ike and Kay Shipp first
developed their love of
the VW Camper when
they used to share Kay’s
parents’ T3 camper but, after selling
it when the parents had passed on,
they realised they missed all the fun
they had had with it, so the search
was on for a replacement.
This was back in 2008. After
looking at several possible
contenders they settled on this
one, which was an Autohomes
Kamper conversion featuring a
pop top roof with semi rigid sides,
finished in Marsala Red and still
featuring the original Autohomes
decals and stripes. Mike recalls,
“It was very ugly, the body panels
were different shades of red and
there were the usual rusty patches
and a tired interior but the pop top
seemed practical and it was very
solid underneath and very original
and drove well! We purchased it for
£3500 – a bargain.”
After a bit of tidying up they used
the camper pretty much as it was
for a couple of years, enjoying many
holidays, until in 2010 they decided
it needed a proper freshen up and
took it to a local bodyshop, Gary
Smith Body Repairs in Swindon.
The verdict was not good – the
window frames were rotten, as
was the front valence, cab and load
floors, both inner sills ... you get the
picture! However, Gary’s skills soon
had the bus looking good ready for
paint and instead of the originalM
Originally an Autohomes Kamper pop top
model, over ten years of ownership this T3 has
been given a facelift, respray, and a modern
interior but still retains its classic looks.
WORDS: DAVID ECCLES PHOTOGRAPHY: SIMON COOKERed and white
cab seats match the
rear seat, but subtly
reverses the colours
to have white insert
panels
Twin headlight
front grill and wrap
around radiator grill
were fitted originally
to South African
models and add a
very distinctive and
subtly different look.
Handy twin
storage drawers
above the rear deck
New Westfalia
style rear hinged
roof complete with
integral over cab rackTen Years After
The verdict was not good
- the window frames were
rotten, as was the front
valence, cab and load
floors, both inner sills ...
you get the picture!
http://www.volkswagencamper.co.uk1986 AUTOHOMES KAMPER^61