2018 VW Crafter

[Bryn23]

Well, i though id start a thread on this, as i couldn't find a dedicated thread on this subject.

They have just released the Runner version here in Aus, its just the cheap arse version with the basics, and manual only

I went and had a look as they had a MWB low roof in stock.

Im really impressed, it looks better in person than the photos i've seen.

The front end is perfect, not to round and not to square

The window sizes are huge compared to the T6, the seats appear to be the same.

I noticed that the floor is quite low, i did read that the front wheeled versions had a dropped floor, it looks about 125mm lower than the last model.

The wheel arch is around 390mm from the floor, which makes a RIB even higher than normal, but if you are short enough you might be about to sleep across the van.

I believe the 4 Motion floor is a similar height as the last model, so that would reduce the RIB height

We are about 2-3 months away from the better models and official release here, so ill be having another look if they get a 4 motion in stock.

So tempted and i haven't even finished my build

It would be the perfect camper for over here.....

 

[Tourershine]

I love the new look Crafter, and had a Sprinter for 3 years from new (pretty much the same as the old Crafter), and did 200k in the beast and loved every mile.

There are already quite a few companies on Youtube that have converted the new Crafter in the UK, and it does look amazing.
Admittedly, I have a large A-class Motorhome, so a T6 camper would not currently suit my personal needs with my wife and 2 kids, plus a lot of kit with 5 full sized bikes etc. My Motorhome just ticks too many boxes.
However, my eldest is nearly 17, and she is now saying she doesn't want to come away in the Motorhome, so I for one will be watching with interest the conversions on the Crafter to see if it might suit us in the future.

There's someone on here, I cannot recall who, but sure they will pop up if they read this. They had a new Crafter as a loan van for a while, might even still have it. He had some good comments on how it drove.

 

[rod_vw]

Possibly me who had a New Crafter as a courtesy vehicle but it was only for a couple of days whilst the T6 was in for a bit of warranty work. It drove just like a slightly bigger (MWB) T6 or T5.

We also had a look at a couple at the NEC Camper & Caravan show in the autumn Hillside Leisure do one which I think is the one with the special Rib seat/bed which slides both longitudinally and laterally to make a bed that is wider than when used in the seating position.

VW have a concept vehicle doing the rounds of European shows.

Knaus have one available, as have Westfalia.

Rod

Maybe it will be a replacement for our T5 which is for sale.

 

[Tourershine]

We work on loads of Knaus Motorhomes, and the build quality is typically German.

They all look a little tame and ripe for a good exterior modding session! I wonder if any of the big boys will produce any aftermarket parts to make them look even better.

 

[Petehelmet]

I too had a Crafter as a loan vehicle while my T6 was having some warranty work, it was a 140ps trendline MWB and really loved the way it drove. Steering super light and seats really comfy, only gripe was the road noise at motorway speeds but I guess with a few hundred pounds worth of silent coat you could solve that issue.

 

[Bryn23]

I noticed that the Crafter didn't have any wheel arch liner, although this could just be due to it being a "Runner " model

That wouldn't help with the noise, but some sound deadener, would fix that along with some insulation, not really a issue as most people go down that route when building a camper.

I had a look at the Links Rod put up, that Westfalia is interesting with the retractable sleeping module to enable a 2000 mm sleeping length

I had already shown my wife the Hillside model when it was released, i don't mind the layout, wouldn't work for me, but i like it.

After showing my wife the extra space yesterday, she is onboard with the idea of something bigger that we can use to head over to Europe as it can be put in a container.

Having said that, that idea is for in 5 years time, so ill have time to look at the new Sprinter when it arrives in 2019.

It appears they are going back to a inline turbo 6 cylinder for it, and i do like the idea of a bigger engine in a large van, than a low CC turbo four pushing 3.5 tons.

Still, I'm looking forwards to seeing this 4 motion version crafter.