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2008 T5 vs 2017 T6

S

Stubbie

Messages
11
Vehicle
T5 SE 130
So I’m now the owner of 2 Calis a 2008 Summer Blue T5 with 93K and a Candy White 4 motion T6 with 21K .. I kept the T5 so I could compare .. I have had the T5 for many many years and it’s a reliable gorgeous little thing, suffice to say I'm very much attached to it, I did however need or rather want a 4 motion as I plan to do some winter snow boarding trips.. so in a nutshell I now have two vans .. but how do I feel these two manual gearbox campers compare ..?
Engine -
T5 - the 2.5 SE 130 is lovely, some say it’s underpowered, I disagree, it’s a camper and it cruises wonderfully and touch wood I have had zero mechanical issues .. it loves a motorway and if driven sensibly the miles per gallon is very good
T6 - the 2.0 Ocean 140 has a nicer gearbox and as a result is nicer to drive and with cruise control it’s a whole new level of licence protection for me .. it loves a motorway as well but the smoothness and bit of extra hp helps around town. I think it’s the same mileage per gallon as the SE
Body -
The t5 has stood the test of time, I have been lucky and had no issues with roof corrosion .. the body and interior are all still fantastic. It’s been built to last.
The t6 is too new to comment as to whether it’s been built to last, it certainly looks lovely, time will tell. I have however experienced issues already with what I hope is a roof hydraulic ram position sensor telling me the roof is open when it is in fact locked closed. I think it’s dampness related .. I will fix it.
Interior and camping equipment -
Well they both look the same apart from a more modern finish on the T6. The addition of windscreen blinds on the t6 is a big big bonus ... shame they forgot the side windows .. the tailgate rear blind on the T6 is however totally rubbish compared to the T5 .. the T5 is a true black out blind, the T6 blind lets light in around the edges and just doesn’t fit as well. The plastic trim in the T5 feels a little bit stronger and the trim around the driver and passenger seat definitely fits better on the T5. The upholstery in the T6 is nicer and more camper friendly and feels slightly better quality but will it last as long as the currently still perfect upholstery in the T5 .. ?
The only issues I have had with the T5 is that on one very very hot day the roof lowered unevenly but it fixed itself and has been fine ever since .. I need to insulate the roof piston covers! the only other minor gripe is the CCU is missing a couple of lines of pixels .. it works fine though.
The T6 roof intermittent position fault is a concern it has to be said, hopefully I just need to buy a wiring loom and cut the sensors off (ridiculous to need to buy a loom in order to get the sensors, but it might be the ccu or it might be something else .. hence the concern..
Anyway just my two penny worth.. what I have realised is that I still very much appreciate my beautiful summer blue SE 130 .. that said I’m looking forward to get up into the mountains in the T6 4 motion which will be having the bottom half sprayed cherry red.. I do love the look of the red and white t6 .. am I worried it will detract from its factory originality ? Hell no ! , it’s a van and it’s my van and I want a red and white van for snowboarding
 
So I’m now the owner of 2 Calis a 2008 Summer Blue T5 with 93K and a Candy White 4 motion T6 with 21K .. I kept the T5 so I could compare .. I have had the T5 for many many years and it’s a reliable gorgeous little thing, suffice to say I'm very much attached to it, I did however need or rather want a 4 motion as I plan to do some winter snow boarding trips.. so in a nutshell I now have two vans .. but how do I feel these two manual gearbox campers compare ..?
Engine -
T5 - the 2.5 SE 130 is lovely, some say it’s underpowered, I disagree, it’s a camper and it cruises wonderfully and touch wood I have had zero mechanical issues .. it loves a motorway and if driven sensibly the miles per gallon is very good
T6 - the 2.0 Ocean 140 has a nicer gearbox and as a result is nicer to drive and with cruise control it’s a whole new level of licence protection for me .. it loves a motorway as well but the smoothness and bit of extra hp helps around town. I think it’s the same mileage per gallon as the SE
Body -
The t5 has stood the test of time, I have been lucky and had no issues with roof corrosion .. the body and interior are all still fantastic. It’s been built to last.
The t6 is too new to comment as to whether it’s been built to last, it certainly looks lovely, time will tell. I have however experienced issues already with what I hope is a roof hydraulic ram position sensor telling me the roof is open when it is in fact locked closed. I think it’s dampness related .. I will fix it.
Interior and camping equipment -
Well they both look the same apart from a more modern finish on the T6. The addition of windscreen blinds on the t6 is a big big bonus ... shame they forgot the side windows .. the tailgate rear blind on the T6 is however totally rubbish compared to the T5 .. the T5 is a true black out blind, the T6 blind lets light in around the edges and just doesn’t fit as well. The plastic trim in the T5 feels a little bit stronger and the trim around the driver and passenger seat definitely fits better on the T5. The upholstery in the T6 is nicer and more camper friendly and feels slightly better quality but will it last as long as the currently still perfect upholstery in the T5 .. ?
The only issues I have had with the T5 is that on one very very hot day the roof lowered unevenly but it fixed itself and has been fine ever since .. I need to insulate the roof piston covers! the only other minor gripe is the CCU is missing a couple of lines of pixels .. it works fine though.
The T6 roof intermittent position fault is a concern it has to be said, hopefully I just need to buy a wiring loom and cut the sensors off (ridiculous to need to buy a loom in order to get the sensors, but it might be the ccu or it might be something else .. hence the concern..
Anyway just my two penny worth.. what I have realised is that I still very much appreciate my beautiful summer blue SE 130 .. that said I’m looking forward to get up into the mountains in the T6 4 motion which will be having the bottom half sprayed cherry red.. I do love the look of the red and white t6 .. am I worried it will detract from its factory originality ? Hell no ! , it’s a van and it’s my van and I want a red and white van for snowboarding
Good write-up.
I loved my T5 5 pot - lovely grunt.
if you search on here I believe you buy BMW 1 series convertible roof sensors which are the same at a fraction of the price. You might need to be handy on the diy electrics to fit them I’m unsure. Good luck in getting it sorted.
 
So I’m now the owner of 2 Calis a 2008 Summer Blue T5 with 93K and a Candy White 4 motion T6 with 21K .. I kept the T5 so I could compare .. I have had the T5 for many many years and it’s a reliable gorgeous little thing, suffice to say I'm very much attached to it, I did however need or rather want a 4 motion as I plan to do some winter snow boarding trips.. so in a nutshell I now have two vans .. but how do I feel these two manual gearbox campers compare ..?
Engine -
T5 - the 2.5 SE 130 is lovely, some say it’s underpowered, I disagree, it’s a camper and it cruises wonderfully and touch wood I have had zero mechanical issues .. it loves a motorway and if driven sensibly the miles per gallon is very good
T6 - the 2.0 Ocean 140 has a nicer gearbox and as a result is nicer to drive and with cruise control it’s a whole new level of licence protection for me .. it loves a motorway as well but the smoothness and bit of extra hp helps around town. I think it’s the same mileage per gallon as the SE
Body -
The t5 has stood the test of time, I have been lucky and had no issues with roof corrosion .. the body and interior are all still fantastic. It’s been built to last.
The t6 is too new to comment as to whether it’s been built to last, it certainly looks lovely, time will tell. I have however experienced issues already with what I hope is a roof hydraulic ram position sensor telling me the roof is open when it is in fact locked closed. I think it’s dampness related .. I will fix it.
Interior and camping equipment -
Well they both look the same apart from a more modern finish on the T6. The addition of windscreen blinds on the t6 is a big big bonus ... shame they forgot the side windows .. the tailgate rear blind on the T6 is however totally rubbish compared to the T5 .. the T5 is a true black out blind, the T6 blind lets light in around the edges and just doesn’t fit as well. The plastic trim in the T5 feels a little bit stronger and the trim around the driver and passenger seat definitely fits better on the T5. The upholstery in the T6 is nicer and more camper friendly and feels slightly better quality but will it last as long as the currently still perfect upholstery in the T5 .. ?
The only issues I have had with the T5 is that on one very very hot day the roof lowered unevenly but it fixed itself and has been fine ever since .. I need to insulate the roof piston covers! the only other minor gripe is the CCU is missing a couple of lines of pixels .. it works fine though.
The T6 roof intermittent position fault is a concern it has to be said, hopefully I just need to buy a wiring loom and cut the sensors off (ridiculous to need to buy a loom in order to get the sensors, but it might be the ccu or it might be something else .. hence the concern..
Anyway just my two penny worth.. what I have realised is that I still very much appreciate my beautiful summer blue SE 130 .. that said I’m looking forward to get up into the mountains in the T6 4 motion which will be having the bottom half sprayed cherry red.. I do love the look of the red and white t6 .. am I worried it will detract from its factory originality ? Hell no ! , it’s a van and it’s my van and I want a red and white van for snowboarding
You can try this on the T6?

For those of you who don't know, if you ever get any problems with roof stuck or any other error say with the heater or fridge, you are able to access the hidden menu in your control panel as used by the VW Engineers.
Access as follows:

1. Hold down the centre of the rotary button together with the menu button (button below with the squares on it)
2. You will get the hidden menu.
3. Rotate the rotary button to get to "VW diagnose" and select this by pressing on the centre of the rotary button.
4. If no errors are present it will display "no errors"
5. If Errors are present then a list of errors will appear
6. Press the centre of the rotary button again to delete all the errors
7. Repeat process above just to check that errors have dissapeared!
8. Re-configure the time and date if neccesary.

Any problems should be resolved assuming these are Electronic and not Mechanical.


Error Codes from Control Panel.


1 = 1 = Pop-up roof
2 = 2 = Plumbing Heating
3 = 3 = Cool box Cooler
4 = 4 = Sewage wastewater
5 = 5 = Fresh water
6 = 6 = Outside temperature
7 = 7 = Battery
Error Code Defect Fault
1010 1010 Short-circuit to (earth) roof
1001 1001 Fuse / short circuit to (plus+) roof
1100 1100 Short-circuit output Roof "on"
1101 1101 Fuse roof "to"
1110 1110 Short-circuit output Roof "to"
1111 1111 Fuse starting Roof "to"
2100 2100 Short-circuit output heating on / off
2101 2101 Fuse output heating on / off
2001 2001 Interrupt input heating 30
3100 3100 Short-circuit output coolbox
3101 3101 Fuse interrupt output coolbox
3001 3001-J698-cooler input error "Active"
3010 3010 Short-circuit input icebox "actual temperature"
3011 3011 Interrupt or fuse input icebox "actual temperature"
4000 4000 Short-circuit to ground water level sensor
4001 4001 Fuse circuit to plus water level sensor failure
5000 5000 Short-circuit to ground water level sensor
5001 5001 Short circuit to plus water level sensor failure
6000 6000 Short-circuit to ground temperature sensor or for outdoor temperature
6001 6001 Fuse / short circuit to plus two temperature sensors for outside temperature
7001 7001 interrupt input interrupt input D +
 
So I’m now the owner of 2 Calis a 2008 Summer Blue T5 with 93K and a Candy White 4 motion T6 with 21K .. I kept the T5 so I could compare .. I have had the T5 for many many years and it’s a reliable gorgeous little thing, suffice to say I'm very much attached to it, I did however need or rather want a 4 motion as I plan to do some winter snow boarding trips.. so in a nutshell I now have two vans .. but how do I feel these two manual gearbox campers compare ..?
Engine -
T5 - the 2.5 SE 130 is lovely, some say it’s underpowered, I disagree, it’s a camper and it cruises wonderfully and touch wood I have had zero mechanical issues .. it loves a motorway and if driven sensibly the miles per gallon is very good
T6 - the 2.0 Ocean 140 has a nicer gearbox and as a result is nicer to drive and with cruise control it’s a whole new level of licence protection for me .. it loves a motorway as well but the smoothness and bit of extra hp helps around town. I think it’s the same mileage per gallon as the SE
Body -
The t5 has stood the test of time, I have been lucky and had no issues with roof corrosion .. the body and interior are all still fantastic. It’s been built to last.
The t6 is too new to comment as to whether it’s been built to last, it certainly looks lovely, time will tell. I have however experienced issues already with what I hope is a roof hydraulic ram position sensor telling me the roof is open when it is in fact locked closed. I think it’s dampness related .. I will fix it.
Interior and camping equipment -
Well they both look the same apart from a more modern finish on the T6. The addition of windscreen blinds on the t6 is a big big bonus ... shame they forgot the side windows .. the tailgate rear blind on the T6 is however totally rubbish compared to the T5 .. the T5 is a true black out blind, the T6 blind lets light in around the edges and just doesn’t fit as well. The plastic trim in the T5 feels a little bit stronger and the trim around the driver and passenger seat definitely fits better on the T5. The upholstery in the T6 is nicer and more camper friendly and feels slightly better quality but will it last as long as the currently still perfect upholstery in the T5 .. ?
The only issues I have had with the T5 is that on one very very hot day the roof lowered unevenly but it fixed itself and has been fine ever since .. I need to insulate the roof piston covers! the only other minor gripe is the CCU is missing a couple of lines of pixels .. it works fine though.
The T6 roof intermittent position fault is a concern it has to be said, hopefully I just need to buy a wiring loom and cut the sensors off (ridiculous to need to buy a loom in order to get the sensors, but it might be the ccu or it might be something else .. hence the concern..
Anyway just my two penny worth.. what I have realised is that I still very much appreciate my beautiful summer blue SE 130 .. that said I’m looking forward to get up into the mountains in the T6 4 motion which will be having the bottom half sprayed cherry red.. I do love the look of the red and white t6 .. am I worried it will detract from its factory originality ? Hell no ! , it’s a van and it’s my van and I want a red and white van for snowboarding
Hello Stubbie,
Lovely write up.

It's interesting owning two different versions at the same time. We had a T5 SE 180 dsg 4motion and a T6 150 manual Beach for a short while. It gave us a unique opportunity to appraise their various strengths and weaknesses. Most owners don't get that advantage.

Why does it matter if painting the lower half would detract from the factory original? If it's what you want then go for it. If originality bothers you then why not use the factory red and ensure it's masked up in the same way as the factory duo colours. We now have a factory blue/white T6 and they do look stunning. :thumb
 
hopefully I just need to buy a wiring loom and cut the sensors off (ridiculous to need to buy a loom in order to get the sensors, but it might be the ccu or it might be something else .. hence the concern..
Look at #18 in this thread:

ELEVATING ROOF ISSUES, UPDATES​

 
You can try this on the T6?

For those of you who don't know, if you ever get any problems with roof stuck or any other error say with the heater or fridge, you are able to access the hidden menu in your control panel as used by the VW Engineers.
Access as follows:

1. Hold down the centre of the rotary button together with the menu button (button below with the squares on it)
2. You will get the hidden menu.
3. Rotate the rotary button to get to "VW diagnose" and select this by pressing on the centre of the rotary button.
4. If no errors are present it will display "no errors"
5. If Errors are present then a list of errors will appear
6. Press the centre of the rotary button again to delete all the errors
7. Repeat process above just to check that errors have dissapeared!
8. Re-configure the time and date if neccesary.

Any problems should be resolved assuming these are Electronic and not Mechanical.


Error Codes from Control Panel.


1 = 1 = Pop-up roof
2 = 2 = Plumbing Heating
3 = 3 = Cool box Cooler
4 = 4 = Sewage wastewater
5 = 5 = Fresh water
6 = 6 = Outside temperature
7 = 7 = Battery
Error Code Defect Fault
1010 1010 Short-circuit to (earth) roof
1001 1001 Fuse / short circuit to (plus+) roof
1100 1100 Short-circuit output Roof "on"
1101 1101 Fuse roof "to"
1110 1110 Short-circuit output Roof "to"
1111 1111 Fuse starting Roof "to"
2100 2100 Short-circuit output heating on / off
2101 2101 Fuse output heating on / off
2001 2001 Interrupt input heating 30
3100 3100 Short-circuit output coolbox
3101 3101 Fuse interrupt output coolbox
3001 3001-J698-cooler input error "Active"
3010 3010 Short-circuit input icebox "actual temperature"
3011 3011 Interrupt or fuse input icebox "actual temperature"
4000 4000 Short-circuit to ground water level sensor
4001 4001 Fuse circuit to plus water level sensor failure
5000 5000 Short-circuit to ground water level sensor
5001 5001 Short circuit to plus water level sensor failure
6000 6000 Short-circuit to ground temperature sensor or for outdoor temperature
6001 6001 Fuse / short circuit to plus two temperature sensors for outside temperature
7001 7001 interrupt input interrupt input D +
Hi WG. Does this work with T5.1 SE?
 
Good write-up.
I loved my T5 5 pot - lovely grunt.
if you search on here I believe you buy BMW 1 series convertible roof sensors which are the same at a fraction of the price. You might need to be handy on the diy electrics to fit them I’m unsure. Good luck in getting it sorted.
Oh that’s great news .. I searched through most threads on the roof issue but didn’t come across the BMW sensors .. I’ll have another look .. thanks

Hi WG. Does this work with T5.1 SE?
Hi WG. Does this work with T5.1 SE?
Thanks .. yes this is the post I used to check the codes. I get 1000 which I can reset. On the display I can see the roof icon open and closing when the roof is fully closed accompanied by beeping, I suspect that one of the sensors is failing intermittently or I have an intermittent wiring / dry joint / controller fault ... of course the fact I’m not getting a sensor fault means it might not be a sensor, I hope it’s not the loom as that looks a pig of a job
 
Oh that’s great news .. I searched through most threads on the roof issue but didn’t come across the BMW sensors .. I’ll have another look .. thanks



Thanks .. yes this is the post I used to check the codes. I get 1000 which I can reset. On the display I can see the roof icon open and closing when the roof is fully closed accompanied by beeping, I suspect that one of the sensors is failing intermittently or I have an intermittent wiring / dry joint / controller fault ... of course the fact I’m not getting a sensor fault means it might not be a sensor, I hope it’s not the loom as that looks a pig of a job
Check this thread.
 
Check this thread.
On it like a car bonnet ... or maybe like a Cali roof .. big thanks
 
Hello Stubbie,
Lovely write up.

It's interesting owning two different versions at the same time. We had a T5 SE 180 dsg 4motion and a T6 150 manual Beach for a short while. It gave us a unique opportunity to appraise their various strengths and weaknesses. Most owners don't get that advantage.

Why does it matter if painting the lower half would detract from the factory original? If it's what you want then go for it. If originality bothers you then why not use the factory red and ensure it's masked up in the same way as the factory duo colours. We now have a factory blue/white T6 and they do look stunning. :thumb
It’s being done exactly like the factory paint with the correct vw paint, thank heavens they did a relatively cheap job and didn’t spray inside the door shutters .. it keeps the price reasonable and means my can will be indistinguishable from a factory two tone.. I’ll do some before and after photos for the vans history folder ..I plan on keeping it for a few years / decades...
 
I've had a 2017 150hp DSG Cali and now am driving a 2006 130hp manual so was interested in your comparisons.
I have pondered starting a thread in which we document how the Cali has GOT WORSE over the years!
I start that list by saying the rear seat in the 5s is much softer than the newer models, and I don't think that's just through use or aging. I think the foam is softer, and therefore more comfortable to sleep on.
2nd is the loss of body protection mouldings/strips that were lost on the 5.1 - > 6 upgrade I think.
The complexity of the engines and emissions control has also become more worrying as the models advance, but we all understand why that's happened and the benefits that brings.

It seems we can add the effectiveness of the rear blind to the list. My 2006 is LHD so I've got the windscreen blinds that the UK had to wait 'til late 2015 for.

I think the early shape has worn very well, and the panels seem free of the rust that is an issue on many of the T4s I've owned and viewed.
I've only two almost invisible bubbles on the original roof paint, but I've seen some terrible roof paint on early T5s so we can't conclude much about the roof corrosion on earlier models.
 
Some things have improved and some haven't but in the end it's the same well proven campervan formula regardless of the model and year. They are all nice and the gradual development over the years has brought us many changes, mostly minor. However, IMO it would be wrong to blindly assume that every change on a newer model is an improvement.

There are many more "driver aids" these days. Some are obligatory some not. Either way they add extra levels of complexity. Whilst nice I wouldn't say that they are all necessary.

Here is a big piece of "pie in the sky". With the benefit of hindsight, if it were possible to go into a show room and chose between a brand new T4, T5, T5-1, T6 or T6-1 which would you choose? Yes I know is wouldn't be that simple as models have changed over the years and so have costs but given that the basic campervan formula hasn't changed that much, which would you prefer? I fully expect most people to say that they would prefer the latest model and that is the natural way of things. However, whilst probably choosing a near new, I can't help being very fond of the rugged no nonsense well built simplicity of the T4. We had a T4 lwb van which was probably one of the most reliable vehicles we have owned. Unfortunately they did rust if not looked after but other than that they were brilliant straight forward, uncomplicated bomb proof, work horses.
 
We’ve gone from a 2017 Ocean (Elmo) to a 2019 Ocean (Elmo2) to (accidentally) a 2009 LHD 2.5 130 Beach (Elmo3). The Oceans were nice, however, of all the vans, I think I’m enjoying Elmo3 the most. It offers essentially the same experience but brings none of the worry of a brand new Cali. I was always paranoid about where I parked it and left it etc. Now, I just go wherever I like with no concerns and free of stress! We’ve got a kitchen pod and fridge in Elmo3, so is basically a Coast. LHD is a doddle, plus I really like the ability to spin the passenger seat around in seconds without faffing around with the steering wheel and handbrake. Great for an impromptu cuppa etc. Manual roof is a big advantage as the van ages. The cabin materials feel much tougher and more durable than the T6. The whole van feels as though it will last as long as we want it to if well maintained. It could well be emissions that determine lifespan.
 
So I’m now the owner of 2 Calis a 2008 Summer Blue T5 with 93K and a Candy White 4 motion T6 with 21K .. I kept the T5 so I could compare .. I have had the T5 for many many years and it’s a reliable gorgeous little thing, suffice to say I'm very much attached to it, I did however need or rather want a 4 motion as I plan to do some winter snow boarding trips.. so in a nutshell I now have two vans .. but how do I feel these two manual gearbox campers compare ..?
Engine -
T5 - the 2.5 SE 130 is lovely, some say it’s underpowered, I disagree, it’s a camper and it cruises wonderfully and touch wood I have had zero mechanical issues .. it loves a motorway and if driven sensibly the miles per gallon is very good
T6 - the 2.0 Ocean 140 has a nicer gearbox and as a result is nicer to drive and with cruise control it’s a whole new level of licence protection for me .. it loves a motorway as well but the smoothness and bit of extra hp helps around town. I think it’s the same mileage per gallon as the SE
Body -
The t5 has stood the test of time, I have been lucky and had no issues with roof corrosion .. the body and interior are all still fantastic. It’s been built to last.
The t6 is too new to comment as to whether it’s been built to last, it certainly looks lovely, time will tell. I have however experienced issues already with what I hope is a roof hydraulic ram position sensor telling me the roof is open when it is in fact locked closed. I think it’s dampness related .. I will fix it.
Interior and camping equipment -
Well they both look the same apart from a more modern finish on the T6. The addition of windscreen blinds on the t6 is a big big bonus ... shame they forgot the side windows .. the tailgate rear blind on the T6 is however totally rubbish compared to the T5 .. the T5 is a true black out blind, the T6 blind lets light in around the edges and just doesn’t fit as well. The plastic trim in the T5 feels a little bit stronger and the trim around the driver and passenger seat definitely fits better on the T5. The upholstery in the T6 is nicer and more camper friendly and feels slightly better quality but will it last as long as the currently still perfect upholstery in the T5 .. ?
The only issues I have had with the T5 is that on one very very hot day the roof lowered unevenly but it fixed itself and has been fine ever since .. I need to insulate the roof piston covers! the only other minor gripe is the CCU is missing a couple of lines of pixels .. it works fine though.
The T6 roof intermittent position fault is a concern it has to be said, hopefully I just need to buy a wiring loom and cut the sensors off (ridiculous to need to buy a loom in order to get the sensors, but it might be the ccu or it might be something else .. hence the concern..
Anyway just my two penny worth.. what I have realised is that I still very much appreciate my beautiful summer blue SE 130 .. that said I’m looking forward to get up into the mountains in the T6 4 motion which will be having the bottom half sprayed cherry red.. I do love the look of the red and white t6 .. am I worried it will detract from its factory originality ? Hell no ! , it’s a van and it’s my van and I want a red and white van for snowboarding
I was almost the owner of both a 2008 T5 and a 2019 T6 when the new one was delivered. Looked fantastic with both outside the house! The T5 has been brilliant and I was sorry to see it go though it is much loved by its new owner. The T6 is still building memories - especially as I've liost a year due to covid.
 
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