Date:         Mon, 15 Jun 2015 21:33:41 +0000
Reply-To:     Poppie Jagersand <poppie.jagersand@YAHOO.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Poppie Jagersand <poppie.jagersand@YAHOO.CA>
Subject:      Re: T6 camper debuts
In-Reply-To:  <CA+So781X820d2mZf9Yy0L_NJoOsi4E3ZnNKeHJsmpGLDkyY3CQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

 My understanding is that the T6 is just a small refresh of the T5. The T7 will likely be a more major redesign. Those travelling in Europe and elsewhere in the world can check out the T5/6 campers in showrooms. It is also worthwhile to look at the Mercedes Marco-polo, which is made by Westfalia. http://www.autobild.de/bilder/vw-t5-california-mercedes-vaneo-marco-polo-vw-t5-reimo-sirius-city-van-19909.html#bild1Page in French. Note Mercedes camper is a bit lower, but longer than VW. http://www.ma-bmw.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15616&p=352032#p351998Another page in German: http://www.promobil.de/test/vergleichstest-mercedes-marco-polo-vw-california-gemischtes-doppel-1792932.htmlI have owned the T4 Westfalia and tested the T5 camper. From a driving point of view there are improvements in each generation, but from a camping point of view (IMHO) it is going backwards. The T3 Westfalia is far more practical to camp in than either the T4 or T5. That's why I sold my T4 Westfalia. For my family and I, a car and a T3 is more practical than a T4.
 
     On Monday, June 15, 2015 6:16 AM, george jannini <georgejoann@GMAIL.COM> wrote: > Simply put, VWOA doesn't seem to have the first clue, or care to market a
> van.  How many T5s sold here vs Astroes?  Did you ever see an advertisement
> for one?

VW sells around 200,000 T5/T6 per year in Europe, mainly as commercial vans. The T3 sold some tens of thousands per year in north america, and the T4 probably less than the T3. So VW probably rightly thought that the T5 would not have been profitable to bring across the Atlantic. With each generation of vehicles becoming more complicated, the minimum sales quantity needed in the USA to break even goes up. 
Martin ('82 Westy 1.9TD in Canada, 85 Westy 1.9l in Europe)

 

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