Green and clueless

[ozy67]

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.

If we did things more piecemeal, like adding solar, batteries or a diesel heater later, how much of that has to be planned in advance (i.e. leaving the right gaps or installing wiring in preparation).

We'd 100% have a professional company do this!

 

[Salty Spuds]

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

Personally I wouldn’t re-map, especially if it’s a 5 speed gearbox. Modern engines are complex enough without upsetting the status quo with dodgy aftermarket mods. You should spend a few hours searching and reading through the vast repository of information here at your fingertips. Some people have no issues whatsoever with a remap, others have (expensive) horror stories.
A remap will eat into your budget & at the end of the day, it’s completely unnecessary, it’s bling, icing on the cake, a cherry on top! Your van will still go without a remap & you won’t have the added stress of worrying that something is going to let go.
Again, just my 2 penneth.

 

[ozy67]

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.

Great advice - thanks. I think we're going into the experience of owning a van with our eyes open, it's really just managing to buy the right one at a price we can afford that seems a bit of a minefield.

In terms of van, this is the sort of thing we're looking at:

Auto Trader Vans - New and Used Vans For Sale

Find your next van with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used vans. Over 30,000 vans online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

I'll check out the Egoe/slidepod stuff

 

[ozy67]

Personally I wouldn’t re-map, especially if it’s a 5 speed gearbox. Modern engines are complex enough without upsetting the status quo with dodgy aftermarket mods. You should spend a few hours searching and reading through the vast repository of information here at your fingertips. Some people have no issues whatsoever with a remap, others have (expensive) horror stories.
A remap will eat into your budget & at the end of the day, it’s completely unnecessary, it’s bling, icing on the cake, a cherry on top! Your van will still go without a remap & you won’t have the added stress of worrying that something is going to let go.
Again, just my 2 penneth.

Yes, I think I'd only consider this if the performance of the van was really annoying me!

 

[Salty Spuds]

Great advice - thanks. I think we're going into the experience of owning a van with our eyes open, it's really just managing to buy the right one at a price we can afford that seems a bit of a minefield.

In terms of van, this is the sort of thing we're looking at:

Auto Trader Vans - New and Used Vans For Sale

Find your next van with Auto Trader UK, the official #1 site to buy and sell new and used vans. Over 30,000 vans online. Simple, easy, quick!

www.autotrader.co.uk

I'll check out the Egoe/slidepod stuff

That’s a 4 year old van, as basic as they come, you couldn’t get any baser if you tried, & its £25k.
Keep looking

 

[T6ChrisO]

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

Each insurance company will have different charges for them no doubt. If you tell them.............

In my opinion no, there isnt any damage on the engine and no impact on servicing

 

[Bigsidavies]

Diesel heater fitted underneath post conversion requires no pre planning-fitted by Cosmic Campers who were excellent and went above and beyond.
Solar-the only thing I did was get my pop top installer to run me the solar cables from the rear roof space to the bottom of the b-pillar in preparation. Installing solar a year later was virtually plug and play.

 

[DXX]

You may find that with budget constrictions you get a far better camper by not choosing a Transporter.
All brands and models have reliability problems, after the initial purchase cost you need to allow for unplanned maintenance as well as the obvious scheduled servicing.

 

[ozy67]

That’s a 4 year old van, as basic as they come, you couldn’t get any baser if you tried, & its £25k.
Keep looking

From the ad - "The Transporter comes with a great specification including A Touch Media System featuring Bluetooth and Digital Radio, Air Conditioning, 16" Alloy Wheels, Rear Parking sensors Plus Much More!!!"

What more could you want!

Struggling to find a newer van for less that £25k + VAT. There's a 70 reg T6.1 Startline with 29K miles for £26k, or a 70 reg T6.1 Highline with 50k miles for £26,400.

Because it's going to be a daily driver I'm keen to one with lower miles if possible. Seems I might have been a bit unrealistic with my budget for the base van :-|

 

[ozy67]

You may find that with budget constrictions you get a far better camper by not choosing a Transporter.
All brands and models have reliability problems, after the initial purchase cost you need to allow for unplanned maintenance as well as the obvious scheduled servicing.

To be honest, having been scouring autotrader, you may be right. I had hoped to get a Transporter because they make such a good base van, but also because they seem to hold their value much more.

 

[Farnorthsurfer]

The price of all vans not just Transporters skyrocketed during covid for a number of reasons and although they are still high demand seems to have softened a little so it might be a bit more sensible soon.
I am not in the trade, just from what I have observed.
T6 values in particular may hold up for newish vans because of the ‘T7 is a Ford Transit’ issue.
Albeit was pre covid our van sat unwanted on a VW dealers forecourt because it’s a LWB and twin slider which are unpopular for conversions. But it was low mileage private use and perfect for us.
As others have said you can’t beat LWB for a camper but if it’s a daily driver you must take that into consideration
Good luck with your hunting

 

[Salty Spuds]

From the ad - "The Transporter comes with a great specification including A Touch Media System featuring Bluetooth and Digital Radio, Air Conditioning, 16" Alloy Wheels, Rear Parking sensors Plus Much More!!!"

What more could you want!

Struggling to find a newer van for less that £25k + VAT. There's a 70 reg T6.1 Startline with 29K miles for £26k, or a 70 reg T6.1 Highline with 50k miles for £26,400.

Because it's going to be a daily driver I'm keen to one with lower miles if possible. Seems I might have been a bit unrealistic with my budget for the base van :-|

I’d missed the aircon. They make a passing reference to it in the blurb, but it’s not in the spec. I’d double check IIWY.

 

[Stay Frosty]

Buy one that's been converted already and you can use it straight away and sell it on relatively easily if it turns out camper vans aren't for you after all.
Convert it yourself if you want to go camping next year or later and then spend time on the forum rectifying the short comings of the lowest priced conversion that was offered.
Buy a decent converted van and you could end up with the desirable colours, after market wheels/suspension and LED lights that rarely come to mind when you thought you only wanted a camping holiday vehicle but are a part of the wider VW van scene and can enhance the ownership experience.

 

[Bigsidavies]

Is there a better specced £35k van than this?
If I was after a van I’d be all over this.

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

 

[Salty Spuds]

Is there a better specced £35k van than this?
If I was after a van I’d be all over this.

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

its £48500

 

[Bigsidavies]

its £48500

Well spotted. I think I got a couple of posts mixed up in my little brain. I was looking at those that Bav listed.
@ozy67 ignore my last post.

 

[Sabre]

Hi, don't worry about the 102 startline. That was my base van too. Had it converted and it's been around Europe, into the Alps with all our kit and 2 bikes.
You can have the 102 remapped if it isn't for you as I believe it's a detuned 150 anyway (????) I have considered it but haven't really seen the need, except to create another vehicle I can collect points with!

 

[Bav]

Well spotted. I think I got a couple of posts mixed up in my little brain. I was looking at those that Bav listed.
@ozy67 ignore my last post.

Hey! Don't bring me into it

(I read the title and thought the asking price was £35k too )

 

[Salty Spuds]

Hey! Don't bring me into it

(I read the title and thought the asking price was £35k too )

Aye, clever bit of marketing there by the OP

 

[Alan Watts]

Some insurers wont insure you if you only use the van as main transport. You'll also loose your ncb for use on the van. Get a runaround vehicle and insure both together with a "vehicle specialist"