T6 or T6.1 - Am I being thick??

[Richard Percival]

Great list thanks.

What is the easy workaround for max charging on a T6?

interestingly my T6 has some sort of reclining feature on the lower bed. however have not used it as we sleep upstairs

 

[subthree]

Many thanks.

That's what I'd hoped for. I was alittle confused but it all makes sense now. My local VW dealer has 3 Oceans for sale. 2 in Ascot Grey (70 & 21 Reg) 150ps and a dark grey 21 Reg with 201ps all betwen 61 - 65k so in area I want to be

All of those vehicles will be 6.1s. My 6.1 was made in Dec 2019 but, due to covid, we were unable to collect it until July 2020. It sat in Germany for months!

Good luck, I am sure any of them would be a great van.

 

[WelshGas]

Great list thanks.

What is the easy workaround for max charging on a T6?

interestingly my T6 has some sort of reclining feature on the lower bed. however have not used it as we sleep upstairs

Switch on one of the heated seats on low or dipped headlights. Alternator is then switched to maximum output.

 

[CamperFam]

My late T6 has the split top worktop and LED headlights. DSG with paddles.

Yup - that (and the roof bellows w/ panoramic opening) was a MY19 change

 

[Do we or don't we]

spot the 6.1 owner in that list who doesn't quite know what their talking about. dimmable lights on T6 by holding the switch(and they are so much simpler to turn on/off without faffing in touch screen menus ,split sink top on late T6 (which you're after). leaky bellows 'potentially' is an understatement unless sprayed with nikwax, alluminium roof on 6.1,they have always all been alluminium. control knob breaks on panel,maybe if you catch it yes,mine never has,even so an easy fix,unlike trying to fix a 6.1 touch screen that keeps freezing up. probably some other errors there too ,ignore that very biased list and get whats right for your budget. i'd be looking at price and mileage with good service history on both models.
good luck
ignore that list

Was it really necessary to word this reply in this way? I think yossarian's opening statement "Not necessarily 100% accurate as I've only ever had a T6.1 and not exhaustive" was pretty clear he was not suggesting he was an expert and he was just trying to offer some help to a fellow poster. As my mum says "good manners cost nothing".

 

[flying banana]

Was it really necessary to word this reply in this way? I think yossarian's opening statement "Not necessarily 100% accurate as I've only ever had a T6.1 and not exhaustive" was pretty clear he was not suggesting he was an expert and he was just trying to offer some help to a fellow poster. As my mum says "good manners cost nothing".

Here we go. Here's Mr too sensitive. I also help the poster. When im spending 60 70 large I expect some straight talking

 

[calibusje]

Great list thanks.

What is the easy workaround for max charging on a T6?

interestingly my T6 has some sort of reclining feature on the lower bed. however have not used it as we sleep upstairs

The max charging function is a very good feature on the t6.1 (also thanks to the completely different electronic 'harness' that the t6.1 has compared to all previous ones; apparently not many realize this: the t6.1 is electronically a completely different vehicle than the previous one, including the T6). The Max charging function is there because measures have been taken to achieve the emission standards, such as the alternator that only works when necessary and no more than that, which means that the batteries - none of them - are fully charged when driving. The T6 also has such interventions, but no Max charging function. You can imitate this by, for example, turning on the seat heating or dipped headlights on because then the alternator will continue to charge.

 

[Kayleigh]

Sport mode disappeared at some point during T6.1 production!

 

[Goldi]

Hi All.

I might be having a senior moment but can you explain the difference betwen a T6 and a T6.1 please.

Am I right in thinking the T6.1 came in around end of 2019 and is actually the current model? For some reason I had in my head there was something between 2019 and 2021......... I know there were issues with the bellows from about 2021 but is that all?

Sorry if it's covered elsewhere as I'm weighing up whether to go for a late T6 or and early (70, 20 or 21 plate) T6.1......

I bought a new coast 6.1 & sold it back to the dealer for 1.3K less than I paid for it 4 months later. I simply could not get used to having nowhere to put my left foot. Really annoying and uncomfortable. I did a 50mile round trip on a Friday afternoon & spent the whole weekend hobbling around with a pain in my left knee. 4 months later, I found & bought an immaculate late 2019 T6 Ocean with 7K miles on the clock. Acapulco Blue with the lovely comfort dash board, which, compared with the naff scratchy grey plastic & no storage spaces on the 6.1 is like chalk & cheese. I have no corrosion problems in the roof. Ime careful with the knob on the Camper control unit which works fine. The DSG gearbox has 'S', presumably Sports selection on the gearshift as well as D plus paddleshifts on the steering. The bellows fold in perfectly every time. They havent had a soaking so I cant tell yet if they leak but would apply waterproofing if they did.

I suspect all these problems people have with leaky bellows is down to waterproofing the canvas. Correct me if I am wrong but canvas tents always leaked if they were not kept waterproofed. Possibly VW did not apply waterproofing thoroughly to all Calis so some leaked. Maybe they didnt even think it was their job. I love my T6 Ocean.

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Sport mode disappeared at some point during T6.1 production!

So, if you want to enter the VW California racing series then buy a T6?

Buttons on inherently non-sports vehicles always seem odd to me.

 

[CamperFam]

So, if you want to enter the VW California racing series then buy a T6?

Buttons on inherently non-sports vehicles always seem odd to me.

Sport mode dropped with the MY21 changes.

 

[WelshGas]

So, if you want to enter the VW California racing series then buy a T6?

Buttons on inherently non-sports vehicles always seem odd to me.

Very handy in hilly countryside. It just holds the revs for longer in each gear on the way up and on the way down.

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Very handy in hilly countryside. It just holds the revs for longer in each gear on the way up and on the way down.

Never had it in a California so I guess it might be useful. I did have it on a different VAG Car and found it pointless. I think I used the paddle shifters once and then never again.

 

[stephen watson]

Switch on one of the heated seats on low or dipped headlights. Alternator is then switched to maximum output.

Is there a work around without switching on the heated seats (for summer?). Also please is there a way of telling if the alternator is charging or not? I've noticed if charging a phone from the front dash it often seems to disable stop/start so was wondering if this is also a workaround? Thank you.

 

[Mehdime]

Brilliant list. Another point to add to the T6.1 is the automatic breaking when the van detects that you’re going to crash into something. Already saved me a couple of times when parking and not realising I was about to reverse into something.

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

Brilliant list. Another point to add to the T6.1 is the automatic breaking when the van detects that you’re going to crash into something. Already saved me a couple of times when parking and not realising I was about to reverse into something.

Pretty sure that's a legal requirement on all cars since 2022, quite a lot of manufacturers started a few years before then.

 

[Mehdime]

Pretty sure that's a legal requirement on all cars since 2022, quite a lot of manufacturers started a few years before then.

It is indeed but the T6 doesn’t have it.

 

[RedWhiteMonkey]

It is indeed but the T6 doesn’t have it.

Yes, because it was sold before 2022 and developed well before then.

 

[calibusje]

Sport mode gone on t6.1; for those who want to know and need it: There are still settings for this in the car menu and it makes some difference, especially in revs and shifting gears from the DSG. And the consumption.

 

[Californication69]

Very handy in hilly countryside. It just holds the revs for longer in each gear on the way up and on the way down.

I find blipping the accelerator twice and flooring it does the same thing.
And bonus my arm doesn’t need to move off armrest

 

[TripleBee]

I think it is up to personal preference.

For me, there is no point in changing to a newer model, as the base vehicle is still the 2003 Transporter. And the added extra's and minor changes don't mean a thing to me.
I will keep my T5.1 for as long as possible, as long as there is no real change that would make a big benefit for me.

So changing from a T6 to a T6.1 is only a matter of personal preferences.

 

[Georgeo]

Not necessarily 100% accurate as I've only ever had a T6.1 and not exhaustive.

	T6.1	T6
Control panel	Colour LCD	B/W LCD. Knob breaks.
Waterpump run dry protection	Y	N
Selectable charge level	Y	N but easy workaround
Comfort Dash	N	Y
Power management	Battery monitor on all three batteries	Single shunt for both leisure batteries. Can fail and does not tell you if the cube fuse fails.
Dog with a bone look	Y	N
Roof corrosion	Possibly	Definitely
Overly complicated heater	Y	N
Dimmable lights	Y Std on later oceans	N Y credit FB
Split top for sink and Hob	Y	N (Y later models, credit FB)
Top bed	Froli springs	Slats
Bellows	Late 2022+ potentially leaky 2019 - fold well	Easily pinched in the scissor mechanism
Headlights	Later oceans std w LEDS	Some have halogens and complementary white cane for driver.
ACC	Std on later (all?) oceans	?
Reverse camera	Std on later (all?) oceans	?
Edit: power steering credit: @RedWhiteMonkey	Electric -- allows crosswind assist and some other features.	Hydraulic
Lower cupboard lights [Corradobrit]	Y
RHD footrest for DSG model [Corradobrit]	N	Y
Tambour door on wardrobe [Corradobrit]	N	Y
Lower bed recline [Corradobrit]	Y	N
Lower bed length	Slightly shorter than T6

Roof corrosion was not a T6 issue but a T5 issue

 

[WelshGas]

Roof corrosion was not a T6 issue but a T5 issue

Galvanic corrosion on the Elevating Roof, beneath the roof edge seal is a possibility on the T5/6/6.1.

 

[WelshGas]

Is there a work around without switching on the heated seats (for summer?). Also please is there a way of telling if the alternator is charging or not? I've noticed if charging a phone from the front dash it often seems to disable stop/start so was wondering if this is also a workaround? Thank you.

Dipped headlights.

 

[stephen watson]

Dipped headlights.

Thanks WG