Bus Blue - VW T5 Camper conversion
Discussion
After over 2 years of ownership, I thought I should add a thread about our family vehicle - Bus Blue.
My wife has been keen on campers since we met and, after 10 years of hiring vintage VW T2s, she gave me an ultimatum: "I am buying one, whether you help me or not".
It took me a little time to "adjust" to the idea (my back catalogue of cars includes a supercharged Golf R32, Audi S3, Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo, Clio Williams etc), but eventually I relented. My only stipulation was that it needed to be modern, as I didn't think the spannering involved with a vintage T2 or something like a Bongo would suit us terribly well. It's personal thing and there were of course plenty of alternatives, but at the time, this meant a VW T5 or T6.
We looked at lots of options before narrowing it down to three main groups: self-converted T5 panel vans, professionally converted panel vans and VW's own California. I became overly researched on T5s and T6s and, as I suppose many people do, became paralysed by choice for a while.
The thing that broke the deadlock was some sage advice from a VW California-owning friend at the bar one evening: "Just get one; they're all good". With that spur ringing in my ears, I arranged for us to visit Danbury as a family of four. Danbury are one of - if the not the - biggest coverters and are helpfully local to us. They convert new as well as used vans, including the modern T2s and T5 / 6 ranges.
On arrival, my wife pretty much instantly saw our van (which was in a semi-finished state). It was two-tone blue and white with blue details, which is pretty much the same colour scheme as every model / tea towel / kids' toy van that has ever entered our house.
You are not meant to buy a vehicle in this way - and, of course, it resulted in us only managing a vaguely token discount. But it, in hindsight, it was absolutely the right van (for us) and a price worth paying for the experience that has followed.
The build is based on a 2013 Transporter, which means that it's a late T5.1 model. It's a base spec 84hp 2.0 TDI, with a 5-speed gearbox, barn doors and no frills whatsoever. Although the first owner was not clear from the paperwork, I'm guessing it was a fleet or lease vehicle as it racked up 37k miles within its first 2 years of life, before being registered to Danbury themselves (not driven).
It was 3 years old by the time we bought it, with the conversion itself nearly complete (it took another 10 weeks from ordering it to collection). It's a thorough and thoughtful conversion from some clearly knowledgeable people, if not a teensy bit basic in feel. We definitely didn't need an oven - and it rattles on the move - but it's been great for the odd bit of re-heated pizza.
The rear bench folds out to make a double bed and is trimmed in a matching OEM-style fabric:
Again, the sink is a bit overkill for our needs, but the storage (including fridge, hidden behind tambour door) throughout the van are very well used.
One of the main reasons to get a respected name to do a conversion is stuff like electrics, gas and plumbing.
The entire lower panels are painted in VW Guinea Blue. It's a really good paint job and cleans up beautifully. (Note the van's running mate - a 2013 R56 Mini Cooper S - in the background).
The dashboard and front interior are very simple. I've added VW rubber floor mats to go with the utility theme. It helps reversing to have the middle seat's headrest removed, which is stored under the front double seat's bench along with a heap of other stuff. The front double also swivels around.
Since getting the van, I've fitted some minor upgrades including an RCD 510 radio (for SD card compatibility and possible later Bluetooth) and a replacement gearknob cover:
I won't rule out ever upgrading to alloys, but in the meantime it wears some steelies with OEM wheel trims. This "look" again fits the utility theme and is more comfortable on fat tyres. It also means that tyres can be found very cheaply, through buying upgraded unused steel wheels for less than the cost of new tyres alone. The fronts are Michelin and rears are Hankook, 205/65/16 fitment. The wear rate seems much slower than car tyres.
Being a barn door model, door-mounted racks are limited to a carrying capacity of 2 bikes. The van wears a Fiamma rack, although the main passenger area is big enough to carry a further 2 or 3 bikes inside. I might fit a towbar and ball-mounted rack for 4 bikes at a later stage.
In its 2 years and just over 11k miles since purchase, servicing and maintenance has been as follows:
- Interim service and MoT (£189)
- Major service, cambelt, water pump, brake fluid and a few other bits (£640)
- Exhaust temperature sensor (£219)
- OSR coil spring, MoT (£204)
- 2 replacement tyres (£49 and £69, both times including a wheel)
The following upgrades have also been done:
- Superchips remap to 165hp, 280 lb/ft. Yes, you read those increases correctly! The 84hp 2.0TDI is downtuned and otherwise identical to the 140hp version (£339)
- Fiamma rack (£204)
- RCD 510 head unit (£115)
- Wheel trims (£114)
- Rubber mats (£37)
- Replacement Bosch wiper blades (£19)
- Gear knob cover (£1)
It's been driven just over 11,000 miles - and many, many smiles - in our ownership. The odometer is currently around 48,500.
That's all for now: I'll add some driving notes and other things I've forgotten in a later update.
My wife has been keen on campers since we met and, after 10 years of hiring vintage VW T2s, she gave me an ultimatum: "I am buying one, whether you help me or not".
It took me a little time to "adjust" to the idea (my back catalogue of cars includes a supercharged Golf R32, Audi S3, Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo, Clio Williams etc), but eventually I relented. My only stipulation was that it needed to be modern, as I didn't think the spannering involved with a vintage T2 or something like a Bongo would suit us terribly well. It's personal thing and there were of course plenty of alternatives, but at the time, this meant a VW T5 or T6.
We looked at lots of options before narrowing it down to three main groups: self-converted T5 panel vans, professionally converted panel vans and VW's own California. I became overly researched on T5s and T6s and, as I suppose many people do, became paralysed by choice for a while.
The thing that broke the deadlock was some sage advice from a VW California-owning friend at the bar one evening: "Just get one; they're all good". With that spur ringing in my ears, I arranged for us to visit Danbury as a family of four. Danbury are one of - if the not the - biggest coverters and are helpfully local to us. They convert new as well as used vans, including the modern T2s and T5 / 6 ranges.
On arrival, my wife pretty much instantly saw our van (which was in a semi-finished state). It was two-tone blue and white with blue details, which is pretty much the same colour scheme as every model / tea towel / kids' toy van that has ever entered our house.
You are not meant to buy a vehicle in this way - and, of course, it resulted in us only managing a vaguely token discount. But it, in hindsight, it was absolutely the right van (for us) and a price worth paying for the experience that has followed.
The build is based on a 2013 Transporter, which means that it's a late T5.1 model. It's a base spec 84hp 2.0 TDI, with a 5-speed gearbox, barn doors and no frills whatsoever. Although the first owner was not clear from the paperwork, I'm guessing it was a fleet or lease vehicle as it racked up 37k miles within its first 2 years of life, before being registered to Danbury themselves (not driven).
It was 3 years old by the time we bought it, with the conversion itself nearly complete (it took another 10 weeks from ordering it to collection). It's a thorough and thoughtful conversion from some clearly knowledgeable people, if not a teensy bit basic in feel. We definitely didn't need an oven - and it rattles on the move - but it's been great for the odd bit of re-heated pizza.
The rear bench folds out to make a double bed and is trimmed in a matching OEM-style fabric:
Again, the sink is a bit overkill for our needs, but the storage (including fridge, hidden behind tambour door) throughout the van are very well used.
One of the main reasons to get a respected name to do a conversion is stuff like electrics, gas and plumbing.
The entire lower panels are painted in VW Guinea Blue. It's a really good paint job and cleans up beautifully. (Note the van's running mate - a 2013 R56 Mini Cooper S - in the background).
The dashboard and front interior are very simple. I've added VW rubber floor mats to go with the utility theme. It helps reversing to have the middle seat's headrest removed, which is stored under the front double seat's bench along with a heap of other stuff. The front double also swivels around.
Since getting the van, I've fitted some minor upgrades including an RCD 510 radio (for SD card compatibility and possible later Bluetooth) and a replacement gearknob cover:
I won't rule out ever upgrading to alloys, but in the meantime it wears some steelies with OEM wheel trims. This "look" again fits the utility theme and is more comfortable on fat tyres. It also means that tyres can be found very cheaply, through buying upgraded unused steel wheels for less than the cost of new tyres alone. The fronts are Michelin and rears are Hankook, 205/65/16 fitment. The wear rate seems much slower than car tyres.
Being a barn door model, door-mounted racks are limited to a carrying capacity of 2 bikes. The van wears a Fiamma rack, although the main passenger area is big enough to carry a further 2 or 3 bikes inside. I might fit a towbar and ball-mounted rack for 4 bikes at a later stage.
In its 2 years and just over 11k miles since purchase, servicing and maintenance has been as follows:
- Interim service and MoT (£189)
- Major service, cambelt, water pump, brake fluid and a few other bits (£640)
- Exhaust temperature sensor (£219)
- OSR coil spring, MoT (£204)
- 2 replacement tyres (£49 and £69, both times including a wheel)
The following upgrades have also been done:
- Superchips remap to 165hp, 280 lb/ft. Yes, you read those increases correctly! The 84hp 2.0TDI is downtuned and otherwise identical to the 140hp version (£339)
- Fiamma rack (£204)
- RCD 510 head unit (£115)
- Wheel trims (£114)
- Rubber mats (£37)
- Replacement Bosch wiper blades (£19)
- Gear knob cover (£1)
It's been driven just over 11,000 miles - and many, many smiles - in our ownership. The odometer is currently around 48,500.
That's all for now: I'll add some driving notes and other things I've forgotten in a later update.
Edited by The Cardinal on Monday 22 October 16:46
Total mileage: 48,995.
We used the van over Christmas to visit relatives in the countryside, taking advantage of the van's load carrying abilities. I never fail to be surprised at how much stuff we end up carting around at Christmas. Thanks to my in laws' rural location, the van is now also a *lot* dirtier than in this thread's pics.
As thoughts turn to 2019, we have started planning a European road trip for this coming summer. The destination is some friends in Switzerland, with some options as to how we get there and what we do once we're on the road. One option is to head down to Switzerland via the Chunnel and France, then dip down into northern Italy to see other friends, with a return west via Brittany.
The van is coming up to 6 years old and running pretty sweetly at the moment. Although we usually run a newer car alongside the van, I picked up a 12-year-old Audi A3 2.0T as the van's running mate recently. In isolation, the Audi feels pretty impressive for a car of its age, although driving the van afterwards feels comparatively more solid - as you'd expect from a vehicle half its age.
The only things that havey needed attention the van's third year with us were a faulty exhaust temperature sensor and broken rear spring earlier in 2018, just after doing a major service and cambelt.
Jobs for the first half of 2019 include:
- Minor service / MoT: usually done in August, but it makes sense to bring these forward given our road trip plans.
- Check brakes: I was advised in summer 2017 to monitor for future wear, but this was not picked at 2018's service. Looks to be on original discs and pads.
- Consider an awning: I don't want one permanently fitted, so was thinking of a side rail with a packable one.
We used the van over Christmas to visit relatives in the countryside, taking advantage of the van's load carrying abilities. I never fail to be surprised at how much stuff we end up carting around at Christmas. Thanks to my in laws' rural location, the van is now also a *lot* dirtier than in this thread's pics.
As thoughts turn to 2019, we have started planning a European road trip for this coming summer. The destination is some friends in Switzerland, with some options as to how we get there and what we do once we're on the road. One option is to head down to Switzerland via the Chunnel and France, then dip down into northern Italy to see other friends, with a return west via Brittany.
The van is coming up to 6 years old and running pretty sweetly at the moment. Although we usually run a newer car alongside the van, I picked up a 12-year-old Audi A3 2.0T as the van's running mate recently. In isolation, the Audi feels pretty impressive for a car of its age, although driving the van afterwards feels comparatively more solid - as you'd expect from a vehicle half its age.
The only things that havey needed attention the van's third year with us were a faulty exhaust temperature sensor and broken rear spring earlier in 2018, just after doing a major service and cambelt.
Jobs for the first half of 2019 include:
- Minor service / MoT: usually done in August, but it makes sense to bring these forward given our road trip plans.
- Check brakes: I was advised in summer 2017 to monitor for future wear, but this was not picked at 2018's service. Looks to be on original discs and pads.
- Consider an awning: I don't want one permanently fitted, so was thinking of a side rail with a packable one.
Edited by The Cardinal on Sunday 30th December 06:31
The Cardinal said:
As thoughts turn to 2019, we have started planning a European road trip for this coming summer. The destination is some friends in Switzerland, with some options as to how we get there and what we do once we're on the road. One option is to head down to Switzerland via the Chunnel and France, then dip down into northern Italy to see other friends, with a return west via Brittany
We did this last year in our T5.1 campy. Used ferry to Calais as tunnel too expensive. Stayed at Le Brabois Villers Les Nancy for 2 nights on the way down, lovely campsite with great places to explore. Then off to Switzerland to visit friends and show the kids where they were born. We stayed in campsite in Unterägeri, nice helpful people and right on the lake. We then moved on to Savognin to stay in the Cube hotel as cheap deal, full board and a bit of mountain biking. Trips to Lugano near Como, should have stayed here but ran out of time. Remember to get a Sanef Tolling for the French toll roads as saves so much time and saves wife/kids having to do the rear over and pay the tolls fees.Image of our T5 at Aegeri camping:
Bus Blue is now just over 51k miles, with more to come this summer as we continue to camp at weekends and use it for holidaying. (Albeit as a day van rather than as accommodation on longer breaks, due to things being a little tight):
A minor service, habitation check and fitting of an awning rail were done a few months ago. Another small addition I've made recently is a door store, useful for all those things like bog roll, soft toys and biscuits that you really need to hand:
Unfortunately, the split charging system has stopped working since the habitation check. The system should charge the leisure battery from a hook-up or the van's own electrical supply:
Its MoT is coming up soon and hopefully there won't be anything that needs attention.
I keep wondering whether I should spend a little to add some OEM alloys and interior upgrades, but as someone posted above there's a nice simplicity about it all.
A minor service, habitation check and fitting of an awning rail were done a few months ago. Another small addition I've made recently is a door store, useful for all those things like bog roll, soft toys and biscuits that you really need to hand:
Unfortunately, the split charging system has stopped working since the habitation check. The system should charge the leisure battery from a hook-up or the van's own electrical supply:
Its MoT is coming up soon and hopefully there won't be anything that needs attention.
I keep wondering whether I should spend a little to add some OEM alloys and interior upgrades, but as someone posted above there's a nice simplicity about it all.
Edited by The Cardinal on Monday 22 July 10:50
MoT passed with no advisories.
I also managed to get the split charging system working again after checking all the connections and fuses were in place. It pays to do the basics!
In other news, our local council is consulting on a "clean air zone" - our version of ULEZ. I expect we'll end up affected by it, as we live very centrally and our van is a late Euro 5. I'm all for this kind of measure, but it's annoying that we will have to pay £10 each time we make a trip (driving 500 metres to leave the area!, not driving around all day delivering parcels or something!).
I also managed to get the split charging system working again after checking all the connections and fuses were in place. It pays to do the basics!
In other news, our local council is consulting on a "clean air zone" - our version of ULEZ. I expect we'll end up affected by it, as we live very centrally and our van is a late Euro 5. I'm all for this kind of measure, but it's annoying that we will have to pay £10 each time we make a trip (driving 500 metres to leave the area!, not driving around all day delivering parcels or something!).
Just a little winter update...
The bus has racked up a few more miles over the late summer through to now, standing at about 53k. It tends to get filthy when used over winter and it's a real chore to clean it properly, but worth it of course. It's also a good chance to inspect things a little more closely, including tyres.
Although the front Michelin Agilis tyres weren't new when we got the van in 2016, they've done a futher 16k miles in our time with it. I haven't measured their tread recently, but they look close to the last measurement of 5mm depth a few months ago. The rears are Hankook RA28s, which I replaced early into ownership and are on about 8mm tread depth with 10k miles. So, it seems that van tyres are very durable... or at least the "plus size" variety as modelled in 205/65/16 on steel wheels here.
The rear bike rack will only take 2 bikes, but we are of course a family of 4. Because we have barn doors, I've dithered about splashing out the nearly £1k it would cost for a tow bar and carrier that we'd need. 4-bike carriers are limited to vans with tailgates, although these are hard to open when a car is parked behind as in our terraced street.
I've dithered even more recently, as we will be affected by Bristol's Clean Air Zone and inner diesel ban coming next year. If the van is counted as a private rather than commercial vehicle, then we will escape a daily change but be limited between 7-3, 24/7 as to where we can drive it. Unfortunately, the council haven't made clear what score is for a vehicle like this, which is registered privately as a "motor caravan" but could also count as a light commercial. Even if subject to the charge, it wouldn't be economic to change to a newer van - but it's definitely making me reluctant to splash the cash on it for now!
The bus has racked up a few more miles over the late summer through to now, standing at about 53k. It tends to get filthy when used over winter and it's a real chore to clean it properly, but worth it of course. It's also a good chance to inspect things a little more closely, including tyres.
Although the front Michelin Agilis tyres weren't new when we got the van in 2016, they've done a futher 16k miles in our time with it. I haven't measured their tread recently, but they look close to the last measurement of 5mm depth a few months ago. The rears are Hankook RA28s, which I replaced early into ownership and are on about 8mm tread depth with 10k miles. So, it seems that van tyres are very durable... or at least the "plus size" variety as modelled in 205/65/16 on steel wheels here.
The rear bike rack will only take 2 bikes, but we are of course a family of 4. Because we have barn doors, I've dithered about splashing out the nearly £1k it would cost for a tow bar and carrier that we'd need. 4-bike carriers are limited to vans with tailgates, although these are hard to open when a car is parked behind as in our terraced street.
I've dithered even more recently, as we will be affected by Bristol's Clean Air Zone and inner diesel ban coming next year. If the van is counted as a private rather than commercial vehicle, then we will escape a daily change but be limited between 7-3, 24/7 as to where we can drive it. Unfortunately, the council haven't made clear what score is for a vehicle like this, which is registered privately as a "motor caravan" but could also count as a light commercial. Even if subject to the charge, it wouldn't be economic to change to a newer van - but it's definitely making me reluctant to splash the cash on it for now!
As is the case for many leisure vehicles, the pandemic saw Bus Blue get no use at all from mid-March until last weekend.
We managed to get out for one final trip the weekend before March's lockdown, just to a playing field in the countryside next to where my wife's family used to live. It's funny how bonds to places can linger and pass between people.
The bus then sat outside our house for the next 8 weeks... resulting in the need for a jump start from a neighbour's workhorse T5 when we decided to take it for a little drive this last weekend. It started straight away with the automotive equivalent of a stiff Negroni after a late afternoon's snooze.
2020 was going to be a bumper year of foreign holidays for us - but alas no more. A week in Switzerland and Italy have already been cancelled and our week in France in July looks rather tentative.
This May half term will no doubt see us use the van for some limited trips during the week we'd have been in Italy. I guess we'll load up on tea and buns and look for any quiet places that allow us the opportunity to escape to the open greenery, however brief it may be.
I suspect may see a domestic mini boom in camper / motorhome trips in the coming months as other people do the same.
Nice van - I’ve had a T6 for 8 months and love it. We want to keep 6 seats for now so ours will be an evolving conversion journey!
Re wheels, at the Malvern meet last year there were a few two tone campers. I noted one had the 17” steels painted to match which I thought were rather nice and still very practical (I have 18” Amarok steels on mine)
Re wheels, at the Malvern meet last year there were a few two tone campers. I noted one had the 17” steels painted to match which I thought were rather nice and still very practical (I have 18” Amarok steels on mine)
Bus Blue has really helped us forget the travails of the pandemic. We've had have a great time as spring gave way to summer, with the Bus helping us to reach lots of new places and generally make the most of being closer to home than usual:
The kite-flying pic was of our very first post-lockdown trip to the hills! Of course, we also made use of the van's commodious carrying capacity - here it is ready to load up for the first week in Cornwall, one of several this summer:
[/url]
Following all this use, I've been giving the Bus a little TLC and some pocket money treats. But, first of all, it was time for an "inspection" service (VW terminology for a major one), despite the low annual miles, and an MoT at the local general VAG & T5 specialist:
After this, I turned my attention to some very minor cosmetic upgrades. The first being some body-coloured door handles, which I think makes a surprising difference:
Next up, some OEM headlight covers:
...and an OEM battery cover. I think these are, or were, standard at some stage in the T5's very long life. They are a totally unnecessary set of additions, but tidy things up under the bonnet in my view:
Finally, I've added a proper bonnet strut in place of the basic rod it came with. Unlike the above, this is another small change that makes life easier and was worth it for practicality's sake:
Not pictured, I also had a second key coded to the van. This is something I'd overlooked for the last 4 years, since the van only came with one key... and I thought I'd better sort before my luck ran out.
After coding, the fuel sensor in the tank stopped working for some reason. Thankfully a quick fill-up and a gentle run over some speed bumps seems to have cured things.
Overall, the Bus still continues to delight. It's a simple and frill-free build compared to many other T5's out there - and arguably all the better for it. As the base van passed through the 7-year mark this spring, I am on guard for some more intensive maintenance. Amazingly, it's seems to still be on its original front tyres and brake pads / discs all round at over 54k miles. Fuel economy remains in the range of 40-45mpg.
The kite-flying pic was of our very first post-lockdown trip to the hills! Of course, we also made use of the van's commodious carrying capacity - here it is ready to load up for the first week in Cornwall, one of several this summer:
[/url]Following all this use, I've been giving the Bus a little TLC and some pocket money treats. But, first of all, it was time for an "inspection" service (VW terminology for a major one), despite the low annual miles, and an MoT at the local general VAG & T5 specialist:
After this, I turned my attention to some very minor cosmetic upgrades. The first being some body-coloured door handles, which I think makes a surprising difference:
Next up, some OEM headlight covers:
...and an OEM battery cover. I think these are, or were, standard at some stage in the T5's very long life. They are a totally unnecessary set of additions, but tidy things up under the bonnet in my view:
Finally, I've added a proper bonnet strut in place of the basic rod it came with. Unlike the above, this is another small change that makes life easier and was worth it for practicality's sake:
Not pictured, I also had a second key coded to the van. This is something I'd overlooked for the last 4 years, since the van only came with one key... and I thought I'd better sort before my luck ran out.
After coding, the fuel sensor in the tank stopped working for some reason. Thankfully a quick fill-up and a gentle run over some speed bumps seems to have cured things.
Overall, the Bus still continues to delight. It's a simple and frill-free build compared to many other T5's out there - and arguably all the better for it. As the base van passed through the 7-year mark this spring, I am on guard for some more intensive maintenance. Amazingly, it's seems to still be on its original front tyres and brake pads / discs all round at over 54k miles. Fuel economy remains in the range of 40-45mpg.
Time for a mini update on the Bus, although because the last was in August there hasn't been a lot of good weather...
...and few opportunities to sample freedom due to the pandemic. So few, in fact, that I invested in a trickle charger for the van - despite it holding a good charge for an 8-year-old main battery, it'll go flat after about 3-4 weeks of sitting around.
Thankfully, things began to change as spring emerged and we began to take to visits on four wheels again:
Someone pointed out on my S3 thread that 8 years and almost 56k miles from the front tyres was pretty good going. This prompted me to finally look into replacing them despite still sporting 5mm tread depth.
As had been the case in the past, I decided that getting some near-new tyres on basic steel wheels was the best option for the van.
£99 (!) plus postage later, I had in front of me a set of pristine 2020 wheels wearing Conti VanContact 205/65/16 with two each on 6 & 7.5mm tread. Can't grumble. Moreover, the van drives really nicely with the newer boots and the wheels are corrosion-free.
Because we live on a steep hill, I decided to bring an annual oil change forward and have the wheels fitted while the brakes were inspected. So here the van was again in a familiar place - just 1,800 miles since the last service:
The new wheels were fitted, the oil change done and the brakes checked all-round (£159 all-in). I'm told that new discs will be needed when the pads wear out, but that they still have plenty of life left. Again, original at 56k miles.
The best of the old wheels replaced my spare, the second went to a neighbour's workhorse T5 (pictured giving me a jump start last year) whose spare had gone AWOL, and then that left me with 3 spare...
I decided that I'd give the remaining 2 old front and 1 spare away for free on Facebook. Honestly, what a nightmare! I had no idea how many people would waste my time for the sake of a few spare wheels.
With luck, they may be gone next week but who knows!!
Other than that, the van has cost me a £2.99 DRL bulb - I bought two for that price to be fair. It's due an MoT in around 3 months' time and there are lots of camping trips booked before that, although sadly still no continental trips for now.
...and few opportunities to sample freedom due to the pandemic. So few, in fact, that I invested in a trickle charger for the van - despite it holding a good charge for an 8-year-old main battery, it'll go flat after about 3-4 weeks of sitting around.
Thankfully, things began to change as spring emerged and we began to take to visits on four wheels again:
Someone pointed out on my S3 thread that 8 years and almost 56k miles from the front tyres was pretty good going. This prompted me to finally look into replacing them despite still sporting 5mm tread depth.
As had been the case in the past, I decided that getting some near-new tyres on basic steel wheels was the best option for the van.
£99 (!) plus postage later, I had in front of me a set of pristine 2020 wheels wearing Conti VanContact 205/65/16 with two each on 6 & 7.5mm tread. Can't grumble. Moreover, the van drives really nicely with the newer boots and the wheels are corrosion-free.
Because we live on a steep hill, I decided to bring an annual oil change forward and have the wheels fitted while the brakes were inspected. So here the van was again in a familiar place - just 1,800 miles since the last service:
The new wheels were fitted, the oil change done and the brakes checked all-round (£159 all-in). I'm told that new discs will be needed when the pads wear out, but that they still have plenty of life left. Again, original at 56k miles.
The best of the old wheels replaced my spare, the second went to a neighbour's workhorse T5 (pictured giving me a jump start last year) whose spare had gone AWOL, and then that left me with 3 spare...
I decided that I'd give the remaining 2 old front and 1 spare away for free on Facebook. Honestly, what a nightmare! I had no idea how many people would waste my time for the sake of a few spare wheels.
With luck, they may be gone next week but who knows!!Other than that, the van has cost me a £2.99 DRL bulb - I bought two for that price to be fair. It's due an MoT in around 3 months' time and there are lots of camping trips booked before that, although sadly still no continental trips for now.
Great van.
A couple of weeks ago i helped a friend buy a late T4 Autosleeper Topaz with 80,000 miles. It’s got a fully documented history from new.
It doesn’t need much;
New decals as old ones are very tired looking
2 new tyres
A couple of bits of trim replaced
A few dings to be taken out
Otherwise it’s a superb van and the old 2.4 pulls like a train.
A couple of weeks ago i helped a friend buy a late T4 Autosleeper Topaz with 80,000 miles. It’s got a fully documented history from new.
It doesn’t need much;
New decals as old ones are very tired looking
2 new tyres
A couple of bits of trim replaced
A few dings to be taken out
Otherwise it’s a superb van and the old 2.4 pulls like a train.
The cost-to-miles ratio of the Bus has dipped in the last couple of months - and is about to get worse. That said, I'm sanguine because it's added some functionality and we're continuing to get a lot out of it - despite it going into semi-retirement soon.
First up, a new towbar was fitted in June. It's an OEM-spec Westfalia 13-pin towbar with a swan-neck hook (£570) and, although there are cheaper ones out there, I'll really happy with it. I'm equally happy with the Buzz Racer 4-bike rack, which was well-priced and seems good quality if a little heavy (£258.17).
We've fitted in some weekend breaks, holidays and day trips in the van since the last update. You'll see from the pic above that one wheel trim was missing after flying off somewhere, so I bought two new ones as they're getting harder to find new (£74.12).
I'd previously repaired the front screenwash fluid tube in 2017 where it had cracked on a bend at the bonnet with electrical tape. I decided to shell out £7.19 to repair this properly, consisting of two inserts and some flexible rubber hose.
With the old door-mounted bike carrier gone, I also replaced the now-more-visible high-level brake lights with OEM ones - cracked presumably when someone before us had closed the barn doors in the wrong order (£57.09). An end cap also fell off the side rail and was replaced as well (£47.36, as you can't get just one of the two caps).
I am also in the process of replacing the driver's door seal. I'm a bit annoyed with myself as the seal was rusty even when we got it in 2016 at 3 years old. I'd ignored it because it looked to be limited to the metal inside the seal, but it obviously since rusted through to the driver's door aperture. It's not a big deal, but I'm doubly grumpy because a "bargain" non-OEM seal (£23.95) didn't fit and so I have had to shell out for the OEM one after all, while the cost of postage makes a return on the inferior one barely worth it.
The Bus passed its £50 MoT in July - but with its first proper list of advisories. These are all reasonable shouts at 8.5 years old and I'll do the front struts and brakes first, but probably monitor the exhaust and rear coils (one was new in 2018). Sorting this lot will cost around £1,600 by my calculations.
Our new Clean Air Zone has been postponed by about 9 months to mid-2022. Nonetheless, with us needing two vehicles to do an increasing number of local-ish trips through the zone, the van being non-compliant and my wife not really driving it anyway (!), I've decided to act. A replacement T6 van would be hideously expensive and not massively different - and so I've rented a garage locally and bought a third vehicle to run alongside the van as a runabout. The Bus will effectively be in semi-retirement from now onwards, in that it'll mainly get used outside the city on leisure runs and not for more boring trips (unless to keep battery topped-up etc).
The garage is too small for the van, so my Audi S3 is living there for now while the van and a "new" (2017) Skoda Fabia live on the street. The local parking scheme allows up to three vehicles per household, but that feels a bit antisocial given how bad parking already is around here. I have also sounded-out dedicated storage outside the city for the van with a trickle charger, but there's a waiting list.
Of course, the maths of all this works out terribly... but in these circumstances it helps to think of the Bus as something like a boat. That is to say, not massively useful day-to-day, but part of our leisure and far too treasured to sell on.
First up, a new towbar was fitted in June. It's an OEM-spec Westfalia 13-pin towbar with a swan-neck hook (£570) and, although there are cheaper ones out there, I'll really happy with it. I'm equally happy with the Buzz Racer 4-bike rack, which was well-priced and seems good quality if a little heavy (£258.17).
We've fitted in some weekend breaks, holidays and day trips in the van since the last update. You'll see from the pic above that one wheel trim was missing after flying off somewhere, so I bought two new ones as they're getting harder to find new (£74.12).
I'd previously repaired the front screenwash fluid tube in 2017 where it had cracked on a bend at the bonnet with electrical tape. I decided to shell out £7.19 to repair this properly, consisting of two inserts and some flexible rubber hose.
With the old door-mounted bike carrier gone, I also replaced the now-more-visible high-level brake lights with OEM ones - cracked presumably when someone before us had closed the barn doors in the wrong order (£57.09). An end cap also fell off the side rail and was replaced as well (£47.36, as you can't get just one of the two caps).
I am also in the process of replacing the driver's door seal. I'm a bit annoyed with myself as the seal was rusty even when we got it in 2016 at 3 years old. I'd ignored it because it looked to be limited to the metal inside the seal, but it obviously since rusted through to the driver's door aperture. It's not a big deal, but I'm doubly grumpy because a "bargain" non-OEM seal (£23.95) didn't fit and so I have had to shell out for the OEM one after all, while the cost of postage makes a return on the inferior one barely worth it.
The Bus passed its £50 MoT in July - but with its first proper list of advisories. These are all reasonable shouts at 8.5 years old and I'll do the front struts and brakes first, but probably monitor the exhaust and rear coils (one was new in 2018). Sorting this lot will cost around £1,600 by my calculations.
Our new Clean Air Zone has been postponed by about 9 months to mid-2022. Nonetheless, with us needing two vehicles to do an increasing number of local-ish trips through the zone, the van being non-compliant and my wife not really driving it anyway (!), I've decided to act. A replacement T6 van would be hideously expensive and not massively different - and so I've rented a garage locally and bought a third vehicle to run alongside the van as a runabout. The Bus will effectively be in semi-retirement from now onwards, in that it'll mainly get used outside the city on leisure runs and not for more boring trips (unless to keep battery topped-up etc).
The garage is too small for the van, so my Audi S3 is living there for now while the van and a "new" (2017) Skoda Fabia live on the street. The local parking scheme allows up to three vehicles per household, but that feels a bit antisocial given how bad parking already is around here. I have also sounded-out dedicated storage outside the city for the van with a trickle charger, but there's a waiting list.
Of course, the maths of all this works out terribly... but in these circumstances it helps to think of the Bus as something like a boat. That is to say, not massively useful day-to-day, but part of our leisure and far too treasured to sell on.
Edited by The Cardinal on Tuesday 3rd August 14:39
Spring 2022:
It's been a relatively quiet 9 months for Bus Blue since I last updated this thread, coinciding of course with the end of summer and through to spring.
In terms of expenditure, 2021's last dip into the wallet was a "detail" for the van in August. At £180 this was more like a thorough machine polish and wax, which evened-out the paint's sheen as I am incapable of doing all the van's panels in one go. It restored a good finish to the white paint on the bonnet and B/C pillars especially. Sadly it didn't do much for the start of some paint fade to the lower blue of the off-side barn door, which I'll keep an eye on.
Other than that, I've only just this month spent £12.25 and £22.75 respectively on a new side repeater and replacement wiper blades.
Despite its "retirement", the van has done ~2,000 miles since its last MoT and runs until August before its next (plus an inspection service), by when we'll certainly have done more distance. I try to use the van every fortnight often on a 100-mile run to my parents' place if I don't have any other cause to. Our Fabia has excelled at urban family use, meaning that my S3 became a rather unusually spec'd RS3 recently. Combined with the van, this is a pretty good stable of vehicles for our needs... if a little expensive to run. My man maths tell me that none of these vehicles depreciate much, but they certainly aren't free of upfront costs.
As mentioned last time, I'm expecting to address the van's brakes and possibly exhaust and front shocks next. I'll probably do this before we head to France later this summer. In the meantime, we'll trundle to Heathrow in this for another holiday as it offers much more carrying capacity than the RS3... plus it's perhaps a little safer to leave it in a car park for the week?
It also continues to be great for day trips:
It's been a relatively quiet 9 months for Bus Blue since I last updated this thread, coinciding of course with the end of summer and through to spring.
In terms of expenditure, 2021's last dip into the wallet was a "detail" for the van in August. At £180 this was more like a thorough machine polish and wax, which evened-out the paint's sheen as I am incapable of doing all the van's panels in one go. It restored a good finish to the white paint on the bonnet and B/C pillars especially. Sadly it didn't do much for the start of some paint fade to the lower blue of the off-side barn door, which I'll keep an eye on.
Other than that, I've only just this month spent £12.25 and £22.75 respectively on a new side repeater and replacement wiper blades.
Despite its "retirement", the van has done ~2,000 miles since its last MoT and runs until August before its next (plus an inspection service), by when we'll certainly have done more distance. I try to use the van every fortnight often on a 100-mile run to my parents' place if I don't have any other cause to. Our Fabia has excelled at urban family use, meaning that my S3 became a rather unusually spec'd RS3 recently. Combined with the van, this is a pretty good stable of vehicles for our needs... if a little expensive to run. My man maths tell me that none of these vehicles depreciate much, but they certainly aren't free of upfront costs.
As mentioned last time, I'm expecting to address the van's brakes and possibly exhaust and front shocks next. I'll probably do this before we head to France later this summer. In the meantime, we'll trundle to Heathrow in this for another holiday as it offers much more carrying capacity than the RS3... plus it's perhaps a little safer to leave it in a car park for the week?
It also continues to be great for day trips:
Summer 2022:
The launch of VW's Multivan last year and then ID Buzz just recently was cause enough for me to call a family conference!
Bus Blue has settled into middle age having been born in March 2013, and is unlikely to be our main vehicle again for a range of reasons. I thought it was time to look at consolidating the Bus and one of our cars into a single new vehicle. We already have a ULEZ-type zone starting just streets away in 3 months, plus the kids are growing and we barely fit into the van when camping. Having looked closely at the options I thought a Multivan was the rational choice for an active family, with the Buzz being a modern and emotionally compelling platform especially in a two-tone colourscheme.
But... feedback from the wife a kids was clear. Neither alternative came close and so there is no replacing Bus Blue with one of these!
The *only* acceptable replacement to them would be a brand new T6.1, converted by the same people as our current one to a spec that includes the same two-tone paint and custom interior. By my calculations, that would be a full £50k more than we could sell this van for - and so it's vastly more cost-effective to pay the occasional ULEZ fees and suck-up the maintenance needs as it further ages.
Beyond the rational, it's also become a big part of our sense of who we are and what we can do as a family. Memories of trips abroad, countless beach and packed lunch jaunts. Bikes and gear to anywhere. Cooled wine when needed and re-heated pizzas on cold days. Camping in all sorts of places... perhaps not as often as we'd like. Always, always a vehicle that can enable whatever we want at the drop of a hat - and, with an 80 litre tank, get us that somewhere very far away with no worries.
So, with its position as near-impossible to sell on account of its sentimental and economic value, I decided to make some investments...
First-up was a new VW RCD440 head unit featuring Bluetooth and Android Auto, which I think is becoming increasingly an essential for modern motoring. This cost £197, which seems pretty reasonable when considering the functionality on offer, the fact it's VW OEM and that I sold the old head unit for £100.
A visit was then paid to the local VW specialist to have a full inspection service and some maintenance. It's always reassuring to see a car park full of Transporters outside and convenient as it's just down the road from our house. In addition to the service, the brake fluid was renewed and genuine new front shocks, top mounts, anti-roll bar links and brakes all round were fitted at a not insubstantial £1,715.24. On the bright side - the new, clean MoT seems to have missed the slight corrosion to the exhaust system and rear springs identified last year.
The van has been owned outright since the beginning, so expenses like this are what it costs to run the van beyond fuel, insurance and tax. Over the 72 months we've had it, the average is £95.76 per month in servicing, maintenance and parts - though I expect this will rise in future.
With a full tank of fuel added, that made the spend just over £2k before we loaded-up and headed south for France:
Covering very long distances with lots of stuff is absolutely this van's forte. I must put in a word to start with for the venerable 2.0 TDI lump... With a remap to c.165hp & 275lb/ft, five low gears and its tiny wheels - it pulls with incredible vigour even when fully loaded, and surprises most basic hatchbacks from 20-60 when unloaded.
It also returns a creditable 45mpg average when holidaying, cruising mostly at 65mph.
Less positively, we have to add "van time" to any journey to account for the sedate speeds and choice of smooth roads necessary to keep comfort high.
Our trips this summer have also coincided with very hot weather and so air con would have been a bonus. I'd like to have cruise control, too, though it would be unduly expensive to retrofit as this is the most basic spec Transporter and so doesn't have the necessary module fitted.
As you'd expect, the contrast between driving in rural France and where we live is stark. The above picture is just one half of what our friend has bought for the price of her former London terrace! It's become our new stop-off point when heading to and from the ferry.
The van handled all our holiday's day trips to beaches and towns, allowing us to pack anything needed (and not!) plus giving a space to change in privacy and comfort.
It was also great to have space to unpack and re-load the van, unlike on our terraced street. Shown here is the remarkably well-priced and versatile Buzz Racer 4 rack, which pivots and thereby allows at least some access to the rear despite the barn doors:
We've got about another 1,000 miles of UK touring coming up this summer, where the van is better suited than my RS3. By September, though, it will have gotten to the point where fun gives way to work duties, and so it will be doing a lot less distance and trips as autumn approaches.
The launch of VW's Multivan last year and then ID Buzz just recently was cause enough for me to call a family conference!
Bus Blue has settled into middle age having been born in March 2013, and is unlikely to be our main vehicle again for a range of reasons. I thought it was time to look at consolidating the Bus and one of our cars into a single new vehicle. We already have a ULEZ-type zone starting just streets away in 3 months, plus the kids are growing and we barely fit into the van when camping. Having looked closely at the options I thought a Multivan was the rational choice for an active family, with the Buzz being a modern and emotionally compelling platform especially in a two-tone colourscheme.
But... feedback from the wife a kids was clear. Neither alternative came close and so there is no replacing Bus Blue with one of these!
The *only* acceptable replacement to them would be a brand new T6.1, converted by the same people as our current one to a spec that includes the same two-tone paint and custom interior. By my calculations, that would be a full £50k more than we could sell this van for - and so it's vastly more cost-effective to pay the occasional ULEZ fees and suck-up the maintenance needs as it further ages.
Beyond the rational, it's also become a big part of our sense of who we are and what we can do as a family. Memories of trips abroad, countless beach and packed lunch jaunts. Bikes and gear to anywhere. Cooled wine when needed and re-heated pizzas on cold days. Camping in all sorts of places... perhaps not as often as we'd like. Always, always a vehicle that can enable whatever we want at the drop of a hat - and, with an 80 litre tank, get us that somewhere very far away with no worries.
So, with its position as near-impossible to sell on account of its sentimental and economic value, I decided to make some investments...
First-up was a new VW RCD440 head unit featuring Bluetooth and Android Auto, which I think is becoming increasingly an essential for modern motoring. This cost £197, which seems pretty reasonable when considering the functionality on offer, the fact it's VW OEM and that I sold the old head unit for £100.
A visit was then paid to the local VW specialist to have a full inspection service and some maintenance. It's always reassuring to see a car park full of Transporters outside and convenient as it's just down the road from our house. In addition to the service, the brake fluid was renewed and genuine new front shocks, top mounts, anti-roll bar links and brakes all round were fitted at a not insubstantial £1,715.24. On the bright side - the new, clean MoT seems to have missed the slight corrosion to the exhaust system and rear springs identified last year.
The van has been owned outright since the beginning, so expenses like this are what it costs to run the van beyond fuel, insurance and tax. Over the 72 months we've had it, the average is £95.76 per month in servicing, maintenance and parts - though I expect this will rise in future.
With a full tank of fuel added, that made the spend just over £2k before we loaded-up and headed south for France:
Covering very long distances with lots of stuff is absolutely this van's forte. I must put in a word to start with for the venerable 2.0 TDI lump... With a remap to c.165hp & 275lb/ft, five low gears and its tiny wheels - it pulls with incredible vigour even when fully loaded, and surprises most basic hatchbacks from 20-60 when unloaded.
It also returns a creditable 45mpg average when holidaying, cruising mostly at 65mph. Less positively, we have to add "van time" to any journey to account for the sedate speeds and choice of smooth roads necessary to keep comfort high.
Our trips this summer have also coincided with very hot weather and so air con would have been a bonus. I'd like to have cruise control, too, though it would be unduly expensive to retrofit as this is the most basic spec Transporter and so doesn't have the necessary module fitted.
As you'd expect, the contrast between driving in rural France and where we live is stark. The above picture is just one half of what our friend has bought for the price of her former London terrace! It's become our new stop-off point when heading to and from the ferry.
The van handled all our holiday's day trips to beaches and towns, allowing us to pack anything needed (and not!) plus giving a space to change in privacy and comfort.
It was also great to have space to unpack and re-load the van, unlike on our terraced street. Shown here is the remarkably well-priced and versatile Buzz Racer 4 rack, which pivots and thereby allows at least some access to the rear despite the barn doors:
We've got about another 1,000 miles of UK touring coming up this summer, where the van is better suited than my RS3. By September, though, it will have gotten to the point where fun gives way to work duties, and so it will be doing a lot less distance and trips as autumn approaches.
Good to hear you're keeping the 2013, especially if it's doing 45mpg loaded up.
Up until recently I was moving T6's around the country for a busy dealer. Back a few years it was T5's.
I wouldn't want a new T6, far too unreliable, and the Mpg is much lower than you're getting on bus blue.
I lost count of the problems I encountered with brand new T6's after leaving the supplying dealers, VW assist was certainly saved in my phone.
Faulty batteries bringing on engine lights
AD blu faults, quite a few.
SOS systems calling for help all on their own lol
And when you try to book them in to VW for warranty repair? Two weeks sir before we can get it in for diagnosis. At least calling up VW assist gave them priority bookings with the dealers.
Up until recently I was moving T6's around the country for a busy dealer. Back a few years it was T5's.
I wouldn't want a new T6, far too unreliable, and the Mpg is much lower than you're getting on bus blue.
I lost count of the problems I encountered with brand new T6's after leaving the supplying dealers, VW assist was certainly saved in my phone.
Faulty batteries bringing on engine lights
AD blu faults, quite a few.
SOS systems calling for help all on their own lol
And when you try to book them in to VW for warranty repair? Two weeks sir before we can get it in for diagnosis. At least calling up VW assist gave them priority bookings with the dealers.
Great little read!
My Wife and I have been toying with getting one of these, I think a converted van by a professional as you have purchased there.
Is the regular tailgate preferable for campers? I had envisioned fitting a shower curtain to one with a small shower point!
The residuals are cracking but as you point out they aren't without their running costs, I'm guessing they are still a bit dearer than they were a couple of years ago too after the Covid boom.
My Wife and I have been toying with getting one of these, I think a converted van by a professional as you have purchased there.
Is the regular tailgate preferable for campers? I had envisioned fitting a shower curtain to one with a small shower point!
The residuals are cracking but as you point out they aren't without their running costs, I'm guessing they are still a bit dearer than they were a couple of years ago too after the Covid boom.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff