Coco Vintage Touren, Drunen

The question "Shall we take a little tour? Then you can experience for yourself what it's like to hit the road in a Volkswagen T2 van." appears in my mailbox after I made a blog appointment at Coco Vintage Touren in Drunen. Well, I like the sound of that!

On a freezing cold, slightly foggy Thursday morning, the time has come and I drive to my appointment. The colorful Volkswagen vans stand out from a distance as you drive by. They look beautiful, their cheerful retro colors standing out against the gray, gray sky.

Carola van Kuyk, the owner, welcomes me at the door: "Come in, we'll start with a cup of coffee." At her kitchen table, Carola enthusiastically explains all that is planned in the near future. It soon becomes clear to me that the vans are quite popular. They can be rented for sightseeing, but are also used as wedding transportation or at corporate events. "A lot is possible in consultation, we like to think along with the applicant. For example, a company will soon use two of our vans as shuttle buses from a parking lot to the location where they are hosting a company party. My friend Harry and I will be drivers that day." Carola explains that they do often go along as drivers. "During school galas, we also drive the vans ourselves. Taking a bunch of screaming, enthusiastic adolescents in a procession to the red carpet, that's always great fun to do."

It is extraordinary to see how passionately Carola talks about her business. I ask her how she came up with the idea of renting out Volkswagen T2 vans. "Seven years ago I rented one of those camper vans myself to go to Zoutelande for a week. That's when the love started. As soon as I got into the van, the fun began. You have everything with you that you need. It's just a kind of little house on wheels, which gave me a very free feeling. That feeling is something I want others to experience as well." she explains. A few years later she had the opportunity to buy two 1984 and 1979 vans and equip them as motorhomes making her dream a reality. Later, Carola expanded her fleet to include a 1978 9-passenger van. "I noticed that groups of friends and larger families were reluctant to rent two vans. Thanks to the 9-passenger van, they can now travel cozily in one van." She says she plans to expand in the future to include classic or other special vehicles.

But back to renting the vans for a moment. I ask Carola how that works. "You can rent a Volkswagen T2 van from us for an itinerary, a day, a midweek or a week. If you go for an itinerary you rent the vans for 5 hours and you have a choice of several different routes, along beautiful nature and special locations. We provide you with a filled picnic basket and the van has everything you need. Crockery, beach chairs, table, umbrella, picnic blanket, bluetooth speaker etc." There even appear to be games such as Twister and bag toss in the vans. Enough entertainment to make your road trip an unforgettable experience. If you want to tour freely, of course, you can also make use of all those fun goodies in the van, but get to decide where to drive. "As long as you stay in the Netherlands, in connection with the insurance" explains Carola.

Coffee finished, it's time for my promised mini-tour. "Of course, it's not like I give you the key and you have to figure it out yourself. When you rent a van from Vintage Touren you get an explanation first and I drive a little bit ahead" Carola indicates. She gets into the driver's side of the mint-green Volkswagen T2 camper van and I take a seat next to her. After a brief explanation of the alarm, handbrake and shifting gears, she starts the van. Despite its age, it starts immediately. A few traffic circles and a few streets down, Carola pulls the van over and it's my turn. We switch places and I get to show whether I paid attention earlier. Fortunately, I also get the bus running smoothly and the adventure can begin. Where other tenants have to drop Carola off at home first, I decide to drive with her to De Loonse en Drunense Duinen. I expected to feel a little uncomfortable behind the wheel, but this bus drives very smoothly so we are soon chatting leisurely.

We have many onlookers along the way and several cyclists and pedestrians even wave at us. If you aren't happy yet, you will be when you drive in such an eye-catcher. Along the way, Carola tells me that this is why she makes sure the vans are always spic and span. She always washes the vans right before they are rented out. That means that in some weeks she is busy every day with the garden hose and a sponge. I would consider that a disaster, but Carola actually enjoys it. "I do that on the street and I get a lot of nice reactions from passersby. It's very pleasant, and also a good advertisement. Tenants also always react positively when they see the still wet ground under the van." It strikes me that Carola has a very positive attitude. "Harry always says: 'You have the best job there is.' And that's the way I see it. Only the administration feels like work."

After a few quick stops to take a picture of the bus, we drive back. Upon returning, I thank Carola for the invitation and fun experience. I understand her love for these Oldtimers a lot better now. I fantasize on my way to the office how great it would be to rent a Volkswagen T2 van with some girlfriends. That really is guaranteed to be laugh, howl, roar!

If you've always wanted to rent a Volkswagen van, I highly recommend Vintage Touren in Drunen. Vintage toursen has two 6-person camper vans (red 'Coco Pepper' and the mint-colored 'Coco Lime') and a 9-person van (the olive-green 'Coco Olive') for rent for an unforgettable day out, weekend getaway or camping vacation in your own country. The vintage Volkswagen T2 vans can also be rented for special occasions such as a wedding, gala, corporate event or trade show. Carola would like to share her own passion for the T2 campervan with you. Personal contact is paramount, so feel free to contact her to discuss your wishes and ideas.

Click here for more information.