Fancied one for years.
Few reservations though – namely how often will I use it, how do I make sure I don’t buy a nail, how much do I need to spend. I’ve wanted one for bike weekend duties but the wife wants one to go camping in ie with beds. I know there’s a sliding scale available in terms of what work has been done to them before you buy and that’s reflected in the price.
We already have 2 cars so hardly need another vehicle – hoping having one will mean we’ll naturally use it for weekends because it’s there.
Anyone else think along these lines before buying?
Was at a friend’s last night who’s bought an 05 plate with a certain amount of fitting out i.e. bed) for £8k – going to look around it later. Not sure about the mileage but it’s a 2.0.

I know there’s a million threads on this – any pointers/advice without trawling through them all? Cheers

When i first bought my van (vw t4) splitting fuel costs and sharing the buzz and banter of travelling into different areas to ride was a big part of the mountainbiking scene for me. over the last few years all my mates have got vans and sold the car, everything from peugeot experts, citroen belingos t5s vitos transits etc etc. Once youve had a van you wont look back,they are so practical and make riding through winter so much easier.
Having a full service history would be my choice, get one with a tail gate rear door too,and buy the best you can afford.

and get neons lights inside like Gav did 😉

Go drive some vans, forget the history etc try them out.

It’s a blank canvass inside, v2 of the bed I made was much better

If it’s a 05 plate it will be either a 1.9 or 2.5. 2010 onwards are 2.0.
If the milage is up around 80k then you will be looking at a new dmf circa £800 so take that into account I’d it’s not been done.
I’ve converted a van to camper and love it however realise there are some things that you need accept, mainly that it’s a big box and as such quite noisy inside the cab if you are used to a car. This can be addressed to a degree with some serious sound deadening etc but will not ever be car quiet from my experience!

Are you dead-set on a VW? In rational terms 8K is a lot of money for an 11 year old van. Have a look at how much you could get something like a Trafic for as an example. (I bought a 10 plate Traffic van with 80k on it for £6K a couple of years back)

Having said that, a weekend-only vehicle doesn’t need to be as reliable as a daily-drive I guess.

Don’t just consider T5s of course – my 14 year old T4 was £5K with about 100k on it, and my T3 was less than £2k but it’s slow, leaky and cold 😉

If you want a Transporter, get a transporter. No point getting something else because it’s “better value” and then you not being as excited by ownership. Sounds daft I guess but what the heck.

A sample of one I’m fully aware but my mate bought a Trafic that was a couple of grand more than my T5 but newer, lower miles, faster etc. However the design of the front end channels all the rain water off the screen to pool on the cylinder head and as it wasn’t ever a daily driver it didnt get evaporated off daily and now the injectors and glow plugs are rusted in place and he’s looking at a rather large bill.

I’m afraid I can’t offer much buying advice for T5s despite owning one as my neighbour is a Transporter owning AA man and he did all the hard work for me….

I won’t be going back to a car if I can help it and with decent sound deadening the difference between the T5 and a car isn’t enough for me to care and I’ve taken it from here in Suffolk up to Kielder/The Lakes and over to France a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed it and the ability to not have to worry about packing a family and all their kit is a bonus! 😀

Don’t let T4 drivers try to sway you from your path. If you must, test drive both. Then you can get over the shock and concentrate on a nice T5.

Seriously though, go and see as many as you can and insist on test drives. You’ll soon get a feel for what you want.

Just seen friend’s T28 (85 underneath whatever that means) 1.9 with 170k on it.
It’s been insulated and has a full bed conversion – 3 seats up front with another row behind.
It’s nothing fancy – dead basic wheels and standard trim etc.
The thing I’m struggling with most is having a van sat on the drive and having 2 cars. I don’t want to get rid of my Golf – the Ceed is used by the wife but at a push we could do without that – she does craft shows occasionally so the van could be handy for that.
I don’t want to spend more than £8-9k but not sure how realistic that is.
I know bugger all about vans and am not handy with stuff like this at all 😕

Avoid the pre facelift 2.5l engine – shortest run of engine of any VW, due to a range of problems (I’m told). I have one and love it (7 years now), but it has need camshaft and other jobs. They were presumably all warranty fixes, so may find one with it all sorted. Ours has lifting roof/bed and 3/4 seat bed in back – multi purpose.

i had a vw t5 1.9 (’05) for about 7 years, i converted it myself to a camper.

the good.. its easy to convert to a camper and you can add a great deal of value ton the van. not counting running costs i sold my van for pretty much what i paid (7 years older and 60k more miles on it).

they are easy to drive, like a big car. not a prob as a day to day driver.

tons of room.

easy to find out info when they go wrong… which it will.

the bad…

damn expensive to buy and well and truly have become chav mobiles.

really unreliable and if you look on the forums they all, no matter what engine, suffer from the same problems.

very expensive to maintain and repair.

mpg.. i got on 20quid of diesel 100 +/- miles.

i sold mine and bought a ’71 vw microbus deluxe.

Avoid the pre facelift 2.5l engine – shortest run of engine of any VW, due to a range of problems (I’m told).

buy a 2.5l… loads of torque. will do 40+mpg if you sit at 60mph. can do 120mph on the Autobahn. just don’t cane the throttle in the lower gears if you don’t want to worry about camshafts.

just buy one. the worse that can happen is you don’t like it and you sell it on for the same price you paid or a slight loss, but if you don’t do it, you’ll never know.

IMO, get a LWB if you can (you have a drive) as the extra 40cm makes a lot of difference on the inside re. storeage.

lots of different layouts that you can think of to allow you to use it to sleep/camp and get your bikes in.

something similar to this may work for you if wanting to get bikes in a sleep or if just camping with the missus….

[url=https://flic.kr/p/M81ytv]DSC_0623[/url] by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/M4Xmzq]DSC_0626[/url] by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr

a few pics of recent adventures to whet your appetite…

Italian/Austrian boreder last weekend…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/MZrQAj]DSC_0894[/url] by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr

Yorkshire coast in September…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/NPviAe]IMG_3186[/url] by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr

Somewhere in Wales…
[/url]IMG_3314 by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr[/img]

if someone could tell me the name of the mountains in the background i’d be grateful! didn’t see a soul all day…
[url=https://flic.kr/p/NuGAUd]IMG_3731[/url] by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr

bike rack makes for a handy drying rack….
[url=https://flic.kr/p/qHQyDk]DSC_0487[/url] by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr

back in Feb for a spot of snowkiting and riding in South Tirol….
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FnmRMw]DSCN3456_edited[/url] by sod_the_taxman, on Flickr

Once youve had a van you wont look back

No longer have one, I don’t miss it but Madame want’s another Wendy house on wheels. If it’s dismal I’d rather stay in a hotel/gîte and if it’s nice I’d rather camp in a tent with mosquito nets. Nearly all the places we used to stay now ban any kind of camper, if it says “vehicule de loisir” on the “carte grise” you can’t park anywhere near the sea on the Basque coast in Summer. Small vans are still allowed so a discrete van conversion seems the best option.

Had a highish mileage T5 it was great but sold it when I was commuting 100miles a day. Stopped the commute bought a caddy. Liked it but it was no T5. Stupidly stood on the forecourt when the caddy was have some recall work done. Owned the t6 for two weeks. It’s great. Just need to live with it a while before deciding what to do. First job was sound deadening and carpet on the cab side of the bulkhead which makes it pretty quiet.

Want a T5 get a T5
[url=https://flic.kr/p/LZYnEZ]Untitled[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/M54gWW]Untitled[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

May be best to buy an empty van and do the work yourself or get a kit and employ a carpenter. Vdub campers go for silly prices now. Easy to drive as day to day vehicles. Wouldn’t go back to being a car owner but I sleep in my van a lot and is very easy for biking trips away.

Avoid the pre facelift 2.5l engine – shortest run of engine of any VW, due to a range of problems (I’m told).

People will repeatedly tell you this. I’ve done over 30k in mine with no issues.

buy a 2.5l… loads of torque. will do 40+mpg if you sit at 60mph. can do 120mph on the Autobahn

This! You don’t have to wring it’s neck to keep up with traffic and overtaking is easy. Sitting in 6th at 2000rpm returns good mileage. Plus if you ever get to Germany, you’ll easily see triple figures on the autobahn. Obviously just to satisfy your curiosity.

…well and truly have become chav mobiles.

Have they? A T5 is hardly an Impreza or a Civic is it?

Hipster mobiles in SW France. The surfers (non-hipster real surfers) can’t afford them anymore and buy Trafics, Scudos, Berlingos etc..

Sold my 2006 2.5TDi 130 T5 a couple of years back now, but I did 100k with no engine problems.
Ate a half-shaft at 60k (common problem) and I had to re-solder the electrics under the drivers seat (convenience module) but otherwise faultless. Could get 40+ mpg depending on how I drove it.

Great van but I don’t miss it; do most of my driving solo now and commuting etc and prefer a car to drive. I get my bikes on the tow bar or roof rack and thats fine for me.

8k for an ’05 sounds ridiculously steep to me though.

Alpin – what’s going on with your roof? I looks like most of it isn’t enclose when open?

Hipster mobiles in SW France.

worst than that i would say, they have become the vehicle of choice for the chavs and vw want to be’s calling themselves ‘dubbers’ i would say. if i see another blinged up van with big wheels, chequer bra bonnet, a colour matched lei and those stupid stick people stickers i will scream.. so quite likely then!

@ Simon…. Hilo roof.

Google them…. Original profile when down, much higher lift when up (head/toes don’t touch the roof lining), zip out front, windows unobscured by the gas struts and properly crash tested…. Just a few of the advantages 😉 8)

Oh dear. Basically lots of people really like them and lots of people really don’t.

I bought one about 6years ago, 1.9 on 07 plate. Done about 100k in that time, usual problems, dmf changed due to rattling , stub shaft and driveshaft changed as splines had worn excessively. Other than that its been fine. Cheap enough to run / repair. Easy to work on if something does go wrong.
2.5 is a bit more complex to repair, but gear driven so no cambelt to change.
I wasn’t sure when i got mine, but wouldnt be without it now, frequently have 5 bikes in it without having to take wheels off.
I drove a t4, and didnt like that at all, very slow, and not nice to drive.

dmf changed due to rattling , stub shaft and driveshaft changed as splines had worn excessively

And folk say French motors are unreliable.

Tbh the above is my experience of vw ownership. Problematic -usually expensive

you can’t park anywhere near the sea on the Basque coast in Summer

??? Mine is registered as a ‘turismo’ but it’s not like anyone checks.. We have parked up at Cenitz plage, Acotz etc no problem. Or do you mean campsites?

Anyway, as above.. I tried a few transits vivaros etc and despite being much newer, lower KMs for the same money, the Multivan just felt nicer, less like a builder’s van.

Drive train wear and is largely dependent on the driving habits of the previous owners surely?

A Multivan is fine. It’s considered a car so if it goes under the height barrier you’re fine and can park where there are the sign with a picture of a camper van with a no parking sign. In St Jean de Luz it’s most definitely enforced but as with any illegal parking you might be lucky and not get a ticket.

It’s a well-know problem.

I’ve currently got a T4 Multivan, its starting to show its age so i’m looking for a T5 Caravelle. 7 seats, rears turn into a bed. Will get a pop top conversion so it can sleep the kids up there. Sliding seats make it versatile for bike carrying duties and you’re no carrying around a whole load of camper weight when using at as a daily driver. Having had a camper before, unless you’re planning in camping every weekend or for extended periods, all your cooking stuff and stroage can put all equipment in storage tubs to be used when you need it.

you might be lucky and not get a ticket.

Probably wouldn’t tempt fate, having a Spain registration in France 😀

I’ve thought about a poptop for mine, but as it is, it *just* goes into some underground carparks, another 3 or 4 inches and I’d be panicking (even when it’s gone under the height warning barrier, the perspective from the driver’s seat is less than reassuring)

Bob…. Hilo roof would still get you under the height restrictions….

Although you could lower the van if going for a traditional style roof to get under the barriers. But then you’ve less clearance on rough tracks….

Those Hilo roofs looks excellent. I am guessing around the £4k mark?

This is my new (to me) van, picked up last week from Salop Vans (highly recommended) and I’ve been in hospital ever since so little opportunity to spend time in it, grrrrr.

Previous to picking up the T5 I did the cheap van thing but after a couple of years it was effectively junk whereas if I look after the T5, it should still have significant value in it when I move it on. It drives very well, not too dissimilar to our car and the kids and wife really like trips away in the van, so we tend to go on more weekend trips to the Lakes or Welsh beaches, the new van means we can do this in comfort. I love it , and I’m not particularly bothered whether or not people judge me for driving it, I tend to do things for me, not strangers on an Internet forum.

Well said dark side. Love my lwb.

dmf changed due to rattling , stub shaft and driveshaft changed as splines had worn excessively
And folk say French motors are unreliable.
Tbh the above is my experience of vw ownership. Problematic -usually expensive

The repairs i listed cost me under £450 to do. Hardly a major expense in 100k miles? It helps obviously that i am able to do all the work myself and not have to pay a garage to do it for me.

“Salop vans” adding an “e” at the end would make that name perfect. 😉

I do things for me but try to be responsible about doing them. I know there’s a problem with CO2, Nox and diesel soot so try not to be a part of the problem. Then I visit a major city and realise my individual efforts are futile. I still find it very hard to get as enthusiastic about these vehicles as when we had a T2 and the issue was eventually running out of oil rather than greenhousing the planet into an inhopitable dust bowl while there are still years of oil shale and coal left in the ground.

Hmmm….seems to be as many bad experiences as good ones.
Is there a go-to Transporter geek site where I can pluck brains?

T4 forum (includes T5’s).
Dark Side sums up well. I have one and was aware of being a sheep but not bothered too, just does what I need for work & life, nice to drive and very practical. Due to replace it in the New Year and I think it’s still probably worth the same as when I got it 2 years ago despite adding 20k miles in that time. Previous to having a T5 I always had Toyota Hiace’s which are really good if on more of a budget, totally reliable and go well enough if you get a later one with D4D 120 engine.

The T4 forum is a wealth of knowledge,but I’ve found answers here to be more forthcoming and the standard of spelling and grammar does my head in.

You’ll hear so many “horror” stories as there are so many vans around. Those with vans that just chug along tend not to scream about their drama-free experiences.

Hmmm, popped out for some new cleats and seem to have accidentally bought myself an ex demo T6 SWB Kombi.

Whoops

LWB out of stock? 😉

Ha ha

Now you mention it they were actually.

Although MrsCurto wants to be able to park the fecker at waitrose so we are all good.