Camper Biography: VW T1, Fire Brigade Van & James Cook

Mid-1960s

The Sixties – how it all began

As a first-grader in the mid-1960s, I sat in the front of my father's T1 Sanobub ice-cream delivery van for the first time. He used it every day for work. On the left: unfortunately, no original photos of that freezer van remain, but this is what it looked like. On the right: period advertising from the 1950s.

Historic cream-coloured VW T1 delivery van with Sanobub ice-cream lettering — The Sanobub ice-cream T1 – the vehicle that started the camper story in the 1960s.

Historic Sanobub ice-cream advertisements with ice-cream packaging and illustrated woman — Sanobub ice-cream advertising from the era of the first T1 memories.

1986 – 1988

The 1965 VW Bus Learning by Repairing

With no previous experience, I spontaneously bought a classic 1965 VW Bus, then quickly bought and installed a used 1972 Westfalia interior with a kitchen unit and folding bed.

On our first trip to Switzerland, the starter motor failed. Shortly before Basel, the engine then blew up. We hitchhiked home, found a replacement engine and installed it ourselves in Switzerland two weeks later!

Later came four intensive holiday weeks on France's Atlantic coast and in the Mediterranean region – the Camargue and Provence. The Chernobyl cloud overshadowed the trip and forced us to discard carefully collected herbs such as thyme and rosemary.

Green and white VW T1 on a country track between a waterway and fields in the Camargue — Travelling through the Camargue in the 1965 VW Bus.

Driver at the wheel of a classic VW T1 on a journey through rural countryside — Driving the 1965 VW Bus on an early journey through France.

Person sorting herbs and supplies in the self-built interior of a 1965 VW Bus — Herbs and provisions in the self-built 1965 VW Bus.

1989 – 1996

The 1960 VW Fire Brigade Bus A Two-Level Camper Conversion

After only two years, the German roadworthiness test ended our relationship with the 1965 T1. Once infected by the VW Bus passion, we searched for a sturdier classic with the split windscreen. We called volunteer fire brigades within a 150-kilometre radius, and it worked: nearby, a 1960 T1 panel van with just 5,329 kilometres was for sale. We bought it!

Next came a self-built camper conversion for two adults and one child, later extended with another child's sleeping space. Sewing new fabric panels based on the original 1960 Westfalia awning was another challenge.

Advice on sewing your own tent: do not do it – unless your marriage can survive anything …

Destinations included Corsica in 1991, the Dordogne in 1992 and the Peloponnese from 1993 to 1995. The bus has rested in the garage for 30 years, still waiting for its revival.

Red VW T1 panel van of a volunteer fire brigade with blue light and emergency lettering — The fire brigade version of the T1 – the starting point for its later camper conversion.

Red VW T1 former fire brigade van converted into a camper, with open sliding door and wooden interior — The former fire brigade van after its camper conversion.

Schematic floor plan of the converted red VW T1 with kitchen, sleeping and storage areas — Floor plan of the self-converted fire brigade van.

Red cockpit of a classic VW T1 with a view of mountain scenery — View from the cockpit of the red VW T1.

Sleeping bench and wooden interior in the red VW T1 former fire brigade van — Sleeping bench and wooden interior in the fire brigade van.

Wooden storage compartment and seating or sleeping area inside the red VW T1 — Storage and interior conversion of the red VW T1.

Kitchen unit in a red VW T1 with a view through the windscreen to mountain scenery — Kitchen unit with a view through the front of the van.

Raised sleeping platform and cooking area in the self-converted red VW T1 — Sleeping and cooking area in the self-built conversion.

Bench seat, kitchen unit and storage in the self-converted red VW T1 — Bench seat and kitchen unit in the red VW T1.

Red VW T1 with a red-and-white striped awning at a natural campsite beneath trees — The fire brigade van with awning at a campsite.

1996 – 2003

Our First Westfalia James Cook, built 10/1995 Comfort & Off-Road Test

As our children grew older, we needed more speed, winter capability and self-sufficiency. In June 1996, the Westfalia James Cook on a Mercedes Sprinter base joined our family.

It immediately had to prove itself on gravel tracks and through Icelandic river fords, as well as on hot desert journeys through Morocco and Tunisia.

First white Westfalia James Cook in winter conditions in Iceland — The first James Cook in winter conditions in Iceland.

White Westfalia James Cook at a ferry or border inspection with bicycles on the rear rack — The first James Cook travelling with bicycles on the rear rack.

White Westfalia James Cook crossing a river in Iceland's volcanic landscape — River crossing with the James Cook in Iceland.

White Westfalia James Cook at a workshop with earthen architecture — Stopover at a workshop in North Africa.

White Westfalia James Cook above an oasis with domed buildings and a barren mountain landscape — Travelling through North Africa with the James Cook.

2004 – 2014

Our Second Westfalia James Cook, built 04/2003 The Optimisation Project

As the James Cook facelift from 2004 did not convince us visually or practically, we bought the 2003 model and optimised it step by step to suit our needs.

Technical upgrades

Suspension: raised ride height, reinforced front transverse leaf spring and Kuhn rear auxiliary air suspension.
Tyres: aggressive BF Goodrich 245/70 R16 all-terrain tyres on Mercedes G-Class Atik alloy wheels.
Range & independence: 100-litre diesel tank and Eberspächer altitude kit for the heater.
Comfort: Froli slatted bed system in the roof bed, hot-water outdoor shower and external gas connection.
Custom builds: roof-rack system for a 5-metre Gatz canoe and a made-to-measure scooter carrier for a 160-kg Vespa, individually approved by TÜV up to 180 kg.
Electrical & satellite: solar retrofit, Sterling battery booster and a concealed satellite system behind the bathroom mirror.

Silver Westfalia James Cook on a wet surface in front of a water fountain — The second James Cook Westfalia during the ADAC driving safety training.

Floor plan, dimensions and sleeping arrangements of the Mercedes-Benz James Cook Westfalia — Floor plan, dimensions and sleeping arrangements of the James Cook Westfalia.