Trident , Topaz and Trophy

Can anyone explain the reason why the VW Trident seem to be a lot more widely available and cheaper than the Topaz and Trophy.

I had narrowed down our search to the Topaz / Trophy as the layout is good for us and also the toilet / shower area but I am having difficulty finding one at the right price as my budget is very low....under £10K.

The Trident seems to be a lot more widely available and cheaper in price.  Is this just due to the fact that it only has the one seat at the back and no separate toilet area?

My main concern is reliability.

Also I have found quite a few on ebay but would prefer to buy from a dealer however not many seem to sell at this price range.  I have tried Spinney, Marquis and Campbells......can anyone recommend any other dealers to try in the North West area.  I don't mind travelling for the right van.

Thanks

Motorlands of Preston seem to deal in the lower price-bracket ..(£5k to 25k) but none of the models you are interested in at the moment...

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if Kidderminster is not too far out, Knights of Kidderminster have a huge range from £3k to 30k and have a Trophy at 11950


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if you click on 'recently sold' at the bottom of the page you will get a better idea of what prices they sell for.

don't forget the Talent, may not have a washroom but does have a toilet

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and found this one at Stewart Longton, don't know what model it is but has cassette toilet...

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Hello Wanderlust
Trophies were only made in 1994/5 so I understand, so there aren't as many of them about. Swift brought out a LWB version in direct competition so AS responded with the Topaz. I don't know how long these were made for. We bought our Trophy a few weeks ago - I haven't seen any under 10k; despite their age, they hold their price well. 
Good luck with the search.

Sonja

thanks for the list of garages Paulmold

Sonja....thanks for the info....have you been pleased with the Trophy....would appreciate any info on good or bad points from your experience

The  Trophy was  from 1991 on the VW  short wheel base T4, the  shower /toilet was an added on pod, when VW made the T4 with the LWB then Auto-sleeper used that and called it Topaz, the first one I looked at was near Swansea, a Trophy, suppose to be a 1996, more like  1991, over 4 hours drive from me, she wanted £8,000 cash, which I took with me, it was a rust bucket, needed thousands spending on lt, doubt whether it would be any good even then, I looked at several others, found mine on the Caravan Club Classifies, a private sale, it is as new, but I had to more than double what I was going to spend, I am sure there is one out there for you, just be careful, and go armed with all the information that you can get, then you will know what you are looking at, VW Auto-sleepers hold their price well, my insurance company told me I will get the price that  I paid for it back in 3 years, in fact I cannot find one the same year for the price that I paid. they are an investment, there are  not many vehicles that you can say that about.

Good luck, and I hope you find one soon that you are happy with, it you can run to it, the 2.5tdi is the better engine, the 2.4 is a bit hard going up hills, but will go all day.

Forgot to say, Auto-sleeper are still making the Topaz on the VW T5  £57, 000 new, there are quite a few Topaz `s about middle 1990`S

They have everything in them that a larger Motor home has, parks in normal supermarket parking bays,can go down narrow lanes,  it`s a win win situation really.

Agree about the Topaz, well I would wouldn't I.
You could try Todds in Preston, we got ours from there and they had two Topaz vans when we bought, one older.  It's a case of keep trying as their stock changes.

Well, we haven't traveled extensively in it yet as only had it a few weeks. We had a problem with the hot water not running but took it back to the dealer who sorted it out straight away. Ours is 2.4 engine and as mentioned, slows down a bit on hills, but it drives far better than I thought a van of this weight would (just over 2 tons unladen). We travel with 2 adults, 1 older teenager and 1 dog and use a driveaway awning to sleep the third person and dog. Setting the double bed up the first time was interesting as there were no instructions but it was quicker after that. 

Storage space is often an issue but when you're travelling 3 + dog, its' even more so - especially for bulkier things like the bedding (which wouldn't all fit in the overhead locker) and the awning (which traveled on the floor in the van but we could attach it to the bike rack on the back). Our 3 outdoor chairs travel in the cupboard in the washroom along with the 2 loose cushion fillers for the bed. I think this is supposed to be a wardrobe as it has a rail in it - not a chance for us!

There are two seatbelted seats behind the two front ones - one sideways and the other forwards by the side door. The only niggle so far is our teenager complains of neck ache on longer journeys as the back is quite short and no headrest like the front seats. I think we'll be able to get round this by using some of the extra bedding behind the seat, or a neck pillow.  We haven't used the shower yet but the toilet has proved to be invaluable, more so whilst en-route rather than on a camp site.

If you only have to travel two, which is really what they are designed for, much of the above won't be a problem. But if you like lots of floor space, you might feel a bit cramped. There's a tow bar on ours and I can appreciate why - a small trailer could stow awning and outdoor stuff, though we don't plan to do this.
 
We're completely new to this but our first successful stay-away definitely gave us the enthusiasm to do more. Were not ready to do wild camping yet - I doubt we could pack enough teenage food - but conversely we've used it for local journeys when the car has been in the garage for work.

Hi wanderlust

We Have a VW Talent it's based on the swb T4 it has 2 single beds or 1 double and a Thetford cassette loo at the rear.

It's a 2 litre petrol and returns 25 mpg, very reliable.

Again, like the Trophy it wasn't in production for long ours is a 1996 P reg.

Good luck

Chalky.

Sonja wrote:Well, we haven't traveled extensively in it yet as only had it a few weeks. We had a problem with the hot water not running but took it back to the dealer who sorted it out straight away. Ours is 2.4 engine and as mentioned, slows down a bit on hills, but it drives far better than I thought a van of this weight would (just over 2 tons unladen). We travel with 2 adults, 1 older teenager and 1 dog and use a driveaway awning to sleep the third person and dog. Setting the double bed up the first time was interesting as there were no instructions but it was quicker after that. 

Storage space is often an issue but when you're travelling 3 + dog, its' even more so - especially for bulkier things like the bedding (which wouldn't all fit in the overhead locker) and the awning (which traveled on the floor in the van but we could attach it to the bike rack on the back). Our 3 outdoor chairs travel in the cupboard in the washroom along with the 2 loose cushion fillers for the bed. I think this is supposed to be a wardrobe as it has a rail in it - not a chance for us!

There are two seatbelted seats behind the two front ones - one sideways and the other forwards by the side door. The only niggle so far is our teenager complains of neck ache on longer journeys as the back is quite short and no headrest like the front seats. I think we'll be able to get round this by using some of the extra bedding behind the seat, or a neck pillow.  We haven't used the shower yet but the toilet has proved to be invaluable, more so whilst en-route rather than on a camp site.

If you only have to travel two, which is really what they are designed for, much of the above won't be a problem. But if you like lots of floor space, you might feel a bit cramped. There's a tow bar on ours and I can appreciate why - a small trailer could stow awning and outdoor stuff, though we don't plan to do this.
 
We're completely new to this but our first successful stay-away definitely gave us the enthusiasm to do more. Were not ready to do wild camping yet - I doubt we could pack enough teenage food - but conversely we've used it for local journeys when the car has been in the garage for work.

Hi Sonja
Please be aware of the seat belts that are in the back. Although it is not illegal insurance firms are very funny about side facing seats. There is a lot about it on this thread. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].  
I got my Trident because it had two forward facing seats in the back. Before I had a Trafic with a bench seat. When I changed vans I made sure that I had forward facing seats in the back. (Well it's a rock and roll bed )

wanderlust wrote:Can anyone explain the reason why the VW Trident seem to be a lot more widely available and cheaper than the Topaz and Trophy.

Wanderlust
The Topaz was built on the LWB T4 (amd still is on LWB T5).
The Trophy was built on the SWB T4 but had an extension pod crafted on the back.
Both were a lot more expensive (Approx £3K) more than the Trident when new.
Both have hot water and shower/ bathroom facility (additional to T4 Trident)
Trident was built on SWB

The T4 trident was probably more popular as it was cheaper and a nautural development of the T3 (T25) Trident from A/S. Traditionally in the early 1990s most vans were of the Trident layout. The Topaz was seen as a bit of a step away from the expected, but it is a cleaver little van.

You wil find very few Trophies around and the T4 LWB soon became available from VW and the Topaz replaced it.

The last T4 Topaz was made in 2004. 

Regards
John

Hi 
If you can find one buy a Trophy, I have one drives like a dream, first registered 1995 had no problems with it at  all except for the fan belt and tyres
mike 
vwt4

There is a trophy for under £9000, here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]# do not know whether this will work, if not you have the site , scroll down and you should find it.  Hope this helps.

Hi,

I know that you are looking at the trophy/topaz for the layout, toilet etc, but can I say when I started looking for mine I had the same thoughts, that it would be good to have the facilities, but since buying our Trident  I must say that we haven't looked back.  We go to sites with facilities, but also stay on sites or locations without facilities and really do manage quite well with the porta loo and strip washes So dont be put off the Trident if it is the only one you can find, I also like the space in front of the rock n roll bed.  Ours is also the 2.4 and as others have said they are a bit sluggish on the hills, but hey whats the rush I thinks its great to plod along and relax.

Hope you find one soon

Tony

The difference between the three vans and hence their prices:
Trident - conventional PVC easy to use van no bathroom and toilet (uses a portapotti stored in a cupboard)
Trophy - as above but with pop top roof. With the van being lower enable access to where other van cant reach.
Trophy - fully equipped PVC with bathroom and some/most a bit longer than the above - hence the dearer prices for the Trophy over its stable mates

The Trident has been made for years on 3 different VW chassis affords easy everyday transport like a big car as well and they are the most popular
My choice, save up for a Trophy every day

I love my Trident and am still learning about it. The rock and roll bed is wide and long. Far better than the bench bed. I even had both grandkids with me in it one night when it went down to minus something at night and the one in the top bed said they were cold. 

Just to add to the comments that have already been made - the Trident is a superb and really well thought out vehicle.

• The hi-top means you have SOOO much more storage than the pop tops - we couldn't manage without it
  
• The porta potti is great for emergencies - it takes up so little space - but we tend to look for sites with facilities
  
• Got a kettle for hot water
  
• The rock and roll bed is so easy to put out and and put away (we used to borrow a Duetto - pain in the bum in comparison)
  
• The short wheel base is no longer than a normal car - we use 'Sophie' as our second car
  
• The 2.4 is a great engine - never going to set the world on fire but not under powered and will chug along all day (i thing i would avoid the 1.9 though!) - we get 35-40mpg in chugging mode  
  

We love her - and having looked at the other VW based motor homes (both before and after buying Sophie) i am convinced we made the right chice.

But - horses for courses - she is right for US - might not suit everone.

HTH
Steve & Maria

Thanks for all the help...much appreciated.

I am convinced after doing my own research and all the replies on here that we are doing the right thing.  My husband was diagnosed earlier this yr with a terminal illness.  We have caravaned for years but I'm not sure we can cope with towing, manoevering etc. anymore.  Also the caravan is in storage which has always been a nuisance right from the word go.  At our old house it was so much easier it being on the drive .

I am selling the caravan...although it is going to be a massive wrench.  The camper though can sit on the drive and will be great for days out as well as odd nights or weekends away.  I am afraid it may be more cramped but if we organise it right then it should work out and with days out if he gets tired theres somewhere to lie down for a bit...which isn't so good in a car.

So I think we're doing the right thing.

I am going to try and get the one with the loo.....Topaz or Trophy.  If I can't find one then the Trident will come in close second....just a bit concerned about having to use the porta potti whereas a loo is easier to access and use for someone with not much strength.  However the bed in the trident sounds a lot easier to fix up....which I hadn't thought about before.

Just three more questions

1. in the Trident does the seat at the back move back and forth along runners or is it always fixed right at the back of the van.

2. Does anyone know the latest registration for the Topaz and Trophy on the T4 base vehicle...so I can look for something as new as possible

3. We will be buying quite an old vehicle in our price range...less than £10K.  Are these vehicles quite sound and reliable even at this age as this is one of our main worries.

Thanks for your help

wanderlust wrote:1. in the Trident does the seat at the back move back and forth along runners or is it always fixed right at the back of the van.

I can answer that one!

The rear seat is fixed - it just folds flat for the bed. Hard to explain - if you get the opportunity have a look at one.

I understand your concern with buyng an old vehicle. Inevitable you will get good and bad ones. COndition is everything.

So if possible, dont buy the first one you see. Take someone with you who knows cars. I think generally it doesnt take long to tell if the vehicle has been cherished or abused...

Steve

The last Topaz was a 2004/2005 but there are over £23,000, the Trophy I believe the last one to be 1995, I did find 2 last night on E-bay,there was one on the CC classifies, best thing to do is keep looking, I searched  high and low for months, I am now on the lookout for a Clubman or Gatcombe , I love my Topaz, but I want to go one bigger, but there are as rare as hen`s teeth like the Topaz was when I was looking for one. Have you looked on the Caravan Club classifies that is where I saw the one I have now. Regarding the toilet issue, I wanted the proper toilet compartment, and I find it is great in the Topaz, same as the trophy in size I would imagine, ,potty in a cupboard doesn`t go down well with me, you have to shut the blinds/curtains, before using and they are so low, so think in your situation a proper toilet would be better and easier for you. handy on route to a site as well.

Good luck.

Margaret

hi my Trophy is an M reg 1995 I think there may be an N reg but too sure, as I said mine is a M reg and has no rust at all (not yet anyway) the engine is a 5 cylinder 2.5 ltr petrol  not sure how many miles to the gallon but somewhere around 30mpg and runs like a dream as do all vw engines, had one fan belt, timing belt changed at 40,000 and rear springs replaced as a pair as one had broken not too bad for an  18yr old vehicle, and of course the tyres.
the toilet section is more than adequate for your needs and the shower is not too bad either,blown air heating, hot/cold water, two burner hob with oven under, a reasonable amount of storage space with cupboards down either side at eye level, although it has to be said they are rather small, plenty of cupboards underneath with a passable wardrobe in toilet section.
all in all a very good camper van for two, would not be without ours
mike
vwt4 

I can understand how you feel, life has many chapters and that is another one that has ended, but blue skies beckon, another adventure will be starting soon, so look ahead to new adventures, I think there will more of them as it is so much easier  in  A MH, I would like hubby to sell the caravan, and get a bigger motor home, instead, but it`s a no at the moment, but then I do have mine, although that it is not  feasible with the 2 of  us and 3 dogs, it is great for me and my dog to visit family and friends around the country, as that is why I bought it in the first place.  So chin up and press on.

Hope you have a good holiday, will look forward to hearing about your new acquisition soon.

I'm sure you will find you made the right decision.  One of the joys of the campervan is you can have it loaded up ready (we do ours when we are clearing out at the end of the trip) for when the weather and the opportunity arises.  Or you can just go out for the day, park up and get the kettle on.  We use a 4 pint milk container full of water.
It does take a while getting used to it as space is limited but a couple of trips down the line and you will have things sorted.  When we bought ours (our first) last September I was keener on the idea than Mr B but now he loves it and we can't wait for our next trip away in 2 weeks.

Wanderlust,

Just come onto Ebay.......


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