Would you let the van speed limit put you off buying a T32 LWB Kombi vs a Shuttle?

[Murdoch]

I drove my T32 Kombi, ignorant of the speed limit issue for a long time - not been stopped yet, but never go over 70 as the fuel consumption drops like a stone

 

[huw169]

Hi - Im looking at Shuttle's too - can anybody tell me if they have any insulation under the plastic and if not can you insulate and then reinstall the original plastic trim inc the window blinds etc? I was thinking of building a simple camper out of a LWB T6 shuttle, leaving the original floor keeping the original rear bench seat to fold over and put a mattress on top using something like the SlidePods Utility Pod and then also installing something like another Pod with cooker/ sink bolted into the floor behind the drivers seat. I would install swivel seats, diesel heater and solar

Am I mad to consider such a basic conversion of a Shuttle?

Have you priced up the shuttle you are looking at (age and miles) relative to the equivalent Kombi? I think you will have your answer. All other gadgets can be added for mush less than the difference in price.

 

[huw169]

Hi - Im looking at Shuttle's too - can anybody tell me if they have any insulation under the plastic and if not can you insulate and then reinstall the original plastic trim inc the window blinds etc? I was thinking of building a simple camper out of a LWB T6 shuttle, leaving the original floor keeping the original rear bench seat to fold over and put a mattress on top using something like the SlidePods Utility Pod and then also installing something like another Pod with cooker/ sink bolted into the floor behind the drivers seat. I would install swivel seats, diesel heater and solar

Am I mad to consider such a basic conversion of a Shuttle?

Forgot to mention, Shuttle will give you H7 headlights as standard and car speed limits as I'm sure you are aware.
Some people have mentioned 9 seaters can be slightly more problematic to insure, but certainly not impossible.

 

[Kind of Blue]

Hi all. About to purchase a van, narrowed it down to a LWB T32 Kombi for £29k or a Shuttle for £26k. Same age (2019), both DSG and similar miles and spec.

Kombi advantages to me would be the number of larger choice of mods, camping pods, converters, roofs etc and this particular one has a few extras like cruise control and a comfort dash.

The only thing stopping me getting the Kombi is the van speed limit rule. Assuming as it's a T32 LWB it would be over the 2040kg mass in service weight however it's weighed, so would have to adhere to the lower limits.

To be honest, I've not really got a problem with that and happy to do so, I'm just worried that as a car driver I'll simply forget and end up doing the limits that have been hard wired into me during the last 25 years of driving and end up getting fined etc.

Anyone regret getting a LWB Kombi when they could have maybe got a Shuttle instead?

I do not see many of the larger vans nor almost anyone else sticking to any speed limits. Firstly hardly anyone anticipates the oncoming limit by reducing speed even by lifting off the accelerator pedal. Most hit the limit sign, then carry on at the same pace for about 100m before they give a cursory dab on the brake just to see if the brake lights are still working. They carry on at much the same pace regardless of the time of day unless weight of traffic slows them, ignoring schools and such. They speed through most villages and towns. Some of the commercials, particularly those with a bevy of blokes in the front seats and sprinkled tabloid comic scattered over the dash attain new records of speed. . They are only surpassed by the builder's Big Bruiser Pickup Truck; those with the overly wide ribbed steel rear body, who menace by with a driver still engaged on his mobile phone, half munching his fatty egg and bacon butty, oblivious to anything else. Well it does not appear to bother them! Surpassing town and village speed limits by any margin is what they signed up for.

Just remember, if you just blindly follow the prat in the car in front, who may only just scrape under the unspoken rule of 10% plus 2mph grace, you might get a much larger fine than you ever may not have bargained for. As it will be calculated from the commercial limit and not the one meant for almost everyone else. Also in places like North Wales there is, or was, no agreement of tolerance, 1mph may be enough. A sister, who had boastful pride in staying under any limit, made an error and was booked for 2mph over Ha Ha. So they must make a lot of dosh out of commercials. They like to nest their cameras in abandoned cattle trucks and unhitch caravans. I read somewhere, that North Wales is not the only authority that does this but I forget where else. Gwent are very aggressive and quite obsessive and I understand that they collect £millions in revenue. It is no longer the friendly policeman who might just let you off with a warning or tot it down after a brief visit to his plush mobile office. It will be the unsmiling Safety Van or an up the jacksy by a hard nosed bonus obsessed agency tax collector in his very unlikely old unmarked car. Gwent are unscrupulous in obtain targets. I am sure the same might be true in some other places. So take care. Enjoy what ever you buy. Have you thought about a Caravel?

 

[The_Lad]

Speed limits are only different on single / dual carriageways anyway so you can still cruise on at 70mph on motorways to be honest i doubt you would get pulled anyway unless they were after you for something else

 

[casati]

Have you priced up the shuttle you are looking at (age and miles) relative to the equivalent Kombi? I think you will have your answer. All other gadgets can be added for mush less than the difference in price.

Have been looking online and see quite a few 2019 Shuttle SE's that seem to be cheaper than Kombi' Highlines, which Im finding hard to work out. Was hoping for 150 DSG if possible. Best value Kombi seems to be buying brand new as they seem to drop less than 10% per year in depreciation. I will keep looking