So… I have the opportunity to acquire a rather nice 09 plate T5 Sportline Panel Van, T30 LWB with the 174PS engine, and it won’t require a huge amount of cash (good cos I don’t have much cash!) as its owner is willing for me to PX my Motorbike against it (sad times, but it hasn’t been ridden in nearly 10 years anyway, and the reality is I’ve not got the time to put it back on the road and enjoy it anyway right now). If I was buying outright, put simply I couldn’t raise enough cash to get anything more than a ropey old bog basic T5, or if I was lucky a half decent Trafic that hadn’t been to the moon and back. I could really do with a decent van for work, am prepared to sell my Beemer to pay the difference, and this seems like a good idea…

The Good Points with the van…

-I’ve known the owner 2 1/2 years, he works 2 doors away from me.
-He’s had the van 3 years, has had no issues with it, other than it’s no longer big enough for his needs (he wants an XLWB Sprinter to replace it)
-It looks the business, with a private plate on it you can’t tell it’s 7 years old.
-I’ve driven it a couple of times before, it’s not as refined as some vans, but it drives well. Leather seats are nice, everything works, it pulls very strong with the 174PS engine.
-I can give him my motorbike as part payment, as it’s the model (Ducati 748 SP) he’s after to complete his rather lovely collection.
-Practically depreciation proof, he paid £10k for it 3 years ago, and it’s probably worth about that now.
-It has rear parking sensors already, a necessity to get it onto my very narrow driveway with an oblique entry.

Bad Points…

-Thirst? I know these 2.5 engines like a drink, what’s a reasonable MPG to expect? He reckons 38-40mpg on a run, around 25mpg in town, avg of about 34mpg. I could live with that but is he being optimistic? Obviously over 40mpg would be ace, but rare in a van this size, and I do less than 10k miles per year anyway.
-It’s done 140k miles. Not huge for a van I know, but although it doesn’t shudder (so no obvious signs of Dual Mass on the way out or clutch needing to be replaced) but how long til it needs its first flywheel and clutch?
-It’s a VW, so you pay the “Scene Tax”. Offset by lack of depreciation though.
-It’s Silver, and ideally for work I’d buy a Black van (company logo reasons)… How much is it to vinyl wrap a LWB T5 van these days?
-DPF Issues? Having experienced the ballache of this with my 330D, I’m at the point where I’d prefer a petrol vehicle that did 10mpg less these days!
-2.5 5 pot is supposedly more problematic than the 1.9 4 pot?
-Driveshafts twist/break on the more powerful models I’m told…?

Any owners advice would be greatly appreciated. What do I need to beware of? What should I expect? Would you buy another? Wou

I have no intentions of converting it, it will remain as a panel van FWIW.

Congratulations on the most first world problems in a single thread I can recall. 😉

The first Google’ result for £10 000 Trafic gives this (yes I know it’s white):

Trafic

I’ve never owned a T5 but driven T4/T5 and really don’t understand the hype. It’s a van. Despite the limited mileage in them a T4’s throttle linkage fell to bits – a rubber band got us home.

Congratulations on the most first world problems in a single thread I can recall.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were new here! 😉

Not really after an discussion over “which van”, I drive a 10yr old BMW at the moment when most people would have bought a 3/4yr old Focus with the same money! 😛

nevertheless 140k on it? you’re on the wrong end of ‘scene tax’.

I guess if it’s a bog standard spec one with black plastic bumpers and steel wheels then you could get away with using it as a works van.

If it’s got a colour coded body kit and alloys, then it’s certainly not a van I’d want to associate with a business

Wish I’d never asked! 😕

VDub T5’s – they’re a touchy subject for sure!

Too many questions, if you want it just get it.

I’ve got a 2.5 t30 130bhp. Been running it for nearly 4 years. It’s had a starter motor and an oil cooler in that time but it’s never broken down and left us hanging. Done three 5 thousand mile trips around Europe. Mpg is great on the continent with the 6 speed box and amazing roads. Probably average high 20’s low 30’s day to day but I don’t commute or drive it every day.

Wouldn’t be without a van these days we have too much fun with it riding and camping etc.

I paid 9600 for mine and still see similar vans advertised for around that now so if I need to get rid I won’t lose out too much.

I have a T5 2009 2.5tdi kombi but with 130 engine, 100k. Not a great fan as it’s cost a lot to maintain compared to previous Jap stuff I have had. The latest issue is a duff exhaust manifold which is apparently going to cost a grand plus to sort out. It goes okay and is practical for my needs, people think it looks cool and all that street cred rubbish but I’m thinking of going back to a late Hiace, never had any issues with them ever. One plus point I guess is that it doesn’t seem to have depreciated at all since I have had it (but offset by the on-going high maintenance costs grrr).

A few years ago, I pondered on this and decided I wanted a 174 engine but wasn’t paying the premium for a Sportline. It wasn’t available in a Kombi, so effectively I made my own from new

It probably cost the same but for my use, I wanted a bit more on the inside, seats in the back and something substantial to insulate and line it with.

Don’t go all starry eyed over the Sportline thing.

Whats your mate done with it, long journeys or town ?

Driveshafts will have probably been replaced…
Waterpump last done ? Its a chain drive for the cams….
38-40 on a run is probably close enough…
DPF, I removed mine for exactly the reasons you experienced.

Is it EXACTLY what you want? If not, px it and then move it on after that to get what you want.

Ask Mattbee if he’d lay out the £10k purchase price and then the conversion, maintenance, repairs, etc ££’s again?
If it wasn’t for the fact the T5 he has will tow 320kgs more than my Caddy he’d have bought it off me already.

There will be some fans along soon. (edit: I see they’ve already arrived) Ts are like Audis/BMWs, Apple ‘vices, death metal, tribal tattoos… . People are either passionate about them or passionately dismissive.

I’ve priced up a T6 petrol because it’s about the only van of its size I can find with a petrol engine but I’m not sure I could bring myself to buy one. It’s just not “me”. A friend’s son gave me a lift in some kind of large up-market Audi – fortunately it was dark and no-one within 30km knew me apart from his dad.

A friend runs a 400 000km + Trafic which has had no more than routine servicing – does anyone know anyone who has done that with a T? Perhaps it’s the people who buy Ts, they love faffing with the things and using all those 174 horses whereas my friend drives his Trafic (often with 12mtbs on a trailer) to get to where he’s going without making any of his passengers travel sick.

Yawn

The AA do a good deal on a repair warranty (can’t remember the name of the policy). As with any vehicle.. You pays your money you take your chances…

If its a decent price, has been well maintained and is what you want then go for it.

The last one of these went for about 8 pages.

They’re popular enough to attract all kinds of scorn and bitterness.

Other vans are available.

Wish I’d never asked!

no, you’re right, just buy it. 😛
they’re nice looking vans, but i’m not convinced they’re the best vans. full disclosure – i’m looking for a vito sport right now.
if you want to make the depreciation thing work for you, you want to be buying with 40k and selling at 140k. when you come to sell this, the number of buyers who’ll be prepared to take on something at what – 160k? more? will be few and far between.
sell your bike, sell your bimmer, see what the money is. if matey wants your bike he’ll pay for it. interest rates are low. get a loan if you need to.

i’ve a 2008 LWB 2.5lt 130bhp “Caravelle”… at least it was a Caravelle until we butchered it…. currently being turned into a camper/lifestyle van.

with a private plate on it you can’t tell it’s 7 years old.

well, maybe… i and many others will know that it is at least 6 (nope, make that 7, now) years old s it will be pre face lift. not really an issue.

It has rear parking sensors already, a necessity to get it onto my very narrow driveway with an oblique entry.

get a rear view camera fitted. not overly pricey and takes some of the pressure off when reversing into tight spaces. you’ll need an appropriate radio/head unit, though.

Thirst? I know these 2.5 engines like a drink, what’s a reasonable MPG to expect? He reckons 38-40mpg on a run, around 25mpg in town, avg of about 34mpg. I could live with that but is he being optimistic? Obviously over 40mpg would be ace, but rare in a van this size, and I do less than 10k miles per year anyway.

easily get over 40mpg on a run with mine when cruising at 65mph…. i avoid using it in town as much as possible. travelled over to the UK in December and consumption dropped to ~18mpg…. was doing 120mph, mind. (yay… Autobahns!)

-It’s done 140k miles. Not huge for a van I know, but although it doesn’t shudder (so no obvious signs of Dual Mass on the way out or clutch needing to be replaced) but how long til it needs its first flywheel and clutch?

not easy to say… mine has covered 190k KM and still on original parts. depends on whether it has been used for long trips or lots of town driving.
the 2.5lt engines are good for half a million kilometers if looked after.

It’s Silver, and ideally for work I’d buy a Black van (company logo reasons)… How much is it to vinyl wrap a LWB T5 van these days?

not much help, but i was quoted 1300€ for a full wrap.

2.5 5 pot is supposedly more problematic than the 1.9 4 pot?

yes and no… water pumps are supposedly an issue on the 2.5s. the 5 pot has loads of torque and doesn’t struggle up the hills like the 1.9lt…. and 6th gear is nice for the Autobahns.

Driveshafts twist/break on the more powerful models I’m told…?

i think it depends on the driving style… hired Transporter that had a knock on the left side when giving it some welly way from the lights. didn’t do it if you pulled away sedately.

as for general driving i find it quite relaxing compared to a car. find that i’m far more inclined to just cruise along.
although it is a LWB, it’s not noticeable other than when doing a U-turn in the middle of the road (13m turning circle).

rickmeister – Member
DPF, I removed mine for exactly the reasons you experienced.

you too are in DE, aren’t you? any problems with the TÜV if you remove the DPF?

[/url]DSC_0371 by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr[/img]

changed a lot since this photo… blacked out all the chrome. removed the 3rd row of seats and installed a bench/fridge/cooker/storage/bed. new facelift wing mirrors. black “angel eye” headlights. HILO pop top. blacked out bike rack. under floor gas tank…..

when you come to sell this, the number of buyers who’ll be prepared to take on something at what – 160k? more? will be few and far between.

Your kidding right? That’s ‘barely run in’ in T5 ad speak.

I have one but mainly because it was well priced and local when I was looking for a van

when you come to sell this, the number of buyers who’ll be prepared to take on something at what – 160k? more? will be few and far between

Around the £10-12k mark this mileage is average.

Seriously, I thought my Evil was divisive! Yes, an Evil riding, BMW driving middle aged white man… Nobody’s batting an eyelid. Talk about buying a T5 van and…? WOW!

no, you’re right, just buy it.
they’re nice looking vans, but i’m not convinced they’re the best vans. full disclosure – i’m looking for a vito sport right now.
if you want to make the depreciation thing work for you, you want to be buying with 40k and selling at 140k. when you come to sell this, the number of buyers who’ll be prepared to take on something at what – 160k? more? will be few and far between.
sell your bike, sell your bimmer, see what the money is. if matey wants your bike he’ll pay for it. interest rates are low. get a loan if you need to.

I agree, I’ve not driven many recent vans (used to drive vans a lot 12-13 years ago, got to drive all the current vans back then) and the T5 feels a little dated to drive compared to some, but… That’s not the point. The Sportline’s in particular seem depreciation proof, past a certain age, which is a massive appeal (as is the fact he wants my motorbike!).

As for selling the bike, not the easiest thing. It’s in great condition, hasn’t even been started in almost 10 years, so needs a full overhaul. The car is in daily use, can’t afford to be without transport even for a few days sadly. Fortunately my old man has agreed to lend me the few £k difference between getting the van, and selling the Beemer (on pain of death to get it gone inside a month though!), so in that resepct I’m lucky.

Looking round, 140k seems about average for one of these vans. I’m not worried about the milage, it’s been looked after, just wondered what expenses I may have to incur…

I’ve just bought one and love it.
Last back was a vito which rusted before my very eyes! Good engine but crap bodywork and other bits. The seems solid and nice to drive so far. No plans to bling it up going to keep her clean for now.

Try a few other vans anyway before you commit such as the new shape/engined Vivaro/Trafic bi-turbo in sportive/Business+ trim level.

I am disappointed – I was thinking this thread was about a proper car, not an overpriced unreliable builders van…..

I’ve got a 2013 high line which is used for business. It’s ok. Not uncomfortable to drive for long periods but if At 6 foot I would like to be able to move the drivers seat further back – mines hard against the bulkhead. If I need to go somewhere without loads of kit I will often takes the wife’s car as its quieter and more comfortable.

Love mine. 2.5, 130. Check known problems though if you can. Water pump and problem with can shaft wearing. Not cheap to solve if they fail, but no can belt changes to pay for. Shortest run VW engine – changed due to issues. Great to drive though.

Mine has been run to 230k miles. Its a 2008 2.5 130.

It still ran but my mpg fell to about 30 doing 70 on mway!!! It felt clunky and stank of exhaust fumes in and outside.

Got her checked out and im now 3.5k lighter!!!

New turbo, driveshafts, suspension linkages, manifold, power steering pumos etc, (all genuine vw parts) and a pendle remap to 190hp.

In that 230k nothing other than a (dpf delete and serivice items) had been replaced, so not too bad.

My van however has spent most of its life on motorways.

Depending where you are based but TH performance in portsmouth area will give it a detailed health check, even put it on a dyno to see how it runs….

They are great vans, but yours is at that age when it can get costly.

All vans are excellent whether they are depreciation proof T5’s or the opposite end of the scale, Dailys, which depreciate like mad!

If it’s a keeper then depreciation doesn’t matter too much, but I would say if you are going to get it wrapped, buy a standard white one where the paint has faded around the previous sign writing. Also I think the 174 engine is a bit sensitive, I read that if it’s been driven hard when young they are OK but if it was ‘run in’ gently they can suffer ongoing issues. (Valve seats or something?)

I’ve been looking for 9 months for a replacement, just collected this at the weekend. Got all the toys but had to fly to the other end of the country to collect it!

Do it. If you can finance it by swapping a 10 year old BMW and a never used motorbike for it then it’d be a no brainer (for me).

Absolutely love my T5 but I don’t really understand the hate they generate but then I’m happy spending weekends in the summer with a load of like minded VW owners in the sunshine…

Haha you were dismissive of the vans when you were looking for cars last 😉

The van sounds alright, buy it, find a decent VW van specialist to look after it for you as they’ll know the issues are and hopefully catch them early.

Haha you were dismissive of the vans when you were looking for cars last

I know mate, and I’d still much rather drive a nice car. The problem is, the need for a van is becoming greater and greater, to the point where I can’t really do without one for much longer. Then there’s the fact it can be a mobile advertising board if I need it to be…

Do it. If you can finance it by swapping a 10 year old BMW and a never used motorbike for it then it’d be a no brainer (for me).

Not quite, but pretty close. I’ll have to sell the car, but my old chap has offered to lend the difference as long as the car is already advertised and realistically sells within the month.

To be fair, I’ve kinda decided to go for it now, as long as we can agree on a price… The problem is now, looking at used values, we both have an appreciating asset that we want to swap with each other (plus cash one way), as my bike is on the rise MASSIVELY looking at 2nd hand values!!! 😯

It’ll be fine, just buy it. You’re going into it with your eyes open, with what sounds like an interesting and mutually beneficial swap/trade-in, and you need a van.

FWIW, I’ve not looked back since going down the van route, though I went Renault- your predicted MPG sounds about right to me, and a van’s practicality is a no-brainer.

I’ll try and answer all your questions below. I do a lot with transporters, upgrading, selling etc and have owned many over the years so am well placed to comment.

You’re kind of right that the 2.5 is more problematic than the 1.9 although it’s more that problems are more expensive to put right as parts are more than for the 1.9. Just about numbers of engines really the 1.9 is used in so many vag vehicles that pattern parts etc are common.

Driveshaft will go most frequently on a 174 and generally takes the stubshaft with it. A friend who’s had a 174 long term banks on one every 45-50k. £490ish to sort so not hideous.

Genuine Sportline is the best for residuals so look after it and it’ll do you ok.

Wrapping one of these well will be 800-1000 and won’t do the values any favours. If it really has to be black then I’d say find another van. Or could you not just get the graphics done on a black background/border to give a similar look for much less?

MPG – I’ve had all engines in these and all will do me 40mpg to a tank with decent runs. The same guy who does driveshafts has had his 174 to 45mpg over a tank when trying to get economy up.

It’s done pretty well to not have a clutch yes, about 800 for clutch and flywheel when needed. Check the bite point and you can gauge how far up it is and an idea of if it’s an imminent job.

I’ve not had many dpf issues with t5’s, they can be removed on a remap too if they cause trouble.

Any other questions feel free to drop me an email.

Steveh, many thanks for your response… I’ve been doing a bit of googling as you’d expect, and your responses on this forum feature high up on google and have been most helpful! Will speak to the owner again tomorrow to see if the deal is a goer, and drop you an email with any further questions… Much obliged. Where are you based incidentally?

The van is a genuine Sportline, I’m going to ask to rifle through the history to check for work it’s had done. It’s never been used to carry anything heavier than a Harley Davidson though, and even then on the odd occasion. 95% of the time now it’s empty, and in its previous role (owner from new) apparently it was used to deliver beds and sofa’s, so it’s not had a hard life. I’m familiar with VW clutches and how to check their condition (and the dual mass flywheel), but how do I check for the condition of the driveshafts?

Have spoken to a customer of mine that does commercial signage for a living, and he’s said not to go for a wrap… Said that a decent one is gonna be a hell of a lot of money, and that he’ll be able to do something really good to promote the business on the van for a whole lot less money… Even better, he’s after a new full sus bike in the spring himself! Winner… And my best customer owns a car body shop, so can fix the minor scrapes on my Beemer for peanuts to make it easier to sell! Boom.

Moneypits walk away!! 😉
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Dsxg7f]Untitled[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

The easiest way to check driveshafts is to jack the van up in gear and see how much rotational play there is when turning the wheel. A small amount is normal but not significant rotation.

I’ve had t5 from new van not a calli and tbh it’s just a van that holds it value seats are ok not a huge fan of the accearator peddle as its off to one side . there are better out there new transit custom or even the new merc.

Just get it if you want it no stickers please.

not a huge fan of the accearator peddle as its off to one side

It’s the steering wheel being off to one side that I notice more

In my experience, the mileage doesn’t matter on T4 or T5s, regular servicing and looking after them does. I know someone with a 300k+ early T5, that hasn’t had much work on it at all.

I like my T4, It’s rough on the outside but the engine is sweet and it drives nice and gives really good MPG (1.9 TD).

I’ve driven my work’s transit custom, and it’s much more civilised, like driving a big car, but that doesn’t do it for me. I like that my T4 is how I imagined a van to drive before I bought one, especially as the (extended) gear stick needs to moves about 30cm to go from 1st to 2nd etc… like driving a big rig(I imagine in my own sad way)!

like driving a big rig(I imagine in my own sad way)!

Really need an air horn pull chain mounted on the roof for full effect 😉

Also you don’t see many other 10 year old vans fro other manufacturers around do you…