Volkswagen Transporters can do just about anything. Originally based on the VW Beetle, they make an ideal family vehicle, mini-camper, or small commercial vehicle. When equipped with VW’s Syncro all-wheel drive system, they can go just about anywhere.
This 1999 Volkswagen Transporter participated in the 2023 Lokken Beach Tour. Highlighted in a two-minute video on Wanna See Auto’s YouTube channel, it’s running with some serious offroaders, including Toyota Land Cruisers, a Ram truck, and ATVs. At first glance, a T4 Transporter doesn’t seem like the type of vehicle you’d find at an offroading event. But then you notice this T4 is sporting a snorkel and serious skid plates.
Sand is clearly no problem for the Transporter, whether a packed wet surface or a loose dry one. But the steep banks of the water channel prove tricky at first, requiring the driver to make several attempts. The challenge may have more to do with caution than the limitations of the Syncro all-wheel drive because soon the Transporter makes short work of the embankments.
There appear to be three people inside the van, almost like a family on holiday or a casual weekend outing to the beach. Maybe they decided to drive up from Aalborg to Lokken for the day, about a 45-minute drive. Perhaps the driver got thirsty or needed an energy boost because there appeared to be a can of Coke perched on the dashboard. Or maybe they decided to join in the fun after a picnic lunch.
Produced from 1990 to 2004, the T4 Transporter was a front-wheel drive van that could be configured as a bus, cargo van, camper, or pickup. VW also offered it with an all-wheel drive system that uses a viscous coupling unit as a center differential. These models were called Syncros and were available with either 2.5 five-cylinder gasoline or 2.5 five-cylinder diesel engines. A few Syncros also were equipped with mechanically locking rear differentials, which required relocating the spare tire to a rear exterior mount like a Jeep or Ford Bronco.
