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Buying a camper / live-in van

ahh :)

So it's about what license you need to drive what size of vehicle and when you passed your test.

And then there's the insurance....!
 
Oooh, if you can get limited mileage insurance, that brings the premium down loads (d you know about that Stig?).

If you tell the insurers you'll only drive less than 5000 miles in year you pay loads less. I'd really struggle to drive that amount anyway! We only use our van once a month or so (but loads in the summer for festies/camping).
 
...but don't forget to check the small print - incredibly, some insurers don't cover the vehicle if it's away from home overnight!!
Also make sure you get insurance for the contents - home insurance doesn't always cover your stuff when it's in your van.
 
han said:
ahh :)

So it's about what license you need to drive what size of vehicle and when you passed your test.

And then there's the insurance....!
Click to expand...

i've allways found CIS to be the cheapest and friendliest and all that ,
they do breakdown recovery cover as well ,
which dos n't seem to have any weight limits either ... :)
 
Nice site, Andy! Love your account of doing a vehicle conversion :)

So, you're using pure veg oil as fuel (mixed with a bit of diesel) without having converted your engine first? I didn't know that was possible.....

I thought it was either biodiesel (no conversion) or veg oil (with conversion).....

Fantastic that you're going the carbon-neutral fuels route... :)
 
Stig said:
Don't worry, I would definitely get a diesel. That's my main criteria!

but Shhhhhhh William, I haven't even passed my bloody driving test yet! Another one coming up soonish, fingers crossed etc.

I want something diesel I can run on crisp&dry, which is enormous but yet uncannily just under 3.5 tons, with windows already in it, and which you can stand up in, also where the driving seat is not sealed off unsociably from the rest. With a shiny engine which will run for years!

Apart from that any old thing will do. ;)
Click to expand...
Dodge 50 S35 LWB. You can de-rate the S46 and S56 to 3.5 ton if you fancy, too. Different bodies have different driver access, but most have at least got a window in them :) There's plenty of bus models kicking around which are all open inside and all windowed and everything, but I don't know if they come in s35 mode as standard.

They'll run off veggie oil too without too much hassle :D

I luvs my Dodges.

Oh, and they all fall nicely under the NUF's Vintage Commercial insurance which will set you back a princely £100 a year (including contents insurance!).
 
subversplat said:
Oh, and they all fall nicely under the NUF's Vintage Commercial insurance which will set you back a princely £100 a year (including contents insurance!).
Click to expand...

Wow!!!

I *heart* Dodges :) Have you got a piccie of yours? (oo-er) ;)
 
Got our new van today :cool: A Transit ex-mobile shop. An ugly bastard but I'm already in love with it. It came with £1.23 lucky money that has to remain with it at all times according to it's original Gypsy owner :)

Needs a bit of cleaning, painting and decorating, but mechanically its sound. There's loads of room to entertain festival guest and a better set of speakers than I've got at home :D Bloody MOT's right in the middle of July, which is a bit of a pain, but it's only done 2,000 miles since the last one so hopefully it won't be too bad.
 
Wooo! Perfect timing before the summer festival rush. Transits rock don't they - real workhorses...

Have you got a mattress/bed in the back?
 
Have you got a mattress/bed in the back?
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It's fitted out and was lived in for a couple of years, so all is in good order - loads of cupboard/storage space, oven, lighting that works for a change and ample comfortable seating :)

Back to having 3 vans to worry about again, which maybe a little excessive :D

I'll post a picture 'dreckly
 
I got looking at the club80-90 website last night and now have a need to update my 22 year old vee-dub.

I'm looking at putting in an electric generator to run the fridge and heating. Decadent innit, but only £100 for 60db 700W :)
 
Ground Elder said:
It's fitted out and was lived in for a couple of years, so all is in good order - loads of cupboard/storage space, oven, lighting that works for a change and ample comfortable seating :)

Back to having 3 vans to worry about again, which maybe a little excessive :D

I'll post a picture 'dreckly
Click to expand...
....and he said he ain't been outside his local county too ....

:D

edit to add: to be on topic ... I am looking to get a new car and, as my only travels are short distance local commutes, a 120 mile round trip to Dundee every few weeks, and festivals ... the idea of a campervan (or even buying a van and doing a conversion) is tempting... however I can't afford it as even secondhand they are outwith my (current) price bracket ...Not much you can get for around the grand mark :(

My real love, if I could afford it, would be a bus. I did get the offer of one, used by a rally team, kitted out with space in the back for a car, and the maximum 8 passenger seats you're allowed for 'PRIVATE' tax class (and hence driveable on a car licence), in tatty condition, for 600 quid. However the reason the guy was getting shot of it was because the DVLA after many years had turned around and said 'Piss off, you adapted that to carry a car ... so it's a goods vehicle' and I would have needed an HGV licence to drive it. Plus at 10mpg and Glastonbury (and lots of other festies) being a 900 mile round trip away, it was somewhat less than economical ...
 
I'm having serious van yearnings since I sold my ambulance in November, and what with the sun coming out..... and I have a Career Development Loan just burning a whole in my bank account..... ooo-errr.....

*hyperventilates*
 
han said:
Wow!!!

I *heart* Dodges :) Have you got a piccie of yours? (oo-er) ;)
Click to expand...
No pictures of mine on the interweb at the moment, but I'll sort that out one day :)

For anyone that's interested http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RENAULT-DODGE...618045024QQcategoryZ14256QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem is an ideal example of a converted van that could be de-rated to 3.5 ton and drivable on a normal licence (it's all to do with the quality of your suspension, breaks, etc. look here for lots of lovely dodge info including how to de-rate them in the forums part).
 
Lovely Dodges!!! :)

What are they like on the reliability front ?

And are parts easy to come by in the UK?
 
That one on eBay almost had me bidding! Shame its in Newcastle :(

I don't imagine me getting through the summer without buying a van now. Better get around to it before Easter.....
 
Yep, now to Easter's a good time to get one for festie season before the rush :)

Any idea what kind/size you're looking for crustychick?

From personal experience, I would suggest treading carefully with Ebay if buying vehicle from there. Perhaps others have positive experiences of it, but the thing is once you've bid you're required to buy whether you have seen the vehicle or not! I bought a vw van a couple of years ago whose innards were f*cked! :( :D

For total peace of mind, visit the vehicle with a mechanically-minded friend (or the AA who can do checks for a fee) BEFORE bidding :) That way, you can make sure the engine's sound first. I'm sure you can get good vehicles on there as long as you check them out before bidding! :)

There are some beautiful vehicles on there aren't there.....I *heart* wooden horsebox trucks!!!!
 
A friend was showing me photos of his old TK horsebox yesterday. He sold it for £200 in the end to someone who wanted it for parts. As he was showing me the pictures he had tears in is eyes :(
 
han said:
Yep, now to Easter's a good time to get one for festie season before the rush :)

Any idea what kind/size you're looking for crustychick?

From personal experience, I would suggest treading carefully with Ebay if buying vehicle from there....
Click to expand...

Not sure what I'll go for this time.... ideally I'd like a nice big mercedes...... something bigger than my old ambulance

incidentally I bought that on eBay. without having checked it out. Lasted me a good year and a half, sold it as it was quite rusty underneath and I had neither the time or the expertise to do the welding myself..... shame, but will allow me to move on to bigger and better things.... I'd love to renovate one myself but whether I have the time/money/inclination... I doubt it would get done by this summer....
 
crustychick said:
Not sure what I'll go for this time.... ideally I'd like a nice big mercedes...... something bigger than my old ambulance
Click to expand...

308d's are nice and big aren't they - 208ds also....lovely boxy mercs...mmmyum! :)

Glad to hear someone's had a good experience of buying a vehicle off eBay! :)

Ground Elder - wot's a TK horsebox?

There's a horsebox lorry parked in our street all the time, it moves around alot. It's beautiful. Lovely dark brown wood with a dark green painted metal cab. It's gorgeous! *wants to kiss it everytime i walk past*
 
wot's a TK horsebox?
Click to expand...
one of these, but my friend's was probably a bit bigger ;)
4093.jpg
 
*swoooon*

Room for bed/sofa/kitchen/woodburner....and plenty of room to swing a cat! :)
 
Neebie live in conversion

Hi,

I'm a newbee to the site. Does anyone know any sites that show you how to build a live-in camper or truck? :) We are looking to travel as a family (2 adults 2 young kids) TK looks ideal not sure where to start :confused:

Any ideas welcome :D
 
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