Volkswagen Transporter T5 1.9TDI LWB - RUFUS

I am selling my 2008 Volkswagen Transporter T5 Long Wheelbase, better known as Rufus! Open to offers, so drop me a message if you are interested or have any questions – happy to send a video over!

It is a 1.9 turbo diesel engine. It has 158,000 miles on the clock. This may go up slightly, as I will drive it every week or two, so that the engine is run. It’s a manual gearbox. The van drives really well.

The van is silver, and, as you can see from the photos, there are some chips and scratches in the paintwork. I touched up the deeper ones to stop rust, and unfortunately the paint difference is noticeable. The van bodywork has no rust, other than a small patch on the roof from a scratch by the previous owner, which is great for its age.

The MOT runs until 14th October 2025, the two advisories (bonnet latch seized & indicator bulb colouration) have been dealt with. The van has had 4 owners, including myself. It has a part service history, with proof of 8 services (with receipts, not all stamped in book). I just had the van serviced (April 2025), and replaced the timing belt. Its last service before that was March 2024. I have always had work done on the van as soon as it was needed, if not before. It’s had new brake pads and tyres in the last year and a full replacement gearbox in October 2023. The tax is £28 a month – good as some T5’s can be much higher. The van does around 600 miles to a tank, depending on the type of driving you are doing. The van comes with a spare tyre and key.

The van was used by carpet fitters before I bought and converted it to a camper in 2022. On the metal in the van, you can see some signs of its previous use, but only when looking closely. I took my time converting, so we improved as we went, adding things that work. There’s an incredible amount of storage, we stayed in the van for two weeks driving round Europe and had spare space! I have done the following as part of the conversion:
– Insulation and sound proofing (7mm polyethylene foam & polyester roll).
– Plywood on walls and floor.
– Vinyl oak effect flooring.
– Rear and side privacy tint windows
– Bench seats which pull together into a king-size bed. These are made with bed slats so very comfy to sleep on. One side is slightly shorter than a king to fit in the cupboard. I purchased bespoke seat cushions, which act as a very comfy mattress (ties to bench, zip off and washable, 10cm foam)
– Kitchen cupboard & worktop. Lots of storage here and under seats.
– Custom curtains & pole (with magnets)
– Handy storage hooks and nets on walls & in cupboards, including shoe holders.
– New cigarette lighter in glove box– original is in cupholder compartment (which is notorious for breaking and was broken when bought) so I did not use or replace. I have installed new cupholders instead.
– 2 USB charging points
– Roof bars
– Wind deflectors
– Insulated window covers
– Fire extinguisher
– CritAir (3) certificate for driving in France & Swiss e-vignette until 31st Jan 25

I chose not to build in a leisure battery, but instead use a fused lead from Halfords through the window at campsites or a power bank, which works well for us. There are a few additional items I will also sell with the van:
– Subcold ultra fridge (cigarette lighter/mains powered)
– WADEO camping toilet
– Maypole mains power unit
– Atlas lockable Cross Bars
– Outdoor Revolution driveaway awning
– Levelling Chocks

Reluctantly selling the van to get a family car, but hope someone else can have as much fun and adventure in Rufus as we have had! I have more photos and a video for anyone that would like to see more before arranging a viewing, and happy to answer any questions.