I’m lucky enough to be in a position to treat us to a Camper (inheritance, and believe me I wish I was luckier and they were still here)

We’ve had a look at a handful of vans – budget is £40k tops which I was surprised to find doesn’t get us near a brand new one!

So, choices are a VW Transporter or Transit conversion –

Currently down to a shortlist of two VW’s, one’s a Highline the other a Startline, so the base van spec is much better on the Highline – but there’s a chunky price difference of £5k between them – both are brand new CamperKing conversions so the spec in the back is exactly the same…..

Anyone care to give their own stories on buying/owning one??

Anyone got a CamperKing conversion?? What do you think of it?

Anyone likely to say “whatever you do, don’t buy a VW, get a…..”

Any comments on depreciation on these things?

Every time we go and look at one, it seems to sell within hours – we looked at one on Saturday and went for a coffee to think about it, and it had sold when we got back!!!!

Any comments on depreciation on these things

Generally pretty low, but then you’re buying at the peak of the market, so your depreciation will be much more.

Which won’t matter much, unless you have kids aged around 5 or 6 at present?

In which case you’ll be selling it in 7 years to buy something bigger.

Owner of a T5 for the last 16 years.

Startline trim doesn’t usually have cruise control which might be a deal breaker for a campervan.

Camper King not known to be the best convertor, they don’t insulate their vans. But I have a mate with one who’s been very happy with it

I have a highline Kombi, definitely wouldn’t have wanted a startline. The spec inside is much nicer. But if you don’t mind then £5k is a big chunk and lots of other campers are startline spec

Depending on where you are, you may want to check whether they’ve been reclassified as a passenger car (or whatever) after the conversion.

There’s a clean air zone been introduced into the town where I live and lots of people with camper conversions and ‘lifestyle’ vans are complaining because they’re still classed as commercial vehicles and therefore subject to the charges.

Why a VW/Tranny size? gonna be a daily driver? at that budget you’ll get a decent motorhome.

If you don’t need it imminently, I’d wait and see if the bubble bursts.

You’ve said yourself they are selling like hotcakes at the mo.

We’ve been looking, but at bigger vans.

Bottom line, it has to have a shower & toilet and ‘proper’ sized vehicles cost barely more than vans.

Plus a garage, no way do I want bikes outside with the constant worry of them ‘disappearing’.

We’ve been looking a while now. its just the two of us but we’ve concluded a VW T is just too small to go very far or for more than a couple of days. Now looking at motorhomes and even though they are less fashionable you do get a lot more bang for your buck.

Gonna rent this year for a couple of weeks and see how we get on with it. Then, if we are still into it, gonna buy at a later date once the bubble bursts.

Bottom line, it has to have a shower & toilet and ‘proper’ sized vehicles cost barely more than vans.

Plus a garage, no way do I want bikes outside with the constant worry of them ‘disappearing’.

Sounds like you need a house. 😉

I’m lucky enough to be in a position to treat us to a Camper

How many is “us”?

VW sized camper is cramped for 2, would be a bit of a mission for >2.

If you haven’t done campervanning before, then it might be worth hiring for a week to see how you get on with the size / space limitations. See a lot of VW sized campers so crammed to the gills with ‘stuff’ that they need to be emptied before you can get in the back.

If you’re contemplating taking bikes, think about how happy you’d be with leaving them outside the van overnight.

Bought a T6 highline conversion in March for same as you’ve got to spend (roughly). 2017 van with 20k miles on it so not new but great condition and lots of extras.

Was also waiting to see if bubble burst but decided life is simply too short.

Did look at motorhomes too but did not like the driving, parking and storage issues that came with a motorhome. T6 drives well and whilst we do have other cars it is perfectly usable as a daily driver..

Basically whatever you go for it will always be a compromise of some sort so you’ve just got to decide what’s important for you and recognise that, and you’ll be golden. Personally we’re delighted with our choice and looking forwards to longer trips.

You’re very lucky so enjoy whatever you do decide on!

See a lot of VW sized campers so crammed to the gills with ‘stuff’ that they need to be emptied before you can get in the back.

This is just as likely people taking a load of bulky shite with them as the van being too small.

Or people who’ve compromised on size for longer trips so that they have a reasonable daily driver.

When we are on longer trips we’ll having walking kit, running kit, swimming kit (Inc wetsuits), packrafts, PFDs, helmets etc. That soon fills a small campervan {Trafic in our case). Being well organised with rainproof storage boxes and a wee tent or awning makes life easier once we arrive at our site / destination.

This is just as likely people taking a load of bulky shite with them as the van being too small.

Erm. People generally take “bulky shite” with them because they need it to fulfil the purpose of the trip, or because the bulky shite is too young to be left at home unsupervised.

Kind of defeats the purpose of getting a van to go on adventures with unless you can take your adventuring kit with you.

I have a Camper King converted T5.1 and I’m really happy with it.
The insulation seems fine, it’s always toasty warm but then I do have an Eberspacher night heater which is great too.
Camper King warranty their conversion so long as you do their ‘habitation check’. I didn’t buy it from them but they’ve done various bits of work under that warranty and I’m really pleased with.
I’m not overly familiar with the different specs, but air conditioning was a must for me. I had cruise control retro-fitted. I also had Camper Kings off-grid kit fitted which consists of a second leisure battery and a solar panel charging system, as well as the Eberspacher.
What engine did the donor vehicle have ? If it’s the 180ps Bi-Turbo CFCA engine, start running, and don’t stop.
I’ve had it four years I think, and I’m pretty confident I would get back what I paid and spent on it if I sold it. It’s definately a seller’s market out there at the moment.
Hope that’s helpful.

On engines mine has the 150hp and I’ve got a tdi tuning box too, which gives it a bit more oomph. A lot of vans seem to be 102hp which I personally think would be pretty hopeless but ymmv..

100% hire one first. With the madness over buying them this year that advice goes double, so many shonky old vans with big wheels and lockdown DIY conversions done.

A traditional side layout, pop top T5 or similar is easy to find for a hire, see if the novelty wears off. I don’t mean to put you off if that’s what you’ve always dreamed of but there can be challenges particularly once you go past 2 people and minimal stuff. Have a really good think about what you want from it – dayvan, weekends away, big tours, drive somewhere far away and stay for a couple of weeks? Need to take bikes, paddleboards, other bits? Are you going to need to plonk an attached tent next to it just to have room to move inside?

Erm. People generally take “bulky shite” with them because they need it to fulfil the purpose of the trip,

I’m looking across at a couple right now with an awning on their transporter that’s about the size of an 8 man tent, two tables, 4 different chairs, a firepit thing and a toilet tent. Each to their own but for me that’s quite a lot of bulky shite!

I’m not suggesting people don’t take the things they need for their activities, just that with a bit of thought and organisation you can get away with less stuff and therefore a smaller van. But as said upthread, it’s a personal choice/usage thing.

I have one from Expedition Campers – it’s Camperkings other brand, brother of the CK owner. They do the same conversions but with slightly older vans. Quality of the conversion is on par with all the other outfits I looked at. I go away 12-14 times a year, and had it 3 years. Holding up very well, no major wear and tear.

I also looked at the insulation thing before buting – VW Californias don’t have it either. There seems to be a split on the issue, with some thinking that the issulation is just somewhere for water to get stuck in and mould to follow. I’ve camped at -10 and wasn’t at all cold, heater wasn’t on all night either.

We have a VW T6 Highline converted, bought new last September. Actually ordered in May but took time to source and then convert. We were actually offered £4K more than we paid for it when it went for a service a couple of weeks ago.
We have a zip and go tent, so ideal if staying in a location for a few days. Gives a lot more space. We have room to pack a decent sized bbq, blow up bed, table and 4 good comfy chairs, plus all the clothes we need. Thats for the four of us. But I wouldn’t take the 4 of us without the tent or when the weather could be bad.
We use camping sites, so we use the on site toilets and showers.
The VW fits our lifestyle. My preference would be a larger motor home with all the luxuries, but it just wouldn’t fit in with how we use the VW. I use it a fair amount shuttling kids around, even going to a nice quiet place to work for a few hours.
Our insulation isn’t great, November over nighter was cold when the top was popped. Mine is just the thin standard canvas though. We do have the heater that runs from Diesel, but I don’t like that running to long.

Experiences as an eleven-year T5 SWB, non-poptop, camper owner, who spent six months travelling across Europe in it, plus many and various weekend, week and two-weeks trips here and abroad:

– For two people, SWB van size is fine; in crap weather it’s nice and cosy inside, in nice weather you’re sitting outside of it anyway
– An awning does make a difference as it does (obviously) give more ‘living space’, but it doesn’t need to be huge, even a small one makes a big difference.
– SWB van size is also easier as a daily driver and for day-trips away from the campsite
– Assuming a decent layout with well thought-out storage, if you can’t get all your stuff in, you have too much stuff
– Ours is (I think) 104hp. Well, it was when it was new, it won’t be now. It’s sits at 75mph happily the motorway, it’ll go up big hills but you might need to change down a gear, it’s fine; it’s a van not an executive sports saloon
– Don’t have cruise control, sometimes wish I did, it’s no way a deal breaker though.
– With the right layout you can get all your stuff, awning, chairs etc and two road bikes in the van, and be able to get the bed out (Amdro Angel, but may no longer be available)

There was a rally nice looking Vivaro (not the newest shape Citroen one, the previous) LWB parked next to us on site yesterday.
Pop top, the usual looking interior layout except they had converted the very back bit into dog cages and had 7 greyhounds with them! 😳.
Roll out awning on the side, looked to have swivel front seats too. I expect they slept up in the pop top as I’m not sure the R&R bed would still work with the dog cages. Shows you how you can make things work for you if you want.
Mind you, having had a SWB T5, then trailer tent, then compact caravan, then 2 berth coachbuilt Motorhome we are now in a 4 berth caravan with fixed beds and a decent size washroom.
I liked the T5 but it was definitely better for short trips, or for proper active holidays where we weren’t sat in the van for ages. It got a little wearing playing campervan Tetris with all our stuff and I never really liked having to have the bikes locked to the outside whilst we were sleeping. But we had it for 4 years and barely lost any money on it.

We just picked up our van last week, we bought a base Ducato and had it converted by Vantage in Telford. Brand new van (with auto box) and conversion hasn’t come in much over your budget, depending on fit out we could have got ours under but we wanted fixed toilet, water & blown air heater, full awning and a bit more in the way of windows.

Vantage were great because they were happy to work with us on custom design so ours seats and sleeps 3, with a garage that will take 3 bikes and SUPs and run off-grid. We’ve gone LWB (L3 – 6m van) and high top (H2 – 2.5m ish) so I can stand up properly inside. It won’t work as a daily driver but will be the weekend activity vehicle.

We’ve had a T4 SWB when we were just 2 of us, it was fine but you do have to be creative in packing and it was really a metal tent. Had a pop top T5 SWB when hoppy jr was young and it was really hard work on space, bikes were on the back and in the end we sacked it off for a motorhome which was fine for space but it was over an sleeping and we were getting pinged as HGV on the payage in France and 15mpg. Due to the size of ours we did run out of garage space as he got bigger and he moved to a full sized bike.

Sounds like you need a house. 😉

I seriously considered a van a few years ago – and after a day at the camping and caravan show concluded pretty much that! I’d definitely suggest renting one to see how you get on. I think you have to imagine using it with crappy weather. For me one of the issues was all the watersports kit that gets wet an is hard enough to dry in a house.

Velocipede – happy to answer any direct questions you have, I’ve been buying and selling transporters for 10 years and as part of that do the occasional camper conversion to sell on. I can source or advise on vans/work etc for pretty much anything. Feel free to drop me a pm with any direct questions if it’s easier.

Base spec does make a difference but anything can be retrofitted to a startline/base model van on transporters. Even aircon but that’ll cost 2-2.5k to have done. Cruise is 250-500 depending on van and if it’s just cruise of new multi function steering wheel as part of it.

I have a camper myself, mine is a lwb crafter as that gives me space inside the van for bikes and also shower/toilet. With a solar panel on the roof I can do 5-7days solo without needing anything. It’s fine for a couple. Similarly with transporter sized vans space is at a premium inside. My 18 plate 30k mile crafter will be for sale in a couple of months for 46k ish. You get a lot more in a big van for a similar price. If you’re near Sheffield (or inners as I’m there this weekend) you’re welcome to have a nose just for things to think about.

I’d suggest thinking about how you might use a van, how many people, how long a trip, do you want to be on campsites or not, use all year round or in warmer months etc. They’ll impact what would work best for you in terms of camper spec, size etc. Hiring could be a very good idea just to get a feel for things. I’d also recommend looking at as many as you can to get ideas but also a better feel for build quality etc.

it was really a metal tent

True, this is basically how we think of ours.

It’s all personal really but my 2p after 6 years

Don’t worry about the vehicle spec, it’s a holiday machine not a flash car.

We do a couple and 2 dogs, happily go for 2-3 weeks at a time. Ours is lwb. I think switching the dogs for small kids would be doable, but only for short trips.

Did one season with an awning, but it was a faff, I mean, what’s the point of having a van if the first thing you do is put up a tent? Also you can’t see out the window, so you can’t see the scenery. However, some kind of cover from rain is essential, eg a side mounted wind out thing or similar, or every time you open the door stuff gets soaked.

Heaters are good, we used ours last week IN JULY, but they can be fitted later no problem.

Hire one first and see how you get on, preferably in the spring/autumn when the weather is interesting. Because they are not for everyone.

We had a similar sized camper, and it literally drove me mental, with 2 of us, bikes and a dog. No space anywhere. It was basically an insulated tin tent with wheels & no facilities.

We then went totally the other way, and now have an XLWB Crafter by SC, in the classic ‘MX Race Van’ layout. It’s a third vehicle, so no daily driving. However it is essentially a proper full sized motorhome (albeit one in the original frame of the van, and not made of balsa wood).

Would I go back to a small camper? I really don’t think I would/could, let alone spend that much on one. We are fortunate that we have a very large parking spot off road, next to the garage with its own separate gate so it just sits there, plugged in until we use it. Not exactly a practical option for most.

I would definitely consider hiring one first.

it was really a metal tent

Agreed – we do similar (LWB T6). Less noisy and don’t have to dry it out afterwards. Plus warmer and drier to sit in on a bad day; but really all you can do is sit in it. But we absolutely love it – and it is our only vehicle (neither of us drive to work regularly) and the only thing we can fit on our street. But it only the 2 of us, and things are very carefully planned. Anymore people, or more than 2-3 sports at a time (we can just about get kayaking, biking and walking stuff in), get something bigger.

Why not buy an older T25/T3 camper, try and find one with a Subaru conversion. Saves you money plus it’s unlikely to lose as much value as a £40k T6. Yeah it’s old and slow but it’s a camper, you don’t need to do 90mph everywhere. Just relax and enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

We came within inches of buying one about 3 years ago but storage was an issue. I now wish we had just bought it.

what’s the point of having a van if the first thing you do is put up a tent?

This is the wisest thing on this thread.

Just to be clear, the metal tent analogy is not supposed to be derogatory, we loved ours, it went all around the UK and Europe, if we’d stayed as just the 2 of us I doubt we’d have changed too much, but we didn’t have showers or toilets so needed to use facilities or a spade.

The new van, despite being quite a bit bigger, doesn’t have much more internal space but has the advantage of onboard toilet & shower, water heater & solar with an inverter and onboard wastewater so we can be more flexible. It also has a fixed double and a garage so stuff can be kept secure.

The things to bear in mind at the moment if you look at conversion are lead time and parts availability. No-one has space for the conversions some of the more well known convertors were talking about slots in November at the start of the year and camper parts make bike parts look like they are abundant.

As said above, 40k gets you a very nice motorhome.

I’m currently living in a 6m Rollertem Tline 590. I’d always dreamed of a van/motorhome….hired a T5 conversion and other than ease of parking it just wasnt for us.

By my meagre standards, my motorhome was/is eyewateringly expensive, but literally everyone that sees it wants one! Money is for spending whilst you’re young enough to enjoy it imo. I do wish that I could have my bike inside with me….missus is already looking at an ‘upgrade’ to an A class though, so will possibly get a garage then 😂

Get a crafter/sprinter (they are the same van) or Ducato, I quite like this effort. This is SWB but obviously longer wheelbase will give more room. I’d put a suspended bed across the front seats for child.

You could get away with a low roof SWB as a couple – a little more very useful width and height than a lwb transporter. You can just about sleep across the van if under 6ft, leaving more room in the middle of the van.

Anyway a size up on the van gives more width and if you get SWB then no more length than a lwb transporter. Also they are cheaper than transporters!

Sorry to post and annoying and somewhat irrelevant reply, but i suppose it can give you some comfort in respect of depreciation.

We have just sold our VW California after 8 years of wonderful ownership. High spec, 30,000 miles and we sold it for £1200 less than we paid for it in 2013. I would consider that to be a good deal in our favour. So, if you by right depreciation should not be your issue.

Transporter owner for 10 years. With that budget I’d go as big as possible for interior size. Rent a few before you buy see what you like. Awnings are great on smaller vans. I’d say with electric being rolled out for vehicles there will be loads of overpriced unsellable vans in a few years time.
Get one and enjoy yourself.

what’s the point of having a van if the first thing you do is put up a tent?

This is the wisest thing on this thread

Might not suit you but awnings make a lot of sense in some situations and for some set ups.

If echo hiring. I’ve had California’s then tried larger van based Hymer etc and then coachbuilts. Depends where you think you’ll spend most of your time and what you use it for. Cali was great for stealth missions to complete the Munros, get in Fri late, sleep in van, brew and brekkie then out. 2 weeks of pouring rain on a family holiday with 3 in it was zero fun. We use ours all year and ski from it in Scotland so needed hot water and a toilet for kids. Ended up firstly with a Swift Escape and just chopped that in for a lovely Chausson. It’s a bit of a tricky beast on narrow roads but no great drama even on Scottish B roads with passing places etc. Has 4 bikes in the garage etc. Not a daily driver obvs as we don’t need one.I’d also beware – VWs used to hold their value as they were, in relative terms, cheap. My 2014 Cali was 44k new , equiv now would be almost 75k. The market is mad and there will be a glut at some point in the future so vans will not hold their value like they did. That Swift we part exc for >20% more than we paid for it !

I have a Renault Traffic 2010 that I am about to sell (£18k if anyone wants one -located in Brighton). Its 4 berth via a pop top roof and I cant believe I didn’t get one sooner. Sadly I need the cash for the house extension, which is going way over budget. Its been great and I really don’t want to sell it, but once the house works are out the way and I can get some more cash together I will buy another in an instant.

They are great to use for going mountain biking and surfing as well. We have done family trips to wales in it (4 of us and a dog).

What I have learnt is you always want more space, but bigger van tend to get pushed off the cooler campsites and you end up the Caravaners, who are a special breed. I saw one caravaner once hoovering there fake grass that they put out!

Ours is a 3rd vehicle too, and I would have a van as my day to day car but cant get it in our work car park which is a total pain as the parking is too tight and my wife isn’t confident driving it as its so much bigger than her Fiesta.