Hey, its been a while. We have been relocating from England to Australia. And turning seventy.
We have found a campervan fit out company we really like the look of, Achtung Campers in Geelong. (Yep, they are German)
The two possible base vehicles are the VW Crafter, which shares the running gear from the Mercedes Sprinter. The MWB model is between eighteen and nineteen feet long. And the Hyundai iLoad, a few inches under seventeen feet. The Crafter is a two litre diesel, and the Hyundai 2.5 litres.
The VW has a few advantages, although a bit more expensive, forcing us into a second hand one. It is about a foot longer inside, and the front passenger seat swivels to make the living area a bit more spacious. The Hyundai is big enough for our needs, but a bit more basic. A new Hyundai, reliable anyway, comes with a five year warranty.
in Europe VW do not have a great reputation for reliability. In particular the DSG gearbox gives a lot of trouble. Some versions of it are better than others apparently. We had one in a Skoda and had no trouble.
So, VW or Hyundai? This is not going to be a flash van, so we dont care what they look like or any surface stuff. It would be great to hear from people who have owned one or other of these vans, or looked into them for themselves.
Hyundai would by my choice over VW, Have not had an I Load but our experience with Hyundai SUV would convince me of the company's credentials for service. Son had VW from new had for 9 months too many problems he traded it in (for Toyota).
__________________
Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
I know its not either but , I had a ford transit 2.4 litre turbo diesel MWB normal height , towed a 25ft caravan half way across aust , didn't miss a beat , the only real problem I had in the 4 years we had it (for work ) was a split in the turbo hose . Plus it was roomier than the two you mention , still if you have your heart set on them I'd go with the hyundai , food for thought. Also I'm 5'10" and I could stand upright and clear the ceiling.
-- Edited by mezza56 on Monday 30th of April 2018 07:49:20 AM
ILoad without doubt! Tough, and reliable. 1st choice vehicle for tradies and light carriers for a good reason. Nation wide support to go with the 5 year warranty.
They have the diesel model where I do some part time work. It's their second ILoad. I've driven it a bit doing rural driving. It's a manual and drives well with plenty of punch. It would be nice to have cruise. [It's only available with the automatic models.] The aircon does the job. To my mind it's a no brainer, go the ILoad!!!!
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Monday 30th of April 2018 01:19:21 PM
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Monday 30th of April 2018 01:28:37 PM
I would avoid the VW and go for the Hyundai. I have a Hyundai I30, ten and a half years old (only done 85k km) and it is totally reliable. Good cars!
Roy.
I too have had neither but also have had experience with a Hyundai Getz as a town car. Basic, cheap but very honest & reliable over 4 years & <60,000km.
Not a patch on the current Mazda3 of course but that's another story.
I have been in the delivery/courier business for 25 years and had many different types of vans over the years. Last 2 have been Iloads and wouldn't have anything else now. Last one was a petrol and my current one (Dec 2015 model) is a diesel auto. Haven't had any trouble at all and would highly recommend. Just under 70,000 on the clock. Service every 15,000klm. Very comfortable to drive and very reliable. sliding doors on both sides which is very convenient for deliveries. Had choice of barn or taillift rear. Chose tail lift as it also gives cover when it rains....which it does a lot of in Collie WA in winter. Go for the diesel over the petrol model.
Hey thanks to my advisors. I will go for the Hyundai 2.5 diesel auto.
We will be seventy five at the end of the warranty, so it looks like a close run thing which will break down first, the truck or the driver.
Meantime i am advised to push hard, keep working, keep fit, drive fast, ignore warning signs, eat sparingly, take a nap in the early afternoon, and never give the bastards an inch.
I dont know about either really but I just ge a bit peeved when people bag VW we had a Jetta 2 l diesel 6 speed dsg best bloody car we ever owned heaps of power and under 5Lper 100 k never missed a beat in 7 years and 260,000 k and we are country people so a fair bit of gravel road work in that too , would have got another one but needed something a bit easier to get in and out of, swmbo wanted a Kia Sportage , guess what we got .
Woody
__________________
When the power of Love becomes greater than the love of power the World will see peace ! 24ft Trailblazer 5th wheeler n 05 Patrol ute and Black Series Dominator camper trailer ( for the rough stuff)
