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The type 25 is a great first camper, they drive well, are quite reliable for their age, easy to park and prove to be a very versatile vehicle. There are some things to look out for.

• The 1.6 diesel is desperately underpowered; it's quite economical giving over 30 mpg but the best bet is the turbo diesel which is quicker and as ecomomical.
• All petrol models use quite a bit of fuel. 1.6 air cooled is underpowered, other aircooled are generally O.K.cheep to repair and easy to work on with lots of companies selling inexpensive replacement parts but check the heat exchangers on all air cooled as if they are rusted not only will you get very little heat but you will also get a cab full of fumes. Later watercooled models have more power but are expensive to repair
• The chassis is very strong and rarely suffers from serious rust problems apart from the front steps and the rear wheel arches and battery tray. Main rust can be found between the body panels, this bubbles up under the paint, the only way to repair this is by sandblasting out the old sealer between the panels, treating the area and re-painting.
• If you can go for a good factory conversion like a Westfalia. They hold their price better and the quality of the fittings is usually very good.
• Pop tops are great if you need to keep the height of your vehicle down but fixed hi-tops give loads of extra storage or can sleep another couple of folks in the roof.
• Give the 4x4 Syncro a miss. It is a great van but expensive to put right if it fails.
• Have a look at the type 25 owners cub site for more advice and sales http://www.club80-90.co.uk/
• There are lots of these vans around, they do not hold their price as well as Bays or Splits but are catching up fast, I have seen them sell for anything between £1000 and £9000 depending on the conversion and condition.

I hope this helps. I've just sold a beauty for £3650 (sorry). Good luck with your search.

Paul

Not a lot to add to Paul's info.

• Perhaps he's slipped back into the Bay Window van world with his comment about the battery tray because the battery is under the front seat(s) on a Type 25 and usually not a problem.
• You should be aware that the modern description of this Volkswagen model has been modified to T3 so you will find adverts quoting either for the same vehicle. (It's an evolution thing that created this anomaly.)
• Steer clear of the 1600cc aircooled.
• Fuel tanks can rot on the TOP! They catch dirt and damp then rust in a hollow left for certain model variations.
• Maybe the best engine for driveability and fuel economy is the turbo diesel.

Rod

Love mine!    (1990 2 litre h reg petrol water cooled.model)

engine seems really torquey, lovely engine heater, and the van is easy for parking....mind you!  power steering wouldn't go a miss, but nothing i can't cope with. Also the interior works well for us, the rock n roll bed is brill!  Also i can use my van as everyday transport, unlike some of the bigger boys.

Den

Hi Blackdog

We're on our second T25 and would just like to say that we think theyre brill. Ok they havent got the cult status of the old ones, but they dont fetch silly money either, or as much for spares.

We've got a "X" reg (CI conversion) 2 litre about a month ago,and paid £1700,  we've just come back from Wales and are really pleased with it.

The advice above is probably all we went armed with, for looking and testdriving, make sure you try driving up hills, as that is definately where the power loss would be.

Good luck with your search!

Cheers Kim

What else can I say that hasn't already been said!

We love our T25.  It's a 2.0L Aircooled.  Use mine to go back and forward to work everyday too as well as camping.  I like the interior lay out, the pop roof, well I just love everything about it! 

HI Blackdog67 , just to add , we have had our 1983 T25 since last October , it's a 1900watercooled engine , it is exiting to drive and we are having some great weekends, and holiday in it , ours is a two berth, with a medium fixed Hi -Top

as Beetlepaul says , www.club80-90.co.uk  i am a member of this amazing VW site. The stuff these guys know is unbelievable ! also try the site we bought our van from, they don't sell anything else but VW campervans / www.dubfinder.co.uk

Good luck M8, keep us all up to speed on how you get on yeh ????

Best

Kevin

 It seems all has been covered by the above and I also own a T25 Auto Sleeper. These too along with 'Westies' hold there money.

 You'd do well to look at the 80-90 site. The crazy members in there will give you a great idea of what to look for or may even know of something.

 I've had the pop tart (top) and now the high top and I never look back. The extra fixed storage outweighs not getting into all of the 2 car parks I tried!

 One thing that hasn't been covered with watercooled T25s and this is probably the most important thing. The aircooled engines had the head bolts external to the piston chamber. This means the bolts were in free air and serviceable. When the watercooled engine was designed around the aircooled they cast the water jacket 'around' the head bolts standing them in the engines water jacket and hence water. This is where the problem lay.

 If the engine hasn't been flushed at regular intervals and topped back up with the proper cooling agent with added anti-corrosive properties, the head bolts rust. This in turn obstructs the water flow an presto, overheating. If your going to test a van make sure you take it for a long test drive on a warm day and slave it up some hillls. Slave it in as many gears as possible cause 50mph in top gear is the most comfortable and cooling for an engine with a blocked water jacket. In fact, test drive it at rush hour and watch the temperature gauge. If it goes past the red neon light in the temp gauge then look carefull. If the needle goes further than between the neon light and the red warning band walk away.

 Having had it happen to me and then having been shown the ropes by club 80-90, I thought this bit of info best passed on. Dealers charge around £1000= for a short recon engine but on 80-90 you could get one known to the members for £200+ non recon.

 Let us know how you get on.

ime on my fourth now with a coachbuilt transit in the midle aircooled then 2.1fuel injection(this one goes like brown smelly stuff of a shovel) but if you gave me one i would get rid straight away 1600 turbo diesel now 1.9 watercooled.

yes the best option imo is the 1.6 turbo but i got chance of the 1.9 kameo at the right price so took it

We have just bought a T 25 villa and are picking it up tonight! We are getting it from a garage and have paid around 4k for it. Does anyone think we have paid too much or got a bargain. It is a 1990 H plate.

This is our first van.

Quote: Originally posted by beetlepaul on 05/6/2005

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The type 25 is a great first camper, they drive well, are quite reliable for their age, easy to park and prove to be a very versatile vehicle. There are some things to look out for.

• The 1.6 diesel is desperately underpowered; it's quite economical giving over 30 mpg but the best bet is the turbo diesel which is quicker and as ecomomical.

Beg to differ old chap. I have VW Trident which has the 1600 diesel. It's very torquy and has to be a very steep hill to have to change down the box. Cruises all day at 60mph and returns 45 mpg.

Quote: Originally posted by suedi_55 on 21/7/2006

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We have just bought a T 25 villa and are picking it up tonight! We are getting it from a garage and have paid around 4k for it. Does anyone think we have paid too much or got a bargain. It is a 1990 H plate.

This is our first van.

 

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 You did well. We just sold our 85 Auto sleeper for 4K although it was full VAG history and had practicly no rust.

 Although I enjoyed the years with T25s, I won't buy another cause I'm looking at converting a sprinter with 1 double and 2 single top bunks with rag tops for sleeping under the stars. An onboard shower is also a must and the better fuel consumption will be heaven. My friend has a 3.2 TDI sprinter that uses HALF the fuel of both our T25 DG campers. Something I couldn't keep doing no matter how much the VW family scene draws you.

 Good luck with the ownership. Theres more pros than cons to owning a T25 and having done Europe and the UK many many times, their size is the biggest pro.

PRO.

Nothing to add to all the expert advice.. which has also helped me..

But one other thing we like about T25 ownership is that while you are driving it, every other T25 owner waves so enthusiastically to you as you pass.. it's like being a member of an exclusive club.. it's great fun!

See you on the road 

Quote: Originally posted by rod_vw on 05/6/2005

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• Perhaps he's slipped back into the Bay Window van world with his comment about the battery tray because the battery is under the front seat(s) on a Type 25 and usually not a problem.

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Not necessarily...my battery is in the battery tray, found in the engine bay  as it is in many t25s I've seen 

My leisure battery is in another battery tray installed under the bench seat.

Here's a great article on what to look for/at when buying a t25/t3: http://194.242.159.246/brickyard/info/buy.htm

thought i would throw my penny in your both right the battery was moved to the engine compartment for more amps required to turn it over on diesel engines or so i'm told ! us petrol owners have it under the seat but with the age of these vans they could be swapped any way!!

nothing more to add all good advise avoid any busses with any coolent leaks around the water jacket gasket on flat watercooled 1.9 as they can be expensive to repair.

as said before use the forums on club80-90 and the brick-yard

good luck