You are absolutely right in that assessment and for someone who's not done this before it takes a while to get your head roundWow that seemed to move quickly! Congratulations on your new purchase.
I would say though if you are buying a converted van it’s worth considering that ( if done professionally) the conversion cost should be at least £10-15k when done on top of the van price so if you /2 as second hand then at least £5-7.5k of the price is the campervan, plus wheels/style/VW camper markup, so what you will be paying for a base van at an all in price of £25k is much less than you’d think, then you need to consider if paying £25k for that van is the right think to do.
We went through this when looking for a van to convert and ended up buying a new van as the van is the vehicle you are buying so made sense to pay a premium for that as a starting point. When buying a converted van it gets very difficult to understand what exactly you are paying for (20k van + 5k camper, 10k van + 15k camper, 5k van + 5k camper + 15k VW premium etc!).
I would say I think it is still a buyers market at the moment so there should be some good deals out there and buying a T5 (or T5.1) is in many eyes seen as a sweet spot!
Is it all worth it?
- Thread starter PeteK80
- Start date
I'd love to have photos to show you but we'd just left to go and pick the van up this morning when the owner rang and told me he'd sold it to someone else for more money. So much for a gentleman's agreement.Pics when you get it
So two upset kids and a wasted morning later I'm no further on.
Managed to find the energy to have another look on ebay/ auto trader but unless you've got £30k to spend it all seems to be high-mileage rubbish for sale...
Oh well....
Massive sympathies!
It's a common issue with these vans. Obviously that van wasn't meant for you. It likely had numerous issues - you dodged a bullet.
On the plus side, you are now determined to get one rather than unsure.
I've got a very similar but older Kombi to this, great vans.
For Sale - 2020 VW T6.1 Transporter T32 Startline 110 HP LWB TDI - £20,995 (NO VAT)
For Sale - 2020 VW T6.1 Transporter T32 Startline 110 HP LWB TDI - £20,995 (NO VAT)
To be fair to the seller, I’ve lost count of the sales I’ve lost because I was holding the item for a buyer who never turned up. So it does cut both ways. If I’m selling now, it’s very much a case of whoever turns up with the cash wins.
I travelled to see numerous vans that had sold between us leaving home and actually getting there .
We also travelled hundreds of miles to see 'immaculate' vans that were complete sheds .... so I feel your pain .
Take from that 'the one' is still out there for you and it WILL happen when you find it and you'll know thats the one .
We also travelled hundreds of miles to see 'immaculate' vans that were complete sheds .... so I feel your pain .
Take from that 'the one' is still out there for you and it WILL happen when you find it and you'll know thats the one .
Cheers JSI travelled to see numerous vans that had sold between us leaving home and actually getting there .
We also travelled hundreds of miles to see 'immaculate' vans that were complete sheds .... so I feel your pain .
Take from that 'the one' is still out there for you and it WILL happen when you find it and you'll know thats the one .
So some of you may remember the drama and disappointment I went through a couple of weeks back with trying to buy a camper.
I very nearly gave up on the whole thing at one point but some encouragement from you all made me keep going and today I picked up my new four-berth, pop top converted T5 for my family.
So the story ends (or begins) here and I'm looking forward to chatting more with you all provided at T5 owner is welcome around these parts?!
Cheers everyone...
Pete
I very nearly gave up on the whole thing at one point but some encouragement from you all made me keep going and today I picked up my new four-berth, pop top converted T5 for my family.
So the story ends (or begins) here and I'm looking forward to chatting more with you all provided at T5 owner is welcome around these parts?!
Cheers everyone...
Pete
Everyone loves, and sometimes envies, a T5! Really happy for you and yours!
.Nice one!
Apologies I’m a bit late to this thread but I’m in a similar position. Just turned 40, 3 little uns, and it’s best decision I’ve ever made.
I was exactly the same with the price of them and couldn’t get my head round paying more for an old joiners van covered in sawdust than a younger, lower mileage proper car.
Even when I got it home and started to strip it I did wonder what the hell I’d done… But within a couple months I’d fallen in love with it. It’s just something you can’t explain really…
Exactly the same Josh, Looked at what vans I could buy for my money ......and then added some more money and bought a vdub instead ....what am i doing! 
Always deep down wanted a transporter and thought 'in for a penny'....f...it!
.
Scarey moment when I got to the dealers and parted with all of my savings
.
It was a basic poverty spec panel van but with business pack (essential a/c ) .
I used to work in the motor trade and have owned my fair share of motors but we've had our van for 10 years now and still love it despite it not being the fastest or flashiest it still gives me that warm fuzzy feeling.
Always deep down wanted a transporter and thought 'in for a penny'....f...it!
.Scarey moment when I got to the dealers and parted with all of my savings
.It was a basic poverty spec panel van but with business pack (essential a/c ) .
I used to work in the motor trade and have owned my fair share of motors but we've had our van for 10 years now and still love it despite it not being the fastest or flashiest it still gives me that warm fuzzy feeling.
VW had a brief dalliance with Merc & for a time, Crafters were re-badged sprinters, that didn't end well. AFAIK since 2016 Crafters/MANTge vans are now made by VW in Poland. But I'm willing to be corrected.
PS when I said "Crafter" I actually meant "MAN Tge". Same van different badge, no VW premium. The last time I specced up a Crafter v MAN van, the MAN came in £10k cheaper for the same spec. That was a couple of years ago, post Covid. I suspect the price difference maybe lower now.
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You're pretty much corredtamundo.
The old Merc Sprinters used to get up the road pretty well. However, VW ruined that by slipping their own engine in, and then added insult to injury by letting Merdedes, who have a woeful reputation for quality since the mid 90s, stitch the whole mess together.
The in house 2017-on model is a much better proposition, and the Poles manage a far better job with fit and finish than Mercedes managed in Dusseldorf with the earlier model.
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