All roads led to Dunsany Estate in Louth at the weekend for Vantastival 2010 – a three-day celebration of campervan culture, writes EOIN BUTLER
OUTDOOR MUSIC festival season returned to these shores this Bank Holiday weekend, albeit with more of a whimper than a bang. Hundreds of leisure vehicles descended upon the tranquil (and gleefully unsignposted) environs of the Dunsany Estate in Louth, for the first Vantastival festival – a three-day celebration of moped and campervan culture.
The three stages featured live music from top Irish acts such as David Geraghty, Mick Flannery, Jinx Lennon, Kila and Jack L. There were also the usual assortment of portoloos, jugglers and an aptly titled breakfast joint called Una’s Shack. In other words, all that you would expect from your average outdoor music festival. But this wasn’t your average outdoor music festival. Proudly taking centre stage at Vantastival were a hundred or so of vintage Volkswagen campervans. And although the number of punters in attendance fell somewhat short of the 3,000 organisers had hoped for, it did nothing to diminish the enthusiasm of those who did turn out.
The iconic VW campervan remains indelibly associated with the hippy era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Forty years later, they can be found navigating the scenic backroads of Ireland. In Britain, VW motor homes are popular with young surfers and beach bums. But tighter insurance restrictions, as well as the high costs associated with maintaining them, mean that enthusiasts in this country tend to be in their late 20s or older.
Samir and Deirdre Eldin are typical of their number. A couple in their early 30s, they’ve owned their 1971 VW Type 2 Dormobile Conversion for three years. So devoted to their vehicle are they, in fact, that when they got married last year, the bride used it to take her to the church. Lots of the presents they received – including a row of egg cups, now proudly displayed on a shelf inside – were campervan themed.
“The freedom the van gives you is what attracts most people,” says Samir. “At lunchtime in Dublin on a Friday, we can just decide ‘Sod it, let’s go west!’ We don’t need to book a hotel, we don’t need to do anything – just jump in the van and we’re off!”
It’s not an inexpensive hobby. Samir’s friend Mark Evans, the proud owner of a 1973 VW Type 2 Devon Conversion, has spent countless hours working on his van. But he reckons it’s worth the effort. “I’ve had the engine out three or four times, new clutch . . . you name it. But I got it relatively cheaply for six grand and it’s worth at least twice that now.”
Neophytes should beware though. Dave Wheatley from Armagh has been restoring vintage campervans for two decades. He warns that it’s easy for an inexperienced buyer to get ripped off. “The most common mistake I’d see people make is buying vans off eBay that have maybe had a fresh coat of paint, but that are basically rotting with rust from the inside. People buy shiny – they don’t use their brains.” Has the recession seen an increased demand for low-price holiday alternatives? “Absolutely,” he says.
“People think that, instead of spending a few thousand on a fortnight in Spain, they’ll spend the same amount on a campervan and get a few holidays out of it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people lining up to make a quick profit out of them. Which is a shame because it puts people off.”
As founders of the Eireball Run – an annual charity drive of 20 or so campervans around the 1,300 miles of Irish coast – Jacinta and Tony Collins are very experienced travellers. But this is the first outing for their five-month-old daughter Dillon. “She has a baby seat in the back,” says Jacinta. “There’s a little baby monitor too, so we can keep an eye on her.”
Is she enjoying the experience so far? “Well, she’d better be,” laughs Tony. “Because she’s going to be doing this for the next 16 years or so.” If that sounds like a life sentence, it’s not in a bad place, as a great serenity pervades this hobby.
“When you come up behind a slow car in traffic,” says Samir Eldin. “You probably get stressed out and feel you’re losing time. But that’s not even an issue for us, because we’re never going to overtake anybody. We potter along at a relaxed pace, and there’s this big cinema screen of a window to see through. It’s easy to forget what a beautiful country we live in.”
A beautiful country it may be, but this blustery May Bank Holiday weekend may have been just a little too early to get the deckchairs out. By mid-afternoon on Sunday, many revellers are heading for the gates. The young St John’s Ambulance volunteers sitting by the exits, look bored. Well, sorry folks, it just wasn’t that kind of festival.
