Which VW Transporter Do I Want?

When someone says, 'campervan', what springs to mind?  Most people's vision of a campervan will involve a Volkswagen Transporter.  But which Transporter appeals to you?  Whatever your taste, VW will surely have catered to it at some point, since the beginning of production of the Transporter in 1949, to over twelve million (and counting) units sold worldwide, which makes the Volkswagen Transporter, the best selling van in history.  

Look at the majority of memorabilia labelled 'Volkswagen Camper' and you will see the famous 'V' front end below the sought after split screen.  This is where we'll start.

Between 1950 and 1967, 1,477,330 of the O.G. VW Split Screen vans that we all love and adore rolled off the production line.  At present commonly known as a T1, the Splitty was originally known as a Type 2.  It was the second vehicle produced by Volkswagen after the Beetle, or Type 1.  

The first buses were built in Wolfsburg, up until 1956, when production moved to a factory in Hanover, built specifically to produce the Transporter.  When the production of the T1 halted in Germany, Brazil went on building them until 1975.  These South American models are sought after in the UK.  After spending most of their life in the warmer, dryer climate, the bodywork is generally free of the dreaded tin worm (rust).

It is very common to see low mileage, very good condition T1 vans for sale for prices over £50,000.  Nowadays, these high value vans are generally the show winners and the one's found in photo-shoots and on display.  From the Splitties I've looked at, it'd be unusual to find a van in such a condition to buy and head straight out camping for much less than £30,000.  That price tag is reasonable for any type of desirable, functional VW campervan, but you have to ask yourself, 'How much can I really use this model each year'? And could you rely on it to do as much mileage you hope to do?  

In my opinion, the T1 is a beautiful piece of engineering.  If I had somewhere to keep one indoors, I'd buy one just for the shows, but I'd be too weary of setting off on the NC500 in it.

Common things to look for when you are buying a T1:

Rust, rust and rust,

Oil leaks,

Gearbox.

We'll keep the listing in chronological order, so next up, the VW T2 Bay.  

The Bay Window was first introduced in 1967 and built in Germany up until 1979.  The South Americans carried on their tradition of building their own Transporters but this time the T2 was produced in Mexico between 1970 and 1994.  The German models are desirable but gain, the Mexican models are sought after the same due to the condition their bodywork has been kept in.

The T2 is the original surfer van.  You can see masses of Bays around the UK surf spots of Cornwall, Devon and North Yorkshire.  Usually parked up on a sand dune with a soggy wetsuit draped out of a window.  

The popularity of the van has kept them on the roads in big numbers.  A staple at any show, festival or campsite, and a favourite of Libyan terrorists in the 80s (see pic below), you are sure to find a T2 for you.

When buying a T2, look for;

Rust (again), 

Worn engine,

Worn gearbox.

And then we have the T3 (T25).

For some reason, the T25 seems to be the least popular of the Transporters.  I have no idea why!  That 80s styling is fantastic in my eyes.  I would've bought one years ago, but it was my wife that didn't like the bright yellow and cream high top, that I wanted.

The first models were built in Hanover in 1979 and were driven by the air cooled engines that have become synonymous with early Volkswagen.  The first water cooled diesel engines made there way off the production line in 1981 and the air cooled engines were discontinued in 1982.  Production of the T25 continued in Hanover until 1990, but the model continued to be produced in South Africa until 2002.

The T25 can be another box full of rust, so when looking for yours, ensure you check all the seams.  If the seams look good, check again.  Quite a few vans have had patchy bodywork and resprays at best.  Sealer that fills the seams can be a giveaway of what may be hiding beneath, so do be aware. 

The air-cooled engines and the pre turbo models can be a little under powered.  Keep in mind, where you'll be taking you early T25 to ensure it'll make it at a steady speed.

Then we move on to my favourite, the T4.

I'll keep this as impartial as possible, but just look at the beauty of my T4, Wyatt.

The T4 made it's first appearance in 1990, and production continued until 2003.  This variation of the VW Transporter was the first with a front mounted engine, and a vast range of engines available.  The diesel engines ranged from the reliable (but a little underpowered) 1.9D up to the powerful 2.5TDi.  The Caravelle model T4s could be found with a 8 valve 2.0 petrol engine and up to a 2.8 VR6 24 valve DOHC.

There are still a large number of T4s on the road.  It isn't unusual to see them still running with over 250,000 miles on the clock.  The popularity of the van, and the knowledge of its reliability helps the T4 remain an highly sought after vehicle, in the right condition.

The internal space of the T4 makes it the ideal van for a full camper conversion.

There aren't too many faults I can point out on the T4, only your typical age related problems, and even they are few and far between.

The early models do have some of the same rust problems as the previous Ts but things improved in the later models.  Places to check for rust are above the windscreen, along the scuttle panel, under the rear arches, sliding door runner and rear quarters at the wheel arch (strangely seems worse on tge offside 🤔).

Next up... the T5.

Probably the most common Transporter you'll see anywhere.  The T5 hit the roads in 2003, with an updated look from the thirteen year old T4.  With modern styling and similar handling of a large car, it was always going to be a popular choice of van.  

With slightly bigger dimensions than the T4, the T5 makes an excellent base vehicle for a camper conversion.  

There's plenty of these models about, still with considerably low mileage, so if you think the T5 may be for you, have a shop around to find the right one.

The Volkswagen 1.9TDi is commonly found in the T5s and considered the best engines to have.  Anyone I've ever spoken to has suggested to avoid the 2.5 engine.  It isn't known for its reliability. 

The T5s also have rust issues.  Check the sills, arches and underbody.  I've seen T5s that are rustler than T2s.

EGR valves are known to be problematic on the T5s, plus these models are the first Transporters with an array of electronics, so other sensors can throw up issues.

The DMF (Duel Mass Flywheel) seems to be a common issue on the T5, but this could be down to the engines being pushed too far by remapping or driving style.

Finally, we have the T6.

The styling of Volkswagen's most recent Transporter is as modern as they come.  

It looks modern.  It drives like a car.  It has a dashboard from a spaceship.  It's ideal for a camper conversion.

What's not to like about the T6?

Not a lot apparently. 

This version has been in production since 2015, and in that eight years there only seem to be an handful of complaints about the van.

One is an EGR fault, that will let coolant into the the cylinders when the EGR fails.

I've heard from one mechanic about a batch of engines with a porous block, but I've yet to come across an owner of one.

Sounds like the ideal van to builder camper around, right??

So which Transporter do you fancy?  Do let me know.  The amount of Transporters from all the variants still on the road are vast.  Also, it is not unusual for an old splitty or bay to turn up in a long last barn somewhere, which needs minimal work to get back on the road.  Whichever Transporter you decide on making your camper, there's one thing for sure...you will love it!

Andy