Green and clueless

[ozy67]

Hi all,

Just joined the forum because my wife is desperate for a campervan but we're on a really tight budget. We'll need to sell our car to finance it so the van will have to double as a daily-driver.

I had thought the most cost effective way to do this would be to buy a base van and have it professionally converted, but just glancing at the forums makes me realise just how unprepared for this I am! I hadn't even considered the weight issues - I'd just assumed I could get any Transporter van and have it converted, but now it seems like a T28 *may* be borderline in terms of weight??

So, my initial thoughts are:
Buy a SWB panel van for around £20k+VAT. Nearly all of the ones in budget are white, T28, 102bhp Startline models with around 45-50k miles.
Is that a good starting point? I can't find any Kombis within my budget.
Is a 102bhp van painfully slow - we would spend a lot of time in the lakes, up and down steep fell roads. Would it cope?!
Every panel van I've seen has three front seats - do vans exist with just two front seats, or is that just Kombis? (apologies for my ignorance!)
Do I need to worry about T28/T30? To be honest, I think 90% of conversions I've seen on Autotrader are T28 vans, so probably not an issue.
Can a T28 be "uprated" if it ends up too heavy? There will only generally be me, my wife and the dog travelling.
I'd want air-con and parking sensors at least, and preferably DAB. Or forego parking sensors and have an after-market reversing camera fitted?

Then, budget for up to £15k inc VAT for the conversion - there is a company near me that will do a conversion, including pop-top, for around £11k+VAT, but I don't think it includes putting windows in the van's panels, so no idea how much extra that would cost.
Does that sound like a realistic spend for a good-quality conversion?

What's the issue with having the conversion re-classified on the V5 - is that a legal requirement once it has been converted? What if it remains classified as a van?

As you can see I'm at the point where I'm not even sure about the questions I should be asking - so any help and advice, or pointers to relevant threads, is much appreciated!

Thanks

 

[True Romance]

Welcome and you're doing the right thing by asking here first.

Just to be clear is your budget £20k for the van and £11k for the conversion, so £30k +- in total?

 

[Qnapper]

I have a converted T28 (professional done) and have no problems with weight. I have to weight it here in Spain very trip out (incase Police want to check) and we have never gone over 2780 with wife, cat, 2x bikes, full tank of fuel (never fill water tank when driving only carry 10lts of water. Drives like a dream.

 

[jimc91]

Hire one first, its an expensive thing to do if it turns out you don't like camping. Also decide if you want/need a full conversion; sink, cooker, cupboards etc. many don't. If your using the van as a daily driver a Kombi set up might work better (feels more like driving a car) using two of the seats folded down as part of the bed when camping. Think about what kind of camping you are going to do; campsites with electric hook up (no need for a big solar set up) or wild camping (invest heavily on solar and lithium batteries) or a combination of the two. Also if its just you and the wife do you need to invest in a pop top now, its something you can get added later when funds allow. Personally I don't feel the need for one when I go camping. Most on here will recommend you get the best base van you can (air con, MFSW, etc) rather than regret it later. Mines a T28 102 bhp, plenty fast enough. Re the two seats upfront, budget about a grand to buy a passenger one to replace a front double - very easy swap. If you have ruled out doing any of the conversion yourself you need to be clear in your mind what you want when discussing with a converter what to have so you avoid a bog standard fit out that might or might not suit. Finally use the search function, especially in the for sale section as some real nice vans come up for sale on here - good luck with the journey,

 

[ozy67]

Welcome and you're doing the right thing by asking here first.

Just to be clear is your budget £20k for the van and £11k for the conversion, so £30k +- in total?

Yes that's the kind of ballpark I'm thinking, £30k + VAT. Is that at all realistic to get a decent quality conversion?

 

[ozy67]

I have a converted T28 (professional done) and have no problems with weight. I have to weight it here in Spain very trip out (incase Police want to check) and we have never gone over 2780 with wife, cat, 2x bikes, full tank of fuel (never fill water tank when driving only carry 10lts of water. Drives like a dream.

Thanks, that's great to hear! There are so many more T28s available than anything else!

 

[ozy67]

Hire one first, its an expensive thing to do if it turns out you don't like camping. Also decide if you want/need a full conversion; sink, cooker, cupboards etc. many don't. If your using the van as a daily driver a Kombi set up might work better (feels more like driving a car) using two of the seats folded down as part of the bed when camping. Think about what kind of camping you are going to do; campsites with electric hook up (no need for a big solar set up) or wild camping (invest heavily on solar and lithium batteries) or a combination of the two. Also if its just you and the wife do you need to invest in a pop top now, its something you can get added later when funds allow. Personally I don't feel the need for one when I go camping. Most on here will recommend you get the best base van you can (air con, MFSW, etc) rather than regret it later. Mines a T28 102 bhp, plenty fast enough. Re the two seats upfront, budget about a grand to buy a passenger one to replace a front double - very easy swap. If you have ruled out doing any of the conversion yourself you need to be clear in your mind what you want when discussing with a converter what to have so you avoid a bog standard fit out that might or might not suit. Finally use the search function, especially in the for sale section as some real nice vans come up for sale on here - good luck with the journey,

It's not quite the same, but we did hire a Bongo over a few days a couple of years ago, and loved the experience. The Bongo had a pop top but the shape of the roof meant we couldn't stand up fully at the sink/cooker, which was a bit of a pain and which is why we think we'd appreciate a pop top in the VW.

We've done plenty of camping in the past but are now a bit over having to put up and take down a tent!

We'll be doing a mixture of sites/wild, but we have visions of being off-grid a bit, so solar/batteries seems like a great idea. I feel this is a project where you can easily exceed your original budget :-|

Finding lots of useful info on the forums - seems like a really active and friendly community. Excited to potentially be part of it.

 

[Qnapper]

We are off grid 98% of the time (even though the camper is red!!) we park outside police stations, in car parks, in the wild all without problem (leave no sign you have been there). Depending on the park up we push up the poptop or in many case just leave it down (it is a must in any build) and of course a solar set up and a good make of (LiFePO4) battery - we have 180amps and run for days.

 

[True Romance]

Yes that's the kind of ballpark I'm thinking, £30k + VAT. Is that at all realistic to get a decent quality conversion?

Check the for sale section on here.

 

[JDC]

There's always nice vans on here. 35k should get a good spec too, look at Highline spec with captain seats. A lot more comfortable than having a bench seat.

 

[Bav]

I feel this is a project where you can easily exceed your original budget

Ain't that the truth.

 

[T6ChrisO]

As others have mentioned, £35k budget would get you a nice van whether you buy one ready done and get on to your own spec and taste.

I have a T28 and have no issues with weight. The 102bhp is a little slow to be honest, I struggled uphill so I had it mapped to approx 160bhp (do some research on who to use for mapping though because the 5 speed box is a weakspot on these)

 

[Bav]

A selection of vans that are up for sale in the forum...

Sold - 2016 T32 180PS Kombi DSG 4Motion Highline Camper

We're selling our much loved T6 Kombi to fund a new van. We've had some amazing adventures in this van, both in summer and winter and all over the UK and Europe. It has a partial camper conversion, but we wanted something that could easily revert back to a van to carry bikes etc. We bought the...

www.t6forum.com

Sold - 2018 VW T6 Campervan | T32 | £35k upgrades

After 5 years of ownership from brand new. It’s time to pass the van onto someone else to love. It’s a 2018 VW T6 Highline T32 Kombi 150PS TDI that was converted into a 4 berth campervan by Starlight Campers in 2021. The factory optional extras it came with are Tailgate, LED rear lights, soft...

www.t6forum.com

Sold - 2016 T6 Day Van conversion EU6 full double bed, Fridge/Freezer Lowered, 19" VW Wheels. £24,950.

This is my Son's van which he has had for the last 3yrs. Used as a base camp for various climbing expeditions in UK & Europe. Ready for adventures in 2023. Just listed on Auto trader but may be of interest to someone on here...

www.t6forum.com

Sold - 2014 T32 Highline Kombi DSG, Leighton Vans Carlex build, lots of extras

CARLEX HAND BUILT T5 + FULL CUSTOMIZED CROSS STITCHED INTERIOR WITH AUDI R8 GULWING SEATS IN FRONT + DRL ON FRONT BUMPER + FULL BILLSTEIN SUSPENSION + 20" RS6 ALLOYS + NIGHT HEATER WITH DIGITAL CONTROL AND MOBILE PHONE CONTROL + HEAD UNIT WITH SCREEN AND PHONE SYSTEM + REVERSING CAMERA SENSORS...

www.t6forum.com

Sold - T6 Transporter 2016 T28 . £34,995

The protective plastic is still on the table top & worktop. Its all brand new, fridge, bed, carpet, hob, sink everything. THE VAN VW Transporter T6 1st registered Nov 2016 SWB Original panel van had light use as a mobile BMX repair van 75,000 fully serviced miles 3 keys Parking Sensors Rear...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Salty Spuds]

What's the issue with having the conversion re-classified on the V5 - is that a legal requirement once it has been converted? What if it remains classified as a van?

Speed limits/ DVLA / Motor Caravan / Dual Purpose / N1 and all that malarkey.

Much discussion has taken place over the years regarding the status of vans & conversions with regard to speed limits/tax/insurance etc. There's a wealth of info on the forum - particularly this thread - but it's scattered and fragmented around the forum. So I thought I'd bring it all together...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Bigsidavies]

I’d seriously look at a LWB. The extra space is very useable. Ours is my daily driver and there’s no problems. I go to supermarkets and park on the road in towns etc.
We’ve had ours for nearly three years. Bought a decent spec highline panel van then did most of it ourselves over 6 months.
I’d say pop top is essential unless you want to do everything sat down. If you are reasonably diy competent then you can do most things yourself.
I did the windows myself and it was pretty easy tbh. Paid to have a decent pop top with scenic canvas-I can highly recommend a Vanmax as a quality roof that won’t break the bank.

We still have the double bench seat up front. There’s a massive amount of storage underneath that seat. We get all our clothes under there and I don’t find it too uncomfortable. Just back from 1500miles in Scotland no probs.

Look at how you intend to use the van and spend your money wisely. You don’t need 350w of solar and 2 lithium batteries if you only have the fridge and a couple of led lights. We didn’t have solar for over a year and could still do over 48 hours off grid no probs. We now only have 100w solar but will have a lithium battery in the next couple of weeks.
You can do the conversion in stages.
A diesel heater is brilliant, but you can manage a winter without one and it can be fitted as funds allow. Same with solar.
Put the money into getting the best basics of what suits YOU then add the finishing touches as and IF you need them.

 

[Sharpe]

Buy the best base van you can, it would be better to stick another 3-5k on getting the right van. Then do the conversion in stages as budget allows

 

[Salty Spuds]

Hi all,

Just joined the forum because my wife is desperate for a campervan but we're on a really tight budget. We'll need to sell our car to finance it so the van will have to double as a daily-driver.

I had thought the most cost effective way to do this would be to buy a base van and have it professionally converted, but just glancing at the forums makes me realise just how unprepared for this I am! I hadn't even considered the weight issues - I'd just assumed I could get any Transporter van and have it converted, but now it seems like a T28 *may* be borderline in terms of weight??

So, my initial thoughts are:
Buy a SWB panel van for around £20k+VAT. Nearly all of the ones in budget are white, T28, 102bhp Startline models with around 45-50k miles.
Is that a good starting point? I can't find any Kombis within my budget.
Is a 102bhp van painfully slow - we would spend a lot of time in the lakes, up and down steep fell roads. Would it cope?!
Every panel van I've seen has three front seats - do vans exist with just two front seats, or is that just Kombis? (apologies for my ignorance!)
Do I need to worry about T28/T30? To be honest, I think 90% of conversions I've seen on Autotrader are T28 vans, so probably not an issue.
Can a T28 be "uprated" if it ends up too heavy? There will only generally be me, my wife and the dog travelling.
I'd want air-con and parking sensors at least, and preferably DAB. Or forego parking sensors and have an after-market reversing camera fitted?

Then, budget for up to £15k inc VAT for the conversion - there is a company near me that will do a conversion, including pop-top, for around £11k+VAT, but I don't think it includes putting windows in the van's panels, so no idea how much extra that would cost.
Does that sound like a realistic spend for a good-quality conversion?

What's the issue with having the conversion re-classified on the V5 - is that a legal requirement once it has been converted? What if it remains classified as a van?

As you can see I'm at the point where I'm not even sure about the questions I should be asking - so any help and advice, or pointers to relevant threads, is much appreciated!

Thanks

My advice would be first , sit down with SWMBO and have a frank discussion as to why you/she wants a van and what you want to do with it. Are you already outdoorsy types prepared to rough it a little, or are you/she high maintenance spa/all inclusive types? The whole "vanlife" scene can be romantic & idealistic on paper, but some times it's not all about sitting in the sun with a cold glass of prosecco.
Once you've nailed that, time to work out the realities & practicalities/costs of having a camper as a daily driver. Whether you go SWB or LWB (I'd deffo go LWB), parking isn't as easy as parking a car, especially if you live in a busy urban area. Depending on what you already drive, insurance/fuel/road tax maybe more expensive, or indeed cheaper. Using it as a daily driver will pile the miles on & the depreciation will be considerable. The whole van, including the conversion will depreciate with the mileage ( a high mileage van with a new conversion, is still a high mileage van)
If the budget is tight & you're handy with your hands, you could do the conversion in stages, electrics/lining/bed/roof/furniture, do some of the work yourself & pay someone to do the tricky bits. You can have a good nights sleep on a mattress or airbed in the back of a lined van & cook your meals on a portable gas stove.
You could go down the Egoe/slidepod route, this would get you the basic comforts & necessities for 1/3rd of the cost of a full conversion & if you decide the van's not for you, you can sell it on.
General wisdom is to spend the max budget on the base van, adding spec to a base van at a later date is very expensive. AFAIK Startlines don't come with Aircon as standard. The base van will define the finished article, an expensive conversion in a low spec base van is lipstick on a pig.
Just my 2 penneth and entirely based on my own opinion & experience.

 

[Pete C]

We’ve taken our 102bhp model all over the UK and in the Alps and Picos mountains, and it easily coped with those.

Pete

 

[ozy67]

As others have mentioned, £35k budget would get you a nice van whether you buy one ready done and get on to your own spec and taste.

I have a T28 and have no issues with weight. The 102bhp is a little slow to be honest, I struggled uphill so I had it mapped to approx 160bhp (do some research on who to use for mapping though because the 5 speed box is a weakspot on these)

What are the insurance implications of a remap? Is there any impact on servicing/wear on the engine?

 

[ozy67]

A selection of vans that are up for sale in the forum...

Sold - 2016 T32 180PS Kombi DSG 4Motion Highline Camper

We're selling our much loved T6 Kombi to fund a new van. We've had some amazing adventures in this van, both in summer and winter and all over the UK and Europe. It has a partial camper conversion, but we wanted something that could easily revert back to a van to carry bikes etc. We bought the...

www.t6forum.com

Sold - 2018 VW T6 Campervan | T32 | £35k upgrades

After 5 years of ownership from brand new. It’s time to pass the van onto someone else to love. It’s a 2018 VW T6 Highline T32 Kombi 150PS TDI that was converted into a 4 berth campervan by Starlight Campers in 2021. The factory optional extras it came with are Tailgate, LED rear lights, soft...

www.t6forum.com

Sold - 2016 T6 Day Van conversion EU6 full double bed, Fridge/Freezer Lowered, 19" VW Wheels. £24,950.

This is my Son's van which he has had for the last 3yrs. Used as a base camp for various climbing expeditions in UK & Europe. Ready for adventures in 2023. Just listed on Auto trader but may be of interest to someone on here...

www.t6forum.com

Sold - 2014 T32 Highline Kombi DSG, Leighton Vans Carlex build, lots of extras

CARLEX HAND BUILT T5 + FULL CUSTOMIZED CROSS STITCHED INTERIOR WITH AUDI R8 GULWING SEATS IN FRONT + DRL ON FRONT BUMPER + FULL BILLSTEIN SUSPENSION + 20" RS6 ALLOYS + NIGHT HEATER WITH DIGITAL CONTROL AND MOBILE PHONE CONTROL + HEAD UNIT WITH SCREEN AND PHONE SYSTEM + REVERSING CAMERA SENSORS...

www.t6forum.com

Sold - T6 Transporter 2016 T28 . £34,995

The protective plastic is still on the table top & worktop. Its all brand new, fridge, bed, carpet, hob, sink everything. THE VAN VW Transporter T6 1st registered Nov 2016 SWB Original panel van had light use as a mobile BMX repair van 75,000 fully serviced miles 3 keys Parking Sensors Rear...

www.t6forum.com

Amazing - thanks for getting these together. Will take a look!