I’m currently thinking of getting shot of my car and pulling the trigger on a van.

I’m very interested in the long wheelbase VW Transporters, but interested to hear opinions from other users.

I was looking at the window vans (with 3 rows of seats), so I could potential have 7 passengers with me (I’ve only got a category B car driving licence, so need 8 seats or fewer) plus room for bikes/luggage. Or remove the 3rd row and have 5-up in the van plus lots of bikes.

What are people’s opinions on the LWB over the regular length Transporter?
Do they fit in car parks (it will get used from time to time for driving to work)?
Any other issues to be aware of (lower speed limits, insurance, etc, etc)?

I need to sell the idea to the wife as well, so would appreciate some photos of any “comfort” you’ve added to your vans.

Cheers,

okay…

first off… the swb will drive just like a golf.. the back wheels will follow the fronts… the lwb needs a bit more consideration when navigating tight corners and roundabouts.

re. speed limits… no way round this… it’s 50mph in a nsl, 60mph on duals and 70mph only on motorways… even if you convert it into a camper, it still a vehicle derived from a good vehicle rather than a good vehicle derived from a car.

insurance can be very cheap depending on how you go about it. mine comes in at about £215 for fully-comp, 50k per year, 3rd party on other cars etc etc.

i have a swb t5 with crash-tested rock & roll bed in the back. i have a bench up front, so i can legally (and very comfortablly) carry 5 people. i can fit two bikes (with front wheels off) directly behind the back seat, one to the side and then two on a thule towbar rack… so that’s 5 people and 5 bikes in total comfort, plus the added practicality of a hob, fridge, sink and a nice big fold-down TV/DVD in the rear headlining.

the ONLY downside with the T5’s at the mo’ is that because they have become trendy, they are bloody expensive.

oh, and a bit more info before i forget.

you will have the choice of a T28, T30 or T32 variant.. these relate to the maximum load… i have a T28, but given the choice again, I would go for the T30 for that extra 200kgs potential.

be wary if you go for a t32 as they require a different MOT (no biggy, but worth bearing in mind) and they are more of a pain to customise in terms of alloys and suspension as they require much firmer springs.

if you do go down the customising route (which you will), be mindful that whilst you can throw on any funky wheels (right up to 22″) and tyres, the most reliable performance will be gained from using van-rated wheels and tyres. This means you will normally have less options and will struggle to get over 18″. Many people use Range Rover alloys nowadays and I guess those are heavy cars so you should be okay.

don’t get too hung up over the engine either… you will be looking at a 1.9 or a 2.5… both have their +’s and -‘s. I went for a very basic 86hp 1.9… for £250.00, I had this remapped to provide a solid 135hp, an extra 110Nm or torque (from 200 to 310) and improved fuel economy. what this basically means is don’t bother pay more for a more powerful 1.9 variant as they will not be remapped any further than the basic 86hp (as it’s the essentially the same engine). the 2.5 will give you a 6-speed gearbox which can be nice on cruises.

in terms of spec… electric windows are nice to have, but can be added for about £150, as can cruise control. air-con would be very expensive to add, so if you want this, hunt out a van that has it.

if you fancy the colour-coded look, do bear in mind that it can be easily upwards of £500-750 to get your bumpers and mirrors done later, so factor this into your thoughts.

This is ours. Ignore the caravan behind, that’s my dads…
Started off life like this….

Can’t seem to find my interior photos at the mo but will post when I find them.

Cheers for the info so far.

Just to be clear, are all LWB Transporters subject to lower speed limits?
Even if they have windows all the way back?

Category B license is 8 passengers, so 9 seats including the driver by the way.

ALL vans are subject to lower speed limits unless car derived. However you’d be very unlucky to get pulled for it….

Not many seats, you will get stung on insurance for several seats though. Quoted £1400 when it had 7 seats £300 for a camper.

http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad36/paulhollis24/Snapbucket/th_059F672B-orig.jpg
Hopefully mine should show above. I have a vw t4 2002 plate. Fully converted with rock and roll bed. I load upto 4 bikes on the roof and can get 2 inside. I have the 2.5 102bhp model but I have remapped it. Great torque and a great drive,good fuel consumption for a van. I have a large awning for it aswel. Good low mileage t4 vans vary depending on how well they have been converted,mines done 112k and converted to a high standard.
Alot of people prefer t4’s because of there shape etc. It is a swb and there’s plenty of space for me.

paulrockliffe – Member
Category B license is 8 passengers, so 9 seats including the driver by the way.

Ahhh, I thought it was 8 “seats”.
Thanks for the correction.

Got a T4 kombi here. Wife loves driving it, just like a car but with better mirrors. Plenty of torque with the 2.5 TDI. Taxed as a diesel car (not cheap) so I drive it at car speed limits. Have insulated and varpet lined the back plus have removable folding bed system so have a light camper but do not have to lug a heavy rock and roll bed and cupboards around when they are only needed occasionally.

You need to set a budget and decide on T4 vs T5. We got a cheaper T4 as a way of dipping a toe in the water.

But you’re in the wrong place – get on the http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk, pay the tenner and lurk and learn before you buy.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

Now, who wants to buy an Audi A4 Quattro??????????????????????

ALL vans are subject to lower speed limits unless car derived. However you’d be very unlucky to get pulled for it….

It does happen though. Between us in work we have 6 VW Transporters, I think three of us have been done for lower speed limit thing.
Nothing serious, but pretty annoying when you spend most of your life driving up and down the A38!

Just had a thought – if you’re at the Singletrack Weekender then come say hello, we’ll be there with at least one of our T5’s and more likely two of them.
You’re more than welcome to have a nose round em.

I have a T5 LWB that was professionally converted from a van to a camper by an approved conversion company. Have had the V5 changed to motorcaravan and as far as i am aware I am now legally allowed to drive at 70 mph on dual carriageways.

There are plenty of threads on the T4 forum about this. However to qualify for changing the body type there are a number of criteria that must be met regarding the conversion, i.e. Table, cupboard, cooker etc . The definitive list can be found on the DVLA website. I had to send in photos proving it met those criteria and it may be subject to inspection by a local DVLA office. However, mine was ok based on just the photos and new V5 arrived within a couple of weeks.

From this

To this in the last 11 months

relly enjoyed the process of researching and converting it when the bank balance recovers I will be adding some extras.

Previously had this – a great T4:

Now back to my more retro roots with this:

do be aware that due an internal policy change at the DVLA, the process of re-registering your T4/T5 as a ‘Camper’ has just become infinitely more difficult.

in addition to proving that the van fulfills the roll of a camper (ie. [permanent fitment of cabinetry, a converting bed, TWO hobs, fridge, sink etc etc) the DVLA now want to see clear evidence that the van LOOKS like a camper from the outside. i’m not entirely sure how they quantify this, but it does mean that many properly converted T4/T5 vans are now getting knocked back and are simply being registered as ‘window vans’.

in a way, i guess it makes sense, as the purpose of the registration type is to allow easy identification of the vehicle by the police etc. if it ‘looks’ like a van, it should be classified as a van, whereas if a policeman or member of the public instinctively views it as a ‘campervan’, then is should be classified as a camper van.

if you are going to fit it out as a camper, but the registration to stay as a window (or panel) van, make sure that your insurance company is fully aware or this. i know this seems obvious, but the cover associated with theft from within the van will usually differ quite dramatically between a ‘van’ and a ‘camper’.

Bought as a panel van and slowly got it converted to the point i want

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5038/5848105171_8738ffe256_z.jpg%5B/Img%5D

T4 Multivan. Full width bed when you need it, minimalist camper :o)

I’ve been looking at MutliVan’s too – seems the best way to get a good variety of choice, and , to be honest, better condition than most i’ve seen in the UK , is to import from GERMANY – much cheaper too, less rust, for sure its LHD, but i’d be planning to spend most of the hols LHDriving it to the Alps, Pyrenees anyway 😉

research i’ve done suggests not to bad registering it with DVLA once in the country, and its not restricted to VAN speed limits – insurance may be slightly more expensive, but your still saving on cost of one in the UK. best to be going on hols over there so not wasting money for ferries etc. takes a few days once purchased from them to de-register it in Germany and get your export plates…

don’t have a reasonable photo of mine.

i’ve got a white t5 with side windows. insulated, lined and carpeted inside with home made L shape bench, folds into a double bed, with enough room to store 2 bikes (1 requires f wheel off) inside.

it has been built as a race van primarily (i think the GF knows this!!) 2 bikes & sleep one inside. but will do 2 weeks camping with both of us and 2 bikes. just been for a 15 day 2700 mile tour of france in it. ace.

my advice would be to get one with 2 front seats (as opposed to 3) the double seat is bloody uncomfortable!

as for carparks the height will be the biggest issue rather than the length ime. lots of CPs are 1.9m which is no good, it can often be a bit of a search for a 2m one.