Now that all the family are riding full size bikes, I’ve decided to stop faffing about with roof racks and get a van. Thinking about a LWB Volkswagen kombi, 2+2 with captain seats. Budget of £5k ish
I’m assuming I can get 4 bikes and weekend kit in the back???
Is there a better option I should look at?
Any suggestions welcome…

i got a citreon berlingo van. may get a larger van sometime but i got 6bikes and kit in it for the alps last year

i got a citreon berlingo van. may get a larger van sometime but i got 6bikes and kit in it for the alps last year

How many people though?

Tempting as it is to head to the alps with loads of bikes… I think the family would like to come too!

VW T4 or T5 ??

2 seats

need at least 4 seats

Maybe abit over your budget but check out this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSQNVk6vzQ4

Think I may do this to mine

Crewcab Vauxhaull Vivaros look tidy in MWB / LWB and Vitos too.

VWs are well regarded but you pay for it.

On a £5k budget you could pick up vivaro and convert it yourself. Great van for the money, look good and car like to drive ,had one for a few years .

Oh and I would steer well clear from Vito’s, there rust buckets.

One of the Fiat/Citroen/Peugeot panel vans with rear window + rear seat conversions. Get a lot more for your money and 5k won’t get you much VW.

I’ve got an 02 plate one I’ve had since buying new that I was meaning to convert but never got round to doing. Heaviest thing it’s ever carried is 3 bikes and 3 people, 60,000 miles with fsh. Can get rear seats and windows in each sliding door for about 1k and you’ve got an ace family van that can still carry bikes and camping stuff.

Child on the way and I might be needing to sell it to get an Octavia or somesuch. Interested?

maybe… have you got any pics?

I drive an 03 T4 SWB with two seats up front and a standard VW 2 seater on mushroom bolts in the back.

Its comfy for 4 adults and 4 bikes with the wheels off plus kit.

I chose the T4 over the T5 because I intend to keep it awhile and put plenty of miles on it. Older = simpler = more reliable & cheaper to fix (fingers crossed).

Oh my. Looked at replacement cars today and it was depressing how small the boots are. I think I might be keeping the van and putting seats in after all. I’ll let you know if I do end up selling it. It’s a near spotless navy blue Fiat Scudo with glazed rear doors by the way.

T4 with the TDI engine

i’ve got a t5 and i wouldn’t have anything else.

but if i was spending 5k, i’d look at vivaros/ primastars/ traffics.

also bigger vans (lt35s/ renault master / ducato) seems to sell for considerably less than medium vans, they are obviously bigger (duh) more difficult to get in car parks etc more basic.

if you’re on a real budget then get a Mazda Bongo, most are diesel 4wd with a pop up roof and some are converted to campervans. You can hang 4 bikes off the back — well under your 5k budget. Clearly not as reliable as a VW T5, but then, what is?

. Clearly not as reliable as a VW T5, but then, what is?

A T4 , known for there reliability as Mugboo says. I have had my T5 from new and have had a few problems , just out of warrenty to. Wouldn’t change it however , love it maybe a little to much.

That is a handsome van

I’m struggling to seek a replacement for my T5 kombi I’ve had for the past 4 years. Other than another T5, with the more efficient engine, there ain’t much out there.

I have, however, been impressed with the mk 2 Berlingo Multispace. Most of my driving and sports usage is solo, it’s just the annual family camping holiday where I use every inch of the T5, probably because I can.

The xtr offers plenty of space, limited off road capability, and 50 + mpg. l know oil changes are vital and they use rear tyres fairly quickly but that’s all I can find wrong about them.

Anyone else any experience? It’s either that or a T5 2.0 4 motion kombi at twice the price…..

2.0 T5 4Motion factory Kombi…. big hit in the banking department…

gb1m, as vans go thats nice..!

boring q, what MPG are people getting out of the VW’s
We run Vitos at work and at best we’re getting 30mpg.
Could be tempted with a bike van at some point though. Really impressed with the newest Vito we have (apart from the mpg!) Indeed all of the vans we’ve had have been bomb proof.

Rick you’re not wrong! over twice that of the xtr, and it’s difficult to justify the difference.

This one..

Martyn, on my T5 130, I get up to 40 on the clock. In reality it’s 37. On the motorway anything over 70 mph brings it down to 35 on the clock.

Worried about the pennies = Transit or Vivaro.

Worried about the image = VW

Random choice = Current model Ducato/Boxer/Relay is just coming in at the £5k point and will shortly be the van of choice for campervan conversions, its over 6 foot wide inside which means space saving sideways beds, and the vertical walls means the van stays wide rather than closing in on you towards the roof.

Spooky, I’m not sure you’re right in my case; anyway, anyone any experiences with the (new shape) multispace as a bike wagon?

Anyone? Looking to see experiences of the new shape multispace as a bike/board wagon…..

My LDV Pilot £1200 leaves you £3800 to buy yourself another bike 😉

Seriously though, seats 6, carries 6 bikes and kit easily 35+mpg 12mths MoT, 5 mths Tax, classed as a car on the Severn bridge 🙂 under 50,000 miles…..

I’m not using it enough so want to downsize to a Berlingo

I think spooky’s not far wrong up there. Maybe I’m just a peasant.

VW’s have rocketed in price these last 6 weeks. There’s a 130bhp t4 on ebay now for 8k.

I was going to spend this much and get a 2007 104 bhp version T5 with around 50k, which I could have got a couple of months back for around this mark. OK a bit more but now they’re crazy money. Saw an 2006 84bhp with over 100k up for this much the other day. Yes that’s not to say it’ll sell for that but it does seem to be the trend of late.

Too many people selling their second family cars in this here recession thingy and buying T5s.

Looking for an 06> Trampshit or Vivaro now but those vivaros look like the interiors have been made my McDonalds.