Craikeybaby's VW T5 Bike Van

[Auslander]

Had a quick scan, but couldn't see if you'd solved the Ecofuel question - it was a badged used on EU market bi-fuel CNG vans. No idea why it would be on a UK van, though!

[Craikeybaby]

No, I haven't. Nor have I bothered to do anything about the badge. It should have a "Highline" badge, but I'm leaving the "Ecofuel" one on, as I am lazy, and it is a bit different.

Although, the garage did say that they thought the fuel tank had been removed previously...

[jock mcsporran]

I just had to do the rear passenger side ABS sensor on mine. Seized solid, needed drills and punches to get it out. All good now though.
Still got some carpeting to do and a couple of small jobs for the MOT next month. Debating a pop top for track days a bit further afield and the odd camping day.

[Craikeybaby]

I think I'm glad I took it to the garage for the ABS sensor!

I am planing on getting mine carpeted in the back next year.

[Craikeybaby]

Had the same starting issue again this evening, but managed to get it started eventually. Then it started the first time after being left for 45 minutes.

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Craikeybaby said:

I think I'm glad I took it to the garage for the ABS sensor!

I am planing on getting mine carpeted in the back next year.

ABS sensors on T5s seem to be proper consumables - done 2 or 3 on the rear of mine in the last few years and yes, they're a pain to do.

They will fall to bits when you start picking at them and I've found the best way is to very carefully push them up from the bottom using a flat head screwdriver. Makes it a bit easier. And add a blob of grease when you fit the new one.

[Craikeybaby]

MOT day today, and the van failed at the first hurdle - it wouldn’t start to even drive to the garage.

I have tried the flicking the ignition on and off again trick that worked the last few times that this issue happened, but no luck.

[Craikeybaby]

It lives! It just needed cranked past when the oil pressure warning light came on the dashboard.

Now I can take it for the MOT, and will get the Transporter specialist to have another look at the starting issue when they have it in for service and a few other jobs in the spring. Although given it has only happened 3 times in 3 months I am not holding my breath that they will be able to replicate/find the issue.

[Craikeybaby]

MOT passed!

Although I think there must be an issue with the odometer, as I must have done more than 4,000 miles since the last test!

[Craikeybaby]

I have had the van for 3 years now - time has flown by! I haven't got bored of it, in fact, I cannot imagine not having a van, it just fits our lives perfectly.

Shamefully, I have just looked back at the list of jobs on my first post and some are still outstanding:

• [-]Sort out the Bluetooth media player - I test these things for a living and the VW one has me stumped, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't and other times the option isn't even shown on the headunit (phone is shown as connected, including media player on the cluster display).
• Sort out what can be displayed in the cluster display, as temperature/range are displayed, but only with warning messages, the rest of the time it is phone information.[/-]
• Buy/build some under seat storage for the twin seat in the back. - Currently the camping chairs are just stuffed under there
• Touch in a few stone chips/small scratches. - Unfortunately it has managed to accrue more scratches, and is in real need of a trip to the bodyshop
• Correct the number of seats on the V5 - it says 6, but it is a 5 seater. I'm guessing it was most likely an admin error at the dealer that originally registered it (coincidentally my local VW dealer). - Still not done, as the DVLA had big backlogs in 2020, and I haven't got round to it since. The dealer did confirm that it was 100% a 5 seater from the factory though.
• Floor mats for the front, I'm thinking rubber will be a better bet than carpet as I am using it for mountain biking. - The standard floor is pretty good, hardwaring and easy to clean, so do not see any need for mats
• Possibly fit a ground anchor in the boot to secure my bikes. - Still looking for a decent option for this.

I think I bought at the right time, as prices rocketed in 2020, and do not seem to have come down. The only bad things have been a dead wheel speed sensor, the battery dying and an annoyingly intermittent starting issue, that only happens about once a month.

My plan had been to run it for a year, to make sure that we got on with it, then get the rear insulated/carpeted to make it a bit nicer for the boys in the back seats, but with Covid etc, that has not happened yet. However, that is the plan for this spring. I want to try and make the rear a bit more useful, with some cargo nets etc and maybe storage compartments over the wheel arches. I am still undecided if I want to continue just chucking the bikes in diagonally and bungeeing them to the rear seat headrests, or if I am going to get one of those fancy fork mount systems.

We have got a couple of trips away planned for the summer:

• Cruise to the Prom - a VW show in Weston-Super-Mare, mostly as an excuse to get down to the seaside for the day, but also motivation for me to get the van looking good.
• A road trip to the Lake District, the Scottish Borders (for mountain biking) and somewhere else on the east coast on the way home.

However I am sure there will be many more bike trips throughout the year - there have been 3 in the last week, including a trip to Llandgela in North Wales with my 6 year old son. On the way up to Wales we collected a Debus awning, which I bought on Facebook Market place - I had been looking out for one secondhand for a while, as did not really want to pay over £100 for a new one. I missed a few on eBay at £60, but managed to snag this one for £30! It is black, which isn't my preferred colour, but at that price beggars can't be choosers.


I had some free time today, so decided to do a few little jobs on the van. The one upgrade I had made was to fit brighter headlights and DRLs, prompted by one of the DRLs failing. However, this left me with very white headlights/DRLs, but yellow fog lights:

Before foglight upgrade by Lewis Craik, on Flickr

Unfortunately the photos don't really show the differences:

After foglight upgrade by Lewis Craik, on Flickr

It started off as an easy job, but when I took off the first foglight unit I noticed that one of the three brackets was broken, it didn't seem to have caused an issue before, so rather than replacing the unit I just superglued it back together, which seemed to do the job. There is another crack in the casing, but it doesn't seem to be causing an issue, so just left it.



I also treated the van to a quick wash, as it had been quite a while since the last one and it was looking more grey than blue. It doesn't look like my phone saved the "mandatory" snow foam shot, so maybe that is what angered the detailing gods and made it hail briefly whilst I was drying it off.

[jock mcsporran]

For the bike rack, the picture I posted on here last year is a Forty Winks Triple Station. Managed to get three bikes fork mounted plus all the luggage and five people.
It just screws in to the threaded holes for the rear tie down points.

https://www.fortywinksuk.com/internal-bike-rack

[Craikeybaby]

jock mcsporran said:

For the bike rack, the picture I posted on here last year is a Forty Winks Triple Station. Managed to get three bikes fork mounted plus all the luggage and five people.
It just screws in to the threaded holes for the rear tie down points.

https://www.fortywinksuk.com/internal-bike-rack

Was that in a LWB or SWB van?

[Craikeybaby]

When posting the photos with the fog lights a few weeks back I noticed that the number plate bolts looked a bit scruffy - so I ordered some new ones, and enlisted my apprentice to fit them:


Looks much better I think:

[jock mcsporran]

Craikeybaby said:

jock mcsporran said:

For the bike rack, the picture I posted on here last year is a Forty Winks Triple Station. Managed to get three bikes fork mounted plus all the luggage and five people.
It just screws in to the threaded holes for the rear tie down points.

https://www.fortywinksuk.com/internal-bike-rack

Was that in a LWB or SWB van?

SWB van. They have to be lined up at an angle across the back but had a couple of Whytes plus my missus gravel bike in there along with her paddle board, suitcases, etc.

[Craikeybaby]

Thanks, I thought that they may have to go at an angle in a SWB van - I was planning to try it without front wheels next time I have the bikes in the van.

[DaveyBoyWonder]

I've recently bought a Forty Winks bike station for my T5. Good bit of kit... My Orange Five won't go straight in though unless I tilt the single rear seat forward.

[Craikeybaby]

Thanks, what size Five out of interest? I'm on a medium Four

LRCX3328 by Lewis Craik, on Flickr

[Bobupndown]

Quite like these but don't really have a need to justify running one. I tow a big caravan so the fourwheeldriveyness of my Freelander 2 is ideal. They are just too small as a camper to provide the luxury we're used to in the caravan. They are a nice van and a pleasant drive too though.

[Craikeybaby]

I can only justify running mine because most weekends I’m driving somewhere to ride bikes.

[Craikeybaby]

I just went to check the oil on the van and cannot get the bonnet open, the lever in the cab released the bonnet, but the secondary latch will not release. Will have to add it onto the long list of jobs I sent to the Transporter specialist earlier in the week.