Club 80-90 Forums

Sorry to ask this novice question but I really am unclear as to an alternative engine . At present I have a 1600TD which runs beautifully. Unfortunately I live in the LEZ zone and this will be non compliant by 2010. Apparently no filter known to mankind will help on this vintage of engine.I don't think you can run a diesel on LPG and Transport for London seem to imply that bio fuel will not do either. Therefore am I faced with having to change to a petrol engine and what is this likely to cost? I must get the info now as I don't want to pour money into a camper that will be redundant in 2 years time. By the way I am quite prepared to have this done professionally as I don't have the expertise. Many thanks for ploughing through this! Deke. By the way this is also posted on alternative fuels and I've already received the statutory "Just move man" comment from some joker,so don't waste your time. That joke's already been done. Laugh.... I thought I'd never start!
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I dont understand - are diesels not going to be allowed in London after 2010?

I would have thought a TDI conversion is the best way to go...

Ringo

Any diesel (camper and comercials, not sure about cars) not meeting Euro 3 (IIRC) wont be allowed in.... already done for trucks..
(well you can take your "dirty" truck in for 200 quid a day I think)

TDi would be good but the Gov wont recognize the "cleaner" engine.. not like the Germans where a kit can be bought to bring your vehicle up to better specs... (its a great idea in Germany)

Petrol engines will be exempt...

This is what you need to do.Change the body type on the registration documents fill it in as motor caravan send to swansea .DVLA will very likely ask for supported evidence to submit to .I did this with photos of the interior of the van with its rock&roll seatbed fitted & units.The side windows and elevating roof shown.DVLA returned the registration document to me registered as a motor home.Telephone or down load off there website obtain a LEZ emissions classification a form to fill it in .Which will need the vehicle plate weight from manufacture uselly found on the drivers door piller and the change of body type on the registration documents.Somewhere on the forums there is a link to various body types and weight for the T25 give them a copy off it for supported evidence that it will be under 2.500kgs.This is the max weight allowed under the rules for exemption as a diesel motor caravan.

I am classified as a motor caravan and I think i'm right in saying this only gives exemption till 2010. Also lurking are further restrictions that come in in 2012. These will effectively push any old diesels off the road. Thanks for all your comments. Deke.

Might things change now with Boris?

Hi from DownUnder!
This is an issue that we will all be facing sooner or later, and these are the thoughts I've had so far:

1. Update to a T5:
The logical and expensive solution.
The only drawback apart from cost, is that T5's are less space efficient than T25's. This becomes an issue with parking in cities like London and Sydney.
Having a rear engine STILL has some advantages over front-wheel-drive such as less noise (Particularly with a diesel) and better traction on loose surfaces if you don't want to go to the complexity and expense of four wheel drive.
A rear-engined vehicle with a limited-slip diff such as a Quaife will go just about anywhere that a 4WD will go especially in sand. Obviously, we are not talking about deep mud or climbing up impossible rock faces!

2. Source a Euro 4-compliant diesel and have it fitted to the T25:
Because of the two advantages stated above, that a T25 still has over a T5, I really think that this option has some merit.
German eBay has numerous late-model Audi V6 tdi and VW T5 tdi engines that would be Euro 4-compliant.
I am sure that breakers in the UK would have them starting to come through too.
Subaru is just now bringing out a flat 4 common-rail diesel that will be Euro 4-compliant, and seeing as you have nearly 2 years to become compliant, there should be some of these engines around secondhand by then.

I think that you have to decide whether you are committed to the rear-engined concept or not.
My brother has just bought a new T5 5 cyl diesel 4-motion, and it's a really good car BUT, it is quite noisy and it is complex. It is also heavier and bigger outside but smaller inside than my T25.

The rear engined-concept still has some value - just ask Porsche!
Even VW is going back there (so-to-speak) with their new small car.
Check out the CLAER website in Germany to see that people are willing to pay a LOT of money (200,000 Euros!) to have them convert T4's and T5's BACK to rear-engined (Admittedly with 4WD because they are running 4-500 HP turbo Porsche power) configuration.

If you have a straight, rust-free body for your camper-to-be, I would think long and hard before dismissing the rear-engined option.

Best of luck, there will be plenty of other people in the same boat soon!

Cheers,
Chris

From October 2010, a standard of Euro 3/III for PM for larger vans and minibuses
Exemptions:
The following types of GB-registered vehicles will automatically be exempt from the LEZ. These vehicles will not need to be registered with Transport for London (TfL) and can be used within the Zone without being subject to the daily charge:

Vehicles designed and built for mainly off-road use, but which may be used on the road for limited purposes. Such vehicles include agricultural and forestry tractors, mowing machines, agricultural & farm machinery and equipment, mobile cranes and road & building construction machinery;
Historic vehicles (those constructed before 1 January 1973); and
Military vehicles registered in Great Britain. So this means we will be non complient after 2010,
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See more on alt. engine forum.

Sorry meant alt fuels forum.

worse case could you not drop a golf gti petrol engine in, if you've got a diesel then you have all the inline 4 parts already.

Motorhomes or "Motorcaravans" under 2.5 Tonne GVW are not currently subject to the LEZ charge, from 2008 and 2010.

Cheapest and easiest option is to get a small car or scooter as a daily driver if you MUST go into the Big Smoke every day (they`ll have to change that name after 2010 !!) Leave your camper as it is.

As already said, fitting a "clean engine" wont work either.. there is no allowance for fitting a "clean engine" like there is in Germany..
only option will be to fit petrol/LPG if thats still exempt by then...

I spoke to a replacement engine place that advertises in VW Camper and Bus and he said that it was not viable to replace a diesel with a petrol engine. This suprised me somewhat??