The vehicle
Built from 2003 to 2015, with a substantial facelift in 2009/2010 that the trade calls the T5.1. Two wheelbases, three roof heights.
The short wheelbase is 3,000 mm and the long 3,400 mm — 400 mm apart, which is the difference between a bed across the van and a bed along it.
One warning that matters more on this van than any other: T5s are very commonly given a cosmetic facelift to look like a T6 or T6.1. Front-end and dashboard parts are generation-specific even though the roof and body are not, so identify the van by its V5 or VIN, never by the face.
What we fit and why
The starter battery sits under the driver's seat, and that same seat base is where a leisure battery and a charger go. The catch is the alternator: BlueMotion T5s have a smart, variable-voltage alternator and need a battery-to-battery charger, not a voltage-sensing split-charge relay. Earlier non-BlueMotion vans are conventionally charged. This has to be checked per vehicle — we could not find a clean model-year split, and we are not going to invent one.
Factory fixing points sit in the roof gully under small plastic plugs. Take the plugs out with an Allen key, bolt the feet straight in, no drilling. Where the van has factory roof rails instead, those are a T-profile track and take sliding fittings. Because this interface is shared across 2003–2024, the bar and rack market for it is the deepest and cheapest of any van we cover.
A standard Transporter has no factory awning rail — it was an option. The usual answer is an aftermarket C-channel rail, and that is doubly true on a van with an elevating roof, where the rail has to sit under the pop-top.
A 2003–2015 panel van is sparse on 12V outlets. Interior, awning and load-area lighting is almost always a new circuit rather than a plug-in.
Fitment
Table 1 — Fitment summary
| Years | 2003 to 2015; facelift 2009/2010, known as the T5.1 |
|---|---|
| Wheelbases | 3,000 mm short, 3,400 mm long |
| Roof heights | Three offered; the standard low roof is the volume UK specification |
| Roof bar interface | Factory fixing points in the roof gully under plugs. T-profile track where factory rails are fitted |
| Roof load | Refer to the vehicle handbook. We have a published VW figure for the T6 family but not for the T5, so we will not quote one here |
| Rear doors | Barn doors or tailgate, depending on how the van was ordered. Check the vehicle — we could not source a T5 standard-versus-optional split |
| Battery | Under the driver's seat |
| Split charging | Battery-to-battery charger required on BlueMotion. Check the alternator type on others |
| Fitment family | Shares its roof interface with the T6 and T6.1, so 2003 to 2024 is one family for roof carriers |
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.