Howie123 said:
Right, thinking of getting a T5 as a daily driver :evil: , anybody here doing the same.
Love my bus but i do c20k a year with work (in an A6 !!!) so not realistic to use the T2.
Anybody doing similar, any advice on which one, looking at a day van, which model to avoid etc
Only you can answer this question really mate.
The van is capable of doing 50k a year without major issues - it just depends how old it is and it's current mileage. A brand new one should do upto 150k without issue, if serviced correctly.
I say only you know which one, as it depends on power v economy. The 5-Pot diesel and then the later Bi-TDI are cracking engines, but not mega economical. Whereas the lower 102 (and less 98) are more economical, cheaper to buy but aren't as quick.
Reliability is a mixed bag - like any van/car. Some say the 5-pot is troublesome, but I think it's more down to pot luck.
Another point is comfort - is it comfortable to drive for you? I do 30k a year, so little things like heated seats and lumbar adjustment for the lower back were import (i'm only 34!), but suffer from sciatica now and again. A few of our lads in Transit vans on site complain about the lack of Lumbar adjustment too - the constant slump position.
Also, IIRC, to convert a bench seat to 2 seats at the front (walk-through), and vice-versa is not a simple job, as the mounting points didn't used to be there on the early T5s, you either got on one or the other, but not both - you were stuck with the configuration unless you got the welding tackle out. Not sure if this has changed though.
If it's a company vehicle, the BIK charge compared to an A6 will be a huge difference - probably flat rate of £50 a month for the T5. Quids in.
A lot of people are converting normal vans to day vans/campers, so plenty of choice out there. My 2 main gripes are:
1) Use of cheap 'Sportline' copy bodykits. Some repros are OK, but some are just shocking.
2) People trying to sell a 180k mile van, with a conversion, for £25-£30k - barmy! It's gonna need some right work on the suspension, steering and engine very soon, but want top dollar.
There's some bargains out there to be found, with low mileage. My advice would be buy low mileage/newest one you can get, with as many toys as possible, with the correct engine for your needs. Then convert it properly, exactly how you want it, over time. Then you have a good base van, with the right conversion for your needs.
