Shall I buy a Syncro?

[Rich Tea]

Hello All, this is my first post on the Syncro page.

After recently selling my 2wd T25 my wife is all of a sudden keen that we buy another camper. After owning one T25 I guess we've got a certain idea of what we're looking for. Having said that, we've been offered a 1.6TD Syncro, which wasn't the plan, but it's what we're looking for in all other respects.

The Syncros are a good bit different to the standard T25s and there's loads more kit underneath, so here's the question is it a good idea to take that leap? What are the pros and conns (over and adove the normal T25 ones)

To be honest we've no intention to go off roading (currently at least), just trips across the odd campsite. Could a Syncro be overkill withpotentially big associated costs?

Also, are there any syncro specific tips to watch out for when buying one of these wee beasties

So shall I buy a Syncro.................Of course I bet you're all going to say yes, you wouldn't be on this forum otherwise eh! Even so, I'm keen to hear your thoughts, if you can be objective all the better (although not essential, if you just want to rave on about the pros, that's fine too).

Many thanks

Rich

[Mudlark]

Another Bristolian! Welcome.

To be perfectly honest a syncro for driving across damp campsites would be a complete waste of your money!

Yes, Syncros do usually have far higher costs associated with them, depends on how much you spend in the first place, and a bit of luck too!

What is it about the syncro that appeals to you?

Is this 1.6td syncro van in Bristol ?

[..lee..]

A t3 camper is not just a vehicle. They become a member of the family as I'm sure you know. It's the same with Syncro only far worse or better depending on which way you look at it. Both myself and jed have been without ours for a while now and we almost feel I'll as a result. The Syncro will empty your pockets quicker than the a 2wd will.

Sounds like you don't need a Syncro and in that case I'd advise against buying one. Need and want are different things and if you want one then you probably suffering from a mild dose of Syncro fever. If it's mild then you may be able to shake it off. If you get it bad then god help you.

I'd sell my house before I'd be without my van and that's the truth.

If buying one you need to assess what's been done already and budget for repairing anything that hasn't been done.

[hotpod]

but remember, once you have one theres no turning back.

mine have been beautifully reliable for the last several years now ( nothing going wrong that wouldnt go wrong on a standard 20 yo t25), but a couple of months ago, both gearboxes packed up within weeks of each other.
i finally have two rebuilt gearboxes and a rebuilt front diff ( courtesy of aidan, thanks aidan! ) ready to go back in and i expect them to return to their old reliability once more...
but it has cost me a couple of grand so far and i am doing ( or will evenually! ) the labour myself.

it will open up your camping options. it always impresses me that i can drive up the steep wet field to park at the top without any hesitation from the van. or the muddy woodland track...or even the festival campsite quagmire after a heavy downpour.

go 2wd if you have a tight budget!
try a syncro if you have some flexibility with your cash and dont mind spending it.

expect a fair bit of catch up maintenance...it just seems to be the time now ( 20 plus years old) when they are starting to show their age.

you might be a very lucky man and find out that it has all been done already.
you wont know till you try.

[GoldSyncro]

If you have no intention to venture off-road then don't do it!! Then again, have a look at the Syncronauts website if you want to know what the Syncro is capable of. The Syncro increases the fun factor by at least 10.

I live in Spain and the police here take a dim view of rough camping so being able to venture up a farm or forest track without the risk of getting stuck is a big plus.

A good Syncro is also becoming hard to find so will probably hold its price better.

Rob

[silverbullet]

Here's the flip-side from someone with an ambivalent (honest?) view of syncro ownership...

Remember that the syncro was designed as an all-weather, all-conditions variant of the Transporter. You don't have to go off-roading in it (it will last far longer) and I'd contest that they were only designed for occasional use on muddy tracks and unmade roads, not the severe treatment they get from some owners these days...

Having said that, they are very competent and will out-perform a standard chassis-built Land Rover in virtually every way both on and off-road; a great all-rounder with civilized road manners and they do make for a great winter troop carrier!

Many a syncro spent the first 10 or 15 years of their lives on road tyres...

[syncrowjoker]

Tell me where it is and i,ll buy it

[syncropaddy]

Syncro values make no sense at all these days and there seems to be no huge difference between a bucket of bolts and an honest runner. Recent history says that a Syncro body with 2wd running gear went on e bay for £1400 (€1700) but a really honest looking car can be had from a dealer in Germany for €5000. I know it 3 x times the price but try and get that £1400 body to the same spec for anything less than the difference in price not to mention the labour.

My multivan is still for sale and you wont need to spend a penny on it

[Peninsulakid]

If you come down to South Wales and meet Lee and Me, you will catch Syncro Fever, it is very infectious.

Check out some of the vids on Campervan Culture. If ever there was an advert for Syncro ownership that is the place to look. Loads of vids on youtube as well.

There is one other bonus.

You can look down on a 2wd owner!!!! Literally

Cheers Rich

[syncropatrick]

Hi Rich,

As you recognise, owning a Syncro is always more expensive than a 2WD T25 - one has all the usual bits that fall off, plus a whole load more. If you're committed to either spending money or doing the work yourself they are even more of a joy to own than the usual Transporters, due to their better road handling, go any where you'd reasonably want to go driveability and higher seating giving a more commanding driver view. They're higher than Range Rovers you know.

There are a few of us Syncros in Brizzle, I know of 5 more within 1.5 miles of my house, some on this forum some not.

If shopping, ask for service history showing maintenance of the 4WD mechanism and take a knowledgable chum along. Mudlark ain't bad and I'm only slightly worse than he is.

The funny talking lot across the bridge in WelshLand go out together more often than Brizzle boys do, but if you're interested tag along to to one of the local days out and see what the fun is.

(You won't be wanting to have back the bits I had off you recently will you? )

regards

Patrick.

BTW, it'll probably not fit in that garage of yours as it'll be too tall.

[..lee..]

@ patrick.

havent you fitted the springs yet. come on pull your finger out there not meant to sit on the shelf.

i also heard that they they automatically return themselves to andreas.


lee.

[syncropatrick]

I ain't forgotten our little deal Lee!

[..lee..]

sent e mail for springs yesterday and will transfer tomorrow so may beat you to it patrick.

[jed the spread]

Listen to you lot, its like sitting in on a pre acceptant AA meeting, You all have a problem


jed

[..lee..]

does that mean we`re in detox jed ???