Club 80-90 Forums

hi all, can someone please do me a favour.

and measure the height of a carvelle from floor to top of the arch in the middle, as i believe mine is too high

the reason for this is i know that before i purchased it, it had a lowered kit on it , the shocks are still on there, but its had standard springs slapped back in .
i understand that depending on what van you have i.e panel, caravelle etc. then its possible to get diff height standard springs .

i measured mine and A 40mm drop would do nothing .. id still have a foot gap between the tire AND arch ..

im nt looking to go mad, just a better look for the eye .


cheers jim

Lol - there are a lot of Caravelle owners who flag this up. Everyone says mine looks too high too. I switched to 15" wheels and they still look small in the arches but at least more visually acceptable. Not sure if its Caravelles from a certain year (mine is 85) but I've come to the conclusion that its something to do with their intended usage when purchased from new. I know mine spent at least some of its time at an airport so reasoned - 7 passengers, executive luggage etc. I just can't come up with a better answer I'm afraid.

The only thing I will say is that I've grown to like the look now and will probably switch to the Sprinter look and get in and out with a step ladder. You must admit, you get a better view! Long as you can get in the 2.2m car parks, I wouldn't worry.

funnily enough i can get under the outdoor car park height restrictions , but not the normal multi story type.

the van rides well enough , i was just concerned it wasn't as it should be .. in fact id go as far to say it handles far better than i expected ..

i do have 18" alloys on it ( already on it when i purchased the van ), which although i like , i cant help feel need changing for a smaller inch wheel .

Nice side on pic???

What size tyres??

My young son loves it - thinks hes in a lorry. I know lots will disagree but I have never liked the look of lowered vehicles - beetles particularly. They just don't look right. I accept all the reasoning on handling etc, and have in the past driven beetles with rock hard suspension etc but from an every day perspective, I'd rather have the ground clearance. So no you're not going mad, or the only one.

CovKid wrote:I'd rather have the ground clearance. So no you're not going mad, or the only one.

I'm another one that prefers the higher look with higher profile tyres.

Measuring my caravelle gives 74cm floor to arch at the front and 76cm at the rear.
Looks like this and is higher than my mates syncro for some reason:

cheers all ,

i shall have a measure up , although on the face of it , it seems to resemble zebedee's

as long as its ok, then im happy.. a bit lower would be nicer, but not if im going to sacrifice ride or comfort

Yep, but nice thing is you can fit something like 15" Merc wheels with say 195/70s on and the speedo starts to become a tadge more accurate. Also helps to fill out the wheel arches. Be proud, you're part of a small band of high riders who grin from ear to ear

It does seem to be a Caravelle thing anyway. 7 seats - makes sense really. There are some drawbacks though. If I run empty (ie no interior), the driveshafts hit an awkward angle and can start to knock. It took me a LONG time to find the cause but once I started to put stuff back in it, the noise was gone. Worth remembering in case you ever experience this and wonder what the heck is going on.

jim potter wrote:funnily enough i can get under the outdoor car park height restrictions , but not the normal multi story type.

the van rides well enough , i was just concerned it wasn't as it should be .. in fact id go as far to say it handles far better than i expected ..

i do have 18" alloys on it ( already on it when i purchased the van ), which although i like , i cant help feel need changing for a smaller inch wheel .

Crikey what tyres are on the 18" rims? or are they elastic bands

hmm tires .. ill go and have a look.. speedo is accurate , ive measured it with a gps device ..and its within 2 mph of whats stated on the clock .

ok, so tires are 235/40 zr 18's extra load... feel the power

tbh i like the wheels and the ride isnt that bad, a little crashy .. i would like another rim size , as in general i prefer 17's .

it also makes the steering that bit lighter when im parking

My Caravelle sits at about the same height as Zebedee's van. It's been stripped out and converted to a camper with a hightop fitted which I reckon is fairly lightweight. We did consider lowering it but having owned a lowered Splitscreen in the past it's a luxury to float over uneven road surfaces and tracks. Handling is also good due to various bushes being replaced.

TeamSid wrote: it's a luxury to float over uneven road surfaces and tracks.

Amen Brother...

"Float" being a good description of the sensation, when driving a naturally suspended VW van