VW Camper Buyers Guide
So, you've decided which generation of VW Transporter would work best for you, but what about the conversion itself?
Our VW campervan buyers guide should help when it comes to some of the more practical decisions.
Engine and gearbox
Throughout the Transporter history it has been offered with a range of engines varying in power from quite low to high. For the age of vehicles we deal in i.e. VW T5 and T6 Transporter based campervans, there has been pretty much four engine power choices. For the T5.1 and early T6’s it was 84, 102, 140 and 180 bhp, and for later T6’s and the T6.1, 90, 110, 150 and 204 bhp. By far the most common engine for the above generations is the 2nd in the range i.e. the 102 and 110bhp respectively. Both these would have come with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
We would class these as amble for a VW campervan in that it is more than capable of moving its own weight and motorway cruising, although when fully loaded on hills a lower gear may need to be selected. If more power is required, the 140 and 150 bhp units are the sweet spot in the range and offer both 6-speed manual and 7-speed automatic gearbox options. We don’t deal in the 180 bhp bi-turbo and the 204 bhp whilst impressive is a bit overkill for a campervan.
Bodywork and Mechanicals
This area should form as much of your purchasing decision as layout and fixture / fittings. This might sound daft, but a VW camper is still a motor vehicle and so could have any of the problems associated with buying a used car. Mechanically a full or comprehensive service history is always a good indicator as to its condition, as are old MOTS and mileage (although it isn’t always the case that a high mileage vehicle is in worse condition than a low mileage one). VW campervans are quite large vehicles and so it is not uncommon to have picked up the odd scrape and have been repainted, it’s the quality of the repair that you should question and the reason.
Transporters from 2010 don’t really suffer from rust as they are well rustproofed from the factory and have a large number of plastic undertrays, so this shouldn’t be too much of a consideration. Ultimately you need to satisfy yourself that you are confident to make a judgement on the base vehicles condition or seek the advice of somebody who is. A vehicle history check is always a must as you’d be surprised how many are not what they appear to be.
Service History
This is an element that always surprises us in how often it is overlooked. We get offered multiple VW campervans weekly and part of our criteria for acceptance is a full or at the very least comprehensive service history. Often, we are told by the seller that a vehicle has full service history although when asked for proof it can’t be supplied. More often that not it is because they have just been told a vehicle had full service history when they bought it from the converter or retailer and they just took that at face value.
This has been worsened by the removal of a physical service book by VW in 2017, leading to confusion and an element that is open to abuse. For us this is an element that cannot be overlooked as it forms an important gauge as to the vehicles past and how it has been cared for. We will always look to sell VW campervans with proof of servicing in terms of oil services, cambelt changes and more. Ultimately, if we say on of our VW campervans for sale has full service history, then it does.
Base vehicles
Over the years many companies have offered VW camper conversions either from new using a brand-new dealer supplied VW Transporter or later in life using an ex commercial vehicle, commonly sourced at auctions. In the case of the later, most will have been lease vehicles for the first 3- 4 years of their lives and so worked for a living.
Whilst this is perfectly fine and we have sold many an excellent VW camper that has started life this way, it is important not to be drawn by the newness of the conversion and neglect the base vehicle age, mileage and condition. In some cases, service history boundaries have been pushed, or service history is missing altogether, so due diligence is required at the pre purchase stage.
LWB Vs SWB
Undoubtedly most VW camper conversions are on a SWB platform. We think this is partly due to SWB Transporters being the prevalent model, but also this is what most people want. The reality is that the difference between a SWB and LWB is only 40cms in the rear quarter panel only. Internally this extra length does allow for more living and cupboard space and in the case of layouts with the rear gally kitchen a LWB does work particularly well.
Externally, the extra length is not really noticeable on the road but is the difference between the campervan fitting in a standard supermarket car parking space of sticking out slightly. In our experience, customers who by a LWB VW campervan really want the extra space, most are happy with the space a SWB campervan provides.
Layouts / Conversions
Most VW campervan conversions run the campers fixtures and fittings along the drivers side (on RHD vehicles), resulting in a bench seat dining arrangement and a ¾ width bed. Although some also offer an alternative layout consisting of a central dining area (whereby the front seats are utilised to make twin single beds or one large double), a galley kitchen and often a cassette toilet in the rear. Most conversions of this nature are on LWB models although they can be found on SWB models also if parking is a consideration. Although built in lower numbers than the more traditional layout, this arrangement does provide clear zoning of the interior space and is popular with buyers looking for a fixed toilet.
There is also a U-shaped layout with a large seating area at the rear of the camper which converts into a bed, although we don’t deal in these models due to the risk of non-compliant seatbelt mounting points.
To Pop or Not
For some, this is perhaps the biggest consideration when buying a VW camper as it has an effect on number of berths, storage space, and vehicle storage.
Pop-tops or raising roofs, have a fiberglass top with canvas sides and can come in the form of 2 or 4-berth and varying degrees of quality. Fixed hi-tops can again either be 2-berth or 4-berth respectively, are fiberglass in construction and can be either single or double skinned with insulation, again depending on the quality.
The major benefit of the pop-top is that they are compact on the move and more likely to fit in garages, car ports and under height restriction barriers at picnic areas etc – as a guide the height of an average pop-top VW camper when the roof is down is 2.1 metres.
While the fixed hi-top allows for a lot more permanent storage space and no set up is required on site – as a guide the height of an average hi-top VW camper is 2.5 metres.
Equipment Levels
If you are looking at buying a VW camper, then the chances are it’s because you want to go camping. That might sound obvious although it’s important you don’t lose sight of what the van is to be used for. The majority come with twin gas hob, cold water supply, 240v mains hook-up, 12v lighting and fridge as standard, which is fine for most uses although for all year-round use heating may also be important.
Other things to consider are gas grills / ovens, water heaters, onboard fresh and waste tanks and the rare but essential to some cassette toilet. All these items can affect a campers value as the more specification it has, the more it cost to build. There are also ‘bolt-on’ accessories to consider such as wind out awnings, bike racks and tow bars etc. Solar panels can also be seen as a premium accessory as a way of extending leisure battery life.
Beds
Historically referred to ‘rock and roll’ beds due to the mechanism of the earlier T2 bay window versions, there are many different styles and quality of beds on the market. Our top picks are the RIB or Reimo beds, although there are also many others we rate such as Smartbeds, Fabworx and Titan. In terms of safety there are three main categories, crash tested, pull tested and MOT standard. A lot of beds are touted as crash tested, when in reality they are not, however so long at the bed conforms to M1 safety standards then it should be deemed of a good quality and safe to travel on.
In recent years the quality of beds has improved, although there are still some on the market that don’t meet our standard so it is a case of buyer research. Other differences are the way in which the beds are mounted i.e. do they provided a boot space or not, and does the front panel move with the bed when down which can impact living space. Other differences are that when made do you sleep on the seat surface or the flipped bed surface e.g. the excellent RIB bed is contoured as a seat, but the flip side is perfectly flat for sleeping on. You can also find beds that are mounted on rails so multi-positional, although these are rare.
Single Seat Vs Double
This is another element that for the most part comes down to personal choice, although there are benefits to both. A single captains seat (with armrests) can sometimes be seen as premium and is undoubtedly more comfortable than the double on long journeys. However, the double does provide more overall seating for travelling, along with storage underneath. Both versions should be on a swivel base, although if a single seat then the option might be there to have the drivers on a swivel base also.
If converted from new from one of the long established VW campervan converters such as Hillside Leisure or Bilbos, then the camper will almost certainly be fitted with a single captains seat to match that of the driver, most likely on VW factory swivel bases.
Tailgate Vs Barn Doors
This is a debate that has ongoing for years – which is best? Well it all comes down to personal choice really. A tailgate can sometimes make a camper look less commercial, and if glazed at the factory may also feature a heated rear screen and wash wipe, which adds to the specification. Some also say that it provides a handy shelter from rain.
Barn doors are more van like but arguably easier to open in confined spaces. Both can be fitted with bike racks so long as a spoiler hasn’t been fitted.
Styling
This has been a huge market in recent years and will continue to be so. It all really started with the Sportline T5 Transporter which was VW’s sporty Transporter offering with a deep front spoiler, side bars and rear spoiler.
Nowadays styling is commonplace in the world of VW Transporters and range from quite subtle to outrageous. It all comes down to personal taste really, some will find it attractive, some unnecessary.
Styling however is costly and so can add to the value of a vehicle. Another thing to consider is that a VW camper that has been styled does not necessarily have an internal specification to match in terms of features and appliances and so you need to be aware and sure of your priorities.
Habitation Safety Checks
Within the average VW campervan are gas, water, both 12v and 240v electrical systems and multiple appliances that should be checked as to their safety. Unfortunately not all converters or conversions are equal in terms of quality, and we have seen some downright dangerous examples on the market. In our view, it is of paramount importance that any campervan whether used or new is checked by an Approved Workshop engineer and issued with a corresponding safety certificate. This not only confirms that the campervans features have been correctly fitted, but also that they operate correctly.
This involves visual and physical checks of all systems along with other items such as opening windows and secureness of cupboards etc. A Habitation Check is not a legal requirement unless a vehicle is to be rented out, but we see it akin to an MOT for the conversion itself and should not be overlooked from a safety perspective. When done pre-sale, it can also highlight faulty appliances that can cost a lot of money to replace. Best practice would see a check carried out annually (although they rarely are) and they can and should only be carried out by an Approved Workshop engineer.
Motor Caravan on V5
This is a hot potato, although in reality of not much consequence. Up until May 2018 converters and private individuals alike were able to get the Body Type of a vehicle reclassified to Motor Carvan on the V5 registration document. In order to do so they simply needed to write a letter to the DVLA along with supporting photographs documenting that the vehicle has been converted to a campervan. However, a change in the law meant that this was no longer possible. Changing a vehicles status to Motor Caravan has no affect on its insurance or road tax but in fact its speed on the road. If a vehicle is classified as a Panel Van it should by law travel 10 mph less on both single and dual carriageways. (That said if issued with a fine so long as the vehicle was travelling under the speed limit for a car and has been configured for use as a campervan the fine could be revoked).
So what does this mean? Well if a VW campervan has already been upgraded to Motor Caravan this can be seen as a plus but is not of paramount importance. If the campervan is registered as Van / Side Windows then leave as is, as it is able to travel at the speed limit shown. If registered as a Panel Van then this can be changed to Van / Side Windows with supporting documentation, along with increasing the number of belted seats, which is often also incorrect. Some converters are better than others in terms of ensuring the Body Type classification is as good as it can be although we always provide the relevant documentation to affect the change through the DVLA of all VW campers we retail.
Other items to consider alongside our VW campervan buyers guide are:
- Is it for leisure only or to be used as a 1st or 2nd car?
- Where is it to be kept i.e. would a LWB version fit on your drive?
- Is the quality of build the right standard for the asking price?
- What are the residual values should you not take to campervanning?
- What base vehicle equipment levels such as air con are important to you?
- Do you need a Euro 6 compliant vehicle or is Euro 5 suitable for its leisure use?