The VW Beetle That's Also An RV
PART Volkswagen, part camper - the ‘Super Bugger’ might not be your typical choice of car. But Canadian couple, Bill and Sandra, take great pride in owning this unique, rear converted camper vehicle that combines a VW Buggy and an RV into one. Back in the 1970s, a Californian company had the bright idea to convert the humble box into a piece of art – and they named it a ‘Super Bugger’ - it was later sold for $6,000. Sandra inherited the bugger after her father’s death, who bought the car back in the 80s. Speaking of her rare vehicle, Sandra told FutureStudiosCars: “She is my little girl, she is precious to me. It’s a fun vehicle to drive around!”
Transcript
00:00People just flock to her, smiling, everybody looks at her, wants to see the inside of her.
00:08She's precious to me. It's fun to drive around in.
00:16I like the insignia here. It lets everybody know what it is.
00:20You really can't hide that.
00:23Back in the 1970s, a Californian company had the bright idea of converting the humble Volkswagen Beetle into an RV.
00:37They named it the Super Bugger, and it sold for $6,000.
00:44It's a 1969 Volkswagen. It's a conversion kit that was done in the early 70s.
00:53My dad got it in the early to mid 80s when he was living in California.
00:59Sandra inherited this bugger after her father's death.
01:03I got it about 98, 99.
01:06And it's been a labor of love to get it back on the road.
01:10It was in pretty rough shape.
01:13And I'd say the last 10 years, 11 years, been seriously restoring it, putting money into it.
01:20She's been painted and all the body work got redone and engine.
01:24And it's completed now as of two weeks ago. Two weeks ago we got the carpet done and now she's set.
01:30And it's a worthy restoration, as these RVs are a rare breed.
01:35Our mechanic, the gentleman who's done a lot of work in the refurbishing of it, he believes there's only four or five left in this condition.
01:41If you go online you can see a number of them, but not in this shape.
01:49It's got the front of a Volkswagen. They've converted it in. They actually left the chassis as it was and built around it.
01:56It's got the trunk in the front.
01:59It's got a fair amount of space.
02:03It's got a fair amount of space.
02:05You're not going to fit a body in there.
02:07You could fit camping gear in there.
02:11It's got the marine windshield wipers.
02:14When it was originally built, it didn't come with wipers.
02:17I guess in California you don't need them.
02:19When we went to get it licensed here, we ran into a couple of snags, but one of them was the fact it didn't have wipers.
02:25So our mechanic, John, came up with a great idea and they're perfect.
02:30The tires themselves are brand new, but the rims are original.
02:33Another feature that I really like is the doors.
02:36It's nearly five feet high, so they're almost ones that you'd find in a home rather than a camper.
02:43At the rear, you have the engine.
02:45It's the same style engine as a normal Volkswagen.
02:49Four-cylinder. It's a 1600cc.
02:53Runs very well. Easy to maintain.
02:55We've got a small ladder that goes up to the second floor.
03:00This is the interior of the Superbugger.
03:04The dash is original to a Volkswagen.
03:07The four-speed is on the floor.
03:09The stick shift, of course.
03:10The original wheel.
03:12The bucket seats are a great addition.
03:15They have a Newfoundland-style air conditioning unit, if I could show you.
03:19Up here.
03:21Here we go.
03:23Aircon.
03:24We have seating for four.
03:26It's tight, but it's comfortable.
03:28We also have a stove and a small sink.
03:32The table comes down here and makes it a level space.
03:37And it converts into a bed.
03:41How's that? That's perfect.
03:46You don't really think of it when you don't have one.
03:48But since we've gotten it, you can just hop in it and go.
03:51You can sleep in it. You can cook in it.
03:54It's a real eye-turner when we go out.
03:56People just flock to it.
03:57Smiling. Everybody looks at her.
03:59Wants to see the inside of her.
04:01And then they ask me, did we build it?
04:03Sometimes I lie and say we did.
04:05But most of the time, I'll tell the truth.
04:08You can still go online under the name of the Superbugger.
04:12Purchase schematics and make one yourself.
04:15But I wouldn't attempt it.
04:17She's my little girl.
04:18I baby her.
04:19She's precious to me.
04:21It's a fun, fun vehicle to drive around in.
04:24Cheers.
04:25Cheers, sweetheart.