We’re heading to VW Festival at Harewood House next weekend, and it’s our first time. After twenty-one years of the show running without us, we thought it was about time.
We’re taking around ten vans up with us. Not a stand with a banner and a stack of leaflets — actual finished builds, the sort of thing that rolls out of the unit in Chesterfield every week. Air ride, audio, interiors, OEM+ retrofits. If you’ve ever wanted to see the work in person rather than through a phone screen, this is the weekend to do it.
When and where
- Saturday 8 August — 10am to 6pm (last admission 4pm)
- Sunday 9 August — 10am to 4:30pm (last admission 3:30pm)
- Harewood House, Harewood, Leeds, LS17 9LG
Camping opens on the Friday from midday for anyone who has pre-booked a weekend pitch, so if you’re making a proper weekend of it you can be set up before the gates open on Saturday morning.
It’s roughly sixty miles north of the workshop, so if you’re local to us in Chesterfield or north Derbyshire it’s an easy run up.
What we’re bringing
The vans on display cover most of what we do, which is a broader spread than people expect:
- Air ride and suspension — including SoLow setups, which we’ve fitted more of than almost anyone
- Audio — sound deadening, DSP, component systems, custom A-pillar and door builds
- OEM+ retrofits — virtual cockpits, cruise control on the wheel, reversing cameras, factory-look kit that works like it came from the factory
- Custom steering wheels
- Remaps and brake upgrades
- Security — we’re a Meta Trak S5 approved installer
Come and say hello
The honest reason we’re going is that most of our work happens through conversations. Somebody sees a van, asks what’s been done to it, and six weeks later theirs is on the ramp. That’s much easier to do face to face than over email.
So if you’re at the show, come and find us. Worth asking about if you’re thinking of booking something in:
- What actually fits your van. T5, T5.1, T6, T6.1 and T7 are not interchangeable, and a lot of what’s sold online as “Transporter” only fits one of them.
- What order to do things in. Suspension before wheels, deadening before speakers — getting the sequence wrong costs money twice.
- What a realistic budget looks like. We’d rather tell you a job is out of range than take a deposit and disappoint you.
- Lead times. Summer is busy and the bigger builds book out a long way ahead.
Tickets
Tickets are through the show, not through us. At the time of writing they start at around £15 for an adult and £7.50 for a child, plus booking fee, with weekend camping from £65. Day tickets also get you into the House, Gardens and Adventure Playground during normal opening hours, and dogs are welcome in the grounds on a lead.
Check vwfestival.co.uk for current prices and availability before you set off — day tickets are usually available on the gate at the standard rate, but camping needs booking in advance.
Can’t make it?
We’ll put photos up afterwards. If you want to talk about a build in the meantime, the workshop is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm — get in touch or call 07823 449588. You can also read a bit more about us and how we work.
See you at Harewood.
