Volkswagen Vans on the Crest of a Wave

Press Release

There's nothing like word of mouth to encourage or discourage a vehicle purchase. If a friend of a friend tells you their vehicle's great, you'll think about buying one. Hear through the grapevine that the garage down the road offers lousy service and, chances are, you'll tell another ten friends to steer clear.

So when Robert Hill of West Kilbride bought a Volkswagen Transporter back in 1990 to pursue his keen interest in canoeing, little did he know he was doing the brand a big favour. He was so impressed that now, he and a group of eight friends from Scotland and the North of England depend on their 'fleet' of eight Volkswagen vans to move themselves and their canoes around the world.

The group owns a variety of vehicles - from panel and window van Transporters to a Multivan - and each member has carried out conversion work to the spacious interior. Some now feature sleeping bunks, plus storage cupboards for camping equipment, wetsuits and other paraphernalia needed for their sport.

All the vans are short wheelbase models as they are ideal for the winding, single-track roads that often have to be negotiated to get to the best canoeing waters. The canoeists have also been impressed with Volkswagen's frugal engines and large fuel tank capacity, which allow them to travel up to 500 miles without refuelling. They also appreciate the car-like handling and benefits of front-wheel-drive; robust construction and high quality; as well as, of course, the long roof line that can accommodate their 17' 6" Kayak canoes.

Volkswagen's legendary reliability was tested when Robert attended a canoeing event in Northern Norway. Travelling almost 3,000 miles - much of it over rugged terrain - with a full load including two Kayaks on the roof, the Volkswagen Transporter did not let him down once during the four and a half week trip. He currently drives a Volkswagen T4 window van but has been greatly impressed with its successor, the new Volkswagen Transporter.

He commented: 'There are cheaper vans on the market, but none of them will match the reliability, quality of engineering and range of standard features that you find with the new Volkswagen Transporter.'

Robert, who is a member of the Scottish Canoeing Association, took up the sport in 1982 and has completed many challenging trips, including navigating the treacherous tidal races on the crossing from Crinin on the West coast of Scotland to the Island of Jura.

To find out more about Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles or to locate your nearest dedicated UK Van Centre call freephone 0800 717131 or visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk