File this one under “I’ve never seen anything like it!” Fifth wheels come, and fifth wheels go, but they all pretty much look alike. But here’s one you’ve likely never seen before, nor will again. A VW fifth wheel … that’s really something else. This odd but beautiful beast was for sale at auction in Britain.
Venerable Type 2 vans
The basis for this VW fifth wheel is two of the venerable Volkswagen Type 2 rigs, both from model year 1963. Equipped with the “splitscreen” dual (and openable) windshield, there aren’t too many rigs with this unique look. The “tow unit” had some serious modification and must have spent a long time in the body shop. The cab area closed in just behind the front seats, and the rear of the old Type 2 “chopped” to a kind of flat-bed unit.
You’ll find the original steering wheel and authentic upholstery. But a few things that are out of sight had to be changed. A VW fifth wheel combination isn’t a lightweight beast. The old 1500 “pancake” engine from the era just wasn’t going to cut it for moving down the highway at speed. Replacing it is, as the advertisement says, a “2.0-litre Audi S3 petrol engine [coupled to an] Audi automatic gearbox.”
Of course, you have to couple that drive unit to the VW fifth wheel. We weren’t able to get a close-up view of the fiver hitch in this combination. The auction website simply describes it this way: “Following the American ‘fifth wheel’ concept whereby the camping section is towed on an articulating ‘U’-shaped hitch. It’s a clever idea – maximizing the space and maneuverability of your vehicle and trailer.”
And “in back” you’ll find
So what about the fiver portion of this VW fifth wheel? Again, it ad-speak: “There’s a fully equipped modern camping interior as well as a Westfalia-style elevating roof, fold-out awning and useful luggage rack on the roof.”
A fully equipped camping interior translates to a lot more bed space than what some of you might remember from your hippie days. With the now-available huge space in the fiver, a double bed occupies much of the “rear” space. Moving forward to the “galley.” you’ll find some sort of refrigerator. Nope, it doesn’t appear to be your typical American-like gas/electric unit. The sales chat doesn’t mention more than it’s “large.” Sad to say, it appears this is where the galley portion of the VW fifth wheel ends. No sink. No stove.
But you may have room to tuck a few other necessary items away in the rig. Ages ago we camped with a venerable white gas Coleman two-burner stove, and dishes were handled with a plastic wash tub. There’s plenty of room for those and more in the—well, what else would you call it—basement storage area. Since the towed end of this combination was originally a fully equipped T3 bus, the space where the engine once lived is available for storage. While most fivers on the road will have a bed above the hitch, this one has a little bit of extra storage cabinetry.
Keeping up with other, more mundane fifth wheels on the road today, this VW fifth wheel has its own interior appointments. Laminate flooring in the towed unit, and matching upholstery in both tow rig and “in back.”
“The cleverest aspect of this creation”
The auction company must have had a ball putting together all the requisite hype for the advertisement. Here’s a sample:
“The cleverest aspect of this creation, in our opinion, is how it looks like Volkswagen made it in period. Great attention has been paid to the smallest of details and so it doesn’t seem at all cobbled together as many projects of this magnitude inevitably end up.
“All the bespoke fabrication and modification was carried out by the vendor and finished to a great standard. The bodywork is all immensely straight and the paint too presents really well indeed. There are no notable scratches, dents or any signs of accident damage. It appears devoid of corrosion and the underside of both units present impeccably.”
And how much am I bid?
“And how much am I bid for this truly one-of-a-kind VW fifth wheel?” At the time of this writing, bids were still being taken. The opening bid rolled in at 15,000 pounds, and six bidders have now bid into 25,000 pounds. That’s roughly a range of $18,200 to $30,300. With a little less than two days left to bid, the high bidder still hadn’t met the reserve price. The auction closing date was set for Friday, the 29th of September. Unless someone jumps up soon, it looks like this unique piece will stay with its current owner—whoever that is.
All images: carandclassic.com
##RVT1124
Best to keep that puppy on totally flat ground… Just look at the tiny clearance between the fiver and the truck bed!