Anyone got a VW T5 Camper Van

[Proto]

Going to buy a T5 camper van, retirement beckons, so my wife and I (plus dog) fancy exploring Europe in a van. Not sure at this stage whether to buy a van and get it converted or buy one ready to roll. Lots and lots of options, but for starters:

LWB or SWB?
Tailgate of Barn Doors?
Auto or Manual?
Are Captain's Chairs essential?

We'll have the usual pop up roof, double bed at the back, hob and sink, er ............?

Anyone got first had experience?

 

[further]

Get a high top not a pop top,you can use it in cooler weather,if you are putting a bike rack on get barn doors,more room in a lwb Gearbox is a personal thing.

 

[Jason]

A friend bought a standard T5 and had it converted to his personal tastes and requirements. This included a new side window, tinted windows and nice alloys.
he had a dedicated cycle rack mounted to the side of the van for his bike

 

[Levo-Lon]

Very small.
A few of the travalers camped at work have the larger motor homes.
Fiat Citroen Peugeot ect.
Cheaper more practical and possibly more reliable..i know , if only VW were as reliable as they would have you believe.
Just my 2p but you will wish you got a bigger van after the first week

 

[I like Skol]

I know a few people who have done the VW van thing. Couple of guys at work and also next door neighbour has just had a 16 plate van converted which is very, very nicely done.
I try not to pay too much attention or get too involved for fear of being dragged in myself but do recall one of the ones done by a work colleague involved using a LWB base vehicle and I seem to recall this threw up a few issues with component sourcing as the GVW is higher than for SWB vans and a lot of the suspension, brakes and other stuff are different as a result and this was a bit of a headache for some reason? Might be worth hitting google to find out why and also worth considering if this makes an impact on ferry costs and other charges as it essentially becomes a commercial vehicle in the eyes of some organisations?

 

[Dave 123]

Friends of ours bought a SWB T5 brand new about a year ago from Bilbo. It's very nice, but (in my opinion) just a bit too cramped to do much else than have two people in it. It's also stunningly expensive, it cost them £50k. The cycle carrier cost an extra £600!!!

One of my brothers has bought a 12 plate Peugeot van conversion (converted in 2015) There is tons of room inside. Their tandem goes inside the van for transit, and it already had a cycle carrier on the rear barn doors. It cost them £28k.

It's something we'll probably do in the future, and I reckon we'll be emulating my brother.

Edit- my brothers is along these lines
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classi...-to=30000&page=2&advert-type=featured-listing

 

[Cycleops]

This might interest you:


View: https://youtu.be/6fUYKllRfog

 

[hobo]

We had a T25(T3) for a number of years which had about as much space as a lwb T5. Looking forward something bigger now to accommodate the children. For 2 though we coped quite well on trip around the UK and France.
Captain seats make a lot of sense and create a bit more space.
If you're traveling abroad though you practically spend most of the time outside under the awning in the heat so you don't need as much space inside.
Price wise VW are expensive but hold their value, (i sold my van 8 years later for more than i paid for it).
So I'd say go for the best you can afford and it will be an investment.
Happy camping

 

[Crackle]

I've owned a couple of motorhomes and I'd say touring for any length of time requires a bigger van than a VW, especially if you want to stay off the beaten track, that said it can be done, depends on you. I'd be looking at a mid-sized high top van if I was going to get another.

 

[bianchi1]

I've got a t5 kombi which is defined by the rear seats and side windows. This is important to me as it counts as a mpv/car for ferrys and Eurotunnel making it much cheaper than a Van. Being under 2 m in height is also a bonus as it goes in almost all carparks etc. I think it also makes it cheeper on french motorways, but I'm not sure. Another unexpected bonus is it is allowed at local council tips without vouchers unlike vans. I've not had it converted because in my opinion it's not worth the expense. I tend to sleep in it now and again just in a sleeping bag, but mainly camp in Europe with a tent and use the van as a base to store stuff, sit in if raining and so on. A pitch at a camp site is also cheeper with tent and 'car' than motorhome pitch.

 

[Crackle]

This image is the inspiration for my next van

 

[Salad Dodger]

Hello Proto.

The VW in my avatar is our T4 high top van, which we have had for 8 years now and have clicked up 300+ nights in.

It s the only campervan I have ever owned, so I can't offer direct comparisons, but I had an interesting chat a while back with a guy who owned a pop top T4, and who said that it was draughty. He was asking to look around our high top van, and said that it confirmed his view that a high top was the way to go.

But, at risk of stating the obvious, a high top prevents you from getting into many car parks, particularly in tourist areas, as they have Barriers to prevent the car parks turning into campervan parks.....

Our van has barn doors on the back. Not so handy in wet weather as an up and over door, which shelters you if you need to access the rear storage, but you don't need to leave as much space behind you and still be able to get the back open. I wouldn't regard either sort of back doors as a "deal breaker".

Ours is a long wheelbase van. It gives a much more comfy driving position for me (6 foot 2) as the short wheelbase fans have cupboard units just about touching the back of the drivers seat. It also enables a longer bed and bigger cupboards than the short wheelbase ones. It does mean that the turning circle of the van is bigger and more care needs to be taken when, for example, pulling out of junctions and turning left, if you are to avoid running over the kerb. But you very quickly adapt to it.

PM me if you have any questions......

 

[Proto]

Not totally fixed on a T5 and would consider a Transit Custom or Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Traffic or Citroen/Peugeot etc as alternative. However, SWMBO is a big fan of the VW and when asked why tells me they are 'nicer'. From everyone I speak to, the resale of the VW makes them the sensible choice although quite a few builders like the Transit Custom, slightly bigger and longer.

Anyway, we only want a smallish van, it's for us two only. Definitely don't want a motor home. We won't be living in it, and hope to be able to sit outside in warmer climate, and if it's not warm we'll move! Won't use it as a second vehicle (I think?) but want to be able to drive into towns, parking garages, wherever without having to worry about the size of it. Pop up roof makes sense in that regard. Easy to drive, park and maintain. Fuel consumption not a major drama but to be considered.

Things we do want:
sink
hob
double bed
decent lighting
small table
decent radio/music
bike rack (one bike only?)
captain's seats

Things we don't want:
high top
cooker/grille
shower
loo
roof bed

Keep it coming please!

 

[I like Skol]

Stuff the pokey little VW....
If money was no object I would be kitting one of these out in 319cdi flavour

 

[hobo]

Er, horrible traveller/ delivery van tat