Auto-Sleeper Trooper height issue

Hi, we live in Suffolk and the height barriers in some of the costal car parks are 2.0m. We are looking at getting a VW T4 trooper, hopefully 1998ish, but see they are 2.1m high?

Is there any way of getting them below 2.0m high?

Thank you.

we solved this problem by buying a Bilbo Celeste t4 VW. It would go under 6 ft 6" barriers

Fantastic van had it 12 years. Now looking for a Duetto

Thanx, we really like the Trooper though.

Hi Boosboy,
As an ex HGV driver I am aware that most bridge hights give a small clearance over the marked signs, but I am not sure of hight barriers, as you are refering to car parks in your own area I would suggest that you take a trip to some of them with a tape mesure or a lenth of wood of a suitable lenth and see if there is sufficient clearance for the Trooper rather than relying on the notices. 1 inch is a very small amount. By the way is the booz real ale or shorts.

Brian

Thanx Brian, will do that. Our hightop was able to fit in some places that it shouldn't too.

If it helps, I have a T4 Trooper which easily slips into my garage. The maximum height of the entrance is 2090mm, and I reckon it still creeps under this by another couple of centimetres, so 'realistically' my T4 Trooper's max height is around 2.07 metres or thereabouts.

Of course, over the years, the suspension may have sagged a bit (its done 90,000 miles), and if I ever put new springs on I'd very carefully measure it against the garage before driving it in there...! It's running on the standard 15-inch wheels by the way.

One option you may have is getting the suspension lowered a bit, but generally this will only gain you 5 cm or so. Of course you could always consider a T5, which I think is a bit lower, certainly with the 'lowline' roof.

As has been suggested, I think the best option is to 'measure up' any particular car park barriers that you might need to negotiate.

I would have laid money that someone would have suggested to let the tyres down!!

You have all disappointed me!!

PB

Thanx for the height example, good to know.

Good idea about letting the tyres down, did think of that but lots of work :o)

I did wonder on a similar line as whether to fit low profile wheels and tyres, might get me that extra few cm once lowered, but I heard that it may mess up the speedo?

I think we are getting somewhere now, if it's 2.7m and can be lowered 5cm, I just need 2 cm or more, a nice set of alloys might do that?

Any ideas about the speedo issue? I guess with smaller tyres I would just have the speedo saying I'm doing very slightly more Than I am? A good safety measure?

peugeotboxer wrote:I would have laid money that someone would have suggested to let the tyres down!!

You have all disappointed me!!

PB

My OH said it but I thought I'd let someone else say it first.

peugeotboxer wrote:I would have laid money that someone would have suggested to let the tyres down!!

You have all disappointed me!!

PB

Hi PB,

Our Members would never even think a thing like that !!

Brian

peugeotboxer wrote:I would have laid money that someone would have suggested to let the tyres down!!

You have all disappointed me!!

PB

Thats a real silly thing to say, just fit SMALLER WHEELS

Boosboy wrote:I did wonder on a similar line as whether to fit low profile wheels and tyres, might get me that extra few cm once lowered, but I heard that it may mess up the speedo?

I think we are getting somewhere now, if it's 2.7m and can be lowered 5cm, I just need 2 cm or more, a nice set of alloys might do that?

Any ideas about the speedo issue? I guess with smaller tyres I would just have the speedo saying I'm doing very slightly more Than I am? A good safety measure?

It seems to me to be a terribly expensive way of getting into a car park
Would a petrol driven angle grinder not work out cheaper?

Frank

I agree with Boxerman but I dont think the local council would agree.


Brian

Well, I've been looking into smaller wheels and having the speedo re-calibrated, but not sure I need too. From further research it seems the 1.9d is the closest to real speed based on satnavs looking around. My car is nearly 5mph slower, a good safety zone I guess.

Looking at changing to smaller wheels, if I went extreme from 15" to 13", am online calculator said it would make 7.88% difference, ie speedo shows faster than I am actually going, so no need for calibration really.

Will look more into it, of course, fitting bigger wheels has the opposite effect to be aware of that too!!!

A more important result from changing the wheel size will be a change in the gear ratios. I feel that this would be undesirable. Smaller wheels would lower the gear ratios and would make the engine rev higher for a given speed in any gear. Larger wheels would have the reverse effect and would raise the gear ratios. This would mean that a lower gear than before would be needed on hills.

squip

That's an interesting thought, but would that not be based on how you drive? I change gear in my diesel car at 2000rpm, better fuel economy. Would this not be well within the safety zone of the engine?

I guess if people red line a engine all the time, they would anyway?

On motorbikes. We change the sprockets for more acceleration/speed for the occasions and it doesn't cause a huge issue?

I'd like to know more in your thought though as I'm no engineer. Would that also mean that bigger wheels stress the engine due to more power needed to get the car going and keep it going?

Er, when I said 'fit smaller wheels' I hope you realised that I was joking!!

Personally, I wouldn't even consider this, the overall height-difference would be minimal to say the least, I imagine the load-bearing of each wheel will be lower, plus the fact there may well be brake-drum/disc clearance issues, (might even look a bit silly also)

The changing of the gear/diff-ratios, speedo re-calibration would, to me, make the project unworkable.

I agree that we can't all park were we'd like, but we have to make compromises running motorhomes unfortunately.

(mine is now exactly 3m with the sat-dome) so I recon the multi-storey is out

Hi

In 1969 when we returned home from Kenya we bought our first Campervan our beloved 1962 VW Martin Walter Splitty. We had made a couple of trips into Aylesbury which had a new fangled thing called a Multi- Storey carpark , with no thought of height problems. Few weeks later we were planning our trip up to Scotland ,and I put the roof rack on, then decided to pop down to Ayelesbury for a bit of last minute shopping.


Eight fluorescent tubes later, I made a rather sharp and embarassed exit from the Carpark. This was before they had CCTV


Andy

Hi Modelman,

I knew it was all ‘tongue in cheek’ stuff

…………………………..

Hi Andy,

Your secret is safe with me ….. I will PM you a PO Box No, for the Brown Envelope

Brian

I've heard stories like the multistorey before, it is a worry. Seems the modern ones near us are 2.2m, but there is often parking outside, unfortuanatly not always easily accessible if too far away where you want to go.

Maybe will need to save a little longer for a newer lower van but until then, a few walks and pushing wheelchair may be needed, hope the rain stops soon!!!

I have had my t4 Trooper lowered by 100mm, not a great deal but a fair contribution to the overall height. The garage fitted uprated springs and dampers to the rear and dampers to the front. Its still on 15 inch wheels so the ride is still really comfy but it doesn't wallow about as much as before. After 130K the suspension was getting a little tired anyway.

theres no need to recalibrate your speedo just buy a cheap gps unit they are far more accurate and for a few quid more buy the ones with a av in and a reversing camera they are very handy....

hi
we are collecting our Trooper on Monday
we too have the same issue as come over to Europe alot and visit many a time cities and need to use the 2m height car parks often
we just *loved* the trooper tho' ..nothing else came close for us with the 4 sided roof
we have put a call into Air-Ride, much more expensive option than any of the options discussed here; talking to them on monday and would consider it if the Trooper is a 'keeper' for us, we tend to keep caravans in the past, cars, all for many many years
(would love to drive anyones van who has air-ride if anyone offers !) would like to feel the different in ride that it makes, also read about road noise being increased, although having owned land rovers for many years, guess i am used to that !
would be really intereasted how you got on anyhow Boosboy
:-)

aaaah, Andy. Gotcha! Been looking for you for years!

Shantyman, (ex car park attendant).

Only joking!

Just another thought if you fit smaller wheels does that not mean that the vehicle is closer to the ground which might solve the barrier problem, but what about all the underslung equipment?

Speed humps are point in question!

Would it also affect road holding / performance in snow or on wet grass?

And one last thought would you have to notify your insurance as it might be classed as a change to manufacturers specification?

seems like a lot of expense Im with Frank, or just fine some where else to park!

Stuart