Forgot to add (been busy in Rioja!) you can use a VW bike rack with 4 bikes on a T5 whilst towing an Eriba. Might be useful to know :)

Busy in Rioja? That's a new word for it

We bought a lot of wine in Haro for ourselves and friends, the same time another couple camping on th same site on the edge of town. It was an enjoyable occasion and we had walked in, telling the wine shop we would drive back in a park as near as possible, up in a square within walking distance of the shop.

She wouldn't hear of it and asked where we were staying. We told her and she said it would be delivered and I told her we were leaving the next morning.

We walked back to the campsite with the other couple and a white van passed us as we entered the site. Seconds later our name was shouted from reception and a lot of gesturing, it was the staff advising that our wine was here. The van delivered direct to each of our vans.

Servisimo!

Further to my wife's post (Blueyounders) and of course agree whole heartily I feel that there are two other points that must be mentioned to give the full picture.

1) Be aware that a T5 unlike a car has a gross train weight which should be complied with, which I think is 3.5 metric tonnes. Our Triton loaded is 1.3 Tonnes and of course the T5 itself is a heavy vehicle (I will have to look at the plates to give the exact weights). So even though it has bags of pulling power the limits the weight it can pull! While talking about traffic law; there is much debait T5's and applicable speed limits. In brief many conversions are from commercial vehicles and the tax classification is such that they are subject to reduced speed limits. Even if you do as we have done and gone through the DVLA and had the vehicle reclassified as a campervan it dose not change that initial classification, and so in our belief makes us subject to the lower limits. If you want a detailed explanation ask Blueyounders she has researched it to the nth degree.

2) Be mindful that the T5's towing ability on grass surfaces especially when damp is compromised. So if you want to spend a lot of time getting on and off Caravan Club grass sites who might find yourself churning up the pitches. We found this out on a damp day on an all grass site in Pembrokeshire!

Having said the above, we are more than happy with our T5 and wouldn't part with here until we have to. Blueyounders is right when she says think carefully about what your needs are before looking for a base vehicle. The second hand T5 market is a sellers delight, as they are much sort after. Make sure you do your research well into any vehicle you might buy, remember if it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.

Happy hunting.

Simon

Further to my post above I have checked out the T5's gross train weight and it is 5200 kg with a maximum of 2500 kg towing weight if the towed unit is braked (750 kg if not breaked). I assume that we are all working with the old driving licences where we can drive up to a maximum of 7500 kg.

So payloads are the above less the vehicles' weight which hopefully leave enough for the kit. But remember if you convert a T5 that will give additional weight to the vehichle.


Simon

The noise (rattles from pots & pans and cupboard doors mostly) can be eradicated if the owners can be bothered! Lots of them have never owned such a vehicle before they buy it out of their inheritance!

A few well places felt pads (£ shop) and a few t cloths between pots, pans, crockery, cutlery etc did the trick for us many moons ago, we were travelling back and forth to Northern Germany in earlier VW campers and they were really quiet, being rear engined

A lot of it comes down to attitude, I don't put up with rattles and obscure noises I sort them! That way I'm able to listen to Beethovens 25th in c flat minor! Innit

Maybe Roger it is nothing to do with the vehicle, which I am sure you will understand it is something quite respectable in the right hands. Can I suggest that you add your base guitar and amp to the packing list in future. I am sure a few bars of Smoke on the Water or something suitable from Status Quo will get your point across, or could become a new form of musical entertainment, leading to a hit single, recording contracts, world tours and lots of dosh!!!! (now I can find any of those little icons to add).

How about Vic Damone crooning Blue Spanish Eyes.

I would not recommend a T5 at all, they are rubbish........!

I would recommend a T4 though, much better....

Right now we're hiring a T5 campervan for a week starting 5th September from Jerba Campervans in North Berwick so all you super tourers let's be having your ideas for a week long tour with lots and lots of interesting things to see and do in Scotland.
We've never been to this area before - always been on the West coast so we want to pick the collective brain.

Thanks

Denise & Phil (and Hollie dog)

One thing I think this thread has missed is toll road fees. We don't use tolls abroad much so they haven't bothered us before but, after 3 weeks in Portugal, where you often don't have a choice but to use them, we were reminded of the impact of a towing T5. In Portugal most cars towing a single axle caravan pay class 1 the cheapest rate. Anything over 110cm at the first axle is a class 2 on its own, including very large motorhome. Add any trailer or single axle caravan and it's class 3.... a twin axle on either the towing vehicle or trailer/caravan makes it class 4, same as an articulated lorry . We are therefore class 3 and paid more than large motorhomes.

Upshot is, visiting Portugal has been expensive, with the toll fees exceeding the cost of diesel by quite a way. If you like to use the toll motorways anywhere, if you tow a T5 you will pay a lot.

E.g. to go over the bridge at Lisbon 1.65 euros for car plus caravan, with a T5 it's 5.95 euros!
Lisbon to salamanca nearly 100 euros for just the Portugese tolls.
On the automatic tolls we were being charged around 2 euro for 8-10 miles.

We had the time to avoid them for a lot of the time but, I would be miffed if we had been on a 2 - 3 week holiday.

Back home now, we had a fab week in the T5 it was perfect apart from the colour (tangerine) easy to drive and park we saw loads had great weather and after a week away we hooked Marmite up on the back of the Landie and set off for another couple of weeks or so in Northumberland.(IIt had LOADS of space after a week in the T5)

We are going to get a campervan, we just need to sell the house first, buy something smaller - do it up and then see how much we have left over.

Thanks for you help and comments

Denise & Phil