camperfanatic

  Overview         The Bedford name is one that is synonymous with quality, robust commercial vehicles. First introduced in 1931, Bedford was the brand name given to Vauxhall’s commercial division, and the name of the vehicle marque was derived from the County in which these vehicles were constructed, Bedfordshire , England . In a twenty year period from its inception, Bedford went from strength to strength, attaining excellent sales and an enviable reputation for their range of commercial vehicles. During the years of WW11, Bedford vehicles were in demand by the military, and the formidable Churchill tanks were also built at the factory for use by the British Army.       The year 1952 is the significant milestone in Bedford history, certainly in terms of British-built camper vans. The year 1952, heralded the introduction of the Bedford CA range of light vans, a vehicle which was to become such a familiar sight in Britain o...

I'm not a full-time writer/author, it is purely a hobby which pays very little, but does give me a great deal of satisfaction. I began my writing exploits back in the early 1990s, copy editing letters which had been sent to a motorhome magazine Editor in the UK; I had no previous experience of such work at that time. The main reason I had been invited by him to assist with copy editing, was my years of motorhome experience, I knew my subject, and most of the letters did require answers to motorhome related questions. I did this for quite some time, without my name appearing within the magazine, but eventually I was invited by the Editor to put my name to a section of the publication relating to technical queries. If I was unable to answer a particular question, then I had several 'experts' to call upon who were specialists in their field; these pages were a popular section of the magazine (and still are), and extended to around four/five pages in Britains most popular motor...

Someone asked recently if I could feature a few more 'profiles' on specific 'vans; and after a quick flick through my files, I stumbled upon an awful lot of Talbot Rambler pics, so what better place to start. The Rambler was a popular high-top van conversion by Auto-Sleeper of Worcestershire UK (they remain Britain's longest running converters). Based on the Talbot Express van, 2lt petrol, which was in production until 1994 (also in Citroen, Peugeot & Fiat derivatives). Fitted with a spacious high-top, the Rambler was a five door model, so plenty of access, and the sliding side door allowed for a drive-away awning to be fitted to either side or rear of 'van. The example on display here also had a pull-out side awning fitted (see above), and of course a Fiamma privacy room can be attached/zipped onto this. This picture also illustrates the small sliding windows to the high-top roof, and 240v inlet flap toward the rear quarter. Auto-Sleeper conversions of th...

Vanlife culture has quickly become a modern phenomenon, as the young and not so young look to new adventures and the escapism provided by a home on wheels. Those who convert their own nomadic vehicle, seek inspiration from a variety of sources, including social media, magazines and by looking inside as many vans as they possibly can. With this in mind I thought that I would draw upon my vast photographic and magazine/brochure archive to provide a few interior snapshots of vans from a bygone era. Auto-Sleepers in the UK have been producing quality motorhomes/campervans since 1961; seen here is their classic campervan layout inside the Bedford CF. The Autohome/Motorhome was introduced in 1971 by CI/Autohomes. A living 'module' which was constructed independently of the vehicle, and then fixed to the chassis once completed. Vehicles used included the Bedford CF, Ford Transit MKI and the Commer. The beautifully hand-crafted wooden interior of the Jennings Roadranger, by...