| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? 22:38 - Apr 17 with 3042 views | Swansea_Blue |
I’m sorely tempted, but know nothing about them other than VW or Sprinters seem to be the most desirable. Any hints or tips from owners would be welcome. What to look out for, any must haves, etc. I’m only looking at smallish vans as (a) I like simple camping so don’t care about showers and toilets and all the stuff larger campers bring, and (b) it’s going to have to replace our family car and be used daily for the kids’ taxi runs. |  |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 23:48 - Apr 17 with 2407 views | suffolkpoker |
We had a a VW transporter T5.1 SWB high line kombi. It wasn’t a camper but the best day van and family car that I’ve ever seen and driven. I still regret the day I sold it making £5k in 9 months on the value.
It was super high mileage 178k but had a full VW. Service and I wasn’t scared.
Make sure you get something with a full service history. Make sure you get air con model. Ideally a tail gate (they look so much cooler) high line covers most of that.
A lot of campers don’t have enough seat belts imo |  |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 05:09 - Apr 18 with 2315 views | MK1 |
You might want to consider the Ford Custom. Very good and on average £2,000 less than a Transporter. |  | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 06:40 - Apr 18 with 2250 views | BLUEBEAT |
Prices went through the roof due to Covid and have yet to drop down to more realistic levels.
Had a T4 before but would looking for a T5 1.9 these days.
I also prefer day van style to camper. Too much space wasted with camper ‘furniture’.
Extra £££ also comes with the VW brand. You could get a Mazda Bongo for half the price. But it’s a Mazda Bongo. [Post edited 18 Apr 21:24]
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:09 - Apr 18 with 2072 views | ElderGrizzly |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 06:40 - Apr 18 by BLUEBEAT |
Prices went through the roof due to Covid and have yet to drop down to more realistic levels.
Had a T4 before but would looking for a T5 1.9 these days.
I also prefer day van style to camper. Too much space wasted with camper ‘furniture’.
Extra £££ also comes with the VW brand. You could get a Mazda Bongo for half the price. But it’s a Mazda Bongo. [Post edited 18 Apr 21:24]
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Aren't they best used for in the Congo? |  | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:20 - Apr 18 with 2044 views | soupytwist |
My brother's got a Toyota Alphard converted to campervan, it's pretty swish inside but you can get them as conversions with different levels of interior luxury. It's a way of avoiding the 'VW tax'.
If you're looking to replace the family car, the fact that they only come with a fairly large petrol engine and automatic gearbox might put you off however. |  | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:50 - Apr 18 with 1985 views | _clive_baker_ |
Have you considered a touring caravan? I've never had either but I see these massive motorhomes about and think what do you do to get around when you've reached your destination? Getting around little cornish lanes and what not in some of those things must be impossible.
Not just the massive ones either, but it feels like a right faff to pack everything up every time you want to pop somewhere. I quite like the idea of towing a caravan, getting it set up and still having my own car to get around in for the time I'm there. |  | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:56 - Apr 18 with 1965 views | Mookamoo |
Sold our VW T4 in the summer as it was getting too old and needed work. Anything of an age, you kind of need to be able to tinker with them with some knowledge of engines - which I don't have. My advice, is if you don't do engines, get something that you can at least plug into a diagnostic unit otherwise if you have engine issues, you just have to keep replacing bits until it starts to work again.
Now have a Renault Traffic. Much the same, but is less expensive, but won't hold its value as much as a a VW. We use ours as the second car which makes it much more cost effective. These size vans are great as you can still fit them in a normal space at Tesco. We ended up getting a fixed roof one as I needed the space to stand up in. Pop-ups are great, but they can feel a little cramped in a smaller van.
You are basically transporting a bed and a kitchen, so make sure the bed is easy to put up and down. Don't worry to much about how comfortable it is - just get a mattress topper.
The main drain on the leisure batteries is the fridge. If you're off grid or at a festival, the wrong kind of fridge can run them flat in 3-4 days if you're not careful. Look for something that has a compressor fridge as they draw much less power. |  | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:59 - Apr 18 with 1950 views | itfcjoe |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:50 - Apr 18 by _clive_baker_ |
Have you considered a touring caravan? I've never had either but I see these massive motorhomes about and think what do you do to get around when you've reached your destination? Getting around little cornish lanes and what not in some of those things must be impossible.
Not just the massive ones either, but it feels like a right faff to pack everything up every time you want to pop somewhere. I quite like the idea of towing a caravan, getting it set up and still having my own car to get around in for the time I'm there. |
You sometimes see the real plush motorhomes towing a car like a little Fiat 500 presumably for that purpose |  |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:06 - Apr 18 with 1926 views | _clive_baker_ |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:59 - Apr 18 by itfcjoe |
You sometimes see the real plush motorhomes towing a car like a little Fiat 500 presumably for that purpose |
Yeah my uncle does that. He's got a massive Mercedes motor home that's literally a house on wheels, cost the best part of 6 figures and he tows my aunties VW Polo with it. Seems a right faff if you ask me, just drive your Polo and stay in hotels for that sort of money. Plus it looks a bit silly parked at his house when its not in use, its bl00dy massive.
Appreciate the OP is talking about a smaller van, but with them you're still also running a fairly expensive vehicle. Additional tax, insurance, MOT etc. Using it as a day car as well obviously negates that to a degree. With a touring caravan you don't have to worry about any of that if the wheels are turning, the electrics work and it's water tight. And once you're on site and set up there's no faffing innit. Disconnect your car and you've got your normal wheels for the week. Plus they're cheaper. The only thing that's put me off is people like Jeremy Clarkson calling me a caravan w****r. | | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:35 - Apr 18 with 1891 views | J2BLUE |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:06 - Apr 18 by _clive_baker_ |
Yeah my uncle does that. He's got a massive Mercedes motor home that's literally a house on wheels, cost the best part of 6 figures and he tows my aunties VW Polo with it. Seems a right faff if you ask me, just drive your Polo and stay in hotels for that sort of money. Plus it looks a bit silly parked at his house when its not in use, its bl00dy massive.
Appreciate the OP is talking about a smaller van, but with them you're still also running a fairly expensive vehicle. Additional tax, insurance, MOT etc. Using it as a day car as well obviously negates that to a degree. With a touring caravan you don't have to worry about any of that if the wheels are turning, the electrics work and it's water tight. And once you're on site and set up there's no faffing innit. Disconnect your car and you've got your normal wheels for the week. Plus they're cheaper. The only thing that's put me off is people like Jeremy Clarkson calling me a caravan w****r. |
Go for it. Not sure what harm adding 'caravan' to your nickname is going to do. |  |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:42 - Apr 18 with 1850 views | chicoazul |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:06 - Apr 18 by _clive_baker_ |
Yeah my uncle does that. He's got a massive Mercedes motor home that's literally a house on wheels, cost the best part of 6 figures and he tows my aunties VW Polo with it. Seems a right faff if you ask me, just drive your Polo and stay in hotels for that sort of money. Plus it looks a bit silly parked at his house when its not in use, its bl00dy massive.
Appreciate the OP is talking about a smaller van, but with them you're still also running a fairly expensive vehicle. Additional tax, insurance, MOT etc. Using it as a day car as well obviously negates that to a degree. With a touring caravan you don't have to worry about any of that if the wheels are turning, the electrics work and it's water tight. And once you're on site and set up there's no faffing innit. Disconnect your car and you've got your normal wheels for the week. Plus they're cheaper. The only thing that's put me off is people like Jeremy Clarkson calling me a caravan w****r. |
Super keen on getting a caravan over here but can’t get the spend past The Management. And if it annoys people like Clarkson all the better. I’ve always liked the idea of one. |  |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:45 - Apr 18 with 1843 views | itfcjoe |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:06 - Apr 18 by _clive_baker_ |
Yeah my uncle does that. He's got a massive Mercedes motor home that's literally a house on wheels, cost the best part of 6 figures and he tows my aunties VW Polo with it. Seems a right faff if you ask me, just drive your Polo and stay in hotels for that sort of money. Plus it looks a bit silly parked at his house when its not in use, its bl00dy massive.
Appreciate the OP is talking about a smaller van, but with them you're still also running a fairly expensive vehicle. Additional tax, insurance, MOT etc. Using it as a day car as well obviously negates that to a degree. With a touring caravan you don't have to worry about any of that if the wheels are turning, the electrics work and it's water tight. And once you're on site and set up there's no faffing innit. Disconnect your car and you've got your normal wheels for the week. Plus they're cheaper. The only thing that's put me off is people like Jeremy Clarkson calling me a caravan w****r. |
We've got a static caravan up Norfolk as couldn't be dealing with towing - just drive up there, park up and walk into a second home and relax within 5 minutes | |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:49 - Apr 18 with 1834 views | _clive_baker_ |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:45 - Apr 18 by itfcjoe |
We've got a static caravan up Norfolk as couldn't be dealing with towing - just drive up there, park up and walk into a second home and relax within 5 minutes |
That's definitely tempting, I've looked at a couple of those in recent years but bottled it. Quite like the idea of going to different places, but if its in a nice area you like then I can definitely see the appeal. | | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:53 - Apr 18 with 1822 views | _clive_baker_ |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:42 - Apr 18 by chicoazul |
Super keen on getting a caravan over here but can’t get the spend past The Management. And if it annoys people like Clarkson all the better. I’ve always liked the idea of one. |
Same. Cheap way to go around and see new places isn't it (once you've stumped up for the van). £15 a night to pitch it somewhere, no additional mechanical maintenance etc so just got to keep it clean and water tight and you've got a nice bed for the night. Get use of your car when you're there to nip about. I want one with a nice big awning, pitch it up in Somerset and crack open a nice beer from my fridge and admire the views. Feck i'm getting old.
Main issue I have isn't management sign off, she would be keen, but storage at home. I've got so much crap in my garage that I would need to rehome. | | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:54 - Apr 18 with 1814 views | soupytwist |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:59 - Apr 18 by itfcjoe |
You sometimes see the real plush motorhomes towing a car like a little Fiat 500 presumably for that purpose |
Electric bikes sometimes fill that role too. | | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:57 - Apr 18 with 1796 views | itfcjoe |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:49 - Apr 18 by _clive_baker_ |
That's definitely tempting, I've looked at a couple of those in recent years but bottled it. Quite like the idea of going to different places, but if its in a nice area you like then I can definitely see the appeal. |
They are not a good investment, but for what we want and do it really works for us - use the park lots but also use it as a base to explore around there......but also means even after an Ipswich game we can jump in the car and be up there for a bite to eat and then even when heading back Sunday evening feels like you've had a decent break.
Think with a tourer, realistically you are going to end up going to the same places anyway as want to go somewhere within a certain range (45-90 minutes away) and depending on where you are based there aren't actually that many options that are particularly different as a base to explore from | |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 11:00 - Apr 18 with 1760 views | EdwardStone |
I have a Mercedes Vito that is sometimes the works van and sometimes used as stealth camper.
A simple bed set-up from a sheet of ply and a foam matress....small stove for making coffee and the World is your lobster.
It also has a bench rear seat, but that is a total pain to fit/re-fit, so I never bother tbh.
It is nippy, comfortable but a bit of a pain to park in an ordinary parking bay and it drinks a bit more than a car....about 40mpg, better on a longer run |  | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 11:06 - Apr 18 with 1726 views | FBI |
Mazda Bongo! I'm onto my third now and they're considerably cheaper than a VW, plus because they're import vehicles they have a great community around them.
Also, the name, Mazda Bongo Friendee, is great. |  |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 11:12 - Apr 18 with 1715 views | Mookamoo |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 09:50 - Apr 18 by _clive_baker_ |
Have you considered a touring caravan? I've never had either but I see these massive motorhomes about and think what do you do to get around when you've reached your destination? Getting around little cornish lanes and what not in some of those things must be impossible.
Not just the massive ones either, but it feels like a right faff to pack everything up every time you want to pop somewhere. I quite like the idea of towing a caravan, getting it set up and still having my own car to get around in for the time I'm there. |
We nearly went caravan this time, but what swung it for us are those weekend days out to the coast.
Nothing better than just getting in the van and ending up at Walberswick for the day. No set up, just park and put the kettle on. | | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 11:36 - Apr 18 with 1664 views | itfc_bucks |
Depends entirely on what you're looking for and what you'll actually use it for (rather than what you think you will).
Got our T5 a year ago and she's done everything from family holidays to Anglesey and the lake district, to one night blasts for me on my own when going away on trail races, I use her to take my lad to play football matches and she's also a regular runaround too.
1.9 diesel, she gets hammered for tax and ulez, and she's a bit thirsty, but the engine should comfortably do 300-400k miles, if well maintained.
https://www.instagram.com/minty_thecamper/ |  | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 12:42 - Apr 18 with 1528 views | durhamj |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 11:36 - Apr 18 by itfc_bucks |
Depends entirely on what you're looking for and what you'll actually use it for (rather than what you think you will).
Got our T5 a year ago and she's done everything from family holidays to Anglesey and the lake district, to one night blasts for me on my own when going away on trail races, I use her to take my lad to play football matches and she's also a regular runaround too.
1.9 diesel, she gets hammered for tax and ulez, and she's a bit thirsty, but the engine should comfortably do 300-400k miles, if well maintained.
https://www.instagram.com/minty_thecamper/ |
That looks lush. Love the colour | | | |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 12:54 - Apr 18 with 1508 views | docklandsblue |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 11:06 - Apr 18 by FBI |
Mazda Bongo! I'm onto my third now and they're considerably cheaper than a VW, plus because they're import vehicles they have a great community around them.
Also, the name, Mazda Bongo Friendee, is great. |
We've got a Mazda Bongo too (Massimo LuBongo if you're asking).
They are about 1/10th the cost of a VW and great little vans. Ours is a 95 Diesel, it's perfect for quick family getaways, even better for festivals. Two kids in the pop top, me and the OH on a rock and roll bed in the van. Just look out for rust, they are Japanese imports, so they hate salted roads! There's a garage in Felixstowe that's good with them and one near N*rwich which is great with them.
We bought ours on one of the many Mazda Bongo (Also called Ford Friendee) facebook groups. [Post edited 18 Apr 12:59]
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 12:56 - Apr 18 with 1492 views | suffolkpoker |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 10:45 - Apr 18 by itfcjoe |
We've got a static caravan up Norfolk as couldn't be dealing with towing - just drive up there, park up and walk into a second home and relax within 5 minutes |
We pay for our touring caravan to have a seasonal pitch. Which means its parked up on the same pitch all set up for 9 months a year.
We have done this at Dunwich and East Harling. My fav is East Harling to be in the forrest and to cycle down to East Harling to take in a game of footy.
Fantastic family time spent | |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 13:11 - Apr 18 with 1448 views | itfcjoe |
| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 12:56 - Apr 18 by suffolkpoker |
We pay for our touring caravan to have a seasonal pitch. Which means its parked up on the same pitch all set up for 9 months a year.
We have done this at Dunwich and East Harling. My fav is East Harling to be in the forrest and to cycle down to East Harling to take in a game of footy.
Fantastic family time spent |
Yep, my kids are 7 & 5 and absolutely love it, and I remember how exciting it was at that age. It's not the cheapest thing to do, and our pitch fees would pay for a nice 10 day holiday for us where the weather is better but we end up 4-5 weeks a year there and 7 or 8 weekends on top of that - we are all set up now so it's just a case of grabbing the clothes to where and heading out there...can finish work on a Fridya, jump in the car, have dinner up there and be right in the swing of it straight away | |
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| Anyone got a VW or similar camper van? on 15:39 - Apr 18 with 1247 views | JB61 |
About 3 years ago I bought a 2014 Citroen Dispatch l2 H2 , with
70,000 miles on the clock, for £5,000. It’s got the 2.0l Hdi engine, which is pretty much bulletproof.
Drives like a car and fits into parking spaces comfortably. I spent about £2500 converting it into a camper van. I put in windows, cooker and sink and a rock’s roll bed , which is basically a double passenger seat, which opens out into a double bed. The cab has got 3 seats, so you can carry 5 people. I basically copied the standard layout for smaller vans, with all the cupboard units and cooker/ sink running along one side. I’ve also installed a 12v relay system which charges a separate leisure battery when the engine is running and that will power all the internal lights, extractor fan etc. With the bed down there’s still enough space for a Porta Potti , so you don’t have to get out of the van in the middle of the night.
With basic DIY skills you should be able to do the entire conversion yourself or get a specialist to do the bits you don’t feel confident about. There’s plenty of helpful advice on the internet for fitting windows, installing insulation and carpet lining etc.
My van is about the same size as a VW Transporter but about a foot higher, meaning you don’t need to install an expensive pop up top, which would cost more than my entire conversion.
Unless you really like VW vans, I would go for something else and save yourself a lot of cash.
If you buy a drive- away awning you’ll have sleeping space for the whole family.
We’ve been all over the British Isles in the, and just wish we’d done it years ago.
Hope this helps. Happy camping! | | | |
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