[Closed] VW T5 campervan - going from 19" wheels to standard ... thoughts?

I'd definitely go standard wheels higher profile tyres. You should get good money for the wheels and tyres, I sold 3 of my Iveco ones with tyres and they paid for 4 new alloys.

You could go for some mild all terrain tyres which also help make the road handling less crashy if you go to a higher profile and will help on muddy sites, just don't go for silly mud tyres if you want to be able to stop safely in wet weather! Make sure you get C rated/Light Truck/8 ply commercial tyres.

From our campsite last week, the two vans before us only got a few metres in before being towed out backwards but we were fine 🙂

[img] [/img]

Some 16/17s will be better in every way except looking like you’ve nicked some wheels from a bigger vehicle. When you have matching front and rear widths it will handle corner properly again.

Also you don’t have to get very wheels - check the offset in the manual and get some you like the look of.

1.8m high. Crikey

Oooops ... 1.93m high. Fits under barriers comfortably at the moment

I did this. Went from 19" to VW Thunder alloys in 17". Bought on Ebay with new tyres for about £250. I much prefer the ride and the van looks a bit more grown up and less scene whore. I'd recommend it.

I took the originals off my T6 and put 20 inch ones on. They look good and the ride is no worse than the original ones with narrow tyres but the economy is noticeably worse. Not sure I would go this big again. Are the originals alloy ones just smaller? Mine was a commercial van so just the stock steel ones which look really rubbish.

The only thing worse than massive wheels is massive wheels with an arch gap you could smuggle people in.

So either air bag it.

Or fit wheels that suit the vehicle

I suppose "suit the vehicle" is a bit subjective really @trail_rat

Well big wheels on stock vehicle regardless of model often looks like they skipped leg day.

Opinions are like arseholes

I’d either put 17” Thunder (or whatever the new version is, might be Davenports) or 18” Sportlines.

I bet the 17s are reasonably cheap as people will be taking them off and putting 19” things on.

And then fit some Michelin Cross Climates or similar.

But if you like what you have and it drives fine then keep them.

Is it a straight replacement?

Yes. All T5/T6s are the same stud pattern so anything from any year of van or made for the van should fit. You might need different bolts.

Our two Caravelles have had numerous rim/tyre sizes. The first had 20” stilautos it looked beautiful, but rode like a BMW m-sport special (as if someone had replaced the springs with rocks). The cheap ditchfinders it came with were replaced by pretty expensive Goodyear winters in 275/40z20s. Ride immediately improved, as did noise.

After the blue orthogonal turd had set itself on fire for the second time and lunched its head gasket, we replaced it with a brand new standard velle. This came with 255/45z18 Pirelli ditchfinders. These were both noisier and crashier then the big Goodyears. Thankfully (I think), they wore out in 7000 miles and were replaced with the same sized Michelin pilot sport 4s. Again, going up in quality of tyre made the ride better and quieter.

For winter duties we’ve some 17” alloys that take 235/55 17 Goodyear ultragrips. These are noticeably quieter and better riding than the 18s.

It also depends on what chassis your camper is built on. The velles are generally a t30 while many campers will be on a t32. The shock, spring and bush performance is very different.

Well here it is - my motivation to possibly change is partly to remove the bad-boy look (if there is one?!), and the potential benefit of handling/noise/expense ... but so far I'm not unhappy with the performance aspects (altho haven't a comparison to benchmark against)

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51393229780_760776fee7.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51393229780_760776fee7.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mirJGC ]IMG_20210803_153457655[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/46083140@N06/ ]aus23[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51393229715_99e05d936f.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51393229715_99e05d936f.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mirJFv ]IMG_20210816_175443737[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/46083140@N06/ ]aus23[/url], on Flickr

I would go for standard wheels with the highest profile available, so would that be 17’s?. It might be worth checking to see which tyre size is the most economical, if 18’s are more common for the dimensions and load rating they may well be cheaper, slightly odd sizes are expensive. For example my partner’s Polo has an uncommon 16” profile and load rating which means her tyres are about £20 more expensive for the same type and make of tyre than my Golf which has a very common 18” profile.
Oh, and black wheels look naff, IMHO of course

Banded steels would be a nice alternative.

Red van looks to have been lowered ?

Certainly managing to pull those wheels off without massive wheel well gaps.

Opinions are like arseholes

You say that, but I've yet to see an opinion driving around in a van with stupid alloys 😉

When I got my van it came with 21" wheels with some silly profile and something like 265 wide or something daft. Ride quality was awful. In quick order I replaced with 18" wheels - the ones that are the standard 18" wheel and tyre size for T5's and the ride was greatly improved. Also upgrade the suspension too, a little lower - something like 20mm, with Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers. think the kit was £400 or something. But he combo of those two things transformed its driving into a much more pleasant experience.

Red van looks to have been lowered ?

Certainly managing to pull those wheels off without massive wheel well gaps.

Yeah looks alright as it is, that’s not what I expected it to look like from the description 🙂

Sportline or Black Devonports on that if you really want to change them.

(I don’t think black wheels look naff 🙂)

Keep them as is, it draws the eye away from that sun visor 😉😁

Done similar on my Caddy, gone from 9" wide 18's down to 16" steels (banded out though). The extra sidewall improves the ride no end.

You say that, but I’ve yet to see an opinion driving around in a van with stupid alloys

🤣

@Aus good looking van.

Interested to hear that different tyres can improve ride quality - my T6 came with 20” wheels which are pretty painful on the 3rd world roads of Kirklees, especially when combined with very low suspension. Have raised the ride height a bit and that’s deffo helped, but may try a tyre change before a wheel change…

Interestingly I’ve also put H&R roll bars on and that’s helped too…

TBH that looks OK. And I don’t particularly like black wheels. But that has been lowered by quite a bit, I’d hazard a guess at something like 80mm. Putting standard wheels back on might make it look very odd.

If it was mine it would either be have the wheels refinished in a dark gloss grey or fit banded steel rims with a colour scheme that works with the body colour. The addition of centre caps on the banded steels will also break up the big black blob of wheel and tyre that you have now.

Whatever you do will not take away from the fact it’s a scene van. Either embrace it or buy a Renault Traffic.

Thanks all, v helpful.

Sounds like going back to std might be a good move, but also appreciate the 'looks OK' for some (I was feeling a bit blingy in it!).

Checking out how much lowering has gone on.

(And sun screen has been removed altho the mounting plate that is fixed to the van is none to0 pretty, so may go back!).

Bottom line is, me, Mrs A and esp the dogs are loving the actual camper-vanning activity, and the layout of the van is brilliant for us plus the pups, and the ride/tyres haven't proved a problem yet ...

@bigblackshed, lowered 70mm. Will that cause issues with standard e.g. 17" wheels?

Stick a cheap, rusty set of these on it.... Some Hammerite if you're feeling flush.

Ran mine year round with Michelin all season tyres. Better ride than the "summer" alloys.

I went from 20" to 17" VW original wheels - so much better ride quality on rough roads, especially noticeable with people in the back.
Also the speedo reads right now!
Not bothered about the loss of bling.

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/Dm4jkLzB/Poppy.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/Dm4jkLzB/Poppy.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= https://i.postimg.cc/BPFMT9zd/IMG-1797.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/BPFMT9zd/IMG-1797.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

I really like those steels, especially banded, but they don't suit every van. They would look awful on my stock height Sportline styled silver wagon.

@Aus

The lowering on standard wheels shouldn’t be a problem, as long as the standard wheels and tyres are the same diameter as the after market wheels and tyres you have now.

It might just look a bit odd. As standard the gap between the tyre and the wheelarch is fairly even, when big wheels and low profile tyres are put on at standard ride height the proportions can look odd. They always look better when they are lowered a bit on big wheels, don’t know why.

Have a look on eBay or Autotrader at numpties attempts at “scene vans”. Generally poorly converted plasters vans with a bit of carpet glued to the walls, a fly tipped sofa bed, and some cheap nasty alloys thrown on.

You might end up doing more work than changing wheels to make it look right. If of course you’re bothered about that. A work colleague has steadily converted his van into a very, very tidy camper. All done properly, all quality kit. The last things done were lowering it and putting black steel rims on. The van is all black, with black wheels. It looks like it’s got 4 spare wheels on it. I really don’t like the look of it, but he does. He doesn’t have to look at it when he’s driving it.

I’ve got 19” Range Rover Alloys on my T5, that were on it when I bought it, and 255x50 R19 types & it’s a very comfortable ride. It’s lowered 40mm on H&R springs & the wheels fill the arches nicely. The fronts do rub a little on full-lock but that has never been an issue. I could put some spacers on but haven’t really felt the need.

I’ve got 19” Range Rover Alloys on my T5, that were on it when I bought it, and 255×50 R19 types & it’s a very comfortable ride

Reading these posts is making me feel quite anxious!!

Fitting incorrect wheels to vehicles is deadly, Range Rover wheels are made for range rovers not T5 vans !!

Is anyone aware of the offsets and backspace ??

Let alone your insurance company telling you to do one if you have any type of accident.

Stick with what’s made for the vehicle and make sure you have the correct offset.

Safety before bling !!!

Again, thanks all, much appreciated. Reckon I'll look for a set of VW 16's or 17's secondhand, ideally with good tyres and have a go ...

Fitting incorrect wheels to vehicles is deadly, Range Rover wheels are made for range rovers not T5 vans !!

Could also be perfectly safe depending on what the wheels are actually off.....what they are fitted to and how they are fitted.

I’d probably go for the 17’s and get them banded. I think your van with that much drop is going to look weird with stock wheels (even more so with 16’s).

Almost like you’ve run out of money mid conversion and can’t afford the big boy alloys, but everything else is done.

Either that or put some stock springs back on it too to bring the ride height up normal.

On all the VW vans I had eventually settled in std 17” wheels with the factory -30mm springs and updated roll bars. This was on the California so the multivan chassis abs setup. The Transporter is different but never got on with big wheels and rubber band tyres.

It should improve the ride because of the taller tyre sidewall. I bought some VW Clayton 16” with used tyres from Leighton vans on ebay for £220ish. 17” are a bit more. I bought them for the winter wheels. Both summer and winter  are 16”

Let alone your insurance company telling you to do one if you have any type of accident.

This is a valid point. When I bought some wheels to put winter tyres on, the insurance company were very interested in whether they were genuine VW alloys with the correct dimensions or not. They are and so was no problem and indeed there was no premium change.I would guess as long as they were aware of the type and agreed to cover the fitment you would be in the clear, but not informing the company leaves you open to potential problems

VW 16’s or

Be aware that if yours is a T32 the 16s won’t fit over the brakes I don’t think.

Standard 17 i think on my t6 had a set of boy racer alloys and low profile tyres on a older van when i bought it hated them from day 1 uncomfortable shit in the snow (major problem for me back then as i was big time into winter climbing) Guys i work with were disguted that i wasnt lowering it a putting on 20" wheels couldt understand that i was buying it to drive it all over to sleep in car parks in the alps to ride not to look cool driving around a tesco carpark

I swap wheels summer and winter nice premium goodyear tyres on summer alloys and Michelin winter set on steel rims no problem scraping them on a curb and insurance company happy as they are a'stock' wheel

You can get a set of 17” vw davenports off a t6 highline from anywhere around £200 with tyres.
I have 18” sportlines on mine with Michelin cross climates, done 20000miles on them with still plenty of life left in them, really good in the wet and good in the little snow we had.
when I spoke with insurance company they said they were fine with anything that is in the vw options catalogue.
Not all vans have same sound proofing fitted from factory, I had a startline model as a courtesy vehicle (I have a t6 edition model) and the startline on motorway at 70mph was so noisy inside (had 600 miles on it)

‘Reading these posts is making me feel quite anxious!!

Fitting incorrect wheels to vehicles is deadly, Range Rover wheels are made for range rovers not T5 vans !!’

Just for clarification - RR wheels are rated at 900-925kg per wheel and a T32 T5 wheels are specified at 860kg each - and mine in a T28 so in effect the wheels are over specified. Also I do have an agreed value with my insurer with my wheels & all other modifications listed. RR wheels where a popular choice several years ago.

Just for clarification – RR wheels are rated at 900-925kg per wheel and a T32 T5 wheels are specified at 860kg each – and mine in a T28 so in effect the wheels are over specified

It’s not to do with weight, it’s the off set.

As long as you’re happy and have checked that they’re the same offset you’ve nothing to worry about.

https://www.willtheyfit.com/

My friend has the same van as me but his van is lowered and has 19 or 20 inch rims. I find his ride really harsh and bumps jar you. Its that bad that when his suspension shock went he couldn't tell.

However, when he goes in my van with standard alloys and not lowered he says it wallows on the corners and bounces about. Although mines s campervan and his isn't.

His van is re mapped and he drives it faster than me but I have a clean licence. 😏 He can't understand why I wouldn't lower mine. Each to their own.

I've just changed my alloys, they were the originals and the rear leaked even after re sealing it (probably over 15 years old) Bought some Highline alloys with Hancock tyres off a van that had done 2000 miles. Campervan conversion done by a shop in Blackburn swopped them over for 19 inch wheels because they look better. They had 16 sets available.

They cost me £200. The Hancock tyres are noisier than the ones they replaced. Sold the old ones with tyres for £125.

Insurance company are happy as its standard alloys and I'm happy as it only cost me £75! They look slightly better too.

20" Range Rover wheels on my T5 for the last 10 years. 275/45 tyres and standard height suspension. Very comfortable, smoothes out the potholes and looks great (imo). Fitted with one-piece concentric/axial spacers (5mm iirc) and correct bolts. Insurer informed.

Do you not need to adjust the speedo for the mot when fitting larger diameter tyres than standard?

Here in Germany it's a naffing nightmare to make any non-factory changes. Even fitting non-OEM stuff is a pita with paperwork. Even tinting the rear windows has to be OK'd, let alone fitting wheels from another manufacturer.

Do you not need to adjust the speedo for the mot when fitting larger diameter tyres than standard?

Nope, not AFAIK or ever got checked for in my old van. I fitted bigger all terrain tyres and the speedo read about 10% over. Tbh it was a pain.

I’ve just fitted new wheels and slightly bigger tyres to current van and it’s brought the speedo spot on compared to GPS, it slightly over read on the original wheels (as all cars do).

I know a little bit about suspension and wheels on transporters. I've run various setups on my van over the years and experienced a lot of others and for a combination of looks and comfort, a set of Bilstein B14 coilovers and factory 18" Sportline wheels with a 45 profile tyre is unbeatable. I've recently switched from 19s down to a set of Sportlines just to see what they were like with the intention to possibly change my air ride to B14s, raise it up a bit and fit some AT tyres but to be honest, it rides so well now and everything is load rated correctly that I'm thinking about keeping the practicality of the air ride and retaining the ability to drop it on the floor when we're camping etc. My wife has MS so having the van sat on the floor is actually really beneficial for her getting in and out of it...

If you're happy with the ride OP, I'd leave it. The one thing I'd be inclined to check (I can't see the pics on my work laptop!) is that the "BBS" rims a) are actually BBS and b) if not, that they're definitely correctly load rated. Loads and loads of BBS reps made from chinesium are ebay "load rated".

Reading these posts is making me feel quite anxious!!

Fitting incorrect wheels to vehicles is deadly, Range Rover wheels are made for range rovers not T5 vans !!

Is anyone aware of the offsets and backspace ??

Let alone your insurance company telling you to do one if you have any type of accident.

Stick with what’s made for the vehicle and make sure you have the correct offset.

Safety before bling !!!

Jeez, how do you manage to get out of bed on a morning for fear of falling down the stairs or falling off a curb and going under a bus on your walk to work?

1. show me an example of where incorrect wheels on a transporter has been deadly (and I'll tell you about hub mods and chassis notches).
2. Range Rover wheels are more than adequate for a transporter. Some designs need a small spacer, all need spigot rings and different bolts. These are widely available and won't kill you. The biggest issue with fitting RR wheels is that they're dirt cheap (because RR owners upgrade them to deadly 22s etc) and so loads of transporter owners slap a set on without thinking that although the wheels are fine, they're specced with tyres suitable for a RR. In the example above, 55 profile tyres are massive on a 19" rim. Factory is 45 on an 18" rim. If fitting bigger wheels, at least try and think about tyre sizes...
3. offsets - yes, well at least you should be. If you've no idea what you're doing then check willtheyfit.com which is dead useful. Although theres been no mention of people having issues with offsets and widths so far so not sure why it was brought up.
4. obviously ALL mods need to be declared. As long as everything is correctly load rated why would an insurance company tell you to do one? That said, load rating is only a check on an MOT for a T32. I could quite feasibly run non-load rated tyres on an empty panel van which would be within the limits and it'd go through an MOT. Maybe I have in the past.
5. Sticking with whats made for the vehicle - luckily theres millions of correctly specced, non-OEM wheels available out there. Which aren't deadly. So you can have bling and safety together.

You can climb back into your bubble wrapped box now.

I'd be careful fitting smaller wheels if it has been lowered. My BMW on standard suspension has 18" wheels as standard and runs 40/35 section front/rear. On 17" wheels and 45/40 section frontrears, the car is noticeably closer to the ground, especially when on uneven ground. This is despite the fact that the diameter of the wheels/tyres are within 1.2% of one another. The smaller wheels with the bigger sidewall squidge a bit more which bring it closer to the ground by maybe 10-15mm. Increasing the tyre pressure obviously helps, but then reduces the ride quality which you were looking for in the first place.

Your van already looks quite low to the ground.