Volkswagen Crafter, common mechanical issues?

fear le solas

Looking at buying a Crafter for a camper conversion. Does anyone know of any engine/mechanical issues with particular models?

DPF prone to clogging.
The automatic gearbox is megabucks when it goes wrong; it's an electronically actuated manual.

I'd buy a Crafter over a Sprinter. The metal has less bean tin content.

fear le solas

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

DPF prone to clogging.
The automatic gearbox is megabucks when it goes wrong; it's an electronically actuated manual.

I'd buy a Crafter over a Sprinter. The metal has less bean tin content.

Thanks for the reply, Sir Liamalot!
I'm hoping that the dpf problem will be avoided if I give her a good run, I've heard that the short trips don't give it time to burn any deposits. Screw automatic, I'll be buying a manual. If you know of any other issues, please feel free to give me a shout.
👊ðŸ»

particulate filters get blocked with particulate..go figure. The regenerative cycling thing is a bittova myth they spread by way of saying "we didn't really build a failure mode into the engine because the government made us".

If the engine is hotter then it produces less shyte to clog the filter that's about it. There's plentya youtube debunk vids on the matter.

They're good vans by modern standards. I'd buy an LT35 instead but I don't like new machines and they're nearly extinct anyways.

Normal rules apply to any motor, look for rust, uneven tyre wear, leaks, engine blowby, any body repairs, misshapen sub-frame, weird noises, even braking, good tracking etc etc etc...

pairofpears

The ERG valve goes on them. My father has had 2 now and they both went. He does big mileage yearly all across Leinster daily so when the latest 2018 one started to go he told the garage what went wrong with it but they still followed their protocols to find the fault. Given he does huge mileage with it loaded daily I can see why he has had the issues he does. The most recent was the brakes failing just last week on him after an issue with the gearbox last year.

If its getting trotted out once a month or even every weekend for trips it shouldnt be a worry compared to the driving he does.

That's what I meant...Are DPFs and EGRs different things?

I meant EGR, defo. I've a courier mate has had his replaced twice.

CJhaughey

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

That's what I meant...Are DPFs and EGRs different things?

I meant EGR, defo. I've a courier mate has had his replaced twice.

EGR is where the exhaust is opened to the intake tract, this is meant to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions, however the side effect is the carbonising of the intake manifold and the valve itself causing running issues and occasional fires in BMW's

DPF is a honeycomb matrix in the exhaust ahead of the Catalytic converter and this is designed to trap soot and burn it off in stages as it progressively blocks the flow through that part of the exhaust, Hot fast long runs don't block the DPF as fast as short cold runs in town.

galwaytt

We've had 2 x Crafters go awol at work. Never again.

Bought new Renault Trafic & Master with 5yr warranty for the prices of a used VW.

galwaytt

galwaytt wrote: »

Bought new Renault Trafic & Master with 5yr warranty for the prices of a used VW.

That's about the same payload isn't it? :pac:
I don't believe in warranties, good products don't need them.

galwaytt

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

That's about the same payload isn't it? :pac:
I don't believe in warranties, good products don't need them.

There is literally nothing manufactured that doesn't need a warranty.......

Name one 'good' product that doesn't need one...

I quite often void them. Studer inverters and MorningStar Charge controllers last 15 years of treatment like a rented donkey.

A lottov manufacturers just apply an algorithm of failure rate expectancy at average user applications with a modifier for the slippage of people who often won't claim/fill out the form or lose the receipt. So say you expect to see 5% of your products return and have to be reissued. Then charge 105% for the product and look credible.
You can tell exactly what a warranty means when you open products up.
Unfortunately, most things are built to fail/wear out/degenerate...I just buy genuine hardware, quite often, used genuine hardware that I may modify to extend the lifespan of.

Why aren't DIY tools warrantied for trade work?

CJhaughey

There are scales of difference between a complex modern motor vehicle and an electronic part that costs multiple times less.
If a vehicle develops a problem and they can do so for any reason then a warranty is invaluable.
Good vehicles may need less warranty work than poor ones but they can still need work.
IMHO out of all the commercially available LGV vans the Master and Ducato are the two I would tend towards.
I know many couriers like the Master for its durability but the fact that well over 75% of Camping related vehicles in the EU are Ducato based means there is great backup if needed.
I don't think a Master or a Ducato would be a bad choice but I wouldn't go near a VW personally.

galwaytt

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

I quite often void them. Studer inverters and MorningStar Charge controllers last 15 years of treatment like a rented donkey.

A lottov manufacturers just apply an algorithm of failure rate expectancy at average user applications with a modifier for the slippage of people who often won't claim/fill out the form or lose the receipt. So say you expect to see 5% of your products return and have to be reissued. Then charge 105% for the product and look credible.
You can tell exactly what a warranty means when you open products up.
Unfortunately, most things are built to fail/wear out/degenerate...I just buy genuine hardware, quite often, used genuine hardware that I may modify to extend the lifespan of.

Why aren't DIY tools warrantied for trade work?

I work for a Co that builds commercial vehicles for a living. I do Type Approval in the daily grind : warranty is a fact of life. Comparing a single piece of electronics with a vehicle with multiples thereof is just silly.

You just have to look at the exhaust system on a modern LGV/HGV to garner it's only a matter of time before you'll need warranty.

If you build it to last you don't need a warranty. That's all I'm saying.
I'd buy a Toyota Landcruiser no warranty over a Land Rover 5 year warranty every day of the week.

It's not a sign of quality or reliability just a marketing device and legal obligation built into the price.

Sending something in for repair even if it's free is not anywhere near as valuable as a reliable piece of kit that doesn't break in the first place.

In keeping with your example. I'll have a stainless steel exhaust, no warranty thanks and a savings of a product that hasn't the warranty cost embedded in the price please.

Sher if it's not right just bring it back...spare me! Who's paying me to waste my time?

colm_mcm

CJhaughey wrote: »

There are scales of difference between a complex modern motor vehicle and an electronic part that costs multiple times less.
If a vehicle develops a problem and they can do so for any reason then a warranty is invaluable.
Good vehicles may need less warranty work than poor ones but they can still need work.
IMHO out of all the commercially available LGV vans the Master and Ducato are the two I would tend towards.
I know many couriers like the Master for its durability but the fact that well over 75% of Camping related vehicles in the EU are Ducato based means there is great backup if needed.
I don't think a Master or a Ducato would be a bad choice but I wouldn't go near a VW personally.

The massive advantage the Boxer/Relay/Ducato have is the extra interior width. Having the bed transverse effectively saves you a 1.2 of interior length.

CJhaughey

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

In keeping with your example. I'll have a stainless steel exhaust, no warranty thanks and a savings of a product that hasn't the warranty cost embedded in the price please.

Sher if it's not right just bring it back...spare me! Who's paying me to waste my time?

But this is the point, an exhaust system is not just a pipe any longer, coming out of the car there is an exhaust gas recirculation valve and/or manifold, Diesel Particulate filter, Catalytic converter, lambda sensor, exhaust after treatment inlet ports for urea and then the pipework starts!
So you can see how valuable a good warranty is when you add the costs of those parts up.
BTW I do agree about the Landcruiser/Land Rover comparison but even these days the existence of a Toyota warranty is good to have even though their aftersales treatment of customers is legendary in Ireland.

The fact is that modern diesels for better or worse are infinitely more complex than the pre common rail versions and in this case it is much more preferable to have a decent warranty and a reliable vehicle than a poor warranty and an unreliable vehicle which is what I personally think that VAG group offerings are these days.

CJhaughey

CJhaughey wrote: »

....and in this case it is much more preferable to have a decent warranty and a reliable vehicle...

As I say I don't believe in warranties I choose reliability instead. I've 5 vehicles in the driveway you can fix with a hammer the youngest is a 15yo.

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

The massive advantage the Boxer/Relay/Ducato have is the extra interior width. Having the bed transverse effectively saves you a 1.2 of interior length.

Depends on your application it's a hellova lot smaller than a crafter for general porpoise and hauliers.


Have yer cake and eat it. 7.5ton. :cool:

Clicky

CJhaughey

CJhaughey wrote: »

I know many couriers like the Master for its durability but the fact that well over 75% of Camping related vehicles in the EU are Ducato based means there is great backup if needed.

Camper usage is a tiny demographic of overall vehicle sales and usage.
Most people put <2k miles a year on a camper.





Edit: Where's the crafter? It's up there, but hidden. It's the engine of the Transporter in the more wholesome shell of a Sprinter.

colm_mcm

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Depends on your application it's a hellova lot smaller than a crafter for general porpoise and hauliers.


Have yer cake and eat it. 7.5ton. :cool:

For a camper though, if you want to stay under 3.5t and 6 meters, as a lot of people do.

Meh yeah...I did "small" van for the best part of a decade, I'm totally over it an would only favour it again solo-ing for inner-city parkability.

Most conversions fail the swing a cat test.
I design them to have a dance space, even if you don't intend to dance.
I've never understood having a camper you can't stand up in either, they must not get much use. "Oh sher tis grand I just cook my dinner on a stool"

Freedive Ireland

I was in the Transit family for years, moved to VW LT and have to say it's a great bus. Not as refined as the Trannys and some body parts are hard to get (sliding doors in good nick are gold like) but so far fir me it's a great base. I have a place for my surfboard plus kitchen, toilet, bed and loads of storage as I do a bit of diving and swimming so I'd usually have a few suits on board plus what you'd normally bring on trips away, bbq ect. I'm still only about 60% through the conversion and a bus would have been easier in that regard.
Some mini buses are LT 46 and are 2.8 but not the one in the ad above.

The LT35 has enough power to stand up on the back legs. Love that van, no computer over-riding the throttle response like in the Crafter either.
I learned to power slide in an LT35.

It was a coin toss for me between that or a Vario. I went with the Vario, more bigger, more better.
I've done 3.5ton I knew it'd just be more of the same, the potential with more space and payload is a lot more inspiring (and expensive ).