I think everyone has seen pictures of the VW Camper with surfboards strapped onto the top, but is it really the best van to take on a surfing holiday? Well the answer to that question is, it could be. But there are many more surfing vehicles available out there. Lets take a look at some of the classics.
Volkswagen Camper
The classic, this is the iconic surfer wagon, infact the camper has done pretty well as an also being an icon for being a hippy wagon too. The camper became the ideal surfing wagon due to being able to get hold of them for cheap second hand, when surfing and surfing culture really took off. It’s the ideal size to strap surfboards to the roof (getting them inside might be a bit of a tight squeeze).
Volkswagen Vanagon
This was a vehicle available in the early 1980s up until around 1990, it had a massive interior and also had a straighter edge than the camper. This improved on the driving quality of the camper as well as the most important thing, power steering! The interior was so great though, there was enough room for a party inside this wagon, you can actually fit 9 foot long boards INSIDE!
Toyota pickup
If you’re looking for something to just keep on going, the Toyota is something you definitely want to take a look at. They have good mileage, and are easy to repair when you run into problems. Not only that, but if you do need to repair this thing, the parts are cheap! Ideal for heading down to your local surf shop and chucking everything in the back!
Volkswagen T5
Although expensive, you might look into getting a modern T5 transporter. These vans are reliable and sound, if you’re looking for something that not only moves you and you’re boards around, this could be the one. If you’re looking for a camper, you may have to shell out a few bucks to either buy a converted transporter or have it converted yourself, but if you’re looking for a bare bones van, the transporter could be the perfect vehicle for you.
Then again, if you don’t have your own surf equipment you can just head down in a car or on the train and rent from and activity centre like or a surf rental place. Either way, there’s nothing cooler than a surf van.
