OEM sunroof - recommendations?

[profanegardener]

Hello fellow vanophiles,

I'm a couple of days off ordering a new Multivan and the only sticking point is whether or not to go with the factory sunroof. Has anyone got pics of it? I can't find any on the brochure. Is there any advantage of the OEM sunroof over an aftermarket one?


Cheers,

Tim

[mikinoz]

If you want one, simply order it from the factory. It will integrate with the electrics better including if you modify some settings the ability to close if it rains.

It is not very big, the same size as a Golf which is a downside.

[Tombi]

Hi Tim
I have the factory sunroof in my 09 T5, which I didn't neccassarily want at the time. Mikinoz is right, they are small, but something I use a lot now and dead sexy.I don't have any pic's ATM but I will take a couple today if possible. The OEM job tilts and also fully retracts into the hood lining. Control is on the cabin interior light pod. Not bad kit at all. I think from memory they are around $1800.00
Flick your email onto me and I will get you some pic's
Tombi

[entice]

1. integration
2. designed for that sp[ecific application and engineered for it to that application
3. resale
4. WARANTY

[profanegardener]

Hey chaps.

Thanks for the input. I thought it might have been a bigger unit, but at the dealer today I saw a similar one on some of the smaller cars. Had good memories of Dad's old '84 Tarago with the big moonroof and thought it might have been similar, but there are all the air-con vents in the way. Probably won't bother if it's only one of the smaller ones...

Cheers,

Tim

[Sunny43.5]

Okay guys here is where I shoot down some myths , I have spent the last 30 odd years installing sunroofs into virtually every make car van you can think of , Lamborghini Contach [I thinks thats how its spelt] Bentley 2 door plus thousands of other cars even some models that have not had aftermarket sunroofs fitted anywhere else in the world . We were the first one,s in the world to fit aftermarket fully built in tilting and sliding sunroofs into the T5,s from day one here in Australia the poor Europeans are just not as adventurous as we are . My own two T5,s have sunroofs in them as does my sons T4 , electrics are a no brainer we even have a model with rain sensor to close the roof if you want to leave it open . Personally I would not fit a rain sensor as to leave your roof open no matter what is to invite some low life to try and steal something or the whole van . !!!! [Personal opinion] . And naturally if dealers do not have the model colour etc in stock with a sunroof you are going to wait an eternity for delivery if some of the other stories I have read on this forum are correct 8 months for one member . The air vents do pose some problems but we endeavour to relocate and refit them into a newer location . I do have photos of an install were we did this exact thing . Howard [PS we are in Qld so unless your local I can,t help ]

[Cousin]

Sounds like you're pretty good Howard
But what are the myths?


M

[brasstinman]

When we ordered our T5 we thought about the sunroof but looked at how small it was and the cost and decided not to get it. Plus it would have pushed the sale into the luxury car tax bracket which we didn't want.
I can't say I miss not getting one. If it was a moon roof similar to the Tiguan I'd have probably gotten it.

[Sunny43.5]

Sounds like you're pretty good Howard
But what are the myths?


M

Without starting a war as happened about two years ago when I made a comment about aftermarket sunroofs on this very forum in the Golf GTI section . I suppose the word 'myth' I used was what got the me into trouble . There was one person who over about two pages continuously attacked me on every single aspect of an aftermarket sunroof installation . I eventually gave up as the person was not even trying to be open minded he was just against me personally putting an aftermarket sunroof in a car . He kept saying that there was no way an aftermarket sunroof would be as good as a factory one even after I had given him all the technical information we use in the process . And what really p***d me off was he did not have the decency to admit or not whether his precious Golf had had a single aftermarket thing done to it . Here is my T5 [/IMG]

[rob64981]

We were the first one,s in the world to fit aftermarket fully built in tilting and sliding sunroofs into the T5,s from day one here in Australia the poor Europeans are just not as adventurous as we are.

Howard,

I might be wrong but the T5 Caravelles and Multivans that have had sun roofs in Europe came with the tilt and slide sun roofs.

It was only the Transporter van that came with a pop up or tilt glass panel.

Please feel free to prove me wrong as I have had a look and my info is correct from what I can see.

Cheers Rob

[Sunny43.5]

Hi Rob I am referring to "aftermarket" fitted sunroofs , yes in Europe you would find a lot more sunroofs in all makes of cars , the numbers quoted a few years ago was Europe around 35% of all cars sold have a sunroof installed Australia around 5 % . As I said we were the first ones to fit a fully built in style" aftermarket" sunroof to T5,s even though the T5 was released in Europe before we had them here my sunroof was the first of its type fitted to a T5 anywhere The Europeans are very reserved in doing installs as here in Australia we have done so many installations that have not been attempted in Europe or for that matter any where else at all . Our technical installation site in Europe sometimes use the data we collate for release in other countries where they havent done a particular model . The only factory sunroofs that I have seen on T5,s here in Australia have been external sliding but I will admit there could be fully internal sliding with tilt function sunroofs now available that I have not seen . I dont tend to lurk around dealerships too often unless I am asked to do a model car I havent done before and this applies to VW,s as well.

[mikinoz]

So out of interest, a ball park figure on a T5 sunroof would be comparable or cheaper than OEM?

[Sunny43.5]

Depends on what model T5 ie Transporter or Comfortline as the internal air ducts etc on the upspec models can make the install a longer process . As is the normal case an aftermarket fully built in style roof can vary between $2350 to $2500 fitted as opposed to factory online fitted around $1800 . Our work we get is mainly due to the fact that Aussie car importers dont tend to keep many of the top spec models in the country as the costs of models with sunroofs are likely to push a car into the luxury tax bracket . Also our work comes from dealers who know that once a car has left the factory it cannot go back and have a sunroof fitted , thats were we come in as we can usually fit a sunroof on the same day at a dealer , this then saves a customer who wants his car sooner rather than later . As long as they understand that they can get an aftermarket sunroof fitted quicker than waiting for one from the factory with a 3 year warranty this helps our business .

[Tombi]

It's been some time since I last posted pic's, so hopefully this link to Photobucket has some pic's of my '09 Transporter and factory sunroof.

Fingers crossed.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/s443/Tombi2/

[Sunny43.5]

Hi Tombi yes that looks like an internal sliding sunroof same operation as our afermarket ones , if I am not mistaken the first series T5,s only had an external sliding roof so it shows how I have not kept up with all the changes . But you can be certain one day soon I will get a call from an owner to fix a problem that will most likely occur as I cannot think of any make of car right around the world that doesn,t eventually develop some problem due to a design flaw . The main problem is that most issues occur after the car is out of warranty thats were I get most of my repair work from , classic case is the BMW X5 has a notorious problem with the double panel "Panorama " sunroof , these frequently have a problem where the rear glass panel stays open when it should be closed . BMW,s reccomended fix $6500 my fix $160 just goes to show the ineptitued of service departments . Howard