The big 3-0-0

Not too many people start with a horsepower figure when they begin a Van conversion, but James Sharp wanted something different out of his Transporter

- Mark Walker

When we ask a feature Van owner what got them into VWs, we’re not often given an answer we’ve not heard before, but I’ll freely admit James’ reply took me back a little.

“I kitted out four T5 Vans for rental a few years ago, did eight rentals in total and then decided it wasn’t for me.”

Pushing him further for an explanation of that statement, it turns out not everyone cares about either their own belongings, or those of other people, as much as you might think – or at least hope. The Vans were returning with damage and excessive wear and tear, making James think twice about his chosen business.

What followed, though, was an even bigger surprise.

“A mate owed me money, and offered me an old T4 in payment of the debt. He suggested I break it for parts and, when I did, the ’phone literally rang off the hook.” That gave James another Camper-based idea, and this time it has worked out a treat.

1,500 Vans later, and two whole yards bought out, New Milton, Hampshire-based Cali Campers is the premier used T4 Transporter parts supplier in the country, undertaking regular buying trips to Germany to keep up stock levels and supply the demand. You’ll find some T5 parts there too, but T4s are Cali Campers bread and butter.

The company doesn’t just break Transporters and sell parts, it has a fully equipped workshop and undertakes servicing, maintenance and modification work on customer Vans, too.

So much so that, after a while, James made the decision to take someone on. You know, just to do a bit of work here and there and help out, and the work just seemed to keep coming in – largely by word of mouth he says.

In between all that, he occasionally gets the opportunity to use the workshop to do some of his own work, and the most recent results of that are the truck you see here.