Running a vw t5 van as a family car? any experiences ..

Renton …I would get a 85 hp t5 ….I did the same …yes it re-maps to the same as the 104 can be remapped 138-140 hp..had my van done …bloody brilliant now

Also the 85 has never been worked hard as its been restricted so another plus point

just to point out – timing chain instead of a belt is a moot point – i wouldnt buy the 2.5 over the 1.9 if thats yer only reason.

K.I.S.S the 1.9 is renound as a much better engine than the 2.5 – by everyone except 2.5 owners…… funny how that works …. bit like when horas current bike is the best bike he ever had.

Vans are the way forward, don’t have a VW as I’m cheap 😳 Bought a trafic and converted it into a camper in the style of the T4s etc so its 2 berth but seats 4, the bikes go on the roof. It’s awesome, carries 4 blokes all their gear and 4 bikes plus it’s great for holidays with the wife.

I will be chopping in a 60 plate Mazda 6 and will be adding a bit of cash to it so my budget it anywhere between 9 and 12 k.

Didn’t you buy that quite recently?

Well, since this is turning into a minor ‘van-off’ here’s mine.

SWB Kombi Sportline, pretty much standard with no camper bits as it’s still under warranty and I like being able to mop it out after a muddy weekend.

Just come back from a week in the Forest of Dean with the missus and the nipper, happily carried 2 bikes, the chariot, travel cot, high chair and related baby paraphernalia, love it to bits.

To answer questions above, it’s 59 plate and I haven’t had any leakage issues with the side windows, no major issues yet but a recent service identified slight seepage from the turbo, this is getting sorted under warranty and doesn’t seem to have curbed its’ usual enthusiasm.

I have no doubt that the 1.9 is the sensible engine to go for, the 2.5 however, is a right giggle, and I get about 35MPG when being sensible. That does go straight out the window the minute I really put my foot down though.

Rear rackwise the Thule Euroclassic G6 fits fine and clears the tail gate when tilted, the older G5 version sat the bikes a bit close the the rear window though.

I get classed as a car for the M6 toll, Severn bridge etc due to the windows.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about living with this.

That’s a nice looking van!!

What does your wife think about driving it?

br,,, what’s your point?

Just back from Fontainebleau, Out Friday, back Monday. 1400 miles, fortunately wind assisted both ways. Easy and comfy.

Mrs Rickmeister is van-happy, enough to drive it through Milan, so thats wrong side of the road, foreign signage, following sat nav… its got to be easier in the UK…

The 2.5 is a giggle, started to add a bit of 2 stroke oil in the tank and it does make a difference. Top tip off the T5 forum that does seem to work.

br,,, what’s your point?

Is that a yes then?

Just thought I’d seen a post about it in the past. And wondered what had changed so quickly, which may help others with advice on your next buy.

Ok.

We bought the mazda6 just over a year ago now and in that time it has been faultless.

I have two young lads (8 and 6) and also a large Springer who needs a cage.

When ever we go anywhere the boys want to take bikes camping gear etc and we always fill the estate to the brim.

There is also the chance that I am getting posted to north Scotland with my job, so when ever we travel down to the Midlands to visit grandparents and friends the 6 is going to be a squeeze.

I also want to start taking my bike away with me more so it will be more secure in the back of a van rather than on top of a car.

I just feel a kombi van will be more suited to us as an outdoorsy family.

HOpe that helps.

tbh I reckon one vehicle never usually covers all options. So if you aren’t careful you end up driving 95% of the time in a big car/van with one person or 5 folk crammed into a little hatch.

I’d look at getting a small run-about as well as the van.

We’ve also a LWB Ducato, but its used maybe 1-2 a month. Brill when you need it, but a pain the rest of the time. Ours is a horsebox but used for tip runs, carry stuff and MTBing when we’ve a few – but you get the general idea.

I had a 07 LWB t5 as my company car, the extra space over SWB made a massive difference for camping, surf/bike trips. having said that it was a pain to park most of the time and used more fuel than my mrs 04 T5 SWB (her personal choice of motor, so I guess girls do like driving vans)The SWB just needs a few seconds more thought when packing it is all, with back seats out we can still get 2 boards, 2 bikes and enough kit for a 3day trip in there with room to sleep…
A friend re mapped his to 200bhp and after a local hot lap, i dont think the standard brakes and shocks are up to the job.. #browntrousers

Surely consider a bike rack for the 6?

Molgrips… 3 bikes on the roof unsecure or 3 bikes in the back of a van secure and with loads more room!

Br we will probably get a van to start with and if we find its to much for everyday use then will get a little run about too.

as for needing a car as well, i would have said no but ive now got a crappy eco car due to cuts at work (thanks boss)its boring dull fugly and slower than an orange 5 on a climb. But if we are just nipping out to the shops etc, id rather take the car as it just feels easy???

Molgrips… 3 bikes on the roof unsecure or 3 bikes in the back of a van secure and with loads more room!

I’d rather have 3 bikes on the back of a 50mpg car than 3 bikes in the back of a 30mpg van 🙂

What worked for us was two opposite vehicles.

T5 SWB and a Smart Cabrio. Not two things similar…

That or van and bangernomics.

That’s a nice looking van!!

Thanks mate!

What does your wife think about driving it?

My wife’s a septic and learnt to drive in various monstrous GMC vans so she’s pretty relaxed about the T5, she’s used to naturally aspirated V8’s though so the comedy turbo lag on the Sportline took a bit of getting used to. Parking sensors would also be a good move as people will put bollards where you can’t see them throug the back window.

She needs a car for work so has her own 306 and rarely drives the van which is why I didn’t comment on it’s ‘sole family vehicle’ status.

My SWB van is almost the exact width and length of a normal multi-storey or shopping centre car park space, the extra space of the LWB may be nice when you’re on holiday but I can see it being a pain to park for day to day errands, used to drive an extra long Merc sprinter for work and it was a nightmare, couldn’t leave it anywhere.

Happy van hunting!

I dint get 50 mpg with the bikes on the car due to drag.

No but you only have the bikes on some of the time, yes? And you should get 50mpg the rest of the time?

bikes on outside of cars makes me cry

1. increases chances of getting stolen. parked somewhere or increased visibility into your expensive bikes at your house…..

2. the road spray contains oil and salt and other nastys that are not good for your bike

3. they invariably make it a pain in the hoop to get into the boot.

bikes inside hidden away every time for me.

if you dont need 2 cars then theres no way if you include purchase price it can be economical to run 2 newish cars….

if you can run a banger for a second occasional car then maybe. – we need two cars due to location but still adopt this approach – van for long trips and a banger of a 4×4 for local trips and winter.

1. Not a chance, I do not leave them alone. I don’t leave them in cars alone either.

2. No different to riding them on the road, they get cleaned regularly anyway. Never had a problem with this. If it’s raining they end up cleaner than when I finished the ride too.

3. No issues on my car.

Molgrips do you also have two kids bikes and a dog plus cage to get in your car too though?

I don’t have a dog. There’s a reason for that 🙂

so you never need to get a pint of milk on the way home from a ride ? your never hungry and feel like popping into services ? multi day/sport trips involving camping and hotels or even your beloved caravan – where does the bike go then ?

my van allows me to do those things without even thinking about it or having to make a second trip.

“If it’s raining they end up cleaner than when I finished the ride too.”

Roflcoptors ……. not true in the slightest. visually maybe. I think coated in a lovely traffic film is a more apt description.

Plus I like the idea of 2 yearly servicing, the tax on a 85bhp model will be nearly the same as the mazda.

your never hungry and feel like popping into services

If I’m on my own, the bike’s in the car. If I’m with others, then some wait in the car and some go inside.

multi day/sport trips involving camping and hotels or even your beloved caravan – where does the bike go then ?

Last time I took bikes and a van I locked them to a tree. Next time I’ll probably lock them to the van chassis.

Roflcoptors ……. not true in the slightest. visually maybe. I think coated in a lovely traffic film is a more apt description.

Shall I take before and after pictures next time then? I don’t make up stories for STW you know.

I’m not denying vans are useful, but not useful enough to make me want to double my fuel consumption. Or waste half a tank of fuel every time I fill up, to put it another way. I just wanted to point out that the ‘outdoorsy family’ doesn’t really NEED a van, it may be more sensible to change your practices than to change your car for what is effectively a gas guzzler.

Just a bit of counterpoint.

please lord no ….

the 2 year servicing is a gimick to get the tradesmen to buy em due to long servicing intervals.

if you plan on keeping it long term service it yearly.

if you only want a couple years out of it then dont worry just go with it.

ah yes i remember my mates thinking that was a safe option at ae forest.

local pikeys stripped the frame bare while they slept next to it.

my bike wasnt touched in my dads van 2 pitches up.

*edit i do think its a different mentality tbh. Ive always had access to a van as i grew up my dad always ran a van due to his work – either his own or a company wagon and you really dont know how handy they are until you dont have one – i lasted 1 year without one.

there is a line that needs to be drawn when your doing big miles with nothing in though ill agree – but id be looking for a company car if i was doing those miles. if they werent business miles id be changing my lifestyle.

local pikeys stripped the frame bare while they slept next to it.

Not alarmed then?

nope neither the tree nor the bike were alarmed oddly enough.

several folk got done over that night – anyone that raced SDAs in the early 2000s will know it was a common occurance.

If I could afford it I’d have a van as well as a normal car, but I don’t think I’d replace my normal car.

I don’t think Molgrips likes vans somehow.

I’m dreaming of a T5. It’s a heart thing rather than a head thing. It makes no sense for my commute, 90% of the time it will be an empty box. BUT, even The Wife enjoyed the van we borrowed for a weeks holiday and is coming round to the idea of letting me have one. Great for family days out biking and surf / beach life.

As far as servicing and reliability, tax and insurance, they are no different to any other vehicle on the whole. It will depreciate and use fuel whatever you buy.

Molgrips does add some valid points to the argument though.

What alternatives are there then between an estate car and a van?

Trailrat.

I would service it yearly if I kept it.

Small van. Berlingo or dispatch combi. Much better mpg not as much space.

Big people carrier

There are a few vehicles like the Peugot Partner, that sort of size. Then there’s the Berlingo type, which are decent and not expensive. You’ve also got left-field stuff like Fiat Multipla.

Don’t discount Ford Galaxy style MPVs. Take the rear seats out and they’re pretty big back there. Even a Touran or similar is quite big – the Touran itself comes in a 5 seat only version. Ok nothing like a van, but you’ve got a good spectrum of vehicles to choose from to fill the gab between estate and van, with corresponding fuel economy and driveability to match.

Or you could get a trailer. Decent and quite big buffalo board trailers with locking covers can be had for £500 or less down by me – I almost bought one when I moved to Germany, and I really really wish I had now!

My old dear has a Peugeot partner ex royal mail van and it has less useable space in the back than the Mazda. Same for berlingo to

The galaxy and touran aren’t a big enough jump from the estate either and are both overpriced for what they are.

I looked at tourans before I got the Mazda and it also had less useable room in real life than the 6

Second hand stretched limo with the seats out?

Need a hatch molgrips for the dog to get in and out of!!