Just thinking out loud…

I’ve got around £10k to spend on a van. The purchase has been approved by the missus, I’ve just got to decide what to get.

My last van was an old style LT35 – a proper adventure van conversion, but sold last year – and a few years ago I had a 1973 Bay. Right now, I have a VW Jetta temporarily so I’m appreciative of VWs.

Ideally, I’d like something with two rows of three seats and a big space in the back – not necessarily for bikes, but for wetsuits, pushchairs, bags, tents, skateboards, etc, etc. Bikes can sit on a towbar rack and surfboards will go on the roof. It won’t necessarily be a daily driver (I bike to work and can walk to my local beach) but it will be used for holidays and weekends, trips inland, etc, etc.

When I sold my LT35, I kept a bunch of the electrics I’d previously installed in there, so in the new van I’d also like to drop in my Waeco CR50 fridge, Sterling B2B charger, amp, etc, etc, plus an alcohol stove. That means I’d prefer a van that I can line and board myself with ply if it’s not already done, rather than it coming with a load of plastic trim.

I quite enjoyed converting the LT35 myself, although family size now means that 5/6 proper seats with seatbelts are a necessity, so it’s time for a compromise: basically it needs to be another adventure van only with enough seats to fit the family in from time to time.

T5s are pretty much the right size, I could configure one how I want it fairly easily… but what’s pissing me off right now is the price of used ones. And I’m fairly sure this is driven by people who buy them to bling up with spoilers, wide wheels, lowered sus and all that useless shit, while washing them 47 times a week, rather than people who want a van for the beach/camping/long road trips off the grid.

I could blow the entire budget on a 9/10 year old Kombi with seats already fitted. Or, I could spend £7k ish on a 2007/2008 panel van and use the rest of the budget for getting some seats and windows dropped in. Problem is, these are likely to be high mileage vans, so neither option really seems worth it – especially the part that involves SPENDING £10k ON A TEN YEAR OLD VAN.

Alternative (and more realistically priced) used vans include the usual suspects of Trafic/Vivaro, the Merc Vito, and the slightly smaller Expert/Dispatch. They’ve all got their reported problems, but I do kinda like the look of some of them, although compared to a VW they all feel like there’s something ‘missing’… if that makes sense?

I’ve spent weeks looking at vans online and I seem to have exhausted every possibility in terms of getting a decent/low mileage T5 for my budget.

So, unless anyone can point me in the direction of all the reasonably priced T5s, then I’m most likely going to have to buy something other than a VW.

Will I die?

We pick up our T5 on Saturday.

9k, 54plate, 85k miles, 2.5l 130ps. Some on here think that’s a bit steep, my research indicates its about right. im still not 100% convinced its the best idea….

Yeah, that fits in with the three million man-hours of research into T5 prices that I’ve done, too.

Bah.

You like VWs.. so does everyone else.. bummer 🙂

Yup, that’s pretty much the problem.

I’m sure I liked them first before everyone else did though. 🙂

I pick up my trafic sport at the weekend. LWB, crew cab so 6 seats and full bulkhead. 6 bikes will fit without taking wheels off.
2010 plate, 66k miles, only £8k.

I spent a while looking and decided a 4 year old trafic/vivaro was better than an 8 year old VW or vito.

They’re all going to feel small after an LT. Our LT28 had a double bed crossways by the back doors, with huge storage underneath.

Aye, chriswilk, that’s pretty much the point I’m at now. I do like VWs, but I don’t much like the scene that unfortunately seems to come with them now.

Also considering Ducato/Relay/Boxer as my bro is chief mechanic at a Fiat Commercial Main Dealer so fixing one of those should cost very little. I’d have to drop seats and windows in myself though…

midlifecrashes – yeah, my LT35 had full width bunks across the back and another massive full width bed that folded out at the front.

I’m after something smaller now so the missus will be comfortable driving it. I think as a family we’ve outgrown the ability to all sleep in one vehicle so am not looking for something that will have beds in it. I may kip in it from time to time if I’m away by myself, but that won’t happen especially often!

If you up your budget a little you can get a nearly new Transit Custom (62 plate) for about £12k plus VAT.

I’m a T5 owner, spent just over 10k on our SWB ’08 1.9 around 18 months ago. Prices seem to have been climbing since then.
Much as I love the VW, both because it’s a nice van and because I used to have a bay window & like the whole VW scene, if I was buying again is be paying serious attention to the new Transit Custom.
Looks smart IMHO, supposed to be a nice drive and shouldn’t attract scene tax related price hikes. The whole residual value issue is only relevant if you intend to get rid of it after a couple of years rather than hanging onto it until it dies…

I have been eyeing up the new Transits, but at £12k plus vat PLUS the additional couple of £k for fitting windows and rear seats, it would bust the budget a fair bit. At least at the minute.

There’s a couple of 10 plate Vivaro crew cabs online right now that hit the mark under budget, but my bro has told me to steer clear of the whole trafic/vivaro family.

Although I guess there’s probably plenty of negative stories for every type of van…

Yes, buy a T4, 😛

Yes, buy a T4

Ha! Have you seen the prices of used T4s these days? They’re almost as expensive as T5s!

Haven’t looked tbh, did almost poop myself when had a glance at T5 prices the other day 😯

It’s why I have kept my t4 and tidied it up

No real reason to steer clear of the Vivaro/Trafic, just do your research re. gearboxes etc.

I can absolutely guarantee with 100% certainty if you don’t buy a T5 you’ll die.

You will also have a 100% chance of dying if you do!

I can absolutely guarantee with 100% certainty if you don’t buy a T5 you’ll die.

You will also have a 100% chance of dying if you do!

Very helpful, thanks. 😀

LWB Hiace? Similar size, cheaper, good reputation.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Hiace-300-lwb-120-/331211725952?pt=UK_Commercial_Trucks&hash=item4d1dc1dc80

8.5k so you have a grand to buy some shinny wheels and polish 😉

Yeah, Hiace is another possibility… although it would need a second row of three seats which adds another £2k ish to the cost if they’re not already fitted in the van.

’09/’10/poss ’11 trafic/vivaro crew cab is looking favourite at the minute.

Get a T5. Ypou know it’s what you want and although the other vans are perfectly competent you’ll still want a T5.

One life live it get the t5 you’ll regret it if not because that’s what you always wanted!

Having borrowed the parents T5, I think I’d have a Hiace again and a new bike to go in it too. There are a few mini-bus hiace kicking around with extra seats already in.

Just do it…..

Put down a deposit on a black 2008 LWB T5 last week. Leather seats, reverse camera, tinted windows, alloys…. Looks like a drug dealers motor. B-)

Life’s too short to umm and arr. And besides, it’s just money at the end of the day….

I wanted a t5 in 2010 but bought a vivaro on price. 3 years newer and less miles for the same money.
The t5 looked better then and still does now but I prefer driving the vivaro to my mates vw.
Gear box went on mine at 110k costing £450 and also on my mates vw at 125k costing £700.
I’d say mine has devalued by around £4k over the 4 years I’ve had it. Not sure how much the vw has lost.
It’s almost trade in time for me, again I’d like a vw, but will prob buy another vivaro or maybe a swb sprinter.

Fewer miles! FFS

what you should do is buy a professionally converted t25 syncro ……………should just be able to squeeze under budget…………(email in profile)…………

Have you looked at Hyundai’s van? Not sure of pricing but they pretty much specialise in bombproof vehicles.

I did drive a T5 for 5 years; loved it but don’t miss it.

I’ve got the Tranny Custom. It’s ace tbh. Drives great and is slightly bigger in the back than my previous Trafics were. Also much better fuel economy. Mines the 125 bhp engine. Done 7.5k miles and it flies now. Best van I’ve had. I’ve had two T4’s, two Vitos, four Trafics and now my first Transit. The T5’s are very expensive for the spec and feel rather old fashioned to drive. Very “van-like” to drive where many of the alternatives are much more car-like to drive. The lower spec engines are poor in modern terms too. I really wanted a T5 when I swapped(Feb) and tested three different spec/models but was soooo disappointed with the spec for the cost and none of them including the 170 sportline was particularly impressive and I couldn’t bring myself to part with the big pile of cash. The dealers were rather arrogant too and despite promises to email quotes and delivery times so I could plan mine my purchases, they would take weeks to respond. I thought they’d want my business as I was planning to order four high spec vans. Fords bent over backwards and threw in lots of goodies and mega discount. Also, for the cool crowd, Guy Martin runs a Tranny Custom. That’s gotta add value “chief”. Lol.

only thing I could see as a big issue with the vivaro/trafic/primastar was the “techshift” gearbox.
Normal gearbox is fine.

here is what I collect in 2 days

003 by ChrisWilkinson1, on Flickr

I’ve got a T4 California that I brought in from Germany, my second one in fact. £10k will get you a very nice van built properly by VW – my last one cost me £9.5k, ran it for four years, sold it for for £10.5k. Try doing that with a Ford.

I’m in the same boat. Er, Van.

“Want” a T5, but keep seeing alternatives that are cheaper, or potentially better value, such as the Vivaro/Traffic series (which I drove for a while for work and know/like) and the Hyundai vans which look pretty good for both value and appearance.

However, it’s all about what your heart says. I once chose a car based on the spreadsheet of knowledge(tm) that I put together. It was the most economical of the cars I looked at, yada yada, yada and it was the worst car I have ever bought. It was a Rover. My next car was more money than I really wanted to spend, but felt right. It was a VW.

If/when I buy a van, it will be the one that I like. That will be a T5

I haven’t bought a T5 in my entire life and Im still alive.

I’ve recently sold my ’04 T5 SWB with 120k. Money wise you should be able to pick up a reasonable van for less than 10k for an 07/08 plate 1.9.

I collect my new T5 from the dealers on Friday. Of course I’m going to lose money on it but a well specified T5 will still hold sensible money for a good few years, and in all honesty I’m intending on keeping this one for a LONG time. 🙂

So… what it all really boils down to is this:

I’ve had two T4’s, two Vitos, four Trafics and now my first Transit. The T5’s are very expensive for the spec and feel rather old fashioned to drive. Very “van-like” to drive where many of the alternatives are much more car-like to drive. The lower spec engines are poor in modern terms too.

Vs this:

However, it’s all about what your heart says. I once chose a car based on the spreadsheet of knowledge(tm) that I put together. It was the most economical of the cars I looked at, yada yada, yada and it was the worst car I have ever bought. It was a Rover. My next car was more money than I really wanted to spend, but felt right. It was a VW.

Hmmmmm…

I bought a 1999 T4 2.5 TDi in 2004, 60K, £4.5K which seemed a lot at the time. I’ve still got it, and it’s worth about the same or more than I paid for it (admittedly I’ve converted it and spent a fair bit along the way). Utterly mental.

I do love it, and will get it tidied up in a couple of years, as replacing it is just not feasible for the kind of money it would cost v. the number of nights I actually sleep in it – an equivalent t5 (with beds, leather seats, fridge, hook up, electrics etc. would cost the best part of £30K for something that is pretty much functionally equivalent.

I’d get something else if I was buying now – the money is crazy.

Lots about at the moment, this showed up quite quickly
Or a nice red one

On most of the listings for T5s, I see something like this:

“I have used this vehicle as a family runabout for the past two years and it has never let me down. The only reason i’m selling it is i’ve bought another one.”

Which immediately makes me think:

YOU’VE HAD TO BUY ANOTHER ONE? REALLY? WHY? WHAT THE JE-SUS IS THE MATTER WITH THIS ONE?

Don’t get me wrong guys. Despite buying the Tranny Customs over the T5’s, I am still a VW lover. We’ve had numerous VW’s in the recent past including a Golf GTI and the family chariot is a new Tiguan. Just couldn’t justify the T5’s for the money. I fully understand that if you sell a used T5 you’ll loose much less than with a Ford/Renault ect but the loss is offset by the initial price when buying the vehicles new or at least it has been for us. Last Renault was £12k new and after three years I got £6500 for it. Only lost £5500 over three years. I’m almost certain that is favourable when compared to the money lost after three years with the T5 or at least comparable. For the spec I wanted, the T5 was around 30k. The Tranny was a splash over 19k. When buying four at a time it’s easy maths. The Tranny probably is the poor relation but it’s not as wide a gulf as some people will have you believe. Only my experience. To make matters worse, I ride an Orange Five!! Let the hate commence. Filing cabinet, ball bearings, stairs. Ect. Lol. Peace out.