VW T4 Forum - VW T5 Forum banner

Newbie decision: T2 or T5?

Tags
bay lhd
4K views 27 replies 16 participants last post by  4pointers 
#1 ·
Hello all. I don't yet have a camper but I've been looking at them for a few months now (hundreds online and 2 or 3 in real life) but cannot decide what to concentrate on. My intended use is travelling around Europe, with my bike - staying few days in a campsite while I do some cycle rides, then moving on, for perhaps 3-4 weeks at a time. Mostly just me but sometimes with a partner. Budget around 20k, max 25k - to include any work that needs doing on whatever I buy.
I know it's a 'head/heart' decision really but I'd like some info from you experts if possible. Design wise I definitely prefer the late bays to the new T5s, but for reliability I guess the T5 will win hands down.
In the past I've had experience with maintaining a car (stripped down and rebuilt my Triumph Herald engine in the early 70's) so doing maintenance on an old vehicle doesn't worry me particularly.
Since I'll be using it mostly in Europe I think a LHD bus would be better; so there's probably more of those around in the older buses.
I've posted a similar question on thelatebay.com. - it will be interesting to see what different advice I get here :)
Thanks in advance
 
#5 ·
Thanks for all the replies

Maybe you needn't say more! Very succinct, that makes lots of sense.
Split the difference and get a T4.... you know it makes sense
I know what you mean, but a t4 (unless I can find one with very low mileage) misses out on both the character of the T2 and the reliability of the T5 - or am I wrong?
 
#4 ·
The fact that you're OK with a LHD van registered in the UK gives you a lot more bargaining power that if you were looking for a RHD.

I had that same benefit, and ended up getting a fantastic bargain of a partially camper fitted 2013 LHD T5 with 35,000 km and in perfect nick for >25% lower than your budget.
 
#6 ·
Don't get me wrong we love our t2s there awesome and living in Cornwall (like yourself?) we find we don't need to go far ! When we do I like the fact that when wet fogy etc my t5 has bright headlights wipers that work and a heater that can actually clear glass :D when its sunny and we are stuck in crawling traffic I'm glad it's not air cooled T:
GOOD LUCK HOPE YOU FIND WHAT YOUR AFTER T:
 
#7 ·
I know the dilemma! I came to a T5 having owned an air cooled Steyr Puch Pinzgauer for 10 years. It was so hard to say goodbye to the character and fun of an older vehicle. In a way it isn't the same comparison as to an older T2 as the Pinzgauer was engineered to levels beyond most land vehicles today despite being 40 years old. But reality is that being able to cruise safely at motorway speed consuming relatively little fuel and in comparative comfort is something that makes trips in the T5 much more appealing.

I suppose the key question is whether it is a vehicle for a purpose or the purpose is ownership of the vehicle.

At least with a T5 there are so many ways to make the van unique to you with customisation either subtle or extreme!

Goodbye old


hello new
 
#8 ·
I am an old school Aircooler at heart.. I have always had at least one T2 since 1990, and currently have a Scooby powered Early bay, and a T4.. As much as though I love my Bay, its the T4 that gets all the serious mileage these days! If it was me, it would be the dirty diesel reliability of a T5 for a Europe trip. T:
 
#19 ·
In any case the thread seems to be going massively off topic does anyone have any useful advice for this post ? And does anyone else think that a good solution to this problem of a vehicle that could cross Europe and still have a gaining desirability factor would be a good clean T4 ??? Answers on a postcard please :D
 
#25 ·
Hi
First time in for me.
I've had,and loved, splittiesand t2s. Got a t5 now.
If you want to get there and be warm and comfy while you look through windows which are de misted-get the t5. Don't even think about it.
If you want character, cold feet ,wet windows and fighting for a sleeping bag on a long drive to avoid hypothermia get the t2. It'll be nice to look at while you wait for Green Flag.
That's 40 yrs experience for free.
Cheers JC
 
#26 ·
Ha ha, got to agree with that. My first ever car was a 1968 beetle and overjoyed to actually own a car at the age of eighteen, not like todays pampered spoiled brats whom expect a nice little peugeot 208 or similar as their first ride. Cannot beat the comfort of the T5.1. It is almost like driving a car. T: Good luck in whatever your choice is though :ILU:
 
#28 ·
I agree, it's horses for courses. Do you want a hobby-vehicle, for weekends & the odd camping trip while for day-to-day work you use another vehicle, or is the VW T2 or 5 to be your main vehicle, all-purpose & multipurpose?
I've had several T2 baywindows, then a T4 Caravelle, now a T5 4Motion - for every day driving and multi-purpose..
The first T2 was pretty reliable but strewth was it slow, in modern driving conditions (not when it was new and traffic was a lot slower then, so T2 was probably fine then). Reliable - drove to Greece & back with friends, only problem was a puncture. Down thro Yugoslavia, as it was then (no taking the easy route with a ferry from Italy to Greece!). Fine driving among the horses & carts & old bangers in Yugoslavia but painful on the German autobahns. That hunched over the steering wheel, right foot flat on floor keeping the revs up, avoiding any easing off cos it took so long to wind back up to 60ish, then comes a slope no other traffic seems to notice and the inevitable slowing down. Great vehicle, the cats here could recognise the distinctive putter putter a mile before I got home, but you had to be an enthusiast with no time-pressures (a commuting vehicle no way). I liked the stability too, good roadholding.
Then I searched and found one of the rare T2s bored out to 2litres, in hope of more mph. Put up with LHD. Fine while it was running, but kept blowing gaskets (open lid, take off all the bits of tin yet again....).
Heaters, hah. The moment of truth came when driving from London to far-west Wales late one winter's night, almost no traffic on the road by then, & parked police car decides to pull me over as I putter around Carmarthen roundabout. PC several decades younger than me first goes to the drivers door, but there's no-one there. Walks around front to nearside, reluctantly I wind window down, he opens mouth to speak but says nothing as he takes in this bloke, bobble hat pulled down over ears, heavy coat, scarf over mouth, old ski gloves, sleeping bag over legs. Eventually he says, just wanted to tell you sir, one of your rear lights is a little bit dim. I said, I dont care. He said, no sir, that's fine, just carry on your journey.
So, a few years later I bought a 2nd hand T4 (this was before T5s emerged into the light). Great, still not speedy but an stepchange as they say. Then, here in the boondocks, found kept getting stuck in wet fields, verges, even had trouble getting up hilly track to new (old) cottage when fully loaded, in autumn/winter when mud & wet leaves cover every surface. So looked for 4x4 alternatives, LRs etc etc, but none had the carrying capacity & driveability of a VW Tsomething, so I searched & searched for a recent 2ndhand 4Motion & found one in 2006, ex-demo so nicely loaded with extras, in N London of all places. Since then, brilliant - much more power than the 2.4 T4 had, lotsa torque for working, logging, towing, comfortable and steady 80 (shh) on m'ways on family visits etc, 6 gears to cope with all kinds of driving conditions. Careful maintenance. New clutch/flywheel at 115,000 but nothing else major, now 135,000, and 11 years on I still love driving it. Short of winning the lottery, I've no idea what I could replace it with. From what I've seen & heard of post-2010 T5.1s & T6s, they couldnt match what I've got even at all the extra £££.
My advice to anyone would be, look for a very well cared for T5 2.5/5cyl, check it over v carefully, pay over the odds for it if need be, & budget for regular maintenance & some replacement - but those costs over several years are still likely to be a lot less than you'd pay for a T5.1 or 6.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top