indicator lenses are faded, the paint is peeling off the base of the door mirrors, there’s a chip in the heated windscreen, and there is some paint loss on the rear bumper where a sticker has been removed.

Oh, and the spare wheel holder on the front is empty as the spare wheel is in the rear of the cabin.

The interior is pretty darned good and very much better than we’re used to seeing in non-restored models – but then it hasn’t been fitted for the half-century that they usually have either.

And because it’s a Danbury conversion you need have no fear about the quality; everything fits as it should, the quality is very good, and it’s made impressive use of the space available.

It also means you’ve got a Tasman 2500 double gas hob and grill combo, a full-width sofa that converts into a double bed, a Waeco fridge with a freezer compartment, and a sink.

Extras include a coffee maker and a neat four-drawer storage container for your sugar, tea bags, and coffee sachets.

And nor does the specification end there because it’s even got air-conditioning, which you’ll appreciate of you wander south – and if you go north, you’ll appreciate the Webasto petrol heater in the rear living compartment as well as the 12-volt Webasto heater that’s tucked under the dashboard and the heated windscreen.

But please don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a complex vehicle that’s going to leave you baffled and struggling to make sense of it because it isn’t: the water container lives under the worktop and can be taken out to be refilled. You might think you want a built-in tank, but this arrangement is going to be easier to fill and keep clean – and any future repairs will involve nothing more difficult than buying another container. In fact, if you’re straying away from civilisation then you could do worse than buy a spare anyway.

The gas canister is easily accessible too, and the tap provides only cold water which is good; when you’re miles from help, you want things to be as simple as possible because simple things aren’t as prone to going wrong – and they’re easy to fix when they do.

The grey headlining, which is in good shape, hosts the Italian-made Viesa Holiday III air-conditioning unit, the bulk of which sits on the roof outside. Current prices show this is a £2,000-ish unit, so well worth having.

The campervan can be plugged into ‘shore power’ and the socket for this is mounted on the nearside behind the fuel filler cap. This should also charge the on-board battery, enabling you to live off the grid.

You’ll also do it in comfort as the campervan features high-level reading lamps, strip lights, a cutlery drawer, and netting pockets. Also curtains and insulated stick-on blinds for privacy, plus a removable table for eating and working at.

The driving compartment is left-hand drive, which’ll make life easier if you take it abroad. It’s also in a very good condition; we can’t be sure of the 38,000kms shown on the odometer but the condition of things like the front seats, steering wheel, gearknob, and pedals suggest it may well be accurate.

Rubber mats protect the (very good and solid) metal floor, window winders raise and lower the door glass, the four-speed gearbox is manual, and the front quarterlights pivot open to give you plenty of fresh air.

Simple, you see but very comfortable.

It’s also got a tool kit and warning triangle in addition to the full-size spare wheel and tyre.

NB: Neither the Webasto heater, heated windscreen, or Viesa air-conditioning have been tested, either by us or the seller.

As you can see, the fuel-injected engine starts immediately, idles and revs well, and has a lovely fruity exhaust note.

While there isn’t any paperwork for maintenance, there are stickers on the door shuts showing servicing on the 22nd July 2011 and 22,222kms, the 12th June 2014 at 32,600kms, and the 15th June 2018 and 34,520kms. There is also evidence of what looks like recent greasing underneath.

Speaking of which, the underside looks solid, with a good floorpan and strong and unadulterated jacking points; re-registering it here might be a bit of a faff but the payoff is a vehicle that has apparently lived its life in a place without road salt.

The VW doesn’t have a current MoT certificate obviously, but the history file contains the handbook, two sets of keys, and its Italian registration paperwork.

Of course, while it is physically here in the UK it will need registering with the DVLA.  In order to do this, the winning bidder will need to complete a customs entry to pay the relevant duty & VAT on the purchase price to HMRC.

Once this has been done, you will then be able to apply for a NOVA in order to register the vehicle.

The seller also tells us that all EU taxes have been paid, so if you drive it back into Europe to keep it there there shouldn’t be anything else to pay. He thinks that if you transport it though, there may be a small fee involved.

Very well equipped and yet still wonderfully simple, this Danbury conversion has an awful lot going for it. Equipped for hot weather and cold, it would make a brilliant all-weather campervan for anyone who wants to broaden their horizons on the cheap but isn’t willing to compromise reliability or comfort to do it.

Because we think it’s only going to fetch somewhere between £20,000 and £25,000, which is a trivial amount for somewhere you could call home.

And when the time comes to sell, they’ll be beating down your door, so you may recoup more of that investment than you think.

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