Many members of the public associate the Dormobile with the first model developed the Bedford CA Dormobile, however, there are many different Dormobile models available on the market.
The Dormobile was built on almost all types of commercial chassis from VW, BMC, Land-Rover, Ford, Leyland, Commer and Toyota.
One of the most recognisable versions is probably the Volkswagen Dormobile with its hinged top roof it was instantly recognisable, in fact there are still many owners on the road. The new Volkswagen Dormobile made its debut in 1961 at the Earl’s Court Motor show with the slogan “Famous the world over, Volkswagen and the Dormobile Caravan. Here is another fine Dormobile conversion – a real home on wheels with that sleek, smart continental look.” It became the officially approved VW conversion and carried the full VW warranty
But any van variety could have a Dormobile fitted instantly transforming them into a holiday on wheels, and one of the last models to receive an official Martin Walter Ltd conversion was the Toyota Hi-Ace van.
The most popular type of Dormobile was probably the Bedford as the majority seem to have been initially built on the Bedford chassis, and those built on VW Campers were outnumbered by other brands like Westfalia. Other varieties such as the Land Rover Dormobile were less popular due to the fact it can guzzle petrol and high initial costs to buy the donor vehicle.