possibly buying a traveliner...

[rory196]

Hi all,
Hope someone can help me out I currently drive a vw transporter t4 swb van that I use for work and I'm looking at getting something different as ive now got 2 kids and it'll be a bit of a struggle squeezing 2 baby seats up front with me, so I'm thinking a vito traveliner extra long or vito crewcab long wheel base. What are they like?? I know the older ones rust quite badly is there a year they were more rust proofed as I know my t4 is glavanised and solid. What are they like reliability wise? I'm thinking the traveliner so I could remove the back seats and use it for my work gear (decorator) but still have the second row to plonk the kids in. What engine power is best for mpg, driveability etc? Do they respond well to being mapped safely. Am I being crazy in wanting to get a vito and selling my t4 as ive had it 7 years pretty much problem free and am worried i'll get one and regret it!!
Thanks sorry for the long first post!

 

[clk320x]

Hi all,
Hope someone can help me out I currently drive a vw transporter t4 swb van that I use for work and I'm looking at getting something different as ive now got 2 kids and it'll be a bit of a struggle squeezing 2 baby seats up front with me, so I'm thinking a vito traveliner extra long or vito crewcab long wheel base. What are they like?? I know the older ones rust quite badly is there a year they were more rust proofed as I know my t4 is glavanised and solid. What are they like reliability wise? I'm thinking the traveliner so I could remove the back seats and use it for my work gear (decorator) but still have the second row to plonk the kids in. What engine power is best for mpg, driveability etc? Do they respond well to being mapped safely. Am I being crazy in wanting to get a vito and selling my t4 as ive had it 7 years pretty much problem free and am worried i'll get one and regret it!!
Thanks sorry for the long first post!

Welcome,

I’m sure someone more knowledgable will be here soon to advise as my Vito knowledge is rather limited.

What’s your budget?

Abs

 

[rory196]

Hi abs,
Up to 7k I reckon.

 

[Maco]

Hi mate, I had a 2008 109 CDI Extra long wheelbase. Absolute cracking van, it had just short of 190,000 miles on it when I sold it but it drove like new. Never had a bit of bother with it. Friend of mine worked for MB commercial & was apprentice of the year 2 years running so he knew abit about them. He had a older one that had 300k on it & said they would easily cover 400k +. So reliability isn’t a problem, I’m guessing for £7000 it won’t be that new because they hold there money really well. So shouldn’t have any new tech problems..

The 109 I had was absolutely rubbish on diesel though & it was always driven empty as I only use my van to take my motorbike out on a weekend. Roughly 100-120 miles per £20.

The van was mapped & it was a flying machine, mapped from 90bhp to roughly 130. Was mega quick for a van. I did remove the map to try improve MPG but it was actually poorer with it off.

I think after 2006 or maybe 2007 they came galvanised so with your budget rust shouldn’t be an issue.
My only advice would be to maybe try & buy the 111 or maybe a 113 model as they should be better on fuel. The 109 is more of a builders van to carry heavy loads, that’s why they have so much torque. Would get to 60/70 in no time, but would struggle past 80.

Just to throw a spanner into the works, I was at a van auction in haydock on Tuesday & a 2016 111CDI sold for £11,000 plus vat.

 

[rory196]

Hi Maco, thanks for taking the time to reply, some useful info there. yeah ive been looking at the 113's or even the sport ones, what are they like? Its going to be between a vito and t5 and I probably prefer the look of the vito if I'm honest, got to be long wheel base or extra long with a second row of seats.
That one at the auction went cheap was it a long wheel base? never bought anything at an auction before but a friend of mine gets his cars from there and seems to get some deals

 

[Maco]

Hi Rory,

Never drove a 113 but my father in law had an older 2004 111, excellent on fuel & the power was fantastic. That was also mapped, Would torque steer in every gear. I loved driving it to be honest.
Extra long had a cracking bit of space, I did a few house clearances in mine. Not sure what the newer T5’s are like but weren’t they known to be quite unreliable?

As for the auction van, yeah it was long wheel base. Only one side loading door not 2 but not sure if that would matter to you. All my vans come for the auctions, especially manheim Haydock or Shepshed. They have a sale on weekly with 100+ vans, most of them are Ex BT Fleet or Arval. Arval is the finance/lease company for most companies, think they are owned by BNP Paribas. The arval stuff is all very high quality, supposedly they only put vans with full service history into the auctions. Also with something like that Vito they just sold, it’s still under manufacture warranty.

 

[BTB 500]

There are 3 sizes of 639 Vito - Compact, Long and Extra Long. The Long is often wrongly described as LWB - it's not, it has the same wheelbase as the Compact and only the Extra Long is actually LWB. The Compact has no under-slung carrier for the spare wheel as there isn't enough space behind the back axle. The 109, 111 and 115 have the same engine mapped for different power outputs but avoid the 109 as it has a lower back axle ratio and hence the worst fuel economy of the three (despite having the least power). As mentioned early 639s weren't galvanised and should be avoided. You *should* be OK from about 55 plate onwards but check for 12 year bodywork warranty paperwork in with the service book as that confirms it's galvanised. The front wings are plastic (up to the last facelift before the new W447 Vito when they swapped to steel), so no rust problems there

One fundamental difference between the 639 Vito and VW Transporter is that the Merc is RWD and the VW FWD.

We have 3 kids and 8 dogs and have had a 6 seater Dualiner Long as a 'family car' for over 10 years now. Ours is the 120 though (3.0 V6) ... quick but thirsty Worth looking for the 'comfort seats' option as they are a lot better than the standard ones.

 

[Poppy Ann]

I have one of the extra long 115 series it gets what I consider to be good MPG even though it is always loaded as it carries my disability scooter in it all of the time with the extra length I can load it via a set of ramps I bolted to the floor which folds in half even with the scooter inside I still have 3 seats in the back I am still amazed at the torque it has it will pull great uphill in 4th gear without straining, this is a 04 year so one of the first of the new series 2 models, I cannot fault it for anything.