This is the “Adventure Van,” it’s a 1970 Volkswagen Type 2 camper van that’s been given a series of modifications to make it well-suited to life on the road, and off the road too for that matter.
This van was fully-refurbished by the Type 2 Detectives in 2018, a well-known specialist company that has had their work featured extensively in magazines on automotive TV shows. The van has a double bed, a stove, a sink with running water, a fridge and freezer, and an additional rooftop tent for two more sleeping berths.
Fast Facts – The VW Type 2 “Adventure Van”
- This is the “Adventure Van,” it’s a modified 1970 Volkswagen Type 2 camper customized by the UK-based specialists Type 2 Detectives. Refurbished in 2018, it features sleeping accommodations for four, including a rooftop tent, plus amenities like a stove, sink, fridge, freezer, and even some off-road capability thanks to larger wheels and tires.
- Type 2 Detectives, founded in 1992 near Cambridge, UK, specializes in classic Volkswagen and Porsche restoration and modification. Their work has been featured extensively in automotive magazines and television shows globally, serving clients in the UK, Europe, and beyond, even transporting vehicles internationally from nearby Stansted airport.
- Volkswagen’s Type 2, launched in 1950, evolved from the original Beetle chassis concept by Dutch businessman Ben Pon. The iconic second-generation “Type 2 T2,” introduced in 1967, featured a larger curved windshield, improved interior space, handling, and more powerful engines, becoming synonymous with 1960s-70s hippie culture, surf lifestyle, and camping enthusiasts.
- The Adventure Van has a retro-inspired red exterior, distinctive side stripes, spotlights, upgraded Weber carburetors on its 1.6 liter flat-four engine, and a classic four-speed manual transmission. It appeared at the 2018 Volksworld Show, was featured in Volksworld magazine, and is expected to sell for £12,000–£15,000 at auction.
The Type 2 Detectives
The Type 2 Detectives was founded in 1992 by Paul Medhurst not far from Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The company specializes in the sale, maintenance, restoration, and modification work on classic Volkswagens and Porsches.
This 1970 Volkswagen Type 2 has been equipped for camping, it can now sleep up to four people, and it has a stove, a sink with running water, a fridge and freezer, and an additional rooftop tent.
Vehicles that have been built or modified by The Type 2 Detectives have been featured in publications like Octane, Volksworld, Camper & Bus, Type 7 and Hayburner, plus many others, and on automotive TV shows.
The company does work for clients in the UK, across Europe, and around the world, noting that they can even send cars via air from the nearby Standsted airport.
The Volkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Type 2, commonly known as the VW Bus, Kombi, Transporter, or Microbus, originated in post-war Germany. In 1947, Dutch businessman Ben Pon visited the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg and sketched a proposal for a utilitarian vehicle based on the chassis and drivetrain of the existing Volkswagen Type 1 (“Beetle”).
Volkswagen engineers refined Pon’s initial concept, and the first prototype of the Type 2 appeared in 1949. Full-scale production officially commenced in March 1950 at the Wolfsburg plant, the reason for the delay was that the factory was flat-out trying to meet demand for the Type 1, and there was very little production line capacity for a new model.
The Type 2 T1
The first-generation Type 2, designated T1, was characterized by a distinctive split windshield, rear-mounted air-cooled engine, and rear-wheel-drive layout. It used a version of the Beetle’s four-cylinder air-cooled engine, initially producing about 25 bhp.
Early models had somewhat basic interior design and minimal comfort, emphasizing practicality and cargo space for commercial operators. The vehicle quickly became popular worldwide due to its affordability, reliability, and versatility, being offered as panel vans, passenger buses, pickup trucks, and later, as campers.
The Type 2 T2
In 1967 Volkswagen introduced the second-generation Type 2, perhaps a little confusingly known as the “Type 2 T2” or as the “Bay Window” in enthusiast circles – nicknamed for its larger, curved single-piece windshield.
Up front there is seating for two, it has a stereo, and that famous glasshouse-like visibility offered by the Type 2 T2.
The T2 offered a slew of improvements over the T1, including increased interior space, improved handling, and more powerful engines, initially rated around 47 bhp. It retained the rear-engine layout but modernized suspension and braking systems for improved handling and drivability.
The T2 became particularly iconic in popular culture, strongly associated with the 1960s and 1970s hippie movement, surf culture, and camping enthusiasts. Variants such as the “Westfalia” camper conversion gained substantial popularity during this era, and other camper conversions became a common sight in the United States, Australia, and further afield.
The VW Type 2 T2 Adventure Van Shown Here
The VW Type 2 T2 shown here has been given a full retro camper conversion, and it can now accommodate up to four people. It’s been fitted with larger Syncro 16″ steel wheels and BF Goodrich All Terrain tires, increasing the ground clearance over stock and making it well suited to use on forest trails.
It’s finished in red with a series of retro stripes down either side, and it has an array of four KC Daylighter spotlights fitted, two on the front bumper and two additional units on the classic roof rack.
It has two seats up front and an additional three-person bench seat in the rear. The rear also has a stove, a fridge/freezer, and a sink with running water as well as counter space and cupboards. The bench seat folds down into a double bed when required, and the van is also equipped with a folding rooftop tent.
Power is provided by a 1.6 liter VW flat-four which has now been equipped with twin Weber carburetors for more oomph. Power is sent to the rear wheels through the standard VW 4-speed manual transaxle.
Power is provided by a 1.6 liter VW flat-four which has now been equipped with twin Weber carburetors, it’s mated to a 4-speed manual transaxle which sends power to the rear wheels.
After it was completed, this Type 2 was displayed at the Volksworld Show in 2018 and then featured in Volksworld magazine.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with H&H Auctions on the 9th of April with a price guide of £12,000 – £15,000 or approximately $15,590 to $19,490 USD. You can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more or place a bid.
Images courtesy of H&H Auctions
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
