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Yes I know there's loads of stuff on here about such vans, and I have been trawling my way through. Have been offered a T5 conversion, very nicely done. 2.0 Diesel, remapped.
For me, this is a huge outlay. Especially as largely it will be as a runaround with aspirations of a few family weekends away per year and maybe the odd trip to Austria once a year in summer.
It's non ULEZ compliant.
The world seems transfixed on EV's. Am I mad looking at a diesel?
Have owners found that they do more van related stuff because they have a van? (hope that makes sense... but impromptu trips etc) - I have aspirations but then can see that we will run out of time and the van just sits on the drive.
Inspire or uninspire me please. Along with any other considerations.
Thanks!
How often do you need to go into ulez/caz? Do you live in or need to regularly drive into a city? I live somewhere with a caz, my van is payable, but its fine for me because its primarily a camper and not my only vehicle, so I can live with it. It sits outside most of the time. Plus I've invested so much on the conversion, its with me for a while.
For us each year its our main holiday and 5-8 weekends/bank hols away depending on what's happening. Its probably about what we expected. Is that worth it? For us yes, one of the best things we ever did.
We don't really do impromptu trips. You will struggle to get a place in a decent site in season unless you book with a bit of notice.
You say family. They are a lot more fun for camping if it is only 2 people. But not necessarily a deal breaker.
How often would you need to go inside a clean air zone - not just London ULEZ but places like Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Sheffield, Tyneside, and more to come in future? Even if it's several times a year then it can be a good saving getting a non-compliant van and paying the fee each time.
Similar are rolling out through Europe, Austria have a sticker system like France that relates to the emissions standard with restrictions in some places.
Electric campers are still rare, partly people want to cover big distances which suits diesel, but mostly because they're expensive new with long lead times (as all the fleets want them) and not many of the longer range ones are old enough to come off lease yet.
Would you use it? I think having a big useful vehicle is always handy, if it can also improve a family day out by having a fridge to keep your lunch and drinks cold, or making cups of tea or hot chocolate when it's chilly out then that's a good thing too.
What model (engine) T5? The 180bhp version has severe issues, walk away from any of them tbh.
You will struggle to get a place in a decent site in season unless you book with a bit of notice.
I don't see this, checking on pitchup for somewhere tonight until Sunday and there's a wide variety of choice. Maybe on a huge family oriented site.
I've got a T6 that I'm fitting out so I can do impromptu trips away, but then it's just me and my bikes so much easier to say 'sod it' and disappear off for the weekend at a moment's notice.
I don’t see this, checking on pitchup for somewhere tonight until Sunday and there’s a wide variety of choice. Maybe on a huge family oriented site.
Yeah with this weather and schools back is an exception, but I should have also added: we are fussy 🙂
Is it registered as a car, van or camper? Makes a difference for clean air zone charging.
wrong thread
Car/camper registration also makes a big difference on VED so bare that in mind. £200 more VED annually or 20 trips round our local ring road. Definitely worth checking!
<p style="text-align: left;">It’s registered as a panel van still</p>
Due to a death in the family we had some money, we sold my car and bought a 2015 converted t5.
We're a family of 4, both kids under 4 and a dog. We have had a fantastic summer doing Van trips that we wouldn't have done with the tent.
Financially it makes no sense but I don't regret it at all.
Caveats, we live in Scotland, so nice places are close. We even go and have dinner next to the loch on a school night. Still home for normal kids bedtime.
If I lived "city locked " and was faced with a long drive every time to get some where nice I might change my mind.
We get 35 mpg on average but also have use of another vehicle.
If you can afford it and enjoy family van life ( less sleep, too hot, too cold, ....) then go for it.
If you are trying to make the numbers work, then just hire for the odd weekend. 3 van hire weekends would be cheaper each year. Vehicle tax and insurance both more than previous diesel estate.
Financially it makes no sense but I don’t regret it at all
^^^this
ours isn't a daily driver but is used extensively for day trips/ weekends and longer summer hols. We are just home from a 1200 mile road trip through France and Spain.
if you have an active outdoors family then it will fit right in
Electric campers are still rare, partly people want to cover big distances which suits diesel, but mostly because they’re expensive new with long lead times (as all the fleets want them) and not many of the longer range ones are old enough to come off lease yet.
No, electric campers are still rare because of weight. With a normal 'car' licence you are limited to...errrr...2.5 tonnes? Might be more but anyway, ev's are heavy, because of batteries, a van sized ev with big batteries for long range doesn't have much payload weight left for passengers and camper fit.
3.5 tonnes, 4.25 if electric.
Payload of something like a Vivaro-e is over a tonne, similar to a T30 Transporter.
Seems odd that am electric vehicle allows a driver to drive a much heavier vehicle on the sand licence? I went looking and don't see that here
https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories#:~:text=You%20can%20drive%20vehicles%20up,up%20to%203%2C500kg%20MAM%20.
Is it a proposal?
Vivaro e range is 143 or 205 miles depending on battery.
T7 hybrid multivan only spec pano roof OR towbar, because of weight limit.
There’s a basic training requirement at present to unlock the higher limit for alternative fuel vehicles (ie you don’t need C1) but they’ve been consulting about scrapping that.
Vivaro is just over a ton for the longer range, 1226kg for the shorter range and similar to a T32 Transporter.
And the T7 is car based, has a payload as low as 485kg (LWB phev) so after filling the seats with people I’m not surprised they have to restrict what else you can add.
If it's a huge outlay for a few weekends and one holiday a year I'd say no.
T4 owner and use it a lot as camper and bike bus at weekends. Used to be my works van now weekend use only. Heading to Europe in 2 weeks for a trip. French ULEZ so far is apply for a sticker 5 Euros job done.
Non ULEZ compliant vans will loose value as time goes there's a pretty obvious price difference between Euro 5 and 6 now.
The conversion is useless unless vehicle is mechanically sound. Get a mechanic to properly inspect it if you don't know your way around mechanics.
For minimal use I'd get an estate. Vans are great if you use them a lot if not it's an expensive depreciating lump on your drive.
We have a T5 that we bloody love use it for a big trip in the summer lots of weekends away and often just for day trips where we park up somewhere picturesque to cook tea but it is expensive to run and we didn't have to by it as we inherited it so it's like a treasured family heirloom so if you can afford it go for it
BUT do check what engine it has
- <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">What model (engine) T5? The 180bhp version has severe issues, walk away from any of them tbh.</span>
As this statement is true guess how I no?!? No walking away though just trying to squeeze some money out of VW and pouring a lot of oil in!!! 🤪
It’s. got. 2.0 102hp remapped by Pendle to 165
Small and compromised space, imo.
Had a LWB T5 with pop top and length ways sofa/pull out bed with storage beneath for years. As nice as it was to drive, it was too small a space for two people and the bikes were generally outside on the rack exposed to road grime.
A L3H2 Ducato or similar would be a better bet, imo.... Space to stand. No worrying about the pop top fabric being wet. Potentially bikes inside and a decent payload.
It's an expensive vehicle to be putting runaround mileage on.
Impromptu trips would be the main attraction for me, to Scotland where you can stop pretty much anywhere. Can't in England. I don't know how easy it is to book somewhere at short notice for the weekend, or is it usually fully booked like hotels and B&Bs.
And if you hire obviously you have to book ahead, which might not be available on the dates you want, or can't be amended if you need to change plans. Have to pick it up and drop it off somewhere too - I'm not sure you can pick up after work on Friday and return 10pm on Sunday for example.
No shower in most of them I believe, so not great after a sweaty day on the bike.
Have owners found that they do more van related stuff because they have a van?
Personally I'd be wary of that wearing off after a honeymoon period, as with any outdoor purchase. If I buy that bike / those crampons / that paddleboard then I'll do this and that, and my life will be like so etc.
I'd also be wary for the van itself becoming a hobby, it's a bug that seems to catch quite a few people.
Small and compromised space, imo.
This is pretty accurate. Think of it as a metal tent. We bought ours with a full conversion - sink, fridge, bed, pop top etc and was great whilst the kids were young but having a van that could only seat 4 and not actually be used for anything useful outside of camping became a bit of a chew so I gutted the interior, re-did all the ply lining and electrics and fitted a kombi rear seat with Amdro bed. Now it can sleep 4, seat 6, had 4 bikes easily in the back the other week etc. If we're camping we take a Vango Kela awning (or if I'm on my own, a simple Stitches & Steel sun shade type awning) and cooking etc is done on a Cadac. Owned 9 years now and its current guise is absolutely brilliant (for us).
My understanding is that the 5spd gearbox on the 102 is comprised significantly if the engine is remapped about about 135/140.
I have had a t5 kombi for the last 11 years and it's been great at hauling bikes and kids about the place. Have I done more long distance stuff than just using a car with roof-bars / towbar rack? Probably not, but it's just easier to get stuff in the back and go knowing it's secure. Short distance stuff?, tip run then the trails?, kids to somewhere then squeeze a ride in? All that is easier with a van and you can get squeeze rides out of nothing sometimes. We had planned to convert it but never got round to it and tbh I am happy sleeping in a tent so not fussed about the camper van thing. So we now don't really need a van. [stealth ad alert] - 07 T5 factory kombi, 174ps, unconverted...probably in the classifieds next week once I clean it and take pics.
<span style=>My understanding is that the 5spd gearbox on the 102 is comprised significantly if the engine is remapped about about 135/140.</span>
160bhp sounds about right much more and it eats the 5 speed gearbox. Pendle aren't some one man band looking for the max power, so are aware of the gearboxes limitations. As to whether the can has a 180bhp engine.. the owner should tell you if the 180 or 140 bi-turbo, go 140 or the more reliable 100bhp 2.0 (ala the OP)... Worth bearing in mind that they are expensive to buy but retain their value, so will be worth more than a rusty transit, when you do sell it. What most ppl don't realise is that stuff that is 'std' on most vehicle is an extra an a T5... air con.. an extra, crusie control... an extra. So make sure you get the spec you want, before you buy..
Road tax is the biggy, arm an a leg for the 2.5 diesel & again it's a van so is stuck with van speed limits (unless you get an early model) & may have to prove it's a dual purpose vehicle (side and rear windows, & a set of rear seats) to get away with speeding fines
I love the look of them and have been looking for a while (but keep spending the cash on other stuff)
I run a T6.1 conversion I bought brand new. I quite like it as my only driver and it feels weirdly low and impossible to see when I get in my wife's Clio now.. On my regular commute Chesterfield to Nottingham via M1, I can get (the van tells me anyway) 40-45 MPG after I got rid of the massive wide 20" wheels and put OEM 17" ones with 215 all season tyres (was lucky to get 30 previously) and will get 550 miles on a tank vs 400 ish.
I'm a caver so it's fantastic for getting changed in and warming up before/after trips in winter (although an actual van would probably be better for space and chucking filthy kit into). Trail centres it's ace to stop and get a brew / lunch in between loops.
Actual camping? Ace on my own, cramped for two, I wouldn't even entertain 3 with someone in the pop top now the kids are older teenagers. So for all 4 to go away an awning minimum is needed. It's needed anyway as there's nowhere to keep anything once the bed is out. And that's a total faff. I'd have a freestanding 'day shelter' if I was doing it again
I wish I had the bed/back seat on rails too as there's effectively no 'boot space' and it'd be nice sometimes but then I'd have nowhere to keep the bedding which goes on what's left of the bed behind the seats when it's folded up.
I don't use it anywhere near as much as I convinced myself I would but that's as much down to general life responsibilities vs wanting to.
If I had: loads more money, a lot of space to park on, another car, I'd much rather have a bit Crafter or similar conversion with a bike garage underneath a fixed bed, fixed table and shower/toilet in it.
As it stands I don't and as much as it doesn't make a huge amount of convenience or financial sense (it's still 280 ish a year to tax for example) I still love my van and wouldn't get rid!
My understanding is that the 5spd gearbox on the 102 is comprised significantly if the engine is remapped about about 135/140.
Mines been running at ~160 for 9 years with zero issues. That said, without any supporting mods the 140 only maps up to a similar amount...