Review of VW Camper Van Hire from Snail Trail Part 2

Written by Aidan O'Rourke
2007-03-09

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Waking up in the camper van is a wonderful experience - the rays of sunshine streaming through the curtains and the sight of the fresh green grass of the campsite outside. The toilets are across the paddock - that's when a portable convenience could come in handy - It's not included in the hire, so you'll need to bring one of your own.

It was time to try the gas-powered hob. After switching on the bottle, I made my first cup of tea. It's a breeze. With two rings and a grill, the possibilities are endless. I'm sure Jamie Oliver could easily throw together a gourmet spread. I was quite proud of my culinary achievements later in the day. Washed down with that bottle of Chardonnay kindly provided by Snail Trail, the pot noodle tasted quite delicious.

No, seriously, I did actually cook a full two course meal of grilled Spam, rice and fried eggs, with yoghurt from the fridge for dessert. Ice cold - the fridge is very efficient. Eaten at the table, with the door open and the wind blowing through the van, the meal tasted far more delicious than at home.

The attraction of the VW Camper Van is its compactness, its minimalist quality, its retro charm and reasonable fuel consumption - but don't expect the MPG of a modern engine.

And if you like your motor home to come with a jaccuzzi, a bank of high definition colour tv's and maybe an indoor ski slope, then this type of camper van is probably not for you.

For me, the outsize contemporary style motor home based on a Ford commercial diesel is the vehicular expression of middle age spread, your home in Surrey transferred into a White Van. White vans are big and aggressive. I don’t like them. They get in the way - especially on the Hanger Lane Roundabout. I do not want to spend my holidays in one.

The second night in the camper van was as enjoyable as the first. But on the Monday, our third and final day in the van, it was time to leave the camp site and put Betty through her paces. We headed west towards Sheringham and along the North Norfolk coast.

Now fully accustomed to driving her, I felt totally confident. Every growl of the engine was music to my ears, every gear change pure pleasure. She trundled along the winding country roads happily, and attracting occasional glances of admiration. Unlike the Split Screen van, she wasn't the centre of attention. Actually I like that, as I don't always like to be the centre of attention.

Every so often I turned off down a narrow lane in search of a beach. Even a small road is no problem for slimline Betty. The footprint is probably about the same as a Volvo Estate.

At certain car parks however, there was a height restriction of 6 feet or 1.83m, but the roof - including the air vent is slightly taller than that (2.12 metres). I didn't want to take any chances and turned round. Many car parks have that restriction, in order to prevent larger vehicles from entering, it's a little bit annoying.

At one point we came to a narrow bridge, marked at 6 feet 6 inches or 2 metres wide. This would seem to be only slightly wider than Betty, but she had no problem getting through.

Soon we entered the town of Hunstanton, overlooking The Wash, and a teenage boy took a photo of the van with his camera phone. I paused to take some exterior shots of Betty with the water in the background, then it was time to make the 2 hour journey back to Snail Trail. I switched on the Tom Tom and John Cleese started to give me comical directions.

It selected a route via Peterborough and the A1. At two points, the Tom Tom became confused and gave wrong directions, as feeder roads in Kings Lynn and the new by-pass around Wisbech were not in the database. Once we were back on the existing road, it got back into step again.

Betty was well able to handle the journey, and had no problem overtaking slower traffic. With a maximum speed of around 71mph - same as my old VW Beetle - she is no match for the impatient white vans and turbo-charged BMWs but who cares, get a life!

Vehicles take on the aura of what you use them for. Take for instance the high powered Subaru so beloved of boy racers in Manchester. Its main purpose is for speeding and showing off in, and to make an enormous racket.

The main purpose of the company Astra is to meet corporate expectations, outdo the competition and maximise sales.

Betty, however, is there to facilitate happy family trips to the seaside and to stand on campsites, her smiling face bringing a ray of sunshine to all the other campers. Betty has already started to take on the aura of trips she's been on. Just lay your hands on the metalwork, and you start to see all those blue skies, happy days and contented nights.

I know which vehicle I prefer.

And so we arrived back at Snail Trail and it was time to hand her back. Difficult, but necessary. - Betty was booked out first thing the following morning. Adele said 'I'll miss Betty'. We all would, but we hope to ride in her again soon.

The verdict: A wonderful experience, which I wholeheartedly and unreservedly recommend, especially to those who think they'd like to buy a classic Bay camper. Rent one from Snail Trail and see if you like it - I think you'll be hooked.

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For more details go to www.snailtrail.co.uk.