Hi all.

Wife and I have pretty much decided to get shot of the Fiat Panda and buy ourselves a camper. We both are fans of the older vw vans like the T2/T3 but a newer T4/T5 hasn't been ruled out. (Personal favourite is the T2). Plenty of T2s and 3s in our budget too. Who has had experience with these older vw vans? Apart from bodywork rust, what do we need to look out for? No rush to buy as we are sorting out our garden plus having a multifuel stove fitted soon too.

My dad had a 1981 T3 that at times was a money pit but he did buy it fairly cheap at the time. Saw it a year or so ago and it had been completely redone and looked superb. The best holidays were in that van and IMO you can't put a price on memories. Hopefully our 2 soon to be 3 kids will have plenty of stories to tell

They look great (particularly T2's), but be very careful as money-pit is an understatement, they can easily be a money-chasm !

I used to work on them regularly 20+years ago when I was a VW technician and I hated them.

Unless you really have to have one I think you'd be better off getting a decent caravan.

My wife loves them for the looks but I refuse to go near one. Seen too many massive repair bills and too many memories of lost knuckles for me !!

My advise is pay the right price, from a respected specialist, and be prepared financially for the maintenance costs.

Edited 10 April, 201610 yr by classic

Sounds like a good plan. Plenty I have seen advertised have had new engines etc fitted. Always worth having an emergency savings fund. Plus an AA membership . Caravan would require towing licences for both of us plus we don't have space for one.

Edited 10 April, 201610 yr by ben1990

Hope you have loads of cash. We had one years ago when parts were cheaper, rust is the killer, the unseen variety that eats from the inside out, loads will have been welded, when we sold ours on my garage mate described them as a " rich mans toy ". By todays standards they are extremely dated mechanically and reliability has to be questioned, nostalgia is a powerful thing, I was considering a Suzuki GT250 a while ago as I had one years ago until a friend advised me against it as he had one, when I rode his one I was shocked how different it was to what I remembered.

 

Good Luck in your search

We won't be rushing. If we go for an older one, it will be one that has had mechanicals reconditioned/replaced and good bodywork condition. The newer T5 is the sensible option for the reliability alone. Most importantly it has to be one that we all like. Do love the T2 Bay though  :p.

What sort of money are you talking about spending, and can you do repairs or have close friends or family that are mechanics.?

 

Worth going along to at least one VW Show or a Club Meet if there are any near you.

Check out what enthusiasts are selling there.

Budget 10k ish. I dare say there are a few VW shows at either the Lincolnshire or Newark showgrounds, I will look into it. As for repairs, there are some courses available that specialize in the old style VW buses with air cooled engines and they show you the basics, the main causes for breakdowns and how to prevent/solve it. All for £190 so that would probably be worth doing if we went down this route. http://www.busbootcamp.com/about/.

A friend had a 2005 T5 caravelle. Complete money pit. Auto gear box died in France, verrrrrrrrry expensive to fix.

Electric sliding door are good, but the pinch sensors in the door seals go, not cheap for the bits and the doors have to come off to replace them.

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Have fun looking.

 Nostalgia is nice, but when i go with a camper i want heat and a toilet inside and a tent as well if needs must to provide someplace to cook rather than having a wet interior to a van.

VW's really are not that safe these days to put your nearest and dearest in unless travelling slow back roads. IMO.

Each trip is a possible epic.

£10,000 can get you a really nice bigger family size camper van.

 

Edited 10 April, 201610 yr by GoneOffSKi

Have fun looking.

 Nostalgia is nice, but when i go with a camper i want heat and a toilet inside and a tent as well if needs must to provide someplace to cook rather than having a wet interior to a van.

VW's really are not that safe these days to put your nearest and dearest in unless travelling slow back roads. IMO.

Each trip is a possible epic.

£10,000 can get you a really nice bigger family size camper van.

 

Whatever we end up with will have a decent sized awning with space to sleep if needed. Some do have heating systems installed. £10k gets us an in theory well looked after T3 which is a bit more spacious than the T2. My eldest daughter is liking the look of the older ones. With the in-laws looking at moving abroad it would make for a great road trip  .

Might be a little over budget...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXbsK18NaRU

Edited 10 April, 201610 yr by Aspman

Maybe hire one first then.

There is a few places in Scotland with Classic type VW's.  maybe take a trip up, leave the car and take a van away.

http://classic-camper-holidays.co.uk

or 

http://libertycampers.co.uk

Edited 10 April, 201610 yr by GoneOffSKi

Might be a little over budget...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXbsK18NaRU

Just a touch  . Hiring first is another option too, another to be considered  .

http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=37

They look great (particularly T2's), but be very careful as money-pit is an understatement, they can easily be a money-chasm !

I used to work on them regularly 20+years ago when I was a VW technician and I hated them.

Unless you really have to have one I think you'd be better off getting a decent caravan.

My wife loves them for the looks but I refuse to go near one. Seen too many massive repair bills and too many memories of lost knuckles for me !!

My advise is pay the right price, from a respected specialist, and be prepared financially for the maintenance costs.

 

Firstly, I absolutely love old VW's, so don't have me down as a hater, but here's the reality, but bluntly:

 

I know a few folks who restore them for a living, and I'd agree with every word here. Much as I love old VW's, anyone who wants a T2 these days pretty much just wants a fashion accessory. They're bad to drive, 4/5 up is going to be cramped. For the same money as a decent one, you could buy a bloody nice 10-15 year old camper with the wrong badge on, that'll drive well, have plenty of space in and get you where you're going. Buy a cheap one, and you are guaranteed to either spend a couple of years welding, or 5 numbers paying someone else to do it.

 

If you must experience a T2/25, fair enough, but if you have to do that, hire one.

 

There's no diplomatic way of saying the following: T4's and T5's drive nice and can be done up well, but they're **** vans.

 

Also, you don't need a towing licence if your outfit (car and van) is under 3.5t total. So say your Octy's 2000kg loaded up to the rafters, that's 1500kg you can pull behind it.

Ta for the input . Being blunt isn't a problem, I have plenty of time to decide. What issues to T4/5's have?

Gearboxes are a big one on both.

 

The 2.4 in some of the T4's is just a dreadful engine, I think I'd rather have the Perkins in the LDV I had 10 years ago.

 

T5's have all the modern vehicle problems, at least twice over. 

The 2.4 is non turbo isn't it? The newer ones got the 1.9tdi iirc.

The 2.4 is non turbo isn't it? The newer ones got the 1.9tdi iirc.

T5s have 5 cylinder PD engines.

The old 2.4 non turbo is somewhat agricultural.

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I think even the T3/T25 diesels were turbo. If we do go for an older one, I am more likely to go for a petrol one anyway. From what I understand, the T2 is not going to lose value so that is something I am considering, if it didn't work out well, we shouldn't lose out too much.

The PD engines need to run on the right oil. Guy at work ended up needing a new turbo and cylinder head on his van.

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Problem free T2's are a possibility if you have a big wallet:-

 

http://www.danburymotorcaravans.com/models/model.aspx?modelID=1

 

Last of the Mexican water-cooled jobs ?

 

 

Nick

Brother has a T4 2.5TDI, its a 888 special. He bought it a few years ago and it had basic conversion: bed and cupboards, carpeted panels. Since he has owned it we have stripped it right back, done all the insulation and sound deadening. Fitted a new mdf floor and then covered it in altro vinyl, fitted electrics with a lesiure battery and split charing and hook up, new carpet in the front of van, stereo. Sorted his bed foam out wit memory foam toopers and covers and fitted curtains. Still got to do rear view camera at some point.

Its a great van, doesnt really struggle on hills, think its been remaped, camping in it is fine as awning clips to side of van, its comfortable to sleep in and on cold nights has an oil filled rad if they are hooked up. Its done over 160k and he has recently replaced alot of parts as off to Norway in a few weeks. I would recomend you join http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/index.php

Have alook at whats for sale and what issues people have etc.

I had a T2 Bay some years back, it was slow, thirsty, had gold awards for rusting, and being a twin port head, it cracked them regularly, on the plus side the engine was easy to get out and only weighed 180lb so could be lifted onto my work bench. The heating is non existent so something like an Erberspacher is essential if used all year round. I'm 6'6", my wife is 5'11', so with 2 young children an awning was needed as the kids hated sleeping in the pop roof. The roof was fibreglass and iced up in winter and when it thawed we got rain inside the van. Altogether an out dated style item with a huge scene tax only suitable for summer. If you want a small camper, buy a Mazda Bongo/Ford Freda, with the electric roof, far superior to a T2.

I had a T2 Bay some years back, it was slow, thirsty, had gold awards for rusting, and being a twin port head, it cracked them regularly, on the plus side the engine was easy to get out and only weighed 180lb so could be lifted onto my work bench. The heating is non existent so something like an Erberspacher is essential if used all year round. I'm 6'6", my wife is 5'11', so with 2 young children an awning was needed as the kids hated sleeping in the pop roof. The roof was fibreglass and iced up in winter and when it thawed we got rain inside the van. Altogether an out dated style item with a huge scene tax only suitable for summer. If you want a small camper, buy a Mazda Bongo/Ford Freda, with the electric roof, far superior to a T2.

It's worth buying a Bongo Friendee, simply because of the name.

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