Few realize that the VW bus, generally associated with the freewheeling sixties, was initially designed as a basic delivery van to aid post-WWII reconstruction efforts. Introduced more than fifty years ago, the VW bus outgrew its utilitarian beginnings and transformed the family vehicle into a mobile home away from home. Complete with roll-out beds, stoves, showers, and even kitchenware, the VW camper was marketed as a luxury getaway vehicle, the perfect means to trade the stress of city life for a weekend in the countryside. VW bus owners cherish their vehicles and fully incorporate them into their lives: some treat them as an extension of their house, while others undertake epic journeys in them, across desert and sea. Some strap surfboards to the roof and head for the nearest beach, and still others soup up the engines and take them drag racing. All will spend hours restoring and customizing them and even more time talking about them with fellow bus owners. Traveling with the VW Bus and Camper is an exuberant tribute to this passion, and, of course, to the VW bus itself. The book traces the cult of the camper, from family errands to vacation home to design icon. Chapters engagingly describe road trips from England to Afghanistan to India and back; ad campaigns that sell the VW bus lifestyle; stock as well as highly customized vans; and weddings and other family events that feature buses in their ceremonies. Whether you've owned a camper for years or merely coveted the colorful van in your neighbor's driveway, Traveling with the VW Bus and Camper is a great addition to your own personal library or a friend's.