can you help we need much loved t5 campervan

[mellyletsgo]

Goodmorning all..................... First time on a forum.... first time excited potential campervana...... have lovely mum sitting in the wing awaiting holiday in campervan.... but i dont actually have a campervan yet!..... decided on VW T5 USED CAMPER..... just missed out on what appeared to be a loved one advertised in MMM... SO AM NOW HOPING TO 2GET AHEAD OF THE GAME" by asking you guys if you have any advice/ or know anyone looking for a good home for one.

Hopefull and excited.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Welcome! :-D

 

A friend of mine is after a T4/T5 and I looked on Ebay and there are literally 100's on there......

 

how you define "much loved" is beyond me! and you need to be cautious with any purchase? and get van checked out properly *-)

[Usinmyknaus]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I recommend you leave "hopefull and excited" for when you set off on your first trip in your new acquisition and subsitute "cynical and ultra business-like" for the duration of your search for a van.

 

Unless you are a competent DIY mechanic and preferably, experienced on motor homes, you will need to take someone who is with you to view every vehicle. Even fairly basic campervans will be more complex than a car so pitfalls abound and if you subsequently cannot fix various bits and pieces yourself you may incur expensive parts and labour costs , so minimising the risks is key.

 

You are starting a potentially life-long adventure, so don't rush the preparation. I spent more than a year before deciding on the exact model to buy, at least you have already chosen the base vehicle, but there are many variants on that theme with different converters and models around. After that, it's a question of "buyer beware" to find a good 'un.

 

Good luck with your search and I am sure others with specific experience of the T5 will chip in on here for you.

 

Bob

[onecal]

Hi,

Great advice from above, take your time, don't rush in,lot's of them out there. VW is a great base to work with but a little bit on the small side now for most people, things are changing though. Having said that ,they drive like a car,great on fuel and are bullet proof if you keep them serviced. Have a good look around at different builds and models,(pop up roofs, hard tops,even coachbuilds) you can buy anywhere in Europe. Have a look ,find exactly what you want and come back to us, you will I am sure get lots of help.

Regards,

Brendan

[t5tripper]

Hi, welcome to the forum, we spent 18 months investigating before purchasing and were lucky enough to get an ex demonstrator California, what we did do before hand though was to go for two short trips, one in a T5 that we hired and one in a bigger motorhome to decide which one suited us. We opted for the California, which suits us down to the ground. Sadly there are a lot of lame ducks out there that look lovely on photos but in real life are horrendous - buyer beware comes to mind.

 

Good luck in your search

 

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

Bob is right, be very cautious and vigilant..No need to bring professional adviser for every viewing though, just to the ones that look right and worth going for?

 

if its a dealer best to wear ear plugs so that his spiel is easily ignored :-S

[lookback]

This garage is located 5 miles south of Horncastle Lincolnshire and has a large selection of campervans:

 

http://www.lincolnshirecampervanhire.co.uk/index.php

 

 

Ian

[Rod_vw]

Hi mellyletsgo

 

Good to have you amongst us although there may be another forum that could help your quest, have a look here http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=147

 

If you can control your excitement just a little while you may find a visit to VanFest at The Three Counties Showground over the weekend of 9the 10th & 11th September worthwhile, http://www.vanfest.org/ . There will be hundreds of VW campers of all ages there along with some of the UKs converters which should give you an idea of the possibilities.

 

Good luck with your quest and above all be patient it will pay off in the end.

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

If it is "much loved" it should be in top condition with full history, and likely to be above the usual price asked, that's what I would look for, as they say there is no such thing as a free lunch. I have a very much loved IH on a 2003 Ducato 2.8 jtd, yours for 20K.

[flicka]

Hi Wendy & welcome to the forum.

I understand your excitement about getting a Motorhome / Camper Van & wanting to get out there using it ASAP.

But as others has posted, it's so easy to get carried away if you have no previous experience.

 

Seriously consider hiring before buying, although it looks to be an expensive route, it can save you a lot of money in the long term.

 

Hiring gives you the opportunity to try out what everything is about, if the layout worrkss for you & if the lifestyle is as you eagerly anticipate.

 

Many 1st time buyers, have the dream & invest their cash, only to find their choice was for the "wrong" van for their needs. So go back to a Dealer, losing loads of cash changing to another van.

 

Hiring will also also allow you to get away with "have lovely mum sitting in the wing awaiting holiday in campervan" without a dissappointing wait, until you find what you are looking for.

 

Another reason is after hiring, you will re-prioitise your needs & wants lists. But even better you will be buying after the end of the season & Dealers will be looking for Sales & more amiable to discounting,

(enabling release cash to stock next year's models.)

 

You know your mum wants to go now , so go for it & good hunting after your holiday.