Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has unveiled a rather unusual addition to its campervan line-up – a full-size recreation of a classic T2 model made entirely out of Lego bricks.
The Lego VW camper – known as a Bulli in other markets – is being shown at the F.RE.E Leisure and Travel Fair in Munich, Germany, where it’s being displayed alongside an original, non-Lego example of the real thing.
Apparently the Lego version is even in with a shout for a new world record.
How long did the full-size Lego campervan take to make and who built it?
The Lego T2 camper was assembled by just two people, Rene Hoffmeister (one of only 12 officially certified Lego model makers in the world) and his colleague Pascal Lenhard.
It took just six weeks to build, with the design first created using a 3D modelling program. But that doesn’t mean it was all plain sailing, as we’ll discover below.
How many Lego bricks did it take to build the life-size VW camper?
No less than 400,000 Lego bricks were required to create the Volkswagen T2, which even includes a pop-up Westfalia roof – always popular on campers.
Making life a little easier, the initial digital modelling meant the two builders could accurately calculate exactly how many pieces they would need to complete the project.
Unfortunately, this didn’t stop the hiccups, as part-way through the build they realised they were 20,000 (!) transparent Lego bricks short of the number needed to complete all the windows.
The resulting delay pushed the deadline to the limit, leaving Hoffmeister wishing for a ‘nine-day week’ in order to complete it in time. ‘However, as they don’t exist,’ he said, ‘the only option was night shifts.’
They got it done, as you can see.
Any other challenges along the way?
The 3D modelling also made it possible to accurately calculate the amount of reinforcement needed to make the sidewalls and windows rigid enough – a critical part of the build in order to ensure ‘lasting stability’.
The sliding side door was also ‘technically very challenging to create’, as were some of the interior fittings.
Looks well worth all the effort to us, though.
How big is the full-size VW T2 campervan?
Based on the 1967-1971 T2a Bulli, the Lego model is not the sort of thing that’s going to fit into your child’s playroom.
The basic dimensions of the Lego van make it over five metres in length, 1.9 metres wide and nearly two metres tall – and that’s without the pop-up roof, which takes it up to three metres in height.
What’s more, the Lego Bulli weighs 700kg.
What was that about a world record?
The builders – and VW Commercial Vehicles – believe this is the world’s largest Lego camper van.
Fancy taking them on? Then you could always try making a life-size model of the new VW Grand California, which is a considerably larger machine…
Don’t forget to click through the gallery above to see more pictures of the Lego camper.
