T5 Kombi Beach availability

[tapsy]

We also did not want all the hard cupboards and sinks etc and this design has proven to be perfect for us. We have narrowed the bed a bit to fit a 32ltr engel fridge in on top of the wooden drawer just inside the sliding door.

Hey Brian sounds like you have the same idea as us, just need a bed to crash a fridge and coffee machine. we are still looking (we missed the 42k one)

So are you happy with it? IS the bed comfortable? Any chance of some pics of fridge setup?

please be honest, its a lot of doh.......

[BrianJ]

Hey Brian sounds like you have the same idea as us, just need a bed to crash a fridge and coffee machine. we are still looking (we missed the 42k one)

So are you happy with it? IS the bed comfortable? Any chance of some pics of fridge setup?

please be honest, its a lot of doh.......

The fridge reduces the bed to about the width of the main part, without the sliding sponge bit over the drawer near the door. We are both fairly skinny and it works for us, but I would say if you were one of both were larger persons then you would need the original width. This would create a problem of where to fit the fridge, as it cannot go on the floor behind the drivers seat where we wanted to place it, as then the metal drawer under the moving centre seat could not be opened. It would take some creative thinking to place it elsewhere, and the best thing about having it near the sliding door is that when you are sitting under the awning and want another beer, just flip the lid open and get one while standing outside.

We placed another 2inch cotton covered foam matress on top of the seat/bed to make it comfortable, and it is very good. We got that from BCF for about $80 I think. It comes with magnetic curtains which work well for the windows at night. I have put a 12V fan on the centre pillar to provide breeze if it gets hot and you cant get a breeze from outside. I had to add aditional 12v sockets in the back to run our DVD/TV as well as external lights etc.
We have also had electricians fit a 240V inlet and wiring so we can use powered sites, which costed about $800.

The boot under the bed is incredible for carrying capacity, where we use a few plastic boxes. Otherwise it is mostly all worked out in the original design, and it works very well.

We were aprehensive about buying it at first, as it is a complex car and there are not many as yet in australia which can cause difficulty if it breaks down especially going around the country. So far we have gone 12k km with no trouble at all.

The reason we bought it was the value you get for the money. It doesn't matter what you compare it to that is available here, it is way ahead. Take the hi-ace for example. A diesel auto will cost at least $40k with factory windows and then you can start fitting it out which will cost anything from 15-$20k. When you have finished it will be smaller, less powerful, poorer handling, and virtually not as good in any area you care to compare. The only thing going for the hi-ace is that there are plenty on the road and parts and expertise should be easier to find. But in the end we felt it would not do the job and would cost more so decided on the VW.

We have become increasingly happy with it as it is a superb handling car and a pleasure to drive even without considering the camping ability. On a suitable highway, I think it could easily cruise all day on 140km/hr and has the power to make mountains look like molehills.

We have a simple tarp as an awning which we attach to a 1 inch square bar that we have screwed on the roof to the roofrack threaded holes, and are considering getting a mesh tent type thing to use for the table and chairs, and provide insect protection and camp placeholder if we move the car while staying for a few days. We will try to travel in the best season as it would not be as good as a caravan or cabin in nasty weather.

I think we have made the right choice and have already done a three week trip from Brisbane to Forster and back, and are going to the dinosaur diggings near Winton in August for 4 weeks, then to tassie next February. In a couple of years we will be going right around Australia, so we want to have a lot of practice by then.

Its a tough descision, but work out what are the alternatives and their costs, and the answer will be apparent.

Brian

[tapsy]

Hi Brian, wow that was very informative ....... this is what forums are about!!!!! you got us both excited about our venture now! we had some rellies come over from Germany a while back and 'Boris' had one and was going on about it and that's what started us, we mainly were looking for something to crash in after parties as we both drink a little you know with the law these days But we really want to travel light in comfort and safety and i know couriers that say they have to climb into thier toyotas and slide out! as they sit on the wheels, you just step in the kombi!

It's a big step as we are going out on the limb a bit to get one now, rather than a year or two but we have time to set it up like you. Has yours got the alloys or are they the steel rims, they look good !

we are both 'small' people so the bed modification wouldn't be bad, do you still have the drawer under the fridge? We don't need all the cupboards and stuff as we want to commute as a normal car too! I like the way you have it set up, hope you are here if i get ours and i can ask some more stuff... but hey i won't get offended if you don;t wanto Have a good trip!
we are in Tassie in august .......flying in for a week taking the mother in law for a look. Thanks for the pics!!!

ps this is the one we missed out on *try to add pic here not having much luck with it

[shogun2]

Hey Tapsy,
I saw that one down at Solitaire. Was very interested in the nudge bar, cause I'm sick and tired of people backing their tow bars into the number plate.
How much did the one you missed go for?
Cheers,
Rod

[tapsy]

Hi Rod
It went for $42k had 7000 km on the clock, yeah i like that nudge bar too, cause it doesnt go right under the front. i will find out were it came from and let you know.

[BrianJ]

Yes, we still have the original drawer under the fridge, and by the way you cannot fit the 40ltr engel there only the 32ltr, because the side of the car comes in as it get higher and stops the lid opening. We use this drawer for food and the metal one under the seat/bed as the cloths drawer. They are both very handy, and so are the cloth bags on the sides and the mesh on the ceiling where we keep towels etc.

By the way, I assume you know that the table can be fitted inside and the front seats can be turned around to form a kitchenette.

It came standard with alloy wheels, and michelin tyres which hold the road very well. One downside I think is that the 5cyl diesel engine must use expensive specific oil that meets VW specifications due to the high cam injector pump pressures.

We think one of the big advantages is the walk through from the cabin to the rear, which other vans do not have due to the engine position. We use this all the time, as where we have to park under our apartement, the concrete pillars block the use of the drivers door. But it is also useful if it is raining and you stop for a drink.

Its interesting that we were convinced about the kombi by two german people who owned a kombi in germany and were travelling in QLD in a hired hi-ace, that we met at the town of 1770, and asked about the hi-ace as we were considering it at that time. They tried not to be critical of it, but it turned out to be far below expectation, and they listed the specific problems they were having. Its incredible but this encounter changed our minds completly against the hi-ace which is only built for commercial use and is not the same as the ones sold in the rest of the world.

We are also near retirement, and were going to wait 2 years to get a campervan, but after this encounter and evaluation of the relative prices, we decided to check out the going price of the 2006 stock. We thought that even if the beach was still available in 2 years that the RRP would be beyond the current price for the 2006, so decided to go ahead immediately.

It appears that you are going through the exact same process as we did 6 months ago.

Good luck, and I will watch here occasionally for any other questions.

Brian

[tapsy]

He Brian

we just happen to have a 32 Waceo so it is probably the same as an engle.
I like the idea ogf getting that beer from outside..............
how have you mounted it so it dosnt fly off?

Yeah we hope to retire about 4 years, can't wait...............................

[tapsy]

We have also had electricians fit a 240V inlet and wiring so we can use powered sites, which costed about $800.Brian

with the 240 volt inlet what did you actually get on the inside?

we are looking to do this too, as you know we have got the Beach earlier than expected and it is great as we have time before moving to the country (in a year or two) to set everything up while in town as i'm sure it will be easier and cheaper.

I notice on one of your pics that the inlet plug is white? do they have black ones?

[BrianJ]

with the 240 volt inlet what did you actually get on the inside?

we are looking to do this too, as you know we have got the Beach earlier than expected and it is great as we have time before moving to the country (in a year or two) to set everything up while in town as i'm sure it will be easier and cheaper.

I notice on one of your pics that the inlet plug is white? do they have black ones?

There is black ones available, and we are thinking of getting one or painting the white one to match the car. For some reason the electrician didn't seem to be able to get black even though I asked him.

On the inside we have one double switched socket just behind the fridge which the mains lead for the fridge goes into, and one spare for outside extension lead etc, and the other is where the flip out ash tray is opposite the sliding door, behind the drivers seat. When the ashtray is removed the hole is about the right size. Only trouble now is that since I bought the solar cells which you can see in the blue pack beside the bed, it covers the power sockets, so I might have to move them to the left a bit.



The mains circuit breaker is a bit tricky. At first we were going to have it in the boot somewhere on the same side as the inlet, but worried that luggage might knock it off, so ended up with it inside the plastic cover panel inside the back on the right. As it is about 3-4 inches thick and the space was about that size near the forward end, we had it mounted there and cut a rectangle hole in the cover so only the switch top is seen. Only trouble is that when you try to remove this side cover, the plastic clips break and you have to go to VW and get some more. Also it is hard to cut the hole so it fits perfectly when the cover is replace.



Its not an easy job overall, and we had a bit of trouble finding a shop that would do it, but we found one that would come to our house and I already had a lot of stuff removed such as the rear bed stand and some of the gray side covers before they arrived. So in my case I more or less came up with the design and they just did what I wanted.

I also got a written certificate to make it lawful.

Brian

[tapsy]

Hey BrianJ appreciate your reply, and you must have read my mind! thanks for the pics. They will certainly help us to get this side of things sorted out.
I've just got to get someone to quote/do the job now. Been told some caravan places can do it so i'll just have to ring around and see how we go.
Again thankyou!
Of to Port Broughton this weekend, pretty damm cold over here brrrrrrrrrrrrr.