Just Kampers Open Day 2015.

I'm not a betting man but if I were I'd be willing to bet that every Volkswagen owner across the world will have their favourite parts supplier, somewhere to get all the numerous parts and accessories they need to keep their pride and joy on the road, and I, being an owner of an old air-cooled Volkswagen am no different. My favourite parts supplier is Just Kampers based in Odiham in Hampshire here in the U.K. They are my favourite supplier because the prices are very competitive, the customer service is extremely good with very knowledgeable staff and and any parts ordered are normally in stock and always sent out for next day delivery (and normally with a free small packet of sweets!). The website is also a bonus as it's so easy to navigate and find what you want. I think I'm right in saying that every year Just Kampers hold an open day with weekend camping available. The open day, which this year was held over the weekend of 5th - 7th June, attracts hundreds of customers / visitors in their prized Volkswagen's of all descriptions, and also traders and caterers which all help to make this open day, a great day.! I had heard of this event in the past, but had never attended so this year I decided to have a drive down into deepest Hampshire to the village of Odiham, which is about 60 miles from my hometown of Aylesbury. On the Saturday morning the sun was shining, so I put some cool tunes on the stereo and Fiona and I set off. Just Kampers do not only sell parts and accessories for campers and buses but also Beetle parts, camping gear and even motor insurance. You can check out the the easy to use Just Kampers website here: http://www.justkampers.com/
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Fiona parked up in the day visitor car park with
her new yellow headlight lenses. As usual she
behaved impeccably and never missed a beat
on the return trip to the Just Kampers open day.

This gorgeous 1970 convertible Beetle looked
stunning in the sunshine. This Bug had some
Porsche 356 parts including the front side
lights, and leather bonnet straps.

The 356 accessories continued onto the rear
of this lovely beetle. The tail lights, single air
vent in the deck lid and again the leather check
straps. This really was a unique looking beetle
that Volkswagen and Porsche should have
produced together.

A nice variety of buses parked up outside the
Just Kampers premises.

This gorgeous Mango and white split screen
belonged to a trader at the open day, and it
looked great. It had a very slight patina paint
scheme which always looks good on an early
split screen bus.

Lovely camping interior in the mango bus, I did
like that awning, and the way it attaches to the
bus, I just wish someone would design some
thing similar for a bay window. (hint, hint JK)

A 1962 French VéloSolex SS2200. The idea
for a motorised bicycle was conceived during
world war 2, and marketed just after the war
in 1946, with over 8 million of these little 49cc
bicycles being sold between 1946 - 1988.

'Beetlelink' had a couple of vehicles on display
including this pastel blue early beetle. This
company carry out restorations, repairs and
servicing on beetles and this is one of the many
cars they have worked on.

 This 1981 peppermint green and white T25
looked fantastic in the summer sunshine. I did
like the smooth clean lines the colour scheme
gave this camper. 

Another T25 this time a 1983 model in bright
orange with a turret style pop top. This really was
a nice clean bus and the whitewall tyres were a
nice addition which suited the overall look.

 A lovely turquoise 1969 early bay with a cool
looking Union Jack painted on the front clip.

 This lovely 1968 early bay looked great in it's
original paint and sitting at original height. This
bus had some serious patina, which seems to
be all the rage at the moment.

I must admit I do like the side profile of an
early bay that has not been lowered. I often
wish mine wasn't lowered as it would be so
much more practical, I have a bench seat
in my cab and if I have three people in the
front whilst driving, the tyres rub the arches.!

This is how to go glamping Volkswagen style.
This gorgeous 2014 'Doubleback' T5 has the
extending extra rear section that slides out to
provide extra space.The matching windbreaks
add a nice touch of class.

This gorgeous 1972 early bay looked great in
the morning sun with it's colour coded curtains
and pop top cover. Another bus which looks to
be about stock height, and looking good.

I did like this thermal windscreen cover on this
1965 split screen, which is colour coded to match
the bus and the awning. These thermal covers are
a good investment and help to keep some heat in
the bus and the eyes add a touch of humour.

This lovely 1978 Westfalia late bay looked very
clean. I did like the 12v fairy lights around the
pop top, it's one way of making your bay stand
out and easy to find at night.

This bright yellow 1971 early bay looked great
in the morning sunshine. The colour combination
of bright yellow and white with the whitewall tyre's
helped make this bus stand out. The super straight
body panels give an almost perfect reflection.

Another colour coded fun eyes insulated thermal 
screen cover, this time on a lovely looking orange 
and white 1979 T4.

A very small selection of the buses parked up
in the weekend camping field. The variety and
styles of buses at the open day was immense.

Walking around the the camping field I spotted
these two and thought it would look quite good
and rather 'arty' as a photo, so I took a picture.!

I didn't notice at the time but having just looked
at this photo of a lovely 1972 late bay, I noticed
the swage line around the bottom of the door?
I have no idea why it is there but it doesn't
detract from the gorgeous looks of this
bay window.

A stunning orange and white 1965 split screen
bus with some awesome retro flower power
curtains. The white bumpers and wheels
contrast the bright yellow paint perfectly.

This light turquoise 1970 early bay looked great
with its colour coded striped pop top. This was
a nice, clean straight bus that unusually had the
roof painted the same colour as the body, which
actually worked really well.

 This 1966 23 window split screen samba was
 absolutely gorgeous. Finished in a lovely coat
of white over green paint, with chrome bumpers
twin roof racks and what look like Fuchs wheels
(although I could be wrong). 

This really was a lovely bus, I don't know what
engine size this bus had but I'm guessing by
the size of that exhaust, it wasn't the standard
1600cc.

The interior of the samba was just as immaculate
as the exterior. I'm always amazed when I see
interiors like this, how do they keep it so clean??

A dove blue (?) panel van parked up next to a
brilliant white beetle. The open day camping
field definitely had a relaxed chilled feel to it.

This early bay was simply gorgeous. The colour
scheme, the ride height, the white wall tyres,
everything was just right. 

Fiona, my trusty 1969 microbus parked up
enjoying the sunshine next to a big brown new
T5 with pop top in the day visitor car park field.

Just in case anyone was in any doubt where
they were, there was a huge inflatable caricature
of the Just Kampers man just outside their huge
well stocked warehouse.

Just Kampers celebrated their 25th Anniversary
with a coast to coast road trip across the U.S.A.
in a 1972 Westfalia, Kerry and Mark drove this
lovely bus from Los Angeles to New York via,
San Francisco, Ely, Denver, Dodge City, Kansas
City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and
on to New York. A trip of 4278 miles.

The bus is now up for sale with a price tag of
£22,950. The price may seem a little steep
but then this bus is in top condition as you
expect being supported by Just Kampers. The 
engine is a 2 litre type 4 unit which will easily
keep up with modern day traffic and will happily
cruise at 70 mph.

The lovely Westfalia interior is in really good
condition and looks complete. These interiors
are getting hard to find in this condition.

Just a random photo of the weekend camping
field, which was quite big and with plenty of room
for all the vehicles. There was also plenty of nice
clean toilets and showers available.

This cool Union Jack design on the spare wheel
hub cap was a neat touch which caught my eye.

A gorgeous 1970 Westfalia finished in what 
looks a pearl white colour (although I could be 
wrong) and in all original condition and even 
sitting at the original height. 

This U.S. import looked stunning with it's lovely
paint and the painted steel wheels. This early
bay really was immaculate.

This lovely white over sky blue late bay looked
super straight and solid parked up in the day
visitors field. Again another stock height bay,
I really do think not being lowered is the way
to go now-a-days.

This stunning bright orange late bay crew cab
pick up looked awesome, with it's super shiny
paint and contrasting bright white wheels
and bumpers.

Again, another straight and solid looking bus
that is a testament to the owners hard work in
getting the crew cab to this condition.

The rear of the crew cab had some neat metal
fabrication in the form of the VW sign on the
 tail gate.

Another late bay crew cab this time painted in a 
lovely patina'd dove blue (I think) colour. This
1974 model has windows in the rear cab section
and a cool logo'd cover for the pick up bed.

These pick ups are so versatile and are used
for many uses, including allowing family members
to get in the back to shelter from the blistering
summer sunshine.

The retro colour scheme of chocolate brown
and orange is very 1970's but doesn't it look
good on this late bay. This really was a nice
looking bus.

A nice photo of Fiona's rear end and the cool
reflection of all my stickers on my rear side
window reflecting onto the side of the blue T25 
parked up next to me.

This off road Beetle was probably my favourite
vehicle at the open day. It belongs to a woman
called Fiona Easterby who purchased the car
in California and after shipping to the U.K it
underwent the off road modifications you see here.

All the body modifications were made with the
longest journey in mind that this 1969 Beetle
would ever take. Off road tyres, roll cage,
extra fuel storage, roof rack all give a clue as
to the sort of journey this will doing.

Fiona and her American non driver companion
Rica, drove overland from the U.K. to
Singapore. A journey close to 22,000 miles.
And even on the first day of the journey, whilst
still in the U.K they broke down, so was this an
sign of things to come? Fiona was saying that
in deepest India she hit a boulder which damaged
the sump so badly they had to top up the oil every
20 minutes until they found somewhere to 
get the sump repaired.

Inside this off road Beetle the trim is sparse
to say the least. Fiona is quite the intrepid
explorer as she has also bought an old Beetle
for £99 then drove it across the Sahara desert! 
Since then she has driven a Nissan Micra to
Mongolia and a Fiat Panda around Italy. Then
came the epic journey in a Beetle to Singapore,
described by many as the ultimate motoring
adventure. Since then she has driven a
borrowed BMW E46 M3 around Wales and
to the Netherlands, toured frozen Icelandic roads
in a Nissan Micra and was lucky enough to drive
Ferrari's in Norway and Denmark.. and what did
you do today?

I remember seeing this trick grey Syncro at the
Volksworld show earlier this year and it still looks
as good now. The smoke in the background is the
B.B.Q. just getting going, which I just might have 
to sample later. 

The iconic shape of the Volkswagen Beetle has 
such a gorgeous flowing body design, as this
 blue 1967 model shows. This bug looks all 
original which is always good to see.

This lovely 1970 U.S. import early pop top bay 
looked fantastic in it's white over red paint 
scheme. I did like the colour coded painted 
steel wheels with the chrome hub caps.

An all original bus in good condition is just as
nice as a slammed bus with fancy wheels as
this '70 proves. I liked the all red U.S. rear
light lenses on this bus which blended into
the shiny red paintwork.

Talking of a nice original buses, this 1970
early pop top bay looked great in it's white
over beige paint. Again painted steel wheels 
with chrome hubcaps is all you need to
have a very desirable bus. 

I did like the 2 bow roof rack which provides that
little bit extra storage space and the contrasting
red check retro curtains.

A 1970 type 3 variant, which is more commonly 
known as the 'Squareback' which is actually the
name given to this model for the U.S. market.
This T3 looked really solid and looked like it
still had the original paint, and it looked lovely.

A couple of buses parked up in the JK camping
field. A lovely yellow and white pop top bay and
a red and white split screen. The body work
looked a bit flimsy on the splitty so I'm guessing
it must be one of those South American imports!!

Talking of South American imports this lovely
1971 bay looked gorgeous in it's deep red and
white paint with matching pop top, but hang on
what's with all those side windows.... 

This Brazilian built kombi has the front end of the
post 1968 German T2 bay bus married to the
back three-fourths of the original split screen bus.
Personally I think it looks fantastic.

The T25's are growing on me and I'm starting
to like them more and more and looking at this 
1989 model it's easy to see why. It really is a 
nice bus with decent heating and plenty of mph
 for a good cruising speed and it looks great.

Regular readers of my blog will know i have a
"thing" for panel vans, and this lowered 1967 
split screen panel ticked all the right boxes.

This really was a nice straight van painted in
a gorgeous colour scheme of British racing
green and white.

I noticed this quotation on a number plate on
a bus parked up in the day visitor car park, it's
a sentiment that I think every Volkswagen owner 
across the world can relate to at some point.

It's around midday and the open day has only
been open for 2 hours and the place is packed
with visitors enjoying the sunshine at the Just
Kampers site.

 A gorgeous pre 1963 split screen in a lovely
white over blue colour scheme. The matching 
colour coded bra on the front helps stop stone
chips from damaging the paintwork.  

This really is a nice looking bus that is so clean
and so straight considering it's 50+ years old.

The interior of the bus is just as nice as the
exterior. I would be afraid to use it in case I got
some dirty marks on that lovely cream upholstery.

A nice decal hand painted onto the side of a
vehicle, but can you guess what vehicle?

Well I'm guessing you didn't say a PT Cruiser.
This vehicle belonged to one of the numerous
traders at the open day. I can't remember
exactly what they were selling but I'd imagine
it was something with hand painted designs.

Just Kampers had erected a small marque and
this was full of JK products at discounted prices.
As I was making my way into the marque to
grab myself some bargains I noticed this
gorgeous 1965 white over blue split screen
making it's way into the show field.

Heading home West bound on the M25 London
orbital motorway I followed this lovely mint green
Beetle, I'm not sure if they had also been to the
Just Kampers open day or not, but this bug did
look nice in the glorious summer sunshine.

So that was the Just Kampers Open Day for
2015. It was the first time I had attended this
event and I didn't really know what to expect,
but I was pleasantly surprised. It was very
well attended, with many camping over the
whole weekend. There were plenty of clean
toilets available and numerous catering
vendors on site. But the main attraction had to 
be the discounted stock lines in the pop up
marquee, I for one grabbed myself some
bargains on the day. This is an event I will
attend again next year, and if you can make
it down, I recommend you do too, you will not
be disappointed.