David Clapson
Well-Known Member
Haven't given up on the trousers yet...they are currently disassembled, waiting to be remade.
Who lives in a van? Or wants to?
- Thread starter David Clapson
- Start date
mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
Thanks - sounds good.
Sadly, I haven't actually got a van. I keep dithering.
Old VWs are too polluting, newer ones too expensive.
I gave up on the idea of a Bongo, after seeing too many tales of woe on various FB groups.
That leaves the option of a MWB high roof Transit type van either a Euro4 converted or a newer one that hasn't been converted.
Mrs mx is not a fan of the idea of a big white van in the drive though.
Boudicca
Seaside Queen
I just sold one of my two awnings to a bloke who has bought a beautiful new Alphard conversion from a company in Poole, probably Imperial Leisure.
I'm not saying you should buy a posh conversion, but the Alphard might be a way to convert Mrs mx to the notion of a van. They are very classy.
David Clapson
Well-Known Member
How about a Mercedes V class on the drive? Very cheap when imported from Japan. Nearly all petrol, and ULEZ compliant.
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
gaijingirl
Well-Known Member
What a lovely and very tempting offer. Thank you!
Johnny Doe
Well-Known Member
I might be renting this to take the wife and kids away for a weekend. No experience whatsoever, what do I need to know?
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Backswing.
If you are manoeuvring at slow speed, be very careful how tightly you steer - with little forward movement but lots of turning, the back will swing out, and potentially clobber whatever you are parked next to.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Don't take it through the drive through at KFC.
Johnny Doe
Well-Known Member
No experience of campervans, but I've driven HGVs though I've let my licence expire
existentialist
Tired and unemotional
Oh, fair enough!
Johnny Doe
Well-Known Member
Oh, fair enough!
Nah, appreciate the reminder, it's about 7 years since I've driven anything bigger than a Nissan Navara
Boudicca
Seaside Queen
bmd
Island in the stream.
LWB Merc or similar, as long and as tall as possible whilst still maintaining a van-like shape. So not a Luton although I'd be happy to be convinced otherwise. I was thinking of a space in a campsite or similar. There's loads around here. I could then cycle to work.
You're exactly the kind of person I was hoping to talk to, Boudicca.
You're exactly the kind of person I was hoping to talk to, Boudicca.
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Boudicca
Seaside Queen
Woah, there are others on the thread who know much more than me. I've just had a lot of time to waste on the intenet recently.LWB Merc or similar, as long and as tall as possible whilst still maintaining a van-like shape. So not a Luton although I'd be happy to be convinced otherwise. I was thinking of a space in a campsite or similar. There's loads around here. I could then cycle to work.
You're exactly the kind of person I was hoping to talk to, Boudicca.
The market has been going a bit mad this spring as everyone now wants one. So the choice is between a really lovely looking rustic looking van wth 250,000 miles on the clock, or a half decent van which you need to either get converted or convert yourself. All options overpriced at the moment. The converters are all really really busy, so that leaves converting it yourself by following the Greg Virgoe youtube videos.
bmd
Island in the stream.
I will be converting myself (erm...) and learning all the things along the way, which is why are exactly whom I need. You have access to info, you are the Signpost. No pressure. None. At all. Honest, Signpost.
bellaozzydog
rolling turds in glitter
this, my neighbour recently trashed my car going round the corner
apart from that. Definitely don’t check your mirrors, like all the camper drivers round here
be careful with the interior and kids. The fixtures and fittings can be a bit flaky/weak/wobbly and damage easily with a good pull in the wrong direction
pack everything off the surfaces as you go along so if you need to drive off it’s not a big chore making everything secure
find the annoying rattles and stop them with tea towels
sometimes worth dosing the kids with travel sickness pills (if they are susceptible) as it’s a slightly different ride than a car
enjoy
Boudicca
Seaside Queen
£15k will get you a decent LWB Sprinter, but isn't enough for a Euro6/Ulez compliant engine which you could drive in London. Budget another £10k to convert, more if you want fancy stuff. Just jump on Autotrader and Marketplace and see what's out there. You won't get a bargain at this time of year but you'll have a van and be moving forward, which is probably a better thing than waiting for the prices to go back down.
David Clapson
Well-Known Member
I know nothing, but your first decision should be about emissions. Most used vans in the UK are pre-2014 diesel and therefore not ULEZ compliant. Not an issue if you're not planning to drive in London, but if you want your van to last for 10 years you might find many more cities in the UK and Europe will bring in similarly painful charges. Post 2014 diesels cost a fortune. Petrol vans are rare and thirsty, but they are ULEZ compliant from 2006 onwards, and you have the option of getting them converted to LPG. Pre 2014 diesels are cheap because Londoners are flogging them off to rural folk.
mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
You're not kidding.
Half the vans I've enquired about have gone within a couple of days. I test drove a converted transit a couple of weeks ago - it looked good enough, but I couldn't persuade it to go any faster than 50, which is no good for long motorway trips. They sold it to the next buyer that came along.
I'm off to see a Transporter this evening - he's got 5 viewings booked after 2 days on ebay - his price is a bit low, and if I like it I can see myself offering more than he's asking just to get it.
If I can't sort something soon, I'm giving up and buying a car and better camping gear.
But I'm not looking for a live-in van. Just something for festivals that can double up as a car. If you are going for an older one, with higher mileage, I'd probably stick to a Mercedes Sprinter, but the Fiat version is popular with conversions, as it's a bit wider - you can put a bed across at the back, which you can't in a Sprinter (unless you are short). Internal dimensions are important - they can be found on the internet.
David Clapson
Well-Known Member
Petrol Merc V series are cheap if you get them at an auction in Japan. Which is quite a considerable faff, but there are dealers who bring them in and add a not unreasonable profit margin. See my post #287 above for a 10 grand example.
Boudicca
Seaside Queen
Have you looked at the Berlingo? The best thing is it is economical on fuel, unlike most vans. I've given up waiting for my cabinet maker friend to make me bespoke furniture and have ordered a boot jump from RED campers. I have rejected their offer of wafer thin cushions in boring colours and am making my own. More later.
mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
It's the height. I need something I can stand up in, and don't want to mess around trying to get a pop top fitted.
Johnny Doe
Well-Known Member
Crikey! It's not hard to spend hours looking at campervans/motorhomes is it? I've never even been in one and I'm sizing up 6-berthers!
ddraig
kicking against the pricks...
Tell me about it, as mentioned the good ones go too quick, and the shit ones are of course shiiiitCrikey! It's not hard to spend hours looking at campervans/motorhomes is it? I've never even been in one and I'm sizing up 6-berthers!
Have been looking for a long time now
mx wcfc
Well-Known Member
me too. Main problem is I keep changing my mind. I was going to get a Transit/sprinter type converted van, realised I couldn't afford anything that was built this century, then I was looking at unconverted panel vans (I've got pages of planned layouts etc), then I realised I really needed something that could double as a car, so went of on a Bongo tangent, before deciding just to get a newer, biggish MPV type car and improving my camping gear, before getting miserable and mrs mx told me to get a van, so now I'm looking at pop top Transporters. I'm trying to stick to 2006 (Euro4) or later, which is making things harder and more expensive. But yep, anything half decent goes really quickly.
I'm resigned to getting a Zafira again if this weekend's viewings don't work out. 10 weeks till the first planned festival!
Johnny Doe
Well-Known Member
The one I posted up thread is £405 for two days including cleaning charges and insurance. I started doing the maths on buying one for my family, and renting it out to help with the cost....
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