I have a VW Passat estate. It has roofbars and a towbar. It will take my kayaks on the roof. I have a towbar mounted cycle rack and a trials bike rack. If im riding by myself it will swallow a 29er or if others are coming i use the platform rack. I surf and kitesurf, so i usually have to get changed on the beach or carpark. This is frequently cold.

I like to camp and go away for w/e, so it will take rudimentary camping kit.

I really like the idea of a T5, Vivaro etc type van, but im not sure what the benefit to me would be. I could change inside, but the nicer i have an interior, the less likely i am to put bikes and boards inside. I like the sleeping inside idea, but that seems the only plus side over my tdi estate that does 50+ mpg.

Can anyone help shed light on this?

More room for Monster stickers.

I had a T5 with full camper conversion. I sold it after a year and bought an estate.

If it’s an itch you need to scratch, go for it…I missed the day to day convenience of a car.

Sit on the fence and get a big people carrier? I haven’t had one but I am starting to lean that way from my big estate.

We went from a Octavia estate which we used a roofbox with in the last year or so to make life a bit easier. (All the tent bits went in the roofbox). The Octavia was great, but the vivaro van which we now have makes life easier. The bikes go in complete and we don’t have to remove other bits to get them in and out. You can also get changed in it.
Downside? It’s not as comfortable as the Skoda, not as good on fuel (Octavia 4×4 140bhp – 45-49mpg, Vivaro Swb 115bhp – 35-38mpg).
We do have a 2nd car, but I’m happy to use it as my ‘car’

Personaly I like my van/mobile shelter
The only time I dont use it is for trips where I’m staying in a bunkhouse

But I don’t often drive to work and probably ride more miles a year than drive
Even the long high master I had before was fine for trips shopping and General running round
But I guess it all depends on your mileage and fuel costs

I’m also considering this option too but just not sure how liveable as a replacement for a car a van like a T5 camper conversion would be. Mpg doesn’t bother me too much as I don’t drive to work since I can walk and it’d be used mainly at weekends for going biking and family stuff like nights away in the highlands etc.

missed the day to day convenience of a car.

I’m not sure what that is.

I bought a car once, I could turn around to reverse. Every time I did I saw two bloody seats I didn’t need.

On my fifth van at the moment, got two vans now, a mk7 transit and a new VW Caddy.

If you ride bikes a van is amazeballs.

Im with sx xc here, van is not for everyone. I convince myself last year that I would or can ignore shortcomings of a van to a car, a year after i hated the van but maybe because I do hate driving too, I look at driving as necessary evil to get to point A to B, i missed the high torque high bhp car only just because I just want to get from point A to B as quick as I can.. A Van just doesn’t cut it. … If you dont have problem driving a box tin can then by all means get one it has its ups too. Hth

but im not sure what the benefit to me would be

You can read the daily star, swig your favourite non-alcoholic carbonated beverage from a glass bottle and wolf whistle at passing females.

Had a golf estate for a while while, like you said an estate covers all the basic needs but you’ve not quite got the space to sleep or change in it if You’re transporting bikes and kit too, and you probably don’t want to get the interior too grimey either…

So a van seems ideal, but then fuel costs go up, and day to day it’s not really a practical “car”…

We’ve gone for an MPV now, not actually that much of an improvement over an estate, more headroom, but not a vast amount more space, good for family trips, comfy to drive, but not quite as ideal for camping trips as a van would be.

The Solution for me might just have to be buying a bit of a shite box, cheapo van for weekend use down the line…

Still can’t see how a van is a problem day to day other than fuel cost.
Even in rural Somerset the traffic when I do drive keeps speed down and travel times seem much the same nomattee if I use our slow van/ defender / golf tdi

For me, it was parking near work (lots of barriers and I had a pop top).

Also, took ages to heat up the cab in winter, it was way more clunky than a car despite being a T5.1. I missed the comfort of a car, the quietness, the acceleration, the speed, the refinement, the efficiency….

But as I said, scratch the itch. It may be the best thing you ever did.

A swb van often has a tiny turning circle and v easy to manouvre, but I’d rather have a car if it was just for biking and change under the boot door if it’s raining!

Still can’t see how a van is a problem day to day other than fuel cost.
Even in rural Somerset the traffic when I do drive keeps speed down and travel times seem much the same nomattee if I use our slow van/ defender / golf tdi

Don’t know what kind of mileage you do but if you do a lot a car /mpv would have some comfort and ride quality advantages. Ime I have not driven a van that rides well with anything less than a medium / load including my dad’s caravelle. They have all been less comfy than my ageing estate unless there’s at least a couple of hundred kilos in the back.

I drive 15-20000 a year and that matters. The fact I also often travel long distances late at night or early in the day means the option for an extra legal 10mph on certain roads can make a big positive difference to journey times.

Thanks I was genuinely curious.
Worst turning circle car we have is my other halfs citrone c2 , it’s not far off our 110 landrover
Guess we are all a little different , the master I ahd was far more confmy for me to drive than the audi / golf / passat I’ve had
And yes my annual mileage is low but if I drive it tends to be trip biking or surfing often 3-4 hours each way for a day trip

I think a lot depends on how you balance your needs. For me lots of fast a roads, motorway type driving with just me means is not the right choice.

If I didn’t have to drive for work a lot and/or was driving a lot of slower more rural roads without the motorway miles then a van more be a very viable choice.

I always find vans ride better when they have some weight in them compared to when empty. The caravelle with 7 people in it feels spot on.

Still can’t see how a van is a problem day to day other than fuel cost.

Well obviously for some people a van is a more practical choice, but everyone has competing needs from their vehicle.

Mine needs to accommodate family uses first and foremost, er’ indoors needs to be happy driving it (she would not be happy driving a van) and we’re not keen on paying to own, VED, insure, fuel, service and store/park more than one motor vehicle right now.

My occasional solo weekend adventures and family camping trips can be covered by the one MPV we have, it’s just not quite “living the dream” like a van would be…

And that’s why there is no right answer for the op
It’s very much about what suits the individual
As a non family man I may have over looked a few things

See if you can borrow one before buying maybe

Motor way speed limit is still 70 even with a big van

Im with sx xc here, van is not for everyone. I convince myself last year that I would or can ignore shortcomings of a van to a car, a year after i hated the van but maybe because I do hate driving too, I look at driving as necessary evil to get to point A to B, i missed the high torque high bhp car only just because I just want to get from point A to B as quick as I can.. A Van just doesn’t cut it. … If you dont have problem driving a box tin can then by all means get one it has its ups too. Hth

This is like saying you don’t like 29ers. You bought the wrong van.

My Mk7 Transit is big, it’s 140bhp, torquey as hell, it’s got a smaller turning circle than my Yaris had, and is very comfy to drive. 0-60 is 10’ish seconds.

My VW Caddy is like driving a Golf, quick, comfy and quiet.

If you buy a slow van, you can’t compare that to a fast car.

Just get a van you won’t regret it! after a while the thought of life without one will fill you with much fear! 😆 Although getting tapped up for sh;t shifting jobs by family and friends (especially the ones you can’t stand) can become tiresome, 101 excuses to politely f”$k them off usually works.

I wish I’d got my van years ago. In addition to being a bike transporter, we load it up with kayaks, tents, all the other camping paraphernalia and still have 5 or 6 seats. Getting changed out of wetsuits etc is a dawdle in the back and if there’s lots of wet or muddy gear it doesn’t have to be carefully packed away and it doesn’t matter if it drips on the floor. The Missus and I occasionally just head off with an inflatable mattress and portable cooker for a quick night out. I’ve used it to help moving house and to help friends out too. I even like driving it. I like the seating position and the comfort. I don’t mind the slightly restricted speeds and I get something over 40mpg on a decent run.

Our other car is a car though…

I got a Van last year and it’s brill.

Only got a Car now as I need it for work so the Van is my main vehicle. I was just seeing if I’d actually use a Van over the Car so just spent a grand on an old Escort.

Not ideal for most people but I can weld…. 😀

Wouldn’t be without a Van now. So much easier with the Bikes, just chuck em in and go and, at a squeeze, I can get changed in it. Also saved the cost of the Van in not having to hire skips when doing jobs at Home.

Gonna get a new shape Transit one Day hopefully when money allows.

I’ve had a fast car, and a large audi with a large engine, and a 1.05 polo, and have driven a lot of stuff in between.
my van is noisy, so when i’m solo across the country in it i just stick earphones in, but i have been happily over 500 miles without stopping, and i’ve got out the other end tired, but without any significant aches or pains. love it on the motorway too. couldn’t say the same about any of the other vehicles i’ve had.
that ability to just throw everything in the back, bikes, wet dogs, me when it’s raining – brilliant. i quite fancy another fast car, but it’d never get used. i’m probably going to get a quieter van.

I have a Van now. With windows. Well, a Caravelle. I don’t carry stuff inside it. I don’t change in it.

But I have 4 kids. We’re going to Italy in it. We’ve done long journeys in a Sharan before but it’s still bloody cramped when you have a teenager in the boot.

Now, 4 kids at 4 corners in the back. No roof box needed. Masses of space. Wife can walk through into the rear.

Stupidly quick (it’s 180 bhp DSG) but, of course, poor MPG. When I say poor, about 5-10 mpg worse than the Sharan depending on motorway speed.

So, we chopped our very poor MPG second car in for a VW up for when we don’t need to take everyone. 60MPG average. Putting virtually all the miles into that. We’re actually better off on fuel costs but the Italy trip will be expensive.

T5 drives pretty much like a car, and the turning circle is brilliant. Plus we sit above Range Rover and Disco drivers, which is nice……

But I have 4 kids. We’re going to Italy in

That’s the kicker. I’m looking into vans as with 3 kids and taking holiday toys an S Max is a touch small. We end up with much the same load most weekends so it’d get used.

If it were just myself I’d either get a camper or a an A6.

Yep. Even if you don’t have to use the seats in the boot you have 3 kids rubbing arms with each other. If you have a pram plus luggage it’s roof box time. I don’t know how our parents managed with this sort of stuff! (3 kids in an Escort).

Ditto the camper comment. If it was just me and the Mrs it would be VW California time. When they’ve all gone we probably will. Should be on the T8 version by then.

OP – I have a similar usage to you (I think)… Bikes, boats, no kids to accommodate.

I have a VW caddy maxi – it is a compromise, but works well for me. Bikes and boats can still go on top, but bikes can equally go inside. I have used two Ikea storage cabinets (90cm x 60cm x 50cm high) down one side to create storage, but it also gives a raised platform on top that can be used as a sleeping platform (1.8m long by 60cm wide). I keep sleeping mat, sleeping bag, calor stove and cooking pots etc in the storage which can also be great for a quick cup of tea when you get off the water. As a changing room it is cramped (low) but still warmer than the road side.

Essentially it doesn’t do anything that your estate doesn’t do, apart from offer easy and discrete sleeping accommodation, a changing place and possibly easier bike transport.

It drives like a car, I do 30k a year so that is important to me, good mpg.

It is just personal choice.

I don’t know how our parents managed with this sort of stuff! (3 kids in an Escort).

Me neither. 3 in a Capri. To the Llyn peninsular from Wiltshire. With a Dad allergic to motorways. 😯

My van gets 40-45mpg depending how and where I drive it. What’s all this about fuel costs? My previous nissan micra hardly did better, certainly not with a bike on the roof….

Worst thing with a van for me is the speed limit, pain in the arse when u can only do 60 on dual carriage ways and 50 where it’s normally 60!
On the plus side my house insurance covers bikes when there locked in the van and out of sight including over night.

if you can live with the popemobile looks berlingos are great, 5 seats, remove 3 of them in 3 minutes and it’s a van, 2 bikes wheel in the back no probs, 45mpg and cheap as chips

No speed issues in a “dual purpose” or whatever the term is van. 🙂

I’ve gone from hatchback to estate and now to van. The only thing I can see replacing it will be another one. I can just throw the bike in the back whole, leave all my kit, spares and tools in it and leave in a moments notice.

I don’t miss the speed as on the real world it makes bugger all difference to actually getting anywhere faster. Getting back into a car it just feels cramped. Ugh. 😀

Compared to the Saab estate it replaced the VED is similar, the Insurance cheaper and mpg about the same, the Saab was better on a run, the T5 better around town. It fits in normal carpark spaces and the big mirrors means its easier to reverse park.

What would i gain with a van?

The inability to ever be satisfied with a car again…