The vehicle
First generation: unveiled at the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show and dated by the accessory trade from 2013 to late 2023, with a facelift in 2017. L1 is 4,973 mm and L2 5,340 mm; H1 is 2,000 mm and H2 2,366 mm unladen. All four length-and-height combinations were sold.
Second generation, internally V710: unveiled September 2022, production from 2023, and dated by the trade from December 2023. Longer — L1 5,050 mm and L2 5,450 mm — and low roof only in the panel van range, a height Ford markets as deliberately under two metres. New semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension, repositioned front wheels and strut towers, shorter front overhang.
Both generations offered twin barn doors or a tailgate. Note that the first-generation high roof was not offered with a tailgate.
A high-roof Transit Custom Nugget was revealed in 2025, so a taller second-generation body now exists in some form. Whether a second-generation high-roof panel van is on sale in the UK we have not confirmed, so we are not listing one.
What we fit and why
Both generations mount to factory fixed points, not gutters or clamps — but the vehicle-specific kits differ. A first-generation van takes Thule Evo Fixpoint kit 7037; a second-generation van takes 7194. The foot pack is the same. Given the generations are one year apart on the registration and the vans look similar, this is the single most likely thing to be ordered wrong for this vehicle, which is why we list it by generation and not by name.
On 2015-on first-generation vans the starter battery is under the driver's seat, and split-charge kits are sold on exactly that basis. The alternator is a smart, variable-voltage unit, so a conventional voltage-sensing relay is not appropriate — a battery-to-battery charger is. Stop-start vans may use AGM batteries that need registering with the battery management system after replacement. We have not been able to confirm the battery location on the second generation, so we will not carry the under-seat claim across to it.
Body-mounted rail or a bar-mounted awning, depending on the van and the generation. The second generation's lower roof line changes what clears a drive-away awning.
Second-generation electric and plug-in hybrid vans offer Pro Power Onboard at up to 2.3 kW, which does the job an inverter would and may make one unnecessary.
The Transporter Volkswagen has sold since April 2025 is a rebadged second-generation Transit Custom: the same Ford Pro platform, the same wheelbases of 3,100 and 3,500 mm, the same overall lengths of 5,050 and 5,450 mm, built alongside it by Ford Otosan.
That makes second-generation Transit Custom parts the obvious starting point. It does not make them confirmed. No accessory brand we could find states that generation-2 Transit Custom roof kits are approved for the VW-badged van, and roof fixings are exactly the detail manufacturers differentiate. We will list it when someone publishes the fitment, and not before.
Fitment
Table 1 — Fitment summary
| Generation 1 | 2013 to late 2023. L1 4,973 mm, L2 5,340 mm; H1 2,000 mm, H2 2,366 mm |
|---|---|
| Generation 2 | From December 2023. L1 5,050 mm, L2 5,450 mm; low roof only in the panel van range |
| Roof bar interface | Factory fixed points, both generations |
| Fitting kit | Generation 1: Thule Evo Fixpoint 7037. Generation 2: 7194. Not interchangeable. Foot pack is common |
| Roof load | We could find no Ford-published figure. Every accessory brand defers to the handbook — check yours |
| Rear doors | Twin barn doors or tailgate, both generations. No high-roof tailgate on generation 1 |
| Battery | Generation 1, 2015-on: under the driver's seat. Generation 2: unconfirmed, do not assume |
| Split charging | Battery-to-battery charger. Voltage-sensing relay unsuitable |
Every figure here comes from a manufacturer price list, a manufacturer brochure or an accessory brand's own fitment data. Where a figure could not be sourced, the row says so rather than carrying a number across from a similar vehicle. Roof loads are vehicle limits, not bar ratings, and the vehicle limit always governs — check your own handbook before loading a roof.
Opening October 2026
One email when the shop opens. Say which van you have and we will tell you what we hold for it.