Hello from Germany

[crab]

Hello everyone,
first of all, excuse me for my english. I haven’t practise to write in english for a long time and my english isn‘t that well.

I‘m happy to found this forum, because we have no special forum for the Crafter/TGE in germany.

My nick ist crab (or in german „Krabbe“), living in germany next to Frankfurt and vw camper fan since a very long time.
I learned to drive a car as I was 15 on a VW T2, helped a friend with his T2 camper conversion two years later and another two years later I converted my first own T3 (T25). After three T3 camper I build up a pickup camper based on a T4 double cab syncro that we used for 15 years.

And now I own an alcove-camper based on a crafter 4Motion since three years. And one of my hobbies is to improve it.
So that he doesn’t feel that alone in the workshop, he has the company of a 72th beetle convertible.

Another hobby is to go to holyday with my camper. Therefore we traveled several times to the UK and Ireland, the last time last year to scotland.


Best regards
Crab

 

[Pauly]

Hi and welcome
Sounds like a good mix of vans over the years, have you got any pics of them, syncros seem to be getting quite rare over here now !!

 

[crab]

Good syncros are quite rare here, too.

This was the T4 syncro.
1998er TDI (ACV) power increased from 102 hp to approx. 135 - 140 hp
Differential lock, bigger AT Tyres (225/70R15), approx. 40 mm higher, bullbar, …
Permissible weight of the double cab increased from 2680 kg to 3300 kg (other suspension, other brakes, …)

The single empty camper cabin was build from ormocar (a small german company witch build such empty cabins and whole custom campers) according to my drawings. All other work by myself

I haben‘t pics of the T3 at the moment.

 

[Oldrat]

Your English is pretty damn good Crab,

Welcome onboard to this new forum, loving your work.

 

[crab]

Thanks Oldrat.

Because Pauly asks about pics, here some of my further T3

The brown one was one of the first T3. A 1979 „Bus“ 2,0 l aircooled (CU) 70 hp. I converted it around 1990/91
After an engine fire I bought the white one, a 1988 „K800“ 1,6 l TD (JX) 70 hp. I took the funitures from the brown one with a few modifikations to build up this campervan.
Both of them where used as everydays car, so there was no higher roof or something. Because I used it for a lot of transportations for business too, the funitures are worn out at the pics.
Then I was searching for a little bit more comfort and owned a car for everyday. So I bougt a used Carthago Malibu Hit lll. It wasn‘t in the best conditions, but it should only be for a short time, I was thinking of a T3 with pickup cabin. Maybe 3 Years later I startet to build up the T4…

And last but not least, my 72th beetle convertible. On the pic it looks better, than it is, but it‘s driveable and works to go for a coffee on a sunny sunday . Another beetle, a 84th mexico, it‘s waiting for its restauration. But sad to say, I think it must wait until I‘m retired.

 

[rod_vw]

Hi @crab do you visit the vintage Volkswagen events at Bad Camberg and Hessisch Oldendorf?

We own a LWB MAN TGE that will be converted to a camper, a LWB T6 with Reimo high roof built as a camper and a 1946 Käfer so we do visit the events above.

 

[gavandi]

Welcome to forum crab.

Pictures are great.

Let us know when you're heading to UK next....we'll try for a twinning event!!