Hello, Looking to buy a T6

[JoshB_]

Hello all, fantastic forum, so much great advice on here and it’s nice to come back to a car(van) forum! Used to frequent many in the early 2000’s but they all seemed to have died a death.

Anyway, let’s cut to the chase. I’ve decided that a VW Transporter is the van for me.
I am planning on converting it but only to a day van + maybe the odd night. I’ve got 3 little kids and will still use the tent for weeks away but nice to have the option of sleeping in it for a night. I’ve a fairly limited budget but want to get the newest low mileage van I can afford as I want it to be a keeper.

As said, I’ve 3 kids so looking for 3 seats in the back but want to keep the layout flexible so I’m looking at a 3 seat R&R bed in the back, but put it on a rail system so it can slide forward so we can use the van as a van (wife runs a florist business).
Narrowed it down to these 3 at the minute, but in no rush. Just garnering opinions. The only “must have” for me is AC.

Auto Trader Vans - New and Used Vans For Sale - advantage of already having rails in and enough seats, I could use this out the box and interior is pretty mint with it being mobility rather than a work van. But a T28 Startline…

Auto Trader Vans - New and Used Vans For Sale - ticks a lot of boxes, slightly over budget. Just worried as to why it appears to have old T5 clocks, and it looks like a conversion was started but stoped… and it’s for sale by a conversion company…

2017 Volkswagen Transporter 2.0 TDI BMT 150 Highline Van PANEL VAN Diesel Manual | eBay - best specced van, but no tailgate (yes I’m that shallow) and I’m worried about it being a rental. Could have been red lined everywhere and smashed over speed bumps!

Appreciate opinions from those that have done it before. Cheers!

 

[Sackmycook]

My opinion is the middle one

 

[Bigsidavies]

Number one looks tidy and has the rails. Startline doesn’t really matter as it has the all important air con. You can always change steering wheel and do other little highline-type mods if you wish.
T28 shouldn’t be a problem for your use case, but up-plating is possible which is documented on this site as purely a paper exercise.
However, I’d guess it’s the 5speed 110bhp model which you may feel is a little underpowered. But again many on here have fully converted 110bhp vehicles without issue.

Number 2 looks like a shuttle, hence the rear air con and the roof panel and interior rear quarter trim panel for the air con unit. Although it looks as though the seats and floor have been removed.
Maybe the conversion company bought it cheap and used the seats and rails elsewhere. Doing a full camper conversion on those is a bit of a pita because of the extra air con pipes and electrics.
The instrument cluster is the standard startline cluster-it’s probably the same in the first van, but the pics don’t show it.
Still seems a good van. 150bhp dsg all day given the choice.

Van 3 is a highline and 150 dsg so has the toys and best power/gearbox combo so will make a nicer van ultimately. However, there’s more work involved in fitting all the windows, stripping out the interior and fitting the (expensive) rail system to the floor.
For me it would be between 2 and 3 and number 3 would take it because I’m happy doing my own windows and like a blank canvass. But for your use you may find that number 2 is best as it will be able to keep the kids cool in the rear when you are out on family trips. Just get the floor and seats fitted which is probably wrong side of £3k at a guess.
So then price comes into play I guess. Only you can decide which is best value for you when weighed up against your use case going forward.

 

[JoshB_]

Cheers for the input guys.
Must admit I was always swaying towards No.2, I just feel it’s overpriced given the botched rear end. It’s deffo not a shuttle, I checked with the DVLA, was hoping it might have seat brackets in!

Booked in for some viewings next week, the good thing about the mobility one is the trader has quite a few T6’s, including some 150hp and Highline models, so I’ve said I’m interest in a few, so can test drive back to back.

Rung up about the ex-rental and the bloke literally said “it could have been used for owt mate, but it drives alreyt”. So I’ve wrote that one off…

The other option I was looking at is a completely bog standard T6.1 as there’s quite a few 3 year old ex lease ones kicking about now. Would cost me more in the long run but I do really like the new dash (not so much the front end though).
Auto Trader Vans - New and Used Vans For Sale
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/van-details/202408183014687

 

[JoshB_]

So I finally bought one! Had it just over a week now, saw a few come and go quickly at this particular spec so when this one came up I jumped at it.
It’s a T6.1 T30 LWB Startline with the Business Pack and upgraded stereo with the Nav built in, 150bhp 6 speed and a tailgate. Has far more miles than I originally planned at 86k but it’s an ex-lease van so has meticulous service history (been serviced yearly at VW regardless). Looks to have been a joiners van as full of sawdust and I’ve found about 7 jigsaw blades in the back!

Not happy about how much I’ve had to pay but I wasn’t missing out on another at this spec and at the end of the day, they hold their value.

Plans are to get it sorted with some carpet in the back and seats ASAP so we can start using it as our family vehicle, not keen on paying 2 lots of insurance with prices the way they are at the minute… Future plans are a day van with some camper features.

Thanks for the help from this forum! I look forward to contributing!

 

[Sackmycook]

So I finally bought one!

Not happy about how much I’ve had to pay....

How much then ?

 

[JoshB_]

How much then ?

£18k inc vat.
Still can’t get my head round the price of these things… but Transits aren’t much cheaper these days.

 

[Sackmycook]

Fair price I'd say, it's a 6.1 too