Campervan Crazy

"A camper is not just a camper. It's whatever you want it to be."

Introduced in the 1950s, the campervan has captured the hearts of people all over the world and become a much-loved symbol of travel and fun. Owners are extraordinarily passionate about their campers; some treat them as an extension of their home, others undertake epic journeys in them, across desert and sea, through Europe, Asia, and Africa. Some strap surfboards to the roof and head for the nearest beach, while others soup up the engines and take them drag racing. Many will spend hours restoring and customizing them, and even more talking about them with fellow bus owners.

Campervan Crazy is a tribute to this passion, to the owners who have lavished time, effort, and inspiration on their vans, and, of course, to the campervan itself. It traces the cult of the campervan, from family runabouts, to holiday home and design icon. Above all else, the campervan is living history and you will find chapters dedicated to "births, marriages and deaths," "wide-eyed wanderers," as well as some "buses behaving badly."

David and Cee Eccles have been VW Camper enthusiasts since 1976, when they took their first Split Screen on an epic trip around Persia, Afghanistan, Kashmir and India. David was editor of Volkswagen Camper & Commercial, a quarterly magazine dedicated exclusively to the VW bus.