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[Jammel]

Hi everyone , my name is Mel my partner and I are complete campervan virgins . We are taking the plunge and buying a t6 campervan.
We are learning what we want and don’t want the more we look but if any of you have any advice what to look for what to avoid.
Particularly in the following areas
Bhp - 102 is this adequate or is a 150bhp needed.
We are not looking to be first off the start grid but want something comfortable and able to overtake on motorways, etc.
High line is it worth paying the extra for upgraded extras?
Best pop tops and ones to avoid ?
Over night heater is it essential
Solar panels - recommend or not?
Awning essential or not ?

We are planning on using the van mainly for just the two of us , travelling around UK but want to venture into Europe once we are more seasoned with the van etc.

Anyway thank you in advance I am sure I will be on here with more questions .

Enjoy rest of the day x

 

[bobnudd]

Hi and welcome. I can't speak as to anything else, but I drive a 102 swb Highline, lowered on 20s and its more than happy pulling off from a stationary start loaded with kids, wife, bags, cats etc. Economical too for long trips, sits nicely at 50/60/70 mph. For me cruise control is a must. I have ACC on mine its cracking on the motorway, not sure if this is standard on highline models, but pretty sure standard cruise is, as well as aircon, which is also a must for us, its not something that is easy or practical to add as retrofit or aftermarket. I've never needed a solar panel, but do have a leisure battery and split charger setup which is good for us and supplies plenty of power for a weekend away (we don't run a TV or microwave)
Awnings are good, but for 2, not essential. If it was just 2 of us I don't think I'd put an awning up. And heaters are always useful between October and May. Hope this helps in some way.
You're in the right place for t6 knowledge anyhoo! Bob x

 

[Salty Spuds]

Bhp - 102 is this adequate or is a 150bhp needed.
We are not looking to be first off the start grid but want something comfortable and able to overtake on motorways, etc. I’d prefer the 150
High line is it worth paying the extra for upgraded extras? If money is available, yes. It’s all down to budget.
Best pop tops and ones to avoid ?Any of the mainstream ones will be ok. Any poptop is only as good as the person who fits it. Plenty of info on the forum.
Over night heater is it essential Depends on how hardy you are. We use ours for skiing in the Alps, so for us it’s essential.
Solar panels - recommend or not? again, depends on usage. If you’re always going to be on campsites with EHU, then no. If you want to spread your wings & get adventurous, They are definitely advantageous. They aren’t expensive to install & much easier & cheaper to fit at the conversion stage than later.
Awning essential or not ? Been there done that, not for us. But that’s a personal choice. Try it without, see how it goes, then decide.

See above

 

[Rioja John]

My van is a 2021 startline 5 speed with 20inch wheels 110bhp and it doesn't hang about 7300 miles on the clock now, and 34 mpg on run 28 - 30 mpg around town but on a long steady 65 mph run to Isle of Wight it maintained 42 mpg. I also have a self fitted Chinese diesel heater.

John.

 

[Bav]

Bhp - 102 is this adequate

I think adequate is a good description of the 102 engine. It does the job, but won't set the world on fire. Just to compare with @Rioja John's mpg figures, I have a 150ps LWB fully loaded camper and I too got 42mpg today on a 140 mile trip, but I have 17 inch wheels and was driving at a steady 60 mph into a very strong and blustery wind.

High line is it worth paying the extra for upgraded extras?

That's down to personal priorities and budget constraints. If you go for a Startline make sure it has the optional Business Pack, as this gives you air con (essential IMO).

Best pop tops and ones to avoid ?

Difficult to answer - most people will offer their choice as "the best". Your choice will probably be primarily dictated by budget as they vary significantly in price (£2.5k - £9k) and things like whether you want/need a "stealth" camper (i.e. not obviously a camper) or would you prefer a pop-top that's obvious but probably more practical (in terms of storing bedding up there when the roof is down). Also, as alluded to above, the worst installers can make an horrendous mess of a great roof and the best installers can make a decent job of a very average roof, so choose your installer carefully.

Over night heater is it essential

Depends where and at at what time of year you'll be camping. In the UK, during winter and the shoulder seasons you'll probably need a heater.

Solar panels - recommend or not?

As per @Salty Spuds's response, above.

Awning essential or not ?

Not essential if there's only 2 of you, but very useful for additional living/storage space if you're planning to be on a single site for a number of days (can be a PITA though if moving from site to site).

 

[gilesjuk]

I picked up a 2018 T6 150 highline today. My daily drive for the past 7-8 years has been a 2011 2.2 diesel Rav 4 and that is pretty nippy (0-60 under 10 seconds) and the 150ps is comparable, I'd say the main reason the T6 is slower is the first couple of gears. Heavier vehicle needs a bit more help to get going.

ACC can be retrofitted for £440 (without VAT) at VW Retrofit.

 

[Sirrell85]

Evening - I'm looking at buying my first transporter. Any tips/ideas wheres best to buy from. I'm looking for a swb hopefully a highline around 2016, 140bhp, ideally with windows like the kombi van, less than 120k miles, full service history. Apologies for waffling on and if I've asked this question in the wrong section.

 

[Bav]

Evening - I'm looking at buying my first transporter. Any tips/ideas wheres best to buy from. I'm looking for a swb hopefully a highline around 2016, 140bhp, ideally with windows like the kombi van, less than 120k miles, full service history. Apologies for waffling on and if I've asked this question in the wrong section.

Welcome to the forum @Sirrell85.

You could do a lot worse than look at the vans for sale here on the forum...

Search results for query: selling-up

www.t6forum.com

Not sure if you need VIP membership to be able to view these, but regardless, you'll find it £12.99 well spent.

 

[bobnudd]

Welcome @Sirrell85. Sounds like you've got a good idea of what you need! There will be quite a choice that meets your requirements, so my advice would be to make sure that you don't buy something that "you can make into what I want" and get as close to you're ideal van you can.
Yeah, I know there will always be things you want to change, but the fundamentals that you really must have will be the most expensive and difficult to add after the event. Have a good look around the forum, see what people like @Bav above are saying and you're golden. Cheers.

 

[Bav]

Welcome @Sirrell85. Sounds like you've got a good idea of what you need! There will be quite a choice that meets your requirements, so my advice would be to make sure that you don't buy something that "you can make into what I want" and get as close to you're ideal van you can.
Yeah, I know there will always be things you want to change, but the fundamentals that you really must have will be the most expensive and difficult to add after the event. Have a good look around the forum, see what people like @Bav above are saying and you're golden. Cheers.

Christ! Don't take any notice of what I say!!!

 

[fax001]

Depending on where you live or are planning on travelling to, it may make a difference if it is Euro 5 or Euro 6 compliant.

 

[Bigsidavies]

can’t comment on the bhp, but we only tend to bimble along at 60. Van life is more laid back.
Personally the extra space in a LWB is invaluable.
Don’t worry about stuff that you don’t need initially and can be easily added later.
So make sure you have aircon, rear parking sensors etc.
A good quality pop top with no squeaks and no wind noise.
Diesel heater can be easily retrofitted any time.
You may as well get an awning later that suits your individual needs. Easy to have a rail put on.
We are on week 7 of Spain /Portugal. Only brought the canopy with us and haven’t even used it once yet.
So get your van and decide on the type of camping trips that suit you and buy the bits that you need to fulfil that requirement.
And if the van is for 2 if you have a serious think about a u-shaped layout. There’s so much more space for sitting and eating and storage etc. but no rear belted seats.