TallPaul's Caravelle - MTB wagon!

[TallPaul_S]

Well done and sad all at the same time.
Looking forward to your Crafter build!

Yeah sad but I've also had some cracking times in the van and it's taken me places I'd never have gone otherwise!

The future is looking busy - we're hoping to do a good portion of the building work ourselves, hopefully going from a 2 bed bungalow to a 4 bed with a 1.5 size garage, garden office etc. - tripling the size of the house.

Might be a while before I get to build a crafter but I'll definitely be back!

 

[T6ChrisO]

These vans come and go (trust me ) but what you have going on is far more important. Enjoy the renovation, I've done a few myself and there's definitely a sense of satisfaction at the end when you look back over the late nights, tears and blood shed ha ha

PS I bloody loved my Crafter, you wouldn't be disappointed

Good luck and all the best pal

 

[Sackmycook]

Always admired your van Paul and your build thread. I saw the outside when I got that battery off you and its sweet as.

GLWS

 

[CSG]

So, plans. And why 'MTB wagon'?

Well, as above I do a lot of trips all over the UK to go mountain biking. I'm based in Kent, which means anywhere with 'proper' riding is many hours drive.

This was me and my bike on my last trip, to Torridon in the Highlands.
View attachment 204317
View attachment 204318

After doing so many trips, I wanted more freedom in being able to get away for a weekend at a moment's notice, and not having to faff around with a towbar rack when it's dark, wet and cold, and also having to endlessly search for accomodation with secure bike storage.

So I needed a vehicle in which I could both store a bike or 2, and have the option of sleeping in, either on a campsite, or in a well chosen, out of the way parking spot. Camping means being able to book somewhere with a days notice, at £10-20 a night Vs £80-100 a night for an Airbnb. And if I'm staying in accommodation, I won't need one with bike storage as the bikes will be safe overnight in the van.

After having looked at all the van based mpv options, the Caravelle was the one for me. Despite it being well, well beyond my original budget, there was just some things in a car I could not do without, and only the caravelle offered them!

I'll be having a play with layouts but I already know roughly what I want to do, as the Caravelle will fit my bikes in alongside a single middle row seat and table, with either the front wheel off, or with it on but with only 40cm room to spare, but which will be enough for a cooking pod with burner, sink, fridge.

It will mean getting rid of the rear 3 seat bench seat and multiflex board however. This layout also meant a traditional camper set up wouldn't have worked without a pop top, and tbh I wanted the extra spec the caravelle has.

Hey brother, in the time you’ve had your biker van, what nuggets of information can you pass on to others (like me) who are following exactly the same path as you ? We will be taking 2 large eMTB’s on tour a lot starting May this year. The bikes will be inside our LWB Kombi while we travel. Cheers.

 

[TallPaul_S]

For sale advert will be going up this weekend so long as the new (21 years old ) Volvo which I bought a couple of weeks back passes an MOT!

Managed to find a cheap, slightly rough bodywork but very solid underneath 2005 V70 T5 with 260BHP and a boot the size of a small country, ideal for tip runs, carrying supplies, towing diggers etc and still fast enough to satisfy my slight petrolhead inside!







As you can see, house renovations are coming along, just clearing the outside at the moment, making more room for stuff, pulling out tree stumps etc etc, all good fun!!

 

[soldas]

The biggest downgrade in history! The things we do for love. Only messing, good luck with the sale and house @TallPaul_S

 

[TallPaul_S]

The house renovation will be a massive project over the next few years so that's the priority now, if we can get planning approved for what we want we'll be going from a 55m² 2 bedroom 1 bathroom bungalow with no garage to a 150m² 4/5 bedroom chalet bungalow with a 1.5x garage, massive open plan kitchen/diner/living area, sauna, 2 or 3 bathrooms, and space on the driveway for the missus's runabout, my Volvo daily, a Z4 3.0 cabriolet for the weekends, and a crafter big camper project for all of us

 

[Sasquatch]

A P2 V70. Good ones getting rare now.

 

[TallPaul_S]

A P2 V70. Good ones getting rare now.

Yeah, took a few months to find this one, has a few dings but it's drives soooo nicely, quick too! It's a great colour, magic blue pearl, which is almost black in some lights and purple in others. Might be tempted to restore it once it's life as a workhorse is done!

I had a Subaru Legacy Spec B with the flat 6 3.0 and AWD a few cars before, 245bhp on those so I'm partial to a nice subtle sleeper wagon!

 

[Sackmycook]

Got to love a V70 T5....

Especially with a full compliment of Glocks, MP5's and Baton Guns.....

Those were the days......

 

[Sasquatch]

Yeah, took a few months to find this one, has a few dings but it's drives soooo nicely, quick too! It's a great colour, magic blue pearl, which is almost black in some lights and purple in others. Might be tempted to restore it once it's life as a workhorse is done!

I had a Subaru Legacy Spec B with the flat 6 3.0 and AWD a few cars before, 245bhp on those so I'm partial to a nice subtle sleeper wagon!

Its essentially the engine Ford used in the Focus 2.5ST.

Its a different block to the original T5/T5R/R, and needs work in the block before it can be safely tuned very far. Youre wise to leave it be, and theyre pretty swift anyway - youll catch a few folk unawares! A lovely sounding engine when they come on cam.

Im guessing yours has the variable cam timing on both intake and exhaust sides? Driven gently theyre not bad on the fuel either.

The P2 design was finalised and production ready before Ford got their hands on the company and ruined it, losing themselves £4 billion along the way. A solid, well built and robustly designed bit of kit. The Mundano based P3 that replaced it drove well enough but was a finicky and fragile P.o.S. and not at all loved by the Volvo crew.

Nice motor. Moving a boot full of shit has never been so much fun!

 

[JumpShip]

Had a few 300+bhp Swedish barges in my time ....I do love a sleeper thats fully loaded and flies well under the radar

 

[fax001]

Yeah, took a few months to find this one, has a few dings but it's drives soooo nicely, quick too! It's a great colour, magic blue pearl, which is almost black in some lights and purple in others. Might be tempted to restore it once it's life as a workhorse is done!

I had a Subaru Legacy Spec B with the flat 6 3.0 and AWD a few cars before, 245bhp on those so I'm partial to a nice subtle sleeper wagon!

I remember the days when I had a Spec B. A fabulous car. So understated but oh so fast. Surprised a few boy racers!

 

[TallPaul_S]

I remember the days when I had a Spec B. A fabulous car. So understated but oh so fast. Surprised a few boy racers!

Yeah loved that car, handled brilliantly too thanks to the flat 6 engine. 4 adults in the car in the pouring rain and with AWD it just went like a scalded cat from the lights!

Sold it as I was commuting lots and the 23mpg was bankrupting me! And the hard ride wasn't comfy over the potholed roads.

The V70 T5 is really, really good... It's effortlessly brisk when driving normally and very rapid when putting your foot down properly, has had me giggling a couple of times now

Suspension on the V70 is much better, more very fast armchair and the MPG doesn't bother me I work from home and it's being used for local stuff, I'm getting the same MPG as my caravelle.

 

[fax001]

Yeah loved that car, handled brilliantly too thanks to the flat 6 engine. 4 adults in the car in the pouring rain and with AWD it just went like a scalded cat from the lights!

Sold it as I was commuting lots and the 23mpg was bankrupting me! And the hard ride wasn't comfy over the potholed roads.

The V70 T5 is really, really good... It's effortlessly brisk when driving normally and very rapid when putting your foot down properly, has had me giggling a couple of times now

Suspension on the V70 is much better, more very fast armchair and the MPG doesn't bother me I work from home and it's being used for local stuff, I'm getting the same MPG as my caravelle.

I have to agree that the Spec B fuel consumption was shocking. I always had to make sure the fuel readout wasn't showing... ever. And it really didn't like towing.