New purchase - VW T6 Westfalia Kepler One
Discussion
A couple of weekends ago, I took my girlfriend off to France to meet my extended family and they themselves were looking at buying a small campervan to supplement their large A-class motorhome. Young lady and I were taken along to waste time at the dealership whilst Uncle & Aunt testdrove a few and we just pottered around the forecourt, messing around in the various vans on show. All very light-hearted and fun, until such time as we sat in a VW Westfalia Kepler One and then her face changed. We've only been together six months, but I knew instantly what she was thinking..........she was smitten! 
It seemed faintly ludicrous at the time as we'd only gone there to support my Uncle and had no intentions whatsoever when we left, to seriously look at anything with a view to buying it. So we took ourselves off to lunch to see what separation did! Chatting over lunch, the idea seemed less ridiculous and although still barmy, we decided that life is for living. Having met through a mutual friend who had just been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer (at 36!
), we're both acutely aware of the importance of living life.
So, lunch over - back to the dealership and a testdrive had. The vehicle they had (which is in the photos) was the uprated 150bhp (up from 102bhp) with optional DSG gearbox. It drove like a dream and even my girlfriend who has driven nothing bigger than a Golf, got on with it just fine and was convinced she'd be happy driving it around. Back at the dealership we spent a while negotiating, but couldn't get over the difficulty of purchasing in France and registering in Germany. So that night, the search was on for one in Germany. Only two popped up in the whole of Germany - one ex-rental with 14,000km on the clock and one brand new one with 12km delivery mileage. For the difference in price, it didn't make any sense to go used. So new one it was!
Next day, I was pushed into action with my best negotiating skills and within 6hrs, my girlfriend paid the 10% deposit. We collect on 8th March from just south of Stuttgart. We'll have a quick stop locally to swap the summer wheels onto winters and then head straight down to Söll in Austria for a weekend skiing and camping in the van. That'll be a good chance to check out its insulation and heating!
So, a bit about the spec:
- VW T6 Transporter converted by Westfalia - 2800kg MGVW and c. 400kg of payload
- 2.0l Euro6 engine, uprated to 150bhp with optional DSG gearbox
- electric windows & door mirrors, climatronic control, optional factory satnav, optional fr & r parking sensors & camera
- 16" alloy wheels
- we've added mosquito nets on side & rear door plus the optional roof insulation kit
In the hab area:
- twin-burner hob & sink
- 50l fresh water tank & 30l Grey
- Thetford bench toilet with 19l capacity
- shower tray
- 51l compressor fridge
- hot water boiler & 2kW blown heating supplied by Webasto diesel heater
- belted seats for four - front swivel seats. Four berth - two in pop-up roof & dinette converts to double bed
- LED lighting throughout
- we've added a second 95aH battery for additional ability to wild-camp
- loads of USB sockets & 240v (for when on hookup) peppered throughout
So why have we taken the plunge?
- Well, firstly my girlfriend is an adventurer at heart. Although I consider myself outdoorsy, she really is. She absolutely loved the time we spent together up in the Highlands of Scotland in Carrie and it's given her the bug.
- We've both got 15months left in Frankfurt before we need to make a decision on where we move to. Therefore we've got time pressure to enjoy our local surroundings to the max
- Frankfurt is so centrally located in Europe that 2-4hrs drive takes you to some wonderful bits of nature, so Fri-Sun Weekend getaways is very easy
- The VW Westfalias have such amazing residuals, we can probably run this for a couple of years and not loose anything more than 5-10k. There's a 9-10month waiting list for factory orders, so prices are holding up now and in general VW Campers of any variety are sought after in the used market and Westfalia is such a commanding brand, they are particularly in favour;
- Even if we bring it back to the UK, then we could run it alongside Carrie as both vehicles are so different that they have unique USPs; and
- Just because!
We're so very excited. We've already started planning weekends away for every Weekend over the summer where I don't have my daugther. Everything from Luxembourg, Eiffel Mountains, Freiburg, Lake Constance, to Lake Como! We're both so passionate about wild camping and waking up somewhere in the middle of nowhere, the VW comes into its own because of the low roof, which allows you to sneak into normal car parks.
I'll set up a separate adventure thread once we've taken delivery, but in the meantime, I'll keep this running with general running costs & experiences if there's any interest.
VW
VW
VW
VW
It seemed faintly ludicrous at the time as we'd only gone there to support my Uncle and had no intentions whatsoever when we left, to seriously look at anything with a view to buying it. So we took ourselves off to lunch to see what separation did! Chatting over lunch, the idea seemed less ridiculous and although still barmy, we decided that life is for living. Having met through a mutual friend who had just been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer (at 36!
), we're both acutely aware of the importance of living life.So, lunch over - back to the dealership and a testdrive had. The vehicle they had (which is in the photos) was the uprated 150bhp (up from 102bhp) with optional DSG gearbox. It drove like a dream and even my girlfriend who has driven nothing bigger than a Golf, got on with it just fine and was convinced she'd be happy driving it around. Back at the dealership we spent a while negotiating, but couldn't get over the difficulty of purchasing in France and registering in Germany. So that night, the search was on for one in Germany. Only two popped up in the whole of Germany - one ex-rental with 14,000km on the clock and one brand new one with 12km delivery mileage. For the difference in price, it didn't make any sense to go used. So new one it was!
Next day, I was pushed into action with my best negotiating skills and within 6hrs, my girlfriend paid the 10% deposit. We collect on 8th March from just south of Stuttgart. We'll have a quick stop locally to swap the summer wheels onto winters and then head straight down to Söll in Austria for a weekend skiing and camping in the van. That'll be a good chance to check out its insulation and heating!
So, a bit about the spec:
- VW T6 Transporter converted by Westfalia - 2800kg MGVW and c. 400kg of payload
- 2.0l Euro6 engine, uprated to 150bhp with optional DSG gearbox
- electric windows & door mirrors, climatronic control, optional factory satnav, optional fr & r parking sensors & camera
- 16" alloy wheels
- we've added mosquito nets on side & rear door plus the optional roof insulation kit
In the hab area:
- twin-burner hob & sink
- 50l fresh water tank & 30l Grey
- Thetford bench toilet with 19l capacity
- shower tray
- 51l compressor fridge
- hot water boiler & 2kW blown heating supplied by Webasto diesel heater
- belted seats for four - front swivel seats. Four berth - two in pop-up roof & dinette converts to double bed
- LED lighting throughout
- we've added a second 95aH battery for additional ability to wild-camp
- loads of USB sockets & 240v (for when on hookup) peppered throughout
So why have we taken the plunge?
- Well, firstly my girlfriend is an adventurer at heart. Although I consider myself outdoorsy, she really is. She absolutely loved the time we spent together up in the Highlands of Scotland in Carrie and it's given her the bug.
- We've both got 15months left in Frankfurt before we need to make a decision on where we move to. Therefore we've got time pressure to enjoy our local surroundings to the max
- Frankfurt is so centrally located in Europe that 2-4hrs drive takes you to some wonderful bits of nature, so Fri-Sun Weekend getaways is very easy
- The VW Westfalias have such amazing residuals, we can probably run this for a couple of years and not loose anything more than 5-10k. There's a 9-10month waiting list for factory orders, so prices are holding up now and in general VW Campers of any variety are sought after in the used market and Westfalia is such a commanding brand, they are particularly in favour;
- Even if we bring it back to the UK, then we could run it alongside Carrie as both vehicles are so different that they have unique USPs; and
- Just because!
We're so very excited. We've already started planning weekends away for every Weekend over the summer where I don't have my daugther. Everything from Luxembourg, Eiffel Mountains, Freiburg, Lake Constance, to Lake Como! We're both so passionate about wild camping and waking up somewhere in the middle of nowhere, the VW comes into its own because of the low roof, which allows you to sneak into normal car parks.
I'll set up a separate adventure thread once we've taken delivery, but in the meantime, I'll keep this running with general running costs & experiences if there's any interest.
VWVWVWVWEdited by Spuffington on Wednesday 1st July 16:36
So that was now four weeks ago and delivery date is approaching fast. From having what seemed like loads of time, we’re now rushing around getting everything in place. Given I’m backwards and forwards to Frankfurt and young lady also travels with work, we only have small windows of opportunity to get stuff sorted.
We had a bit of a hiccup with the registration. The dealer had agreed to put the van on a temporary five-day registration plate for us so that we could first register it in Frankfurt upon our return from holiday. The problem with that, as we found out last week, was that we are not allowed to travel abroad (ie to Austria) on the temporary plates. So that necessitated us paying the balance in full (bear in mind we haven’t actually seen this vehicle in the flesh yet! :unsure in order for them to issue the paperwork.
So on Wednesday we received the German equivalent of the V5c, called the “Fahrzeugbrief”. It was very exciting as it confirmed full ownership. Next step is to take that, together with the Certificate of Conformity for the habitation side to the equivalent of the local DVLA office “Autoamt”, where the vehicle is registered and we receive a number plate for it, which is both specific to the vehicle but also shows the district in which it is registered. Unlike the UK, if you move district, you then need to re register the vehicle and have a new number plate allocated. Tuesday is the day for registration. Once that is done, then we can insure it and really need to get our backsides in gear to find a garage to rent.
We have decided to rent a car (Passat estate) to pick up the van, since the amount of stuff we have, not just to living in the van, but for the ski weekend we intent on doing, is too great for public transport. I have sorted out the winter wheels. We will be driving straight from collection to the local ATU workshop (like Kwikfit) in Ulm, where the summers will be warehoused and new steelies with Pirelli Carrier Winter tyres will be fitted and we will also pick up our snow chains and shovel!
I have steadily been buying bits for the van - fun but necessary stuff and the girlfriend is now out today doing the tour of both camping shops and Galeria Kaufhof for kitchen accessories and bedding. She viewed this as a pain in the backside yesterday, but has certainly got into the swing of it now and seems to be enjoying herself, judging by the constant WhatsApp updates and associated smiley emojis. This being a good example....
[url=https://flic.kr/p/EYW6CH][/url]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Gvjxq3][/url]
Having used SilverScreens for my Hymer S640 and impressed with the insulation they provided (as well as the quality), I bought a set for the T6, especially useful for Austrian ski trip but equally useful in the hot summer weather.
So it’s getting very exciting now. I’m so pleased for my girlfriend that she’s getting exactly the same buzz as I have done out of kitting out her “home on wheels” and really getting in the mood for the adventures which lie ahead. I too am so excited. I’ll complete this thread with an update once we’ve collected!
We had a bit of a hiccup with the registration. The dealer had agreed to put the van on a temporary five-day registration plate for us so that we could first register it in Frankfurt upon our return from holiday. The problem with that, as we found out last week, was that we are not allowed to travel abroad (ie to Austria) on the temporary plates. So that necessitated us paying the balance in full (bear in mind we haven’t actually seen this vehicle in the flesh yet! :unsure
in order for them to issue the paperwork.So on Wednesday we received the German equivalent of the V5c, called the “Fahrzeugbrief”. It was very exciting as it confirmed full ownership. Next step is to take that, together with the Certificate of Conformity for the habitation side to the equivalent of the local DVLA office “Autoamt”, where the vehicle is registered and we receive a number plate for it, which is both specific to the vehicle but also shows the district in which it is registered. Unlike the UK, if you move district, you then need to re register the vehicle and have a new number plate allocated. Tuesday is the day for registration.
Once that is done, then we can insure it and really need to get our backsides in gear to find a garage to rent.We have decided to rent a car (Passat estate) to pick up the van, since the amount of stuff we have, not just to living in the van, but for the ski weekend we intent on doing, is too great for public transport. I have sorted out the winter wheels. We will be driving straight from collection to the local ATU workshop (like Kwikfit) in Ulm, where the summers will be warehoused and new steelies with Pirelli Carrier Winter tyres will be fitted and we will also pick up our snow chains and shovel!
I have steadily been buying bits for the van - fun but necessary stuff and the girlfriend is now out today doing the tour of both camping shops and Galeria Kaufhof for kitchen accessories and bedding. She viewed this as a pain in the backside yesterday, but has certainly got into the swing of it now and seems to be enjoying herself, judging by the constant WhatsApp updates and associated smiley emojis.
This being a good example....[url=https://flic.kr/p/EYW6CH][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/Gvjxq3][/url]Having used SilverScreens for my Hymer S640 and impressed with the insulation they provided (as well as the quality), I bought a set for the T6, especially useful for Austrian ski trip but equally useful in the hot summer weather.
So it’s getting very exciting now. I’m so pleased for my girlfriend that she’s getting exactly the same buzz as I have done out of kitting out her “home on wheels” and really getting in the mood for the adventures which lie ahead. I too am so excited. I’ll complete this thread with an update once we’ve collected!
Edited by Spuffington on Saturday 24th February 14:51
AyBee said:
Bed looks a bit narrow? Would love to see the inside of the top - is it just extra head height or sleeping?
Westfalia has pics here (The 'One' is at the top of the PDF only)http://www.vwcampersales.com/guides/westfalia/2018...
The problem with most campers in my view is that the fridge has the best view - out of the side door - when stopping on mountain roads etc. The Kepler One scores heavily by allowing you to sit at the table and look out of the big side door which is a rare feature in vans for some reason.
Also great to be able to use the loo while the bed is made up too: for those reasons it's the best layout I've seen.
Epic looking van!
Although not likely to last for years, we bought an insulating screen for the pop-top which makes sleeping upstairs/having the roof up in winter quite ok. It also provides just a bit of sound insulation. Downside it that in windy weather it can rub on the roof struts and squeak a tactically placed clothes peg can fix that.Despite this - well worth it. In summer it made a lot of difference camping keeping temps down a bit in South France.
The silver screens front screen is awesome.
Hope you have many many fun miles and nights in it!
http://darenpucerscreens.co.uk
Although not likely to last for years, we bought an insulating screen for the pop-top which makes sleeping upstairs/having the roof up in winter quite ok. It also provides just a bit of sound insulation. Downside it that in windy weather it can rub on the roof struts and squeak a tactically placed clothes peg can fix that.Despite this - well worth it. In summer it made a lot of difference camping keeping temps down a bit in South France.
The silver screens front screen is awesome.
Hope you have many many fun miles and nights in it!
http://darenpucerscreens.co.uk
Globs said:
AyBee said:
Bed looks a bit narrow? Would love to see the inside of the top - is it just extra head height or sleeping?
Westfalia has pics here (The 'One' is at the top of the PDF only)http://www.vwcampersales.com/guides/westfalia/2018...
The problem with most campers in my view is that the fridge has the best view - out of the side door - when stopping on mountain roads etc. The Kepler One scores heavily by allowing you to sit at the table and look out of the big side door which is a rare feature in vans for some reason.
Also great to be able to use the loo while the bed is made up too: for those reasons it's the best layout I've seen.
Thanks for all the compliments and positive feedback, fellas.
One by one (and apologies if I miss anything)
- KT - we tried the Jules Verne on the Vito Chassis but felt way too cramped both in terms of head height (when roof was shut) and the lounging area was just a dinette really. The VW is 15cm longer than the Vito and that makes it a lot more useable IMO.
- oblio - she's half German. Living in Frankfurt for nearly a decade. Nice that we can sit there chatting away in English one minute and German the next. And for those times where you're tired - a complete mixture of both when the right word in one language doesn't Pop up immediately but does in the other. Sounds stupid but I have spent so much time in Germany, it was a big issue not having a relationship with someone who could speak German.
We're so very excited about picking it up.
In terms of layout, I think it really appealed to us exactly for the reasons given - that L-shape lounge (sort of) quite reminiscent of motorhomes (which we both like). The ability to look out of the door and to lounge - feet up of an evening. Also, the toilet was pretty much a "must" for young lady and also for me. It just makes it so much more practical for wild camping. Neither of us are fans of campsites nor slumming it!
I did look Long and hard at a California before buying my Hymer but just couldn't get it to stack up for me. I think the Kepler One fills the niche very well. Although I will know more once we've used it a few times.
Edging a step closer - girlfriend went to the Auto Amt this morning and did all the necessary paperwork. And then surprised me (and almost broke me
) with a picture of the number plate she chose for the van. Can't get it uploaded right now, but F for Frankfurt (which is needs to be anyway) - both our first Initials and then the date we first met (which happened to be in Frankfurt anyway, so works well). 
I tell you - I've never been in a relatioship like this before where someone is as sentimental as me!
So, that's insurance and registration now complete. Heard from the dealer that the roof insulation kit is arriving with them this week, so will be ready with the van on collection day (lord knows, we'll need it in Söll
). So all pretty much sorted now. Just need to schlepp the huge amount of stuff I've bought for the van over to Frankfurt on Tuesday morning and then we're ready to rock and roll on Thurs morning! 
One by one (and apologies if I miss anything)
- KT - we tried the Jules Verne on the Vito Chassis but felt way too cramped both in terms of head height (when roof was shut) and the lounging area was just a dinette really. The VW is 15cm longer than the Vito and that makes it a lot more useable IMO.
- oblio - she's half German. Living in Frankfurt for nearly a decade. Nice that we can sit there chatting away in English one minute and German the next. And for those times where you're tired - a complete mixture of both when the right word in one language doesn't Pop up immediately but does in the other. Sounds stupid but I have spent so much time in Germany, it was a big issue not having a relationship with someone who could speak German.
We're so very excited about picking it up.
In terms of layout, I think it really appealed to us exactly for the reasons given - that L-shape lounge (sort of) quite reminiscent of motorhomes (which we both like). The ability to look out of the door and to lounge - feet up of an evening. Also, the toilet was pretty much a "must" for young lady and also for me. It just makes it so much more practical for wild camping. Neither of us are fans of campsites nor slumming it!
I did look Long and hard at a California before buying my Hymer but just couldn't get it to stack up for me. I think the Kepler One fills the niche very well. Although I will know more once we've used it a few times.Edging a step closer - girlfriend went to the Auto Amt this morning and did all the necessary paperwork. And then surprised me (and almost broke me
) with a picture of the number plate she chose for the van. Can't get it uploaded right now, but F for Frankfurt (which is needs to be anyway) - both our first Initials and then the date we first met (which happened to be in Frankfurt anyway, so works well). I tell you - I've never been in a relatioship like this before where someone is as sentimental as me!
So, that's insurance and registration now complete. Heard from the dealer that the roof insulation kit is arriving with them this week, so will be ready with the van on collection day (lord knows, we'll need it in Söll
). So all pretty much sorted now. Just need to schlepp the huge amount of stuff I've bought for the van over to Frankfurt on Tuesday morning and then we're ready to rock and roll on Thurs morning! Edited by Spuffington on Wednesday 28th February 09:53
Hi Spuff,
Great stuff is happening for you now and I wish you all the very best for your future(s)
This van conversion looks excellent and what I would have chosen when I was looking, but it wasn’t,hey ho that’s life.
I also didn’t like the very cramped situation ofvthe VW California and the way it was fitted out for some serious cash.
So that was a no no and another thing at the time VW were buggering clients around last year with not taking orders as the greedy buggers were in the process of putting up their prices so wouldn’t take an order or give you a build date.
So again I prefaricated and pulled out of that and took my deposit back, not good for client VW relationship for one hell of a lot of customers.
Then I was speaking to a friend of mine in a German VW Dealership in Detmold who told me about the new Petrol Kombi that was being launched, so I got in really quick and ordered a new 204 Tsi dsg Kombi which I got back in Nov.
It goes in for conversion for a full width bed and rear kitchen, plus all the seats being covered in leather on the 1st April plus the roof conversion. 😎
Then we will be off again.
All the very best with your new van & look forward to hearing many more stories aboutit in the future.
We will be at the Dusseldorf Motorhome Show end of August, so may see you there ,as its the very best European show there is. 👍
Great stuff is happening for you now and I wish you all the very best for your future(s)
This van conversion looks excellent and what I would have chosen when I was looking, but it wasn’t,hey ho that’s life.
I also didn’t like the very cramped situation ofvthe VW California and the way it was fitted out for some serious cash.
So that was a no no and another thing at the time VW were buggering clients around last year with not taking orders as the greedy buggers were in the process of putting up their prices so wouldn’t take an order or give you a build date.
So again I prefaricated and pulled out of that and took my deposit back, not good for client VW relationship for one hell of a lot of customers.
Then I was speaking to a friend of mine in a German VW Dealership in Detmold who told me about the new Petrol Kombi that was being launched, so I got in really quick and ordered a new 204 Tsi dsg Kombi which I got back in Nov.
It goes in for conversion for a full width bed and rear kitchen, plus all the seats being covered in leather on the 1st April plus the roof conversion. 😎
Then we will be off again.
All the very best with your new van & look forward to hearing many more stories aboutit in the future.
We will be at the Dusseldorf Motorhome Show end of August, so may see you there ,as its the very best European show there is. 👍
So, Friday was the big day. A long one too. After picking up the hire car in Frankfurt (a petrol Ford SMax, which was surprisingly pleasant to drive, albeit difficult to judge its size and dimensions) on Thursday evening, the morning was started by packing it up at 06:30 with all the gear for the van and then setting route for Bad Urach - south east of Stuttgart. Typical for the morning, we picked up a lot of heavy traffic on the Autobahn and only just had enough time for a quick stop for coffee and Brötchen just north of Stuttgart and no chance for anything more than a 180kmh vMax in the SMax.
Having arrived at the motorhome dealer, we were met by the Salesman (first time we'd met, after having spent lots of time speaking on the phone and emailing) and introduced to the chap who was doing the handover. An old fella who was very pleasant, but incredibly relieved that he didn't have to do the handover in English with us! I must say, although I'm fluent in German, it's finance-based so motorhome-specific vocab was on occasion difficult to come by, but it went very smoothly and was exciting when our numberplate was fixed on and the vehicle was ours. We were somewhat disappointed that the vehicle hadn't been prepped in the fashion I would expect. Not polished, covered in dust from the workshop it had been sitting in and not even so much as having had the tyres dressed. I was pretty angry, but my girlfriend was more focused on the fact it was clearly brand new and presentation for her was less important - more than it was brand new inside and clean. So handover done, I was then thrust into action driving the van from the dealership to the nearest petrol station (only had 5litres in the tank - another annoyance) as my girlfriend was nervous driving the van down the mountain road.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Once filled up with diesel, I passed her the keys - intent that as her van she should be driving it and not me. Also convinced that it was important for her to get straight in and drive it rather than it become a big issue for her. Once ensconced behind the wheel, we drove in convoy for another hour to Ulm where the van was left for an hour to have the summer tyres and wheels whipped off and steelies with winter rubber (Pirelli Carrier Winters) fitted. The summer wheels are being stored at ATU in Ulm - need to work out whether we'll pick these up in a hire car or whether we'll try and arrange for them to be couriered back to a local ATU in Ulm.
Anyway, shortly before giving the hire car back, we unloaded the SMax and packed up the van. Challenge on this trip was not only it being the first trip (for either of us in such a small camper) but also trying to pack in all our ski-gear for a long weekend in the mountains. We managed, with a few bits strapped down around the table in the living area and snowboard (wrapped in blankets) and silver screens on the seats. From Ulm we set off for Söll - iPhone plugged into the Media headunit (operational Bluetooth media & satnav headunit) and rocked out a playlist we'd made specially for the occasion! My girlfriend found the van easy enough to drive. Still finding it a little daunting size-wise and worried about blind spots and maneuvering, but she hid her nervousness well and soon got into a groove with it - if not slightly heavy-footed!! She got the van up to 155kmh a few times!!
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
After just after 300km she handed over to me to drive the last 100km from München to Söll. Traffic was horrible around München (as usual) and the drive over the Austrian border at night showed up the woeful halogen headlights and focused my mind on trying at some point to pull together the 3k needed to get one of the aftermarket fitters to fit OEM LED & Xenon headunits at some point in the future. Headlights aside, the Transporter drives really well. Although it initially feels stiffly sprung, on the move it's got a very well judged ride and although it's only endowed with "just" 150bhp, it never feels lacking and the DSG gearbox always ensures you're in the right gear. Only potential issue is it sounds a bit rattly at times - not sure if it's a characteristic of the engine or if the timing chain is rattling. Will get it looked at at the running in service. To me, it feels like a Golf on stilts. To my girlfriend it feels like a massive bus! But then she's never driven anything bigger than a Golf, so it is a bit of an acclimatization thing.
Once we arrived at Söll, we made our way to Franzlhof – a hotel/guesthouse my girlfriend had stayed at last year, but this year they have a Campsite attached to the grounds, with electricity, gas hookup and quite superb facilities for washing, drying & storing ski gear and for us at least, so-called "Mietkabine" where you can rent a bathroom to yourself. This was brilliant as we had space to store bits and bobs from the van which we didn't need the entire time and we could wash & change in comfort as well as hang up our ski gear - keeping the van dry, clean and empty. For EUR 15 per night, we'd do it next time without even thinking.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
First night we unpacked the van, popped the roof, battled with the roof insulation kit a bit (velcros around the top of the canvas in the roof space and hangs), made the bed, pushed it away and then opened a bottle of champagne, cooked up some pasta and enjoyed reveling in the atmosphere of new "home" on wheels.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
It's such a brilliant space - with the passenger & drivers seats turned, the L-shape lounge enables you to look at eachother whilst both being able to use the table. Or, with a bit of playing with the footstool, we were both able to snuggle up on the sofa with our legs up on the L-shaped bank and the footstool.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Very cosy. Bedtime was super-easy too. Once you get used to climbing up on top of the toilet bench and swinging yourself around, bedtime worked well. The biggest challenge was for both of us to feel comfortable having a pee during the night with no walls around us!! Overnight on Friday night, it was minus-5degs outside. We didn't bother with any heating overnight but did have a heavyweight 13.5tog 100% down duvet on us, which made it very snug indeed. Just before getting up we leant over, turned the dial for the Webasto diesel heating and waited around 20mins for the van to get toasty before going "downstairs" and popping on the 2kW electric Kampa Diddy heater I had bought, which works really well. With that going, we turned off the Webasto. Once you're cooking, you really don't need either heater on and we even cracked open a window to vent the steam and keep the temperature comfy. Once out for the day snowboarding, we left the Kampa Diddy on 1kW setting and was lovely to come back to a toasty van. We used about EUR 6 of electricity over the 2 days.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
The same thing was pretty much then repeated over the next night. Cosy, comfy and good nights sleep had. It took us around an hour to pack away the van before setting off again on Sunday. Was great to pack it up, drive to another ski resort, park up at the bottom of the gondala and take boards and just get out on the Piste - changing back in the van afterwards before setting off on the drive back to München. I drove back to München - mostly busy motorway but with a large section of the centre of the city done too as there was an accident causing huge delays. The van was able to be threaded through the City with ease and although my girlfriend was pleased that I had done the journey, I have no doubt she'd have managed just fine. We managed to park the van in an underground carpark at our hotel for the night - girlfriend had to attend meetings there this morning. I got the 4:48am train back to Frankfurt this morning for work and she is now in the process of driving back.
So all in all, a busy but incredibly fun weekend. It was probably the biggest test for the van (and us) since it will rarely be deployed in the winter season full of ski gear..................well, actually, given what we now know about Mietkabine, maybe it will be! But normally the amount of stuff we will be taking with us will be drastically less. However, we survived four days of being in an enclosed space - never so much as a cross word or gripe - just loving being in eachothers' company and living the dream; the van delivering everything we'd hoped for and more. I'm in awe of how brilliant the Transporter is to drive. Yes, it's a commercial vehicle and a bit noisey, but the engine really is very good and cruising at 130-140kmh is very easy and once set on the cruise control, comfortable too. Over the 700km it has now been driven, it's averaged 7.1l/100km, which averages out to just shy of 40mpg. Incredible really - even more so when you think about the fact it's just being run in. That may well improve as it gets more miles on it. Although given how my girlfriend has a need for speed (and she was averaging 8.6l/100km - 32mpg) on the first 300km she did, we'll see!!
I'm just so pleased that she loves it as much as she does and very proud of how she took the bull by the horns not only in purchasing it (and thereby living life) but also in putting aside her nervousness driving it and getting on with it.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on Flickr
Having arrived at the motorhome dealer, we were met by the Salesman (first time we'd met, after having spent lots of time speaking on the phone and emailing) and introduced to the chap who was doing the handover. An old fella who was very pleasant, but incredibly relieved that he didn't have to do the handover in English with us! I must say, although I'm fluent in German, it's finance-based so motorhome-specific vocab was on occasion difficult to come by, but it went very smoothly and was exciting when our numberplate was fixed on and the vehicle was ours. We were somewhat disappointed that the vehicle hadn't been prepped in the fashion I would expect. Not polished, covered in dust from the workshop it had been sitting in and not even so much as having had the tyres dressed. I was pretty angry, but my girlfriend was more focused on the fact it was clearly brand new and presentation for her was less important - more than it was brand new inside and clean. So handover done, I was then thrust into action driving the van from the dealership to the nearest petrol station (only had 5litres in the tank - another annoyance) as my girlfriend was nervous driving the van down the mountain road.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrKepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrKepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrOnce filled up with diesel, I passed her the keys - intent that as her van she should be driving it and not me. Also convinced that it was important for her to get straight in and drive it rather than it become a big issue for her. Once ensconced behind the wheel, we drove in convoy for another hour to Ulm where the van was left for an hour to have the summer tyres and wheels whipped off and steelies with winter rubber (Pirelli Carrier Winters) fitted. The summer wheels are being stored at ATU in Ulm - need to work out whether we'll pick these up in a hire car or whether we'll try and arrange for them to be couriered back to a local ATU in Ulm.
Anyway, shortly before giving the hire car back, we unloaded the SMax and packed up the van. Challenge on this trip was not only it being the first trip (for either of us in such a small camper) but also trying to pack in all our ski-gear for a long weekend in the mountains. We managed, with a few bits strapped down around the table in the living area and snowboard (wrapped in blankets) and silver screens on the seats. From Ulm we set off for Söll - iPhone plugged into the Media headunit (operational Bluetooth media & satnav headunit) and rocked out a playlist we'd made specially for the occasion!
My girlfriend found the van easy enough to drive. Still finding it a little daunting size-wise and worried about blind spots and maneuvering, but she hid her nervousness well and soon got into a groove with it - if not slightly heavy-footed!! She got the van up to 155kmh a few times!! Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrKepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrAfter just after 300km she handed over to me to drive the last 100km from München to Söll. Traffic was horrible around München (as usual) and the drive over the Austrian border at night showed up the woeful halogen headlights and focused my mind on trying at some point to pull together the 3k needed to get one of the aftermarket fitters to fit OEM LED & Xenon headunits at some point in the future. Headlights aside, the Transporter drives really well. Although it initially feels stiffly sprung, on the move it's got a very well judged ride and although it's only endowed with "just" 150bhp, it never feels lacking and the DSG gearbox always ensures you're in the right gear. Only potential issue is it sounds a bit rattly at times - not sure if it's a characteristic of the engine or if the timing chain is rattling. Will get it looked at at the running in service. To me, it feels like a Golf on stilts. To my girlfriend it feels like a massive bus! But then she's never driven anything bigger than a Golf, so it is a bit of an acclimatization thing.
Once we arrived at Söll, we made our way to Franzlhof – a hotel/guesthouse my girlfriend had stayed at last year, but this year they have a Campsite attached to the grounds, with electricity, gas hookup and quite superb facilities for washing, drying & storing ski gear and for us at least, so-called "Mietkabine" where you can rent a bathroom to yourself. This was brilliant as we had space to store bits and bobs from the van which we didn't need the entire time and we could wash & change in comfort as well as hang up our ski gear - keeping the van dry, clean and empty. For EUR 15 per night, we'd do it next time without even thinking.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrKepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrFirst night we unpacked the van, popped the roof, battled with the roof insulation kit a bit (velcros around the top of the canvas in the roof space and hangs), made the bed, pushed it away and then opened a bottle of champagne, cooked up some pasta and enjoyed reveling in the atmosphere of new "home" on wheels.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrIt's such a brilliant space - with the passenger & drivers seats turned, the L-shape lounge enables you to look at eachother whilst both being able to use the table. Or, with a bit of playing with the footstool, we were both able to snuggle up on the sofa with our legs up on the L-shaped bank and the footstool.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrVery cosy. Bedtime was super-easy too. Once you get used to climbing up on top of the toilet bench and swinging yourself around, bedtime worked well. The biggest challenge was for both of us to feel comfortable having a pee during the night with no walls around us!!
Overnight on Friday night, it was minus-5degs outside. We didn't bother with any heating overnight but did have a heavyweight 13.5tog 100% down duvet on us, which made it very snug indeed. Just before getting up we leant over, turned the dial for the Webasto diesel heating and waited around 20mins for the van to get toasty before going "downstairs" and popping on the 2kW electric Kampa Diddy heater I had bought, which works really well. With that going, we turned off the Webasto. Once you're cooking, you really don't need either heater on and we even cracked open a window to vent the steam and keep the temperature comfy. Once out for the day snowboarding, we left the Kampa Diddy on 1kW setting and was lovely to come back to a toasty van. We used about EUR 6 of electricity over the 2 days.Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrKepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrKepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrThe same thing was pretty much then repeated over the next night. Cosy, comfy and good nights sleep had. It took us around an hour to pack away the van before setting off again on Sunday. Was great to pack it up, drive to another ski resort, park up at the bottom of the gondala and take boards and just get out on the Piste - changing back in the van afterwards before setting off on the drive back to München. I drove back to München - mostly busy motorway but with a large section of the centre of the city done too as there was an accident causing huge delays. The van was able to be threaded through the City with ease and although my girlfriend was pleased that I had done the journey, I have no doubt she'd have managed just fine. We managed to park the van in an underground carpark at our hotel for the night - girlfriend had to attend meetings there this morning. I got the 4:48am train back to Frankfurt this morning for work and she is now in the process of driving back.
So all in all, a busy but incredibly fun weekend. It was probably the biggest test for the van (and us) since it will rarely be deployed in the winter season full of ski gear..................well, actually, given what we now know about Mietkabine, maybe it will be! But normally the amount of stuff we will be taking with us will be drastically less. However, we survived four days of being in an enclosed space - never so much as a cross word or gripe - just loving being in eachothers' company and living the dream; the van delivering everything we'd hoped for and more. I'm in awe of how brilliant the Transporter is to drive. Yes, it's a commercial vehicle and a bit noisey, but the engine really is very good and cruising at 130-140kmh is very easy and once set on the cruise control, comfortable too. Over the 700km it has now been driven, it's averaged 7.1l/100km, which averages out to just shy of 40mpg. Incredible really - even more so when you think about the fact it's just being run in. That may well improve as it gets more miles on it. Although given how my girlfriend has a need for speed (and she was averaging 8.6l/100km - 32mpg) on the first 300km she did, we'll see!!
I'm just so pleased that she loves it as much as she does and very proud of how she took the bull by the horns not only in purchasing it (and thereby living life) but also in putting aside her nervousness driving it and getting on with it.
Kepler One by Duncan Gibson, on FlickrEdited by Spuffington on Monday 12th March 12:32
Edited by Spuffington on Monday 12th March 12:36
Edited by Spuffington on Wednesday 1st July 16:38
Gassing Station | Tents, Caravans & Motorhomes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff