Hallo aus Großbritannien

[uechtel]

Zitat von DaveyLC

Bitte lassen Sie mich im Voraus entschuldigen für meinen Mangel an deutschsprachigen Fähigkeiten.

So I am going to write this post in English and hope that most members had a better schooling than myself (even though I learned German at school) .

I recently discovered the Viano Fun model which unfortunately is not available in Britain but I really love the idea of having a 'normal' Viano MPV that can be used for camping or as a day-van.

In the UK the Viano is mainly used by Taxi drivers and chauffeurs and there were never any RHD Marco Polo or Fun models so there are very few people with Viano campers or in-fact very few Viano owners on Mercedes forums who know much about this model.

I've signed up on the V-Club because this seems to be the biggest (and best?) forum regarding the Viano/Vito I could find and I'm looking at the possibility of either purchasing a Viano Fun from Germany (and driving it back) as I've seen many for sale on mobile.de or trying to find a breaker who can ship me a grey Leather Viano Fun 3rd row sitzbank/bett but I wouldn't even know where to start looking

Danke für Lesen!

Zitat von DaveyLC

Hi Uli,

I should explain If I were to buy a LHD Viano Fun I would merely be swapping the interior (seats anyway) with my RHD Viano and then I would register the vehicle here then later re-export the LHD Viano from the UK as randomly there is quite a demand for good LHD vehicles in this country.

Obviously sourcing just the rear seats would be simpler but as far as vehicle dismantlers / breakers in Germany go, I wouldn't have a clue who to trust and I have no idea of value - valuing a whole car is much simpler

Zitat von DaveyLC

This one is EXACTLY what I'm looking for:

http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-anzeige/mercedes-benz-viano-fun-2,2-cdi-kompakt/246259712-216-7999?ref=search

The trim matches mine so I'd swap it out then re-export.

Hello Davey and welcome to the forum! You are wrong, it is not the biggest and best forum regarding the Viano - but AFAIK the only one... .b.

Being a happy and proud owner of a Fun model I feel very sorry for you that something like this is obviously not so easy to get in the UK.

Following the link you posted to the Viano on sale I am not quite sure whether you realized, that this is a compact model. Probably the 3rd row "Sitzbank" is interchangeable to the standard "long" model, but to get a proper bed you need also what is called "Bettverlängerung". The "Sitzbank" itself gives you only for about 1.30 m length of bed, so you will want the additional 60 to 70 cm to fill the gap to the rear end of the car. Now I am quite sure that this part, the "Bettverlängerung" is different in the short model than in the "normal" long Viano.

In general, if you only want to buy a whole car just to get a rear "Sitzbank" I think this sounds slightly exaggerated to me. In particular as the original Westfalia "Sitzbank" is not - lets say - the highlight of their product line

To sleep on it I find it quite stiff and also the ridges at the end of the elements are not very comfortable. That is why I am so happy about the full size bed I have in the roof of my car (also because if I want to go to bed I just have to open the roof and not have to pack all the stuff from the rear department to the front seat first).

So if you are looking only for a bed to sleep in an otherwise basically unchanged Viano I think in this forum you can find lots of examples of nice and well made "homebuilt" constructions that to my opinion fit the demand much better and cheaper. Or if you prefer that, you could consider not spend your money for a whole Viano just to get the Sitzbank, but to leave the "ground floor" completely unchanged and instead invest into an upgrade of your Viano with an elevating roof. There are a couple of providers for good solutions like SCA or Reimo and you would get one built in complete with bed, slatted frame and mat for about 5,000 €. Just a suggestion...

Zitat von uechtel

To sleep on it I find it quite stiff and also the ridges at the end of the elements are not very comfortable. That is why I am so happy about the full size bed I have in the roof of my car (also because if I want to go to bed I just have to open the roof and not have to pack all the stuff from the rear department to the front seat first).

I noticed the back shelf was missing, buy my intention is to slide the seats forward up to the captain chairs to give a full length

I also crave a factory solution rather than a DIY one, I have slight Obsessive Compulsive Disorder so if its not perfect I will never be happy

The roof conversion was something I looked into but a Reimo roof is 3,000 Euros in the UK plus fitting and bed.. And my insurance would need to be modified to take into account the extra 'value'..

I WISH WISH WISH the Viano FUN Westfalia was available in the UK

Zitat von uechtel

I don´t think that would be really a satisfying solution for you. Also if you do all this effort I wouldn´t do a half thing and make it without the bed extension.

That are exactly the reasons why I searched for about half a year to find a suitable Fun model for me. If standing room is important for you then you need a push-up roof anyway, which automatically would mean you don´t need to worry about the bed "downstairs" any more!

True, the rear shelf/bed extension would be nice but at the same time that is one component that would be easy to build DIY to a good standard

As I just mentioned I'd love the roof but its seriously expensive and imposes insurance issues.

[uechtel]

Yeah, but if you buy a LHD Viano, transfer it to the UK, exchange the interieur and sell it back to the continent this may also lead to some expenses (insurance, ferry/train fee, loss of value - depending on how good a seller you are). And on the other hand the additional comfort you get in my opinion is only marginal, while a push-up roof gives your car indeed real more value. For example if you look for used Vianos with push-up roofs you will notice, that usual they are exactly 5,000 € more expensive than without. Means the roof is an investment that will not loose its value, while I am sure the additional costs fo insurance may be lass than the gain of comfort.

Zitat von DaveyLC

I noticed the back shelf was missing, buy my intention is to slide the seats forward up to the captain chairs to give a full length

I also crave a factory solution rather than a DIY one, I have slight Obsessive Compulsive Disorder so if its not perfect I will never be happy

Well, then I am not sure whether such a half "factory" solution can really satisfy you. "Factory solutions "do not always fulfill your expectations.

I would merely registered it in the UK, sit on it for a bit then sell it to someone who's leaving the UK to return to the EU

The aftermarket roof would increase the value of the Viano ever so slightly but not as much as the difference would be on a factory built one

[uechtel]

Just as a quick fact check: I did not find any Viano offers with "aftermarket" roofs, but a quick search on mobile.de gives the following overview:

Viano 2.2 from 2004/05, ca. 200,000 km
with push-up roof: ca. 17,000 to 18,000 € (2 offers)
without roof: majority of offers between 9,000 to 12,000 €
Price difference: 5,000 to 8,000 €

Viano 2,2 from 2006, 150,000 km
with roof: 27,000 € (1 offer)
without roof (only long "Fun" models): from 13,500 to 21,900 €
Price difference: 5,000 to 13,000 €

Also just for comparison the same with VW T5 models, as here you have usually a lot of cars with "aftermarket" roofs:

VW T5 Transporter (so no "factory roofs"): 2007 - 2009, 60,000 - 100,000 km, 100 hp:
with roof: 20,000 to 21,000 €
without roof: from 13,000 € to 17,000 €
Price difference: 4,000 to 7,000 €

VW T4 Multivan, 2000 to 2002, over 200,000 km:
with roof: 12,900 to 20,900 €
one offer with Reimo roof: 15,000 €)
without roof: 10,000 to ca. 17,500 €
Price difference: 3,000 to 4,000 €

Fazit: The "Multivan/Fun"-like models (= with roof but without kitchen etc.) are rare to get, which to my experience means, that they tend to keep their value more than the standard models. But of course I don´t know about the specilities of the British market.