This is a 2011 set released by Lego under the licensing of Volkswagen (VW), the 10220 LEGO Creator Volkswagen T1 Camper Van. When this set was first released by Lego, it created quite a big hoo haa among both Lego Collectors as well as the VW Camper Van Fans as this is an classic icon of VW. Back in Singapore, the VAGSG Forum even had a special arrangement with ToyBrickStation to get this set at a special discount for VW owners in Singapore.
For me, I got this set during my trip to US in Nov 2011 at a Lego Store in Seattle. I deboxed the set due to the size and carried it back in my suitcase without the box. Back then, the price of this set in Singapore is still quite high and I counted that I should be able to save at least SGD40 – 50 even after the taxes. But recently, given the additional discounts provide by local stores, this saving has been greatly reduced and it really doesn’t seem justifible to carry this back all the way from US.
Anyway, let’s start on the review of this set. The box is quite a big set which is why I didn’t have a choice but to debox it in order to save luggage space to bring more Lego back from US. Inside the box, you will find 2 instruction booklets and more than 10 packs of bricks. The set also come with 2 pieces of stickers. One of which is for the interior deco for the van and the other is “metallic” base and use for the VolksWagon (VW) logo at the front of the van.
The bricks are very colorfully packed and not sorted into any order or type. Something similar to the Modular Series. This means that the assembly will have to start with the process of sorting through the parts. Comparing this set to a typical Modular building, I would say that this set is “small and simple” to sort out, taking me around 20 mins and taking some short cuts along the way. The assembly, however, took a bit longer, due to the amount of details that the set designer has put in. I’ve tried to include more detailed photos in this review so as to show the amount of effort the Lego designer has put in to make this set more interesting.
The completed van is larger than what I was expecting. The overall look and feel is very classic and close to the original VW T1 Camper Van. The only flaw I would say is that it looks too new to be a VW T1 Camper Van. Side tracking from this review, the side effect of doing this set is that you will find yourself looking on the road for this classic vehicle and the truth is, if you look hard enough, there are really some still roaming around in Singapore.
Look at the details at the exterior of the van. The top of the van can also be extended to increase the height of the vehicle when you have guests to serve. I really like the wheels and rims of the set which are really authentic and classic.
The side door of the van opens up to reveal the nice interior of the van. There are multiple benches and a foldable table with a nice green wine glass. There is also a sink with 2 golden sink complete with a cooking pan and a brush. There are also built-in cabinets and nice curtains lined on all the windows made of real fabric. The back of the van consist of a resting area with an artwork and a lamp.
The left hand drive van has the same classic design for VW with a single big meter in the centre. At the back, the rear can open in two parts. The top opens up to a storage areas where as the bottom is a nice engine compartment which, much to my surprise, still comes with quite a bit of realism and details, complete with a transmission belt. The door handles and petrol cap, although are made from simple parts, still look very classic when put onto the van.
In the front, Lego has used 2 black tubings to further emphasize the curve shape of the vehicle, something which I thought is a nice touch. At the front of the vehicle is also the big VW logo. However, the sticker used in my set is not perfect and has a flaw at the top left hand side. I’m still wondering if I should write to Lego to ask for a replacement for this.
As a whole, I would think that this set would be a very much popular set for the years to come due to the details and classic background of this vehicle. As a whole, I think it would deserve a 8.5 out of 10. The minus points came from the stickered VW logo and also some parts which some assembly areas seems to be flimsy. For some areas that are not that visible, Lego has also taken out some small parts which I thought would be better left there to make the whole vehicle assembly more stable. For the VW logo, I would think the set deserves something better than just a sticker.
I would strongly encourage all AFOLs to own a set of this classic vehicle.
