Bay Camper Conversions The types

[Oldman]

Great find.....
.....and look at the new price of a 2ltr manual kombi.....$5 120.00
Depreciation ?
pfffft....

[T1 Terry]

Any photos to identify the different poptop designs as to just what conversion it is?

T1 Terry

[Doob]

Hi Terry - The Wheels Magazine article did not have any great photos of the internal layout for VW campers. Attached is a scan of the brief description of each of the Dormobile, Sopru & Trakka conversion models mentioned in the table I posted previously. I am not sure how accurate this article is ?  I do question some of the comments, but I guess it is not too bad.  If you have a 1975 / 1976 Camper you might be able to identify it from this description? 

The earlier Sopru conversions were some what different and had different Model names. 

I have a small collection of images (photos & scans) of some VW Australia Campmobile brochures (Motel VW) from various years. I am working on a way to compile them into a single document for group review. 

Attached -  Part of the Wheels Magazine article discussing models (1975 / 1976 vintage only)

  Scan_0157.pdf (Size: 952.54 KB / Downloads: 21)

[Doob]

From the Club VeeDub website - reference / historical section...

The British Dormobile company also makes Australian VW Kombi conversions at their Fyshwick, ACT workshop, and these are also sold as an ‘official’ conversion for a short time, with the same VW warranty and parts and service support as the Sopru conversion. However the Sopru conversion has a superior vertical-raising roof over the side-raising Dormobile roof, and within a year the Sopru predominates in sales and the Dormobile is removed from the ‘factory’ Campmobile brochures.
The booming camper, caravan and leisure industry sees other ‘non-factory’ companies begin converting vehicles to campers. The VW Kombi is the most popular, being the market-leading 1-tonne van. Sunliner, Camperize, Swagman (Austro-Campaway), Trakka Van and John Terry the Kombi King (Discoverer) are some of the most popular local converters.

[T1 Terry]

Thanks, very interesting and explains why there were so many different poptop looks for the bay kombi series. I'm guessing our Kombi must be a Sopru conversion because it was factory and the standard poptop, not a side opening model.
I have seen a few with the poptop up front, others with what looked like a luggage carrier up front and the poptop was much squarer shaped, and of course, the modified "longbi" look where the whole roof from just after the windscreen curve back to the rear door curve lifted up. These had two roof hatches and a high lift with flyscreen windows along the sides, front and back .... I'm sure they were custom built from Sopru conversions.

T1 Terry

[Doob]

Attached is a pdf file of a VW Australia brochure (Motel Volkswagen)- circa 1976 I think.
It gives a little more info on the Sopru models at the time -The  Basic Traveller & Deluxe models - plus the Wanderer with the fixed fiberglass roof
This is a reproduction from photos of the brochure - quality is not great ..sorry.

  Motel Volkswagen brochure circa 1976 pdf.pdf (Size: 367.84 KB / Downloads: 9)

[Doob]

A copy of the Swagman ( Austro Camp Away) brochure - also circa 1976 I think.
See this link on thesamba website
·         https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/swagman.php

[T1 Terry]

Our Kombi must have been a Sopru Adverturer Deluxe because it had the fold out slates for the bed under the poptop .... still have them somewhere ..... all the rest was gutted years ago, chipboard crumbled and just took up too much valuable space ...... might still have the foam piece that went behind the seat and maybe even the seat swabs, the hinge mechanism was as dodgie as they come so that went in the scrape metal I think.
All replaced with a piece of 5 ply making a hinged lid from the flat floor to the door, the LpG tank lives under there, the back has another sheet hinged in the same spot that lifts up to get to the engine treasure chest lid. Covered it all in grey carpet tiles as well as the sides to replace the cardboard side panels ..... looks ok I guess, but as a workhorse for the business it really comes into its own .... a full size sheet of ply or 3mm aluminium fits neat as do 8 household size solar panels, amazing just how many boxes of lithium cells fit in there and Kombi still manages to climb the Adelaide hills. 

I see the squarer shaped poptop with the luggage rack at the front was a Swagman conversion.

T1 Terry

[Oldman]

Key feature of the Adventurer Deluxe is an integrated 240V hot plate on the rhs of the sink……all integral with the stainless sink…..ie it’s all one piece.
I pretty sure all the Sopru’s offered the slatted roof bed.

[Mr Beckstar]

Key feature of the Adventurer Deluxe is an integrated 240V hot plate on the rhs of the sink……all integral with the stainless sink…..ie it’s all one piece.
I pretty sure all the Sopru’s offered the slatted roof bed.

The Deluxe also came with a cloth seat in the rear!