I went along on the Saturday morning for 3 hours. Good to get there early as the crowds grow quickly and this event is on a biblical scale. Helpfully all the van conversions are grouped together so easy to get round - I probably viewed around 10 converters. Going along as a committed VW California buyer this was a unsettling experience. On the face of it these converters are not operating from railway arches, knocking out cheap conversions on 2nd hand builders vans. Polished ranges of conversions to a standard a Grenadier Guard would be proud of all these converters had a professional approach - well presented products, lots of literature and plenty of liveried knowledgeable sales staff. All had their unique character giving differentiation to the marketplace - if you want bespoke hand crafted solid wood - that's available - ultra miniature kitchens, built in loos and showers, alternative pop ups, lots of different layouts - all available. Many of these converters promote the personal bespoke service in contrast to the generic mega VW take it or leave it approach. VW are not represented - I guess there is a conflict of interest in that the majority (although not all) are based on VW vans. So the visit did make me pause and for some the VW California may not be right. From memory the Reimo, Bilbo and Terrier conversions caught my eye - ultimately though, for me, I remain a California convert - for all the reasons put up elsewhere on this site and I don't think there was one converter that did not have the caravan style window curtains rather than the neat California blinds.
