Going out out Having taken so long to get electricity connected to the Small Mission Hall, it’s ironic that when the opportunity arises, I like to go for an off-grid campout. I’ve learnt here that the weather can change quickly. That means you need to be prepared for all seasons at any one time. If … Read more
Things are changing! Those ‘meaning to do that’ jobs. Rarely big or complex. They’re overlooked, pushed to the back – something for another day. Well, finally that day has come! Having now got the new 100Ah leisure battery and charging system sorted, there are a few other bits I’d like to get sorted. I guess … Read more
Let’s go road trip! Even if it’s just for a few days, a mini road trip seemed like a great idea. Weather was ideal. I’d already been to our local beach a few times for a dip. Water was a great temp for cooling off in the heat. However, no point having a camper if … Read more
Bus blues With lockdowns and shutdowns, there have been limited opportunities to enjoy using the bus as much as I would like. It’s been great to have a small local air-cooled hangout to go to, but it’s not the same. I was hoping to have gone on another road trip this summer. I miss camping … Read more
Headliner back on track No chance of going too stir crazy in lockdown. A VW camper often presents lots of potential work projects to keep you busy. Fortunately for me, I have the headliner to finish off. Living in the ‘new normal’ of a Covid-19 pandemic, where social distancing is the norm, it’s good to … Read more
Heading to the back With the front two flexible ply pieces for the cab headliner all cut to size and fitting nicely, time to make a start on the rear sections of the bus. In theory, some of these should be a bit easier. Let’s see how that theory works out! When making headliner pieces … Read more
Headliner transformation Having spent a while getting all the sizes and dimensions sorted, and the flexible ply cut, I finally had both pieces of the cab section of the headliner ready. These potentially were the most difficult pieces to make. Hopefully, the other sections for the rest of the bus should be a bit easier … Read more
Headliner project gets real Lots of measuring, drawing and making templates. Now it’s all about to get very real. Time to transfer the refined dimensions over to the flexible ply. Final amends made to my design drawings, The moment of truth It was a good fit last time, but I knew with a couple of … Read more
On to the next stage… Template testing time is just about over. Having checked and then double-checked with full-size templates to ensure all the shapes, curves and corners fit nicely, it’s time for the real thing. The flexible plywood that the headliner is going to be made from. Ordered enough to do the job, but … Read more
Headliner template v2 to the test Having commandeered the kitchen floor to cut the first version of the templates out, it was time to see how the supplied dimensions matched up to the reality of my actual 1964 bus. I’m sure dimensions might vary due to the more hand made nature of vehicle production back … Read more
Time for a change of headliner finish This is a job I’ve been thinking of doing for a while. Trouble is, I had kind of grown fond of the silver space-age insulation acting as the interior headliner for the bus. It’s a pretty funky finish! Apart from keeping us warm, it also helped keep the … Read more
Dubs on your doorstep It’s always fun road tripping to vintage VW shows in Europe. It turns a show into a mini adventure. But when there’s a new ‘Dubs at DLWP’ event just up the road at De La Warr Pavilion (DLWP) in Bexhill, it does make things a lot quicker and simpler to get … Read more