NEW VW T5 Campervan for Sea Kayaking & Cycling - Long Term

The day I collected Nelly in Nov 2008
We bought our T5 Campervan in 2008 from Jerba Campervans, a family company based in North Berwick.  Because she's big and grey, not unlike an elephant, we christened her "Nelly".

My first story on her use as a sea kayaking vehicle has been among the most popular on my blog.

Last month I updated the original entry with some long-term thoughts, but this is more comprehensive, including tips and tricks we've learnt in the last few years.  It also takes in cycling as well as paddling.


Just as with backpacking, choosing a campervan involves a trade off between comfort during the day and comfort during the night.

Day time living
A lightly packed rucksack which is easy to carry is equivalent to a small van that's easy to drive.

A heavy rucksack, like a big campervan, may be cumbersome during the day but it can carry far more creature comforts to give you a cozy time once you reach camp.

We are definitely on the lightweight side of this equation.

We don't want a satellite TV, a shower or even a toilet.  (Since you ask, a wide mouth tub and a roll of biodegradable bin bags plus hand sanitiser - not elegant but effective).

We manage just fine with our T5, although we are pleased we bought the long wheelbase.

Night time - a  BIG comfy bed
It costs more on the CalMac ferries, but that extra 40cm makes a huge difference when you're on a French campsite, or even Scottish sea shore, for a few days.

Our sea kayaks are carried on a KariTek rack.

Although we've had a couple of problems, one of which necessitated a trip to their Ayreshire base to fix, we've been happy with the way it has worked and with the service from Geoff and Anne.

The roof bars stay on Nelly for most of the year and I remove the 'cradle' that slides along them when we're not paddling.  On longer journeys without kayaks the roof bars come off too.  It's all very simple to do.


By contrast, once the Fiamma Carry Bike  carrier was fitted, it stays fitted!  Having read that it was a devil to fit, I bought it from Jerba who agreed to fit it for no extra cost.

It's the two-bike version (expandable to 4) and carries its load well above the rear lights.

I prefer the Fiamma rack because it has two legs that sit above the rear bumper and take some of the weight, whereas VWs own rack puts all the weight on the top and sides of the rear door.

The rack makes the door heavier and, in cold low-pressure weather, the gas struts don't have enough strength to hold the rear door up and open.

With the bikes fitted, you can still open the rear door (to turn on the gas for example) but it's much heavier.  (A different Simon has provided a solution with this - see the comments below).  Also the bikes collide with any kayaks on the roof.

On longer journeys we carry our expensive Specialized carbon frame road bikes inside the van.  Partly that's for security, but mainly it's to improve fuel consumption.

When on the rear carrier, some of the bike is exposed to the air flow, creating drag.  It's probably not great for the bikes either.

The extra straps aren't on in this shot
With this in mind, and to keep them clean, we always cover them with a Fiamma Bike Cover  and add a big red-and-white Plastic Signal Board, a legal requirement in many countries.

The cover has two long bungee cords running through the hem, and while it's slightly tricky to fit, it can be done by one person.

It flaps around so much in the wind, our first version ripped itself apart, the bungees pulling out from the hem into which they were sewn.

The (free) replacement I reinforced with tape at stress points and when I cover the bikes I add additional straps to cinch it all down tight (not in the photo).  I also lock the bikes to the carrier.

To the casual observer, or opportunist thief, we look like any other campervan carrying a couple of bikes on which we can potter around the nearest town.

Initially we bought a free-standing awning (as you can read in Pt1). It's takes up a lot of space, but it's essential if more than two people intend to camp.  It's also useful for reserving your place on campsites without clearly defined pitches when you drive somewhere for the day.  We discovered we didn't use the awning so we sold it on eBay.

Extra guys divert rain during rain storms
After two trips to France and Italy, we learnt it's essential to be able to create shade outside the van.

We looked at roll-out awnings, but these all seemed rather flimsy and might have interfered with our pop-up roof.  

So Liz made our own awning with some heavy-duty waterproof fabric from Pennine Outdoor, and I bought some telescopic poles and guy lines.  

Our 'porch' fixes to the roof using the channel that was fitted to attach the old awning.

Not only does this provide shade when we're trying to escape from the sun, it also provides shelter when the heavens open.  It's very useful to be able to leave the side door open and not have the rain come bouncing in.

A table, large and high enough to eat from, and two chairs are also very useful for extended trips to warm places. 

We were in the French Pyrenees for roughly five weeks in 2012, using Nelly as a base from which to cycle some of the Classic Cols of the Tour de France.  

We only felt settled on a campsite once the awning was up and the table and chairs were out.

For Scottish use, Liz bought some midge netting (smaller weave than mosquito netting) and sewed some flexible magnetic strips into the hem.  

These allow us to have both side windows open and remain midge-proof.  

A large midge-proof curtain can be clipped to the side door so we can keep this open too in very hot weather.

The pop-up roof is absolutely essential when using the van for any longer than a couple of days.  Not only do you have the space to move around, you can configure the side and front panels to get air-flow through the van.  Jerba automatically replace the mosquito netting in the side panels with midge netting.

Nelly getting 4 new tyres
Initially we had serious problems carrying sea kayaks on this pop-up roof (it collapsed!) but Simon Poole at Jerba did a superb job of liaising with Remo, securing us a brand new reinforced roof.  

In all honesty, I would not buy a pop-up roof to carry sea kayaks without speaking first to Simon because, perhaps inadvertently, he has made himself the UK expert on this!

A full set of Michelin tyres lasted 24,000 miles which I thought was very good.  Their replacements cost £502 +VAT, which is not so good.

I could have bought cheaper, but there have been many times on wet mountain roads I gave thanks for buying good tyres.

So, a few final quick tips...

* A short, elastic clothes line, stretched between two points inside the front of the van, is great for drying clothes overnight when there's a risk of dew outside.

* A cigarette lighter-style power point fitted near the rear of the vehicle allows you to charge your phone overnight and still keep it close enough to use as an alarm clock.

* For single overnights, carry the right amount of water in a plastic container, not the van's belly tank because you'll probably fill it with more than you need, carrying extra weight and cutting your fuel consumption.

Niggles?  

* The rear parking sensors failed after a year or so, and my local garage tells me this happens when water gets in.  When they dry out in the summer heat, they start working again.

* The drain point for the water tank sticks down under the van and I snapped it off driving on a rough farm track - Simon sent me a replacement.  

* Otherwise there have been very, very few long term issues.

Nelly is definitely part of our family.