RSS FeedsThe VW T25 - What’s so good about it?
The Good:They’re great to drive, comfortable and easy to park even without power steering.…and the bad? Once they start to rust it’s hard to stop them - seams are always where they go first and the engines can be under-powered.
Why buy a VW T25?
VW users are always friendly, parts are easy to buy and cheap and as long as you look after yours, you won’t be selling it for much less than you bought it for.The VWT25 has not had the draw of the splittie and bay window camper, wit its angular 80’s styling, but it is highly practical and generally reliable.
The VW T25 is huge, considering the measurements. They’re also cheap. If you look at the other campervans, of a similar year, mileage and size, you’ll be spending thousands more! But why should you? Spares are easy to get, although up-grades are very expensive. So make sure if you want power steering and electric windows you buy a camper with the extras fitted, don’t try to find someone who’ll fit them for you, as you’ll be in for a large bill.
As with all VW campers, there are loads of different conversions available. You might find LHD is cheaper, sometimes not.
One good example is the Holdsworth conversion, which is well built and functional. They were mainly 1900 cc petrol engine, 57KW, so there’s plenty of power; it’s got enough and can surprisingly pull off quickly. The downside is it also uses a fair amount of fuel. 22-30mpg. But considering the age of the VW T25 this isn’t bad.
One thing VW T25 owners are agreed on: once you buy a decent T25 you won’t look back.
What to pay?
£7K + Expect there to be no rust (check the seams carefully), low mileage, plus an engine upgrade, and/or conversion to LPG. It’s likely to be a good quality conversion too.
£4k+ In this price range, you’ll probably see a small amount of rust around the wheel arches and some on the seams, with mid range mileage. Look at the history to see what conversion it is.
£2k+ Be careful! T25’s at this price are likely to have high mileage, there can also be engine leaks and rust. If you’ve checked it thoroughly, buy it, but it could be sensible to get it checked over professionally too. Check its history as well - it may not be a proper camper conversion and you could be getting a dubious diy job.
The pic above is taken from an ad to give yu an idea of a low cost VWT25:
VW T25 Hightop Camper 1985
1900cc petrol,watercooled engine
4 berth reimo conversion
fully fitted camper twin gas hob
fridge freezer,sink ,12v lighting
electric hook up,plenty storage
very good condition inside and out
colour is blue with white high top
nine months mot + tax
very good runner,no leaks
five speed gear box pulls very well
Note - no mention of mileage, the owner knows what people are checking for: no leaks. If you’re on a limited budget, a VWT25 like this could be worth checking out.