Volkswagen T1

Sportsmobile camper

I'm selling my pearl white '64 Sportsmobile. It was built in Germany as a panel van, exported directly to the USA, and then converted into a camper by the Travel Equipment Corporation of Goshen, Indiana in 1964.

I imported this camper into Switzerland about two years ago, and when it arrived it was running and driving. To the best of my knowledge this camper has spent its life in Arizona which would explain why it remains structurally in tact, with nearly all original metal with no serious rust whatsoever! There's a light coating of surface rust underneath and one tiny pinhole in the passenger floor. The nose clip under the turn signals was replaced by the previous owner because it had been pushed in. There is plastic in the right rear corner.

In the interior the large right rear cabinet, the small left rear corner cabinet, the headbanger , and the fold-out table are all in remarkably good condition for their age. Items missing include the interior panels, headliner, fold-out bed, potty cabinet, side-mounted interior lights, and the sink/icebox unit. The front bench seats (1/3, 2/3) are in excellent shape, having been recovered in white VW vinyl. The dash is uncut.

All switches and relays are present, converted to 12V, etc. I rebuilt the wiper motor and all of its linkage it new. I have the original wiring harness which is in decent, reusable condition but should probably be replaced. Nearly everything has been removed in preparation for underside refinishing.

The steering box is a fresh rebuild - perfect and no leaks. Tie rods are all new. The rear stub-axles have 46 mm castle nuts, but I'm not really sure about the condition of the transaxle. There is no motor. The van is a roller with a functioning hand brake.

Bumpers are a bit of a mystery: the front one has the correct slash cut and the rear appears to be the more recent '66-67 style. American bumper over-riders have been removed and are missing, but the holes reveal that these are both original American bumpers.

Update 07 April 2025: Restoration marches forward. The camper is currently in the body shop in Bellinzona. I have been completely dismantling it in preparation for bodywork. Soon it will be going for a nice, relaxing bath in Torino, Italy - full immersion in a non acidic liquid. After it's been stripped down to bare metal it will be immersed in a second bath to completely coat the beast in primer, inside and out, entering into every possible nook and cranny.

I realize that the current photos are inadequate to describe the progress of the project. I will post new photos as later this week. Also, please bear in mind that the asking price for this rather rare, American-made camper will be rising as the work moves forward.

Update 13 April 2025: Last week I removed all of the windows, seals around the doors, and the door latches. I've posted a few new photos. I still need to finish disassembling the fresh air system, remove the front end and the tranny before the body is immersed in the bath.

Thanks for reading. This is a great project, an amazingly well-preserved ’64 bus. Please feel free to get in touch with questions.