I've just got back into windsurfing after a 15 year gap (yes really) and am getting so into it again that I think I'm going sell my Land Rover and replace it with a van.

Everyoe says to get the VW Transporter panel van and that's OK with me but i just wondered if anyone had an opinion on what is the best van to use? Bear in mind it will be my only mode of transport so will have to be used for day to day stuff as well.

Any thoughts? Cheers

Be careful buying the Transporter!! We bought a long wheel base 174 new, approx 18 months ago and have been plagued with problems.

We have had lots of small problems (all covered on warrenty but a pain never-the-less):

Bumper trim falling off
Interior door handles dropping off
Interior lighting failing 3 times
Central locking stopped working twice
Alarm problem
Seat belt fasteners corroded and needed replaced
Headlights would 'stick' on
Indicator stalk needed replaced
And now the glass in both wing mirrors has come loose

However the worst problem we have had was due to ordering the rubber floor. Like us, you may be fooled into thinking this is a great accessory for windsurfing, but when you peel it back you find that it is lined with a spongey foam backing. As you can imagine this doesnt work well with water and as such our floor is now a soggy mess that cant be dried out without taking the seats out to remove the floor. We are in debate at the moment with VW about this - but regardless of the outcome, its a rubbish design totally incompatible with windsurfing (the seam between front and back sections of the floor is at the lowest point in the van, so water, anywhere on the floor finds its way down the seam and into the sponge backing)

This is our second VW transporter van (the first was a T4 and was great). Now I wouldnt touch them again with a barge poll. Go for the Merc, we wish we had!!




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2006 | 3:43pm by admin.

Thanks for the heads up mate- I'm doing the rounds on Sat and will hopefully try out either a Renault or Merc van. Here's hoping...

If you are planning to test drive a few, I would be interested to hear which you think is best.

I have heard that Merc now have a 200bhp Vito - that would be worth a try!!

Will do. I failed at the weekend but will definitely be looking around this weekend. I also saw a new Vauxhaull Vivaro van that I hadn't seen before. It looks just like a Renault Traffic but the one I saw had Barn doors...I've been warned off that they are a pain in the @rse.

Will post results of any test drives as soon as. Standby...

Yeah, tail gates are much better. They dont blow in the wind and give you some shelter when its raining.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts after the drive!

I just bought a VW Touareg Business and have six boards (from 222cm to 270cm) in it with all my sails, booms and masts. Still a very comfortable drive with good visibility, in my opinion it's a class windsurfing machine which even the missus is happy to be seen in. Full leather + loads of extras.

Well, I think I might have found my van. I have to stress that a big reason I'm going for it is because I'm getting a very good trade-in deal but here goes:

I looked at the following: Renaut Traffic, Vauxhaull Vivaro and Citroen Relay- all SWB versions and I think I've decided to go for the Citroen- not one you her about often in Windsurfing circles.

You can get some really good deals this month before the number plate change and this one worked for me. It drives really well and there is plenty of room in the back. I am getting it totally basic so might need to consider adding a few extras...like getting the cargo bay lined but at ?11,000 brand new, I don't think it's to be sniffed at!

That's my experience- it's going to be my only transport so here's hoping it's reliable! It certainly gets good write-ups on various sites on the net.

Happy sailing!