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You get a lot of that sort of thing when you drive an old VW camper van. Or, indeed, a new one if it's the classic Type 2 "Bay Window" imported by Danbury Motor Caravans.

Surfer Alex Wade was impressed by the all-new, £30,000 VW California he reviewed in these pages on August 18, but still hankered for the classic Type 2 camper. In fact the Type 2 is still made in Brazil, from where Danbury ships them over to convert into camper vans for nostalgic ex-hippies and anyone who likes a vehicle with a bit of character.

The big difference between older vans and the current model is that the engine is now water-cooled rather than air-cooled. The Type 2 is now powered by the Polo 1.4 petrol engine and the nose of the van has been modified to take a radiator grille. This gives the front end a curiously 1960s East European look, but if it bothers you then Danbury can sell you a nose-mounted dummy spare-wheel cover drilled with dozens of vent holes. From a few feet away the cover appears solid, yet it lets enough air through for the radiator to do its job.

Inside, the vans are kitted out by Danbury to usual motorhome spec which, on this Diamond Classic model, means cooker, fridge, fold-out double- bed, elevating roof and chintzy fabric. That big sliding door on the side makes getting in and out a doddle, although the hefty slam you need to shut it won't win you any friends on the campsite when you get out for a pee at two in the morning.

Danbury will also convert the left-hand-drive vehicle to right-hand drive. This isn't totally successful as the gearlever ends up close to your leg, while the steering wheel and instrument binnacle are offset to the left. In any case, right-hand drive isn't really necessary since with just 80bhp on tap you won't be doing much overtaking.

Tucked away at the back of the van, the Polo engine is quiet and it's also economical - I was getting 31mpg on cross-country roads - while the lack of power isn't such an issue: 65mph is about as fast as you'll want to go, given the van's predilection for sniffing out either verge of the carriageway if you let your concentration lapse for an instant.

The wayward handling and a frankly awful gearchange that feels as if you're stirring a thick soup, not to mention the non-synchro first gear (in 2007!), mean it's hard to make a case for the Danbury being a serious alternative to a modern camper van. But that's the whole point: it's not a ''serious'' van. It is a bit of fun, and now that original 1970s Type 2s are fetching silly money the £26,359 asking price for a new Danbury to this spec isn't outrageous either.

Apparently Nick Park, the animator of Wallace and Gromit fame, has a Danbury. What's the betting that Wallace may be upgrading from his Austin A35 van in the near future?