From Multivan to caravelle

[SofaKing]

ok, here goes...
With 4 kids in our family, travelling a lot, there are not many options. We first bought a highline multivan SWB T6, but soon discovered there was not much real cargo space in the car. It was also factory lowered sport suspension and whatever. It was stiff and each pot hole (a lot of them over here) really shock the bones...

Being an impulsive guy, I arranged a swap to a caravelle highline lwb. So, are we happy now? The space is awsome and its much more practical with flexible seating arrangement and quick to move seats around. Its also much more comfortable on rough roads.

The downside is the roll when cornering at higher speeds, no good!

Worst of all is the tremendous amount of sound! Its just noisy as h***! It has the factory acoustic package, but that cant compare to the multivan.

Also highline multivan has a LOT more standard equip than the highline caravelle ( servotronic, colour mfd, electric chairs, side passenger air bags, dcc, extra battery and so..)

So, a bit happy and unhappy now I guess... the multivan highline is really a lot more for almost the same money, but not that practical.

Well, whats done, is whats done

To be happy i’ll need to sort out the following:
- Sound damping
- Change suspension or only ARB?
- Get better speakers (awfull sound, no bass)

 

[Tourershine]

I run a T6 LWB Kombi, that seats 4, with all my business equipment that quite possibly equates to around the same weight as you with all your family.
I'm running 30mm springs from VW, and 40 profile tyres on 19" rims. I can hand on heart say it's a very comfortable drive, even on rough roads. I don't get any knocks or bangs over the pot holes I don't see in advance and avoid, and the van handles as good as any car i've owned.
So I wonder just why yours was so bad

As for noise. Mine was very noisy before we had a custom bulkhead installed, but that's built from 18mm MDF, and fully carpeted. Since having that fitted, the van is almost silent from any road noise.

PS
You are very lucky if your van fits into your garage! I wish mine did. I have a double garage, with an electric composite sectional door like the one in your picture, and at a push it would just fit with about 5mm of room to the roof, but it's too long, which is gutting because my previous Vivaro fitted.
If only I could easily extend my garage forwards a couple of feet..

 

[Banj]

H&R anti roll bars are really good at fixings the roll, and easy to fit as well