Aidy P
Don't play that 'What If?' game, you'll never win!
- Messages
- 1,049
- Vehicle
- T6 Ocean 204 4Motion
I used this forum a lot when ordering and speccing my van. After having Nemo the van for nearly nine months and coming back today from another priceless (memories) trip, I thought I'd drop back in the forum and share my thoughts...
Have I used the van? Yes. 7200 miles on the clock. I've now sold my T2 bay window van and I have no regrets.
It's been used for school runs, kids cross country race meets, commuting, overnight stays in friends drives, water skiing trips, an Alps skiing trip, Glastonbury festival, mountain bike trips, picnics and lots of camping trips.
How many sleep in it? 2 adults. 2 kids and a massive black labrador. It's cosy but with a few rules (e.g. 1 up..all up) it works.
4 Motion? Yes. I drive it all year round and I've driven through mud (getting out of Glasto) and snow. I use winter tyres on steels from October and it's superb on snow and ice in the Yorkshire Dales.
DSG? Occasionally high revs up hill. But other than then, very smooth.
I turned off the 'coast mode' as I prefer some engine breaking. Useful on the French motorways where the wasn't any traffic.
204 BHP? Fully loaded with 4 + dog + gear. Drives like a dream.
Unused options? Mechanical Diff Lock. Roof rails.
Seat covers are useful due to the light fabric but can get a bit sweaty on long trips.
Dynaudio? Love the quality of the sound when on long journeys. Integration with my iphone is great. Annoying it turns itself off when ignition is off after a while. I use a portable speaker though now.
Remote heater? Great on really cold days to warm the van from the house before getting in.
Heated screen. Useful when very frosty. Clears much quicker than the heater.
What's the coldest I've slept in it? -2'C. Fine downstairs. Bit Brrr up top. Have great sleeping bags and used a topper in the Alps.
I think the bed up top is better for sleeping in because its wider. Can be cooler though.
Hottest? 31'C (in Yorkshire). Roasted like an oven. Bought a USB fan.
Dislikes.
1. The bloody rattles. I turn up the stereo!
2. Removing & replacing the spare. Good luck if you haven't tried that yet! It's a pain.
3. The light coloured carpets!!! Why?! A darker option would be sensible.
Most useful non VW option? Comfortz Leisure awning. Takes up no space but gives you a great room in minutes. Bit 'industrial' looking though. Would be nice if it didn't feel like a tarp.
Longest stay without hookup? 6 nights at Glasto and the fridge still worked!
The shower? Use it to wash down kit and the dog (and my hair at Glasto).
Bike rack? went for the Altera Strada DL tow ball mounted option. With 4 bikes on you can still get in the boot.
Toilet? Bog in a Bag for emergencies but tend to stay at campsites with a proper loo for the children.
Fridge? Lid needs a bang to close it. I tend to run it at no. 4. If away for more than a couple of days make sure you empty it and dry out the condensation.
A small USB adapter is geat for the 12v point next to the rear seat for the kids to use on long journeys and for bedtime charging. I still haven't used the 3 pin socket yet.
LED headlights? Very bright in the countryside at night wher we live. Give great visibility. Don't need stickers on the headlights when on the continent. There's a menu option to change them for contingencies driving.
Longest days driving? 660 miles from the UK to Samoen in the French Alps. The van ate up the miles!
Bungee fastening cables are useful on the awning rails to create a drying line. Can also be used on the Driver and Passenger grab handles too if the awning isn't up.
Be careful with the locking wheel nuts. They're not a great fit and can lose their shape. I had to have one drilled off and then buy another set. This was because I was changing wheels myself from Summers to Winters and I struggled to get the purchase.
A trolley jack is very useful if you plan on changing your own wheels.
I use a local 'hand car wash' and have had no issues. I don't have the time or inclination to wash and wax it myself.
I fill the water tank with a hose pipe and haven't suffered any ill health. If using Milton to sterilise the tank be careful as it took ages to get rid of the taste.
Finally. It will get scratched. It will get dirty. Bits will break. This means that you are using it.
Have I used the van? Yes. 7200 miles on the clock. I've now sold my T2 bay window van and I have no regrets.
It's been used for school runs, kids cross country race meets, commuting, overnight stays in friends drives, water skiing trips, an Alps skiing trip, Glastonbury festival, mountain bike trips, picnics and lots of camping trips.
How many sleep in it? 2 adults. 2 kids and a massive black labrador. It's cosy but with a few rules (e.g. 1 up..all up) it works.
4 Motion? Yes. I drive it all year round and I've driven through mud (getting out of Glasto) and snow. I use winter tyres on steels from October and it's superb on snow and ice in the Yorkshire Dales.
DSG? Occasionally high revs up hill. But other than then, very smooth.
I turned off the 'coast mode' as I prefer some engine breaking. Useful on the French motorways where the wasn't any traffic.
204 BHP? Fully loaded with 4 + dog + gear. Drives like a dream.
Unused options? Mechanical Diff Lock. Roof rails.
Seat covers are useful due to the light fabric but can get a bit sweaty on long trips.
Dynaudio? Love the quality of the sound when on long journeys. Integration with my iphone is great. Annoying it turns itself off when ignition is off after a while. I use a portable speaker though now.
Remote heater? Great on really cold days to warm the van from the house before getting in.
Heated screen. Useful when very frosty. Clears much quicker than the heater.
What's the coldest I've slept in it? -2'C. Fine downstairs. Bit Brrr up top. Have great sleeping bags and used a topper in the Alps.
I think the bed up top is better for sleeping in because its wider. Can be cooler though.
Hottest? 31'C (in Yorkshire). Roasted like an oven. Bought a USB fan.
Dislikes.
1. The bloody rattles. I turn up the stereo!
2. Removing & replacing the spare. Good luck if you haven't tried that yet! It's a pain.
3. The light coloured carpets!!! Why?! A darker option would be sensible.
Most useful non VW option? Comfortz Leisure awning. Takes up no space but gives you a great room in minutes. Bit 'industrial' looking though. Would be nice if it didn't feel like a tarp.
Longest stay without hookup? 6 nights at Glasto and the fridge still worked!
The shower? Use it to wash down kit and the dog (and my hair at Glasto).
Bike rack? went for the Altera Strada DL tow ball mounted option. With 4 bikes on you can still get in the boot.
Toilet? Bog in a Bag for emergencies but tend to stay at campsites with a proper loo for the children.
Fridge? Lid needs a bang to close it. I tend to run it at no. 4. If away for more than a couple of days make sure you empty it and dry out the condensation.
A small USB adapter is geat for the 12v point next to the rear seat for the kids to use on long journeys and for bedtime charging. I still haven't used the 3 pin socket yet.
LED headlights? Very bright in the countryside at night wher we live. Give great visibility. Don't need stickers on the headlights when on the continent. There's a menu option to change them for contingencies driving.
Longest days driving? 660 miles from the UK to Samoen in the French Alps. The van ate up the miles!
Bungee fastening cables are useful on the awning rails to create a drying line. Can also be used on the Driver and Passenger grab handles too if the awning isn't up.
Be careful with the locking wheel nuts. They're not a great fit and can lose their shape. I had to have one drilled off and then buy another set. This was because I was changing wheels myself from Summers to Winters and I struggled to get the purchase.
A trolley jack is very useful if you plan on changing your own wheels.
I use a local 'hand car wash' and have had no issues. I don't have the time or inclination to wash and wax it myself.
I fill the water tank with a hose pipe and haven't suffered any ill health. If using Milton to sterilise the tank be careful as it took ages to get rid of the taste.
Finally. It will get scratched. It will get dirty. Bits will break. This means that you are using it.
