The Beast

So after nearly 2 years of waiting this finally turned up this will be one of the last transporters made to order, they are now running them out for the new T7 which is essentially a Transit with a VW badge. I did spec it quite well, better to have it than later wish you had speked it.  LWB 4motion, 200hp engine, diff lock, hill decent, digital dash, upgraded media, adaptive cruise, colour coded bumpers.

My plan is to turn it into a overland vehicle that I can get deep into the back country with.

So lets start with taking a brand new van and cutting the roof off and installing an Austops poptop. Whilst at this stage you strip the interior to put in the sound deadening and insulation, run all the 12v power wires, cut holes in the sides too for windows.

Once all this is done I can carpet line the rear making it look a bit more homely.
After carpeting the new windows are bonded in so were back to a watertight running van.

Previous experience told me a bit more ground clearance required, so on went a 30mm Seikel lift kit (seikel are VW approved so no probs with VW warranty) whilst doing this I had diff breathers fitted. Some chunkier 245/70/17 Falken wildpeaks onto the std rims that I had powder coated, at a later stage I also fitted a Bravo snorkel.

Time for it to go up on the hoist now to start on the underneath, I like to put all the water tanks under, keeps the weight low and frees space in the van.
The tanks are a mixture of custom and stock. The spare wheel was never going to fit back under the van so in its place I put a 60l fresh tank, been a LWB there is space in front and behind the the fuel tank

Normally in front of the tank there is an Addblue tank (addblue is stuff that is sprayed into exhaust gasses to make them cleaner Euro 6 spec) these have been fitted since 2017 I know cos I have a 2017 4mo with it on. On my last T6.1 I had add blue but not on a 2023 van, so upon enquiring to VW where the Add blue was I was told – to help VW Europe out VW NZ choose to take Euro 5 spec engines (not as clean burning) as there is no govt requirement to say you cant! So getting to the head scratching point – I just paid $5000 ute tax on the van because NZ likes to be seen as clean and green and with Labour anything other than electric was killing the planet and dirty etc so fossil fuel drivers pay a penalty (we wont get into where lithium batteries come from) BUT – BUT there is NO requirement for new vehicle imported into NZ to be of the cleanest technology ie Euro6 – go figure that one.

ANYWAY no add blue tank = less hassle and problems and there is space now for a custom 35l water tank – Result so the upside is I now have 100l of fresh water storage under the van, both tanks are monitored and I can select individually which tank to use, I insulated the front tank along with the pipes so that is a winter tank, I will fill rear tank when we are away for longer and in back country.

Waste water is always a problem tank as it can be a bit of a slow drain into it from sink and getting the fall to drain out is a problem so you can be restricted as to location.  I fitted this custom tank around where the drivers seat is and put a small bilge pump in the tank just flick a switch and it will pump water out of the tank.

Both custom tanks were made to a size that allowed the under trays to be fitted back on.

Underbody protection, also from Seikel a pair of rock slider which prevent the sills been damaged, a fuel tank plate, rear diff plate and under engine plate these are in 6mm aluminum plate.

To be continued