Apr
11
VW T25 Camper – a Great Budget Buy
Filed Under RVs
The VW Vanagon (known as the T25 or T3 in Europe) was made between 1980 and 1990 and has never quite had the appeal of the bay window and split-screen VW campers. It does have more space though, and good examples can be found for much less than the earlier models. If you want your first camper and you’re budget is small, the VW T25 is a good model to go for.
You do need to look at a number of VW 25 campers before buying. Treat it as research. It’s an opportunity to become more knowledgeable and you can walk away from a big mistake.
Ask about the camper’s history and what it has been used for. A warning sign is if it’s been off the road for a while and amateur van to camper conversions can be poor quality hiding poor bodywork underneath.
Take your time and look round properly. Get up your ladder to look at the gutters and check the pop up top. It’s important to get a demonstration.
Look along the panels, any wavy bits or dips could be filler – check them out with your magnet. Most rust will start between the Vanagon body panels, can be serious and needs to be checked thoroughly.
Rear wheel arches, front steps and battery tray should be checked carefully. Look at the top of the fuel tank as this is where they rust!
Look at the tires. Are they all the same? Is the spare useable? Make sure the tires are proper van tires not ordinary car tires. Low profile tires can be car tires, not proper van tires.
Listen to the engine and check how it starts. Look for smoke from the exhaust and oil over the engine – not what you want. Fuel smells indicate a rusty tank? Check the mileage (which can be tricky) and what model of engine is fitted.
The engine should turn over at once, the starter motor shouldn’t struggle? They can be unreliable. The Vanagon had a range of engines. The early ones are air-cooled. They are low cost to replace, are usually reliable and easy to work on, but the smaller engines don’t have much pulling power. Later engines are water-cooled diesel and petrol.
Overall, the Vanagon is a reliable camper if you’re on a tight budget, with potential for restoration to your own designs. For a first budget camper, this is a good buy. They are all twenty years old or more, so it makes sense to do thoro checks and be prepared for a number of maintenance tasks.
