This one is an update on my £1,000 VW Transporter budget camper project, and I’m back down at Cooler Commercials to answer the big question: is the missing 4th gear a simple linkage issue, or am I about to get slapped with a gearbox bill. I can confirm it does drive in fourth… but it makes a properly painful “crunchy” noise, so we’re hoping it’s linkage rather than the worst case (which is still around a thousand-ish, not quite the horror story I first thought). We also sorted a couple of basics—fuel line issue and a new battery—so at least it’s not dying for silly reasons. Then the interior starts getting interesting, because I’ve secured a massive upgrade for the rear: a set of T6.1 Isofix combi seats with belts and the top brackets for £600. Yes, that’s a £600 seat in a £1,000 van, but I went T6.1 over the cheaper T5 bench because Isofix makes it way more usable for families (and better for resale). On the bodywork side, there’s good news too: a wing was donated (right colour, side repeater included), which is exactly the kind of “budget, budget, budget” progress I want to show—spend where you need to, save where you can. Finally, I need your help on the next move: keep the steels and tidy/paint them for ~£200, or go banded steels for ~£600 (and then you’re into lowering money too).