Too good to be true?

[Ocean Spirit]

I found the ad for it on eBay, I suspect the wording has been carefully chosen to be correct, but easily misconstrued by the gullible e.g. 'T5 Camper Van', 'California pop top electric roof', 'top range', 'VW Transporter'

It's sad that we live in a world like this huh?
I think it is exactly as you say...correct but very misleading to a novice. I know it's a buyers responsibility to check things out thoroughly but its a form of deception.

I bought a Porsche privately once and it was parked at such an angle I couldn't see a 2 inch dent in the sill near the rear wheel arch. I took it out for a test drive and was specifically instructed how to park it when we got back. This was allegedly so the kids had enough room to pass to get to the garage with their bikes. Wow I thought (gullible me looking at the 10 foot gap) this guy really cares about his car. I spotted it a couple of days later and knew it was impossible for me to have done it. When I rang him up he told me I must have done it.

 

[2into1]

I don't think the ad is misleading actually. He says it's a transporter and it has been fitted with a genuine California roof. I've seen much more misleading ads.
If anyone is buying a van costing thousands of pounds, and hoping it's a genuine Cali, then simply looking at a brochure from the period would offer you 95% protection against such ads. The last 5% takes a lot of study which is why some choose to buy from specialist dealers.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

I don't think the ad is misleading actually. He says it's a transporter and it has been fitted with a genuine California roof. I've seen much more misleading ads.

If you are a complete novice it would be way more misleading than to someone experienced and don't forget the OP has had contact with the dealer and from what I have read the dealer hasn't suggested for one minute that the OP might be on the wrong track thinking it's a California.

 

[deltheblue]

Hello all, I wonder if I could get an opinion on a deal that looks too good to be true. 2008 T5 California, 175k, electric pop top, £16000. VW California Club sticker on the back. Good condition but seller is not the registered keeper (he is a small time trader), nor does he know anything about how the van works. Tried it, seems very good for the miles, but alarm bells ringing all over for me. Any advice? Many thanks!

The miles are irrelevant if it's got a full service history as mine did when I bought it currently about 160000 and runs like a dream and a 2004.....

 

[frenchie]

The miles are relevant. If its not got any service history, and had a million drivers who have revved the s... out of it. The OP looks like he does not understand anything about VW California vans. That being the case he should have a look at a few first, talk to a few owners, get a feel for the good and bad bits and keep his money in the bank at the moment.F

 

[deltheblue]

The miles are relevant. If its not got any service history, and had a million drivers who have revved the s... out of it. The OP looks like he does not understand anything about VW California vans. That being the case he should have a look at a few first, talk to a few owners, get a feel for the good and bad bits and keep his money in the bank at the moment.F

I think I mentioned service history

 

[Tom Maddox]

For anyone interested the original ad I saw it is here: https://www.gumtree.com/p/campervan...e-camper-van-vito-vivaro-t5-t4-px-/1297426829

The wording of the Gumtree ad is more ambiguous than the eBay version

It is true I know next to nothing about Californias, other than that they are generally out of my price range and thus had done no research on them. I know a little about other models - I had a T3 in my teens and a couple of decades on was looking to re-live the experience now with my young boys, this time with a converted T4/5. I have already gone to look at a few across the south east and then stumbled across this in my home town. I didn't go expecting it to be a California. I wondered what 'T5 California specs' meant and went to see. The conversion is in a different league to everything else I have seen. The electric pop top has been mentioned, but everything else looks almost factory-fitted. The use of space, the quality of build, all much better than anything else I have seen. Tables in the sliding door and rear door. Storage everywhere. Same with the van itself - heated seats, cruise control, sat nav, the lot. Apart from a high mileage and a seller that ticked all of the 'signs to be careful of' boxes (not the registered owner, wanted to meet in a public place etc etc) it looked great. Drove nicely. Service history looked fine. Online checks look fine. Others I have seen have been really nice, but they have all had their quirks and all proudly state who converted them. When I asked who converted this one he just pointed to the California club sticker, which I assumed meant 'it's a California, idiot'. (English is not his first language - conversation was not in depth). There are no other names on the van that I could see. So I turned to the Cali forum and here we are...I now know a little more about them! Whether the seller deliberately misled me I am not sure. His knowledge of campers made me look expert. He deals in commercial vans - 2 or 3 at a time, clearly off the radar. He said he had never sold a camper before. The opportunity had come up, he had taken it.

But anyway, thanks to all that contributed for the input.

 

[Paulro]

Don’t buy it. You won’t buy a t5 California at that price even if it has that mileage and LHD.
Good to you for asking in the forum and follow the good advice of many here. Be patient and look more towards the winter and you’ll find something that you’ll be proud of and will last many years.

 

[motacyclist]

Unfortunately it was too good to be true, and you now know the facts and it is a conversion. However, you can judge it on that basis. You say you have looked at a few and this one is in a different league; so you would have to decide if this one is for you.

We all started somewhere. Our first van was a split screen costing £175 would you believe, and it took us many years to work our way up. Or maybe down, the splittie would probably be worth more than the one we’ve got now!

 

[Ryemslie]

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Califor...829440?hash=item285aaab7c0:g:wXkAAOSwZ~ha-wsm

How about this one for you? Genuine cali that’s been well used. Full service history. The MOT history suggests that there’s quite a few bits that will need rectified soon but that may go in your favour with the purchase price. Plenty life left in it yet by the looks of it. It’s had a new canvas fitted at some point too

 

[Gazellio]

Might be the angle but the paint looks different on the sliding door. However this van does seem like a bargain if the engine has been well serviced.

 

[motacyclist]

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Califor...829440?hash=item285aaab7c0:g:wXkAAOSwZ~ha-wsm

How about this one for you? Genuine cali that’s been well used. Full service history. The MOT history suggests that there’s quite a few bits that will need rectified soon but that may go in your favour with the purchase price. Plenty life left in it yet by the looks of it. It’s had a new canvas fitted at some point too

It's an auction though, and has 9 days left as I write. No doubt the price will shoot up in the last few minutes of the auction!

 

[Ryemslie]

It's an auction though, and has 9 days left as I write. No doubt the price will shoot up in the last few minutes of the auction!

I thought this may be the case too but looks like it just sold to one bidder at £19,500. Good price even with the outlay needed

 

[motacyclist]

I thought this may be the case too but looks like it just sold to one bidder at £19,500. Good price even with the outlay needed

Yes I got a notification from Ebay in the last few minutes and watched the thrilling end!

While there I had a closer look at he photos and the paintwork around the driver’s side A pillar seems to be damaged, the inside was filthy and the panels had varying shades of paintwork. I think for that money I would rather have a pristine T4.

 

[westfalia]

I think for that money I would rather have a pristine T4.

They are 38 grand € this week. lol.

 

[motacyclist]

They are 38 grand € this week. lol.

Oh well, maybe if we hang on to ours long enough we’ll get our money back. If they still sell diesel then!

 

[westfalia]

Oh well, maybe if we hang on to ours long enough we’ll get our money back. If they still sell diesel then!

T4 Calis are pedigree, ours aren´t

 

[2into1]

The eBay one was a bargain only if you’ve been to see it and had a test drive. Plenty here will tell you how much a failing tiptronic gearbox costs to fix. These are famous for leaking exhaust manifolds.
It was either auctioned because the seller was loaded and didn’t care, or it had a pile of hidden faults (in addition to the ones obvious in the photos).
Just because the auction ended doesn’t mean it’s really sold. In my world of antique clocks, all sorts of odd things happen on eBay with sellers using 2nd accounts to bid their own items. it may not be the last we’ve seen of this item.

 

[sidepod]

Also fitted with 5.1 front end why?...

Cat D?

 

[tim downes]

It's not a Cali! No windows in rear, sliding door on wrong side...... Need I go on?

It's a high mileage panel delivery van that someone has stuck a Cali roof on.

Oh, in addition it may have been crashed and had a face-lift front end added...

Is it even a Cali roof - do they normally bulge like that ?


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