WHAT MAKEST THE PERFECT CARP WAGON?
Is size everything, or do you set more store by things like capacity, reliability and fuel economy? Choices, choices...
THERE might be no such thing as the ultimate carp rod or best carp reel, simply because different anglers demand different things from their kit. But when it comes to stuffing all that kit into a vehicle it seems there’s just one choice.
The VW Transporter, which can trace its lineage back to the iconic ‘splitscreen’ van of 1950, is the van of choice for the discerning carper.
Mark Pitchers had a T5 version with Fox Black Label branding (we hear another is on the way), while Rob Hughes has a bright-orange one he’s happy to sleep in. Scott Lloyd drives a gleaming Transporter, and the latest Nash Euro Banx video saw Oli Davies and Alan Blair schlepping across the Continent in one.
Why are carp anglers so drawn to such a utilitarian vehicle? Well, unlike most vans more at home on the building site, the VW, perhaps due to its history, does have an aura of cool about it.
To test this out, we blagged a set of keys to a new T6 version and took it fishing. What we were given, thanks to our friends at Parkers, was a bit of an animal. The seven-speed 204bhp petrol was a far cry from the frugal diesels you normally associate with a fishing wagon, as was the eye-watering £43k price – but we certainly had fun!
Obviously, we can’t imagine many carpers will buy this version, with its fuel economy of roughly 25mpg, but it’s easy to see why the T6 range will find
favour with anglers. Our test vehicle had twin power-assisted sliding doors – perfect for getting tackle in and out of the huge load space – and we also had a rear bench seat (perfect for those non-fishing weekends with the family) that folded and tipped up with ease.
The auto gearbox was a bit fiddly to get to grips with, with the gearselection labels hidden from the driver’s view by the stick itself, but that obviously meant just two pedals so plenty of room to drive in fishing boots.
The biggest problem for a van like this that mixes practicality with a ‘lifestyle image’ is the fact it doesn’t look massively different from the T5 it replaces. Still, if you’re forking out for one of these, it’ll doubtless inherit the sky-high residual values of its predecessors and the VW will remain the coolest van in the car park.