One good reason to buy a camper van

[Stuart Cyphus]

 The legend that is Gordon Fitzgerald shows us one very good reason for decamping into camper vans....  

[Big Al]

An auto version of Kinda Suprise. Both a handy campy but also a toy. Can I have the Scootacar version so I can invite Lord Jim Jam round for tea?

I like the idea of Campervans being graded on all the normal criteria plus what car you can get in them. That is useful information!
 
The alternative is to graft a camper onto the front of a Microcar. The Heinkel Hymer, Messerschmitt Manger, The Coronet Coronet, The Powerdrive Static Caravan, Berkeley, The Peel Poe and larger Puck, The Scootacar Sprite, The Bamby O'deer from Ireland and of course The Isetta Totalfalia, sorry Westfalia.

[Bob Purton]

Thats a great picture Stuart. Love it! Bound to upset Al though as it features one of the old legands that he is yaking on about sporting not only a camper van but also an undrivable microcar! My guess is that Gorden also had a proper microcar in tow that he did the run with.

[marcus]

Well Berkeley even made caravans too. Somewhere I have a nice photo of my Trojan in the back of my Transit (Patsy), about to head off for its first post-resto MOT. When Squeak and I went to the NMCR 3 years ago we drove up with DUF in Transit (groans). We got there, got DUF out on the ramps then kipped and dined in Patsy. Yup Patsy. Patsy Transit (Patsy Kensit, Geddit? More groans, I'll get me coat).
Now this might class as Camper Van cheating, and perhaps we should have driven up in DUF, but Squeak is a female woman of the opposite sex and distaff side and not keen on camping except in warm hot July weather. her joint problems excuse her. Even if she HAD wanted to camp, for me the idea of driving around a significant stretch of the M25 to the M11 on a Friday afternoon, then repeating it on Sunday evening evening scramble home was not on.  Even driving a big van through the densely packed friday afternoon crowds of juggernauts and rep tins is not nice at all. In a micro it would be suicidal.

[Peelpower]

I can remember a picture of two Tridents in Gordons campervan in the seventies ot eighties .One of these cars was my Trident.
Somewhere i have had a photo, but unfortunately i cant find it not anymore.

[Big Al]

Living out of the back of a normal van is minimalist and perfectly acceptable. Are you going to hide in the van bored crapless or join the happy throng round the camp fire or in a communal bar area? I did this for years jumbling (setting light to unsold stock). Of course the van should be tatty as only poufs have a new van....bla bla hype.
Having an excessive joint problem at a Microcar Rally sounds really mellow, man. Perhaps not.

[Grant Kearney]

Thats a great picture Stuart. Love it! Bound to upset Al though as it features one of the old legands that he is yaking on about sporting not only a camper van but also an undrivable microcar! My guess is that Gorden also had a proper microcar in tow that he did the run with.

Well done Lord Cyphus, a legendary picture which totally sums up our hobby then and now.  Same car, same owner but a slightly newer motorhome at this years NMCR.  Back in the depths of time when some of us where too young to remember and others still had hair there were camper vans at rallies.  Cine film and pictures clearly show the odd Bedford CA, Commer PB and Ford Roadranger at Burford along with the obligatory cut down caravan to look like a trailer.
Yes, Bob, Gordon had his Gordon on his trailer, er well chopped down caravan thing.
Perhaps an archive of Campervans/motorhomes and trailer through the ages is required   

[Peelpower]

...and  here is the Trident shortly after i purchased it in 1988

Yep those old times. My first trailer also was a cut down camper.

Mailing adress, and as well chassis number were written on the Trident bodyshell

[Jean]

iN 1979

[Stuart Cyphus]

I can remember a picture of two Tridents in Gordons campervan in the seventies ot eighties .One of these cars was my Trident.
Somewhere i have had a photo, but unfortunately i cant find it not anymore.

 There's a photo drifting around somewhere of when Gordon rolled into the 1979 National at Burford with the same VW camper & same P50 in the same position, but with the addition of Trident EDD 39C plonked on top of the P50!  EDD 39C was of course the Trident which had lain for years in the corner of Wasteys breakers yard up the A40 towards Oxford & which several folk had tried to get until Gordon just happened to pop in on the way to the National & caught the yard in the right mood.  Your Trident isn't EDD 39C is it Ferdi? I often wondered where that car went, seeing as it was the Peel which came closest to being an Oxford car, having been registered new in Gloucestershire, which of course is the next county over from Oxfordshire.

 Faboulus picture Jean! More! More! Much More!!!!!!!

[Peelpower]

Yes Stuart this is the photo im talking about. EDD 39C is a pale blue Trident, that belongs to another collector in Germany.
It is still unrestored. EDD 39C and my car, both came to Germany via Mrs. Schwarz

E 131 & E140, both are not for sale !

[Grant Kearney]

Is this the one ?.  Recognise the scrap yard Lord C ?

[Grant Kearney]

 Faboulus picture Jean! More! More! Much More!!!!!!!

The best thing that could have happened to a Sprite Muskateer  , just behind the Gordon you just see the the corner of Al's old orange ridge tent !

[Stuart Cyphus]

Is this the one ?.  Recognise the scrap yard Lord C ?

 oooh I love ya!   I've been hunting for this scene for ages! There it be, sitting in a typical Oxfordshire field.  Be still my pounding heart.    There's also a rear view of this floating around somewhere as well I belive?  

 Somebody really ought to get Gordon onto this Forum. He must have some tales & half to tell & opnions to voice, if only to critise our split ends!     Then I can run the embarrsing photo I've got of him from Rushden 1980......    


 Just noticed, this is my 1,000th posting! Do I get a prize? 

[Grant Kearney]

 Just noticed, this is my 1,000th posting! Do I get a prize? 

Yes, a years free subscription to 'Convanceyer' 
and after 2000 post you will get 2 years free subscription.  Look out Bob only 99 more to go