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Camper vans again!

oh yeah bloody good point, thanks. I'll definitely ask.

I'm wondering what's the possibility of being able to park it up as 'offroad' most of the year, (with current MOT but not insurance) and then pay tax and insurance for limited one-off journeys?
 
looks pretty cool stiggy!

insurance, you can get 'pay as you go'; tax, you could buy a tax disc when you want to use it on the road then apply for a refund/do a SORn (bit of a pain in the bum though)
 
*inspects photo more*

That bed isn't stuck to the floor :hmm:

They've just slung any old sofabed in the back. :hmm:
 
I'm chipping into this thread for general camper van advice.

I've got a VW t25 - not strictly a camper, it's the plain van but it's upholstered inside, and there are two upholstered planks of wood that rest between the back of the seats and the engine that accommodate the bed off of a futon.

This is all well and good, but I'm thinking of getting a better bed in there, and more importantly, some proper safe seats in the back wouldn't go amiss.

So what are my options, and how much are we talking here? Basic is key for me.
 
Stig said:
*inspects photo more*

That bed isn't stuck to the floor :hmm:

They've just slung any old sofabed in the back. :hmm:
Click to expand...
We've just moved onto a narrowboat - believe me, open plan is the way to go. Built-in furniture is invariably uncomfortable, space-cramping and expensive to get rid of before it can be replaced.

And they do bean-bag sofas now. :cool:

axThumbNail.aspx
 
ymu said:
We've just moved onto a narrowboat - believe me, open plan is the way to go. Built-in furniture is invariably uncomfortable, space-cramping and expensive to get rid of before it can be replaced.

And they do bean-bag sofas now. :cool:
Click to expand...

Are they flammable? This thing has a wood burner in it. :D

I'm happy about the sofabed now, thanks for the reassurance.
 
I like the look of that and you could o plenty of 'stuff' to it as well, it's a blank canvas pretty much! :cool:

A mechanic would come and take a look for a lot less than £400, have we no mechanics/mechanically minded people on the boards? :hmm:;):D

Mileage is low for it's age, see if it's got any old MOt's with mileage on so you can have it assured.
 
zenie said:
I like the look of that and you could o plenty of 'stuff' to it as well, it's a blank canvas pretty much! :cool:

A mechanic would come and take a look for a lot less than £400, have we no mechanics/mechanically minded people on the boards? :hmm:;):D

Mileage is low for it's age, see if it's got any old MOt's with mileage on so you can have it assured.
Click to expand...

I don't believe that mileage at all, there's no way, if it used to be a schoolbus and ambulance.

My mate at work* has offered to come with us and take a look at it on the day, and drive it home if necessary!

(I should probably offer the perpetually skint bastard some cash for doing it, how much should I offer him?)

I'm a bit worried about the fact that I passed my test two years ago and haven't touched a vehicle since, let alone ever got into a van! :eek:
I wouldn't even know whether it was running badly or it was just me not doing something right.

*or 'boss', as he is officially called
 
Anyone know if the Bongo would sneak under the emissions allowance from 2010?

Also - anyone know if I could fit a motorbike into the Bongo?
 
Regarding PAYG insurance, if the vehicle is ex-commercial and over 15 years old you can get it fully comp with, IIRC, £20k odd of contents insurance, on the NUF's Vintage Commercial insurance policy. It's not widely advertised online, but go and give them a ring.

www.dodge50.co.uk is a wealth of information on crustying it up, and they often have rock solid Perkins powered dodges for sale.
 
Stig said:
I'm a bit worried about the fact that I passed my test two years ago and haven't touched a vehicle since, let alone ever got into a van! :eek:
I wouldn't even know whether it was running badly or it was just me not doing something right.
Click to expand...


I found that driving a big old van is really weird anyway - it takes some getting used to the new (old!) vehicle and being a regular car driver is immaterial when you have something much bulkier with no power steering, you're up higher and it's a fucking noisy great bastard. Just take it slow and steady. I was a regular minibus driver beforehand though - so I was used to the dimensions at least.

I had to drive mine back through Tooting on a saturday - was so shitting myself I'd take out a family doing their shopping :D

If you're not happy then get someone experienced to do it and get used to it in your own time.
 
PieEye said:
I found that driving a big old van is really weird anyway - it takes some getting used to the new (old!) vehicle and being a regular car driver is immaterial when you have something much bulkier with no power steering, you're up higher and it's a fucking noisy great bastard. Just take it slow and steady. I was a regular minibus driver beforehand though - so I was used to the dimensions at least.

I had to drive mine back through Tooting on a saturday - was so shitting myself I'd take out a family doing their shopping :D

If you're not happy then get someone experienced to do it and get used to it in your own time.
Click to expand...

I've got to drive this thing from Wimbledon to Tottenham on a Saturday! :D

This is worrying me a lot now. In the same way that the idea of having to understand and use money scared me shitless when I was four, so is the idea of sitting in the van in heaving traffic going "O Noes! What do I do now?" with rich! shouting "Right! Go right! Gaaaaah! start the engine!" tearing out his hair...
 
/\/\/\ this is true :D If you just take you time you'll be fine. I'm quite happy to just block traffic whenever necessary now :)
 
We've got bull bars that we haven't taken off yet

The shirty youth in their wee cars soon back up when there's a face to face on a street with parked cars on both side and only room for one motor to pass

:)
 
What about all the hooting beeping swearing irate drivers?
Click to expand...

They soon back up when they reaslise your motor will damage their motor more

One tip I always remember in a vehicle is to stay calm.

I don't drive much so when I do I have to concentrate extra hard, being in a lethal weapon and all that. If I get into any scrapes, then most people will sympathise as they have been there themselves. Irate people will just get more irate, so ignore them. The twats

:)
 
Stig said:
This is VERY reassuring. :D

What about all the hooting beeping swearing irate drivers?
Click to expand...

I haven't had many actually, most people just wait for you to do your 150-point turn or whatever.

I do a lot of smiling and waving. I look a proper cunt tbh. I also shout at Dub if I'm very stressed :D :o
 
Actually, they're mostly too busy lolling at me getting passenger help turning the steering wheel when we're doing said turns.
 
PieEye said:
I haven't had many actually, most people just wait for you to do your 150-point turn or whatever.

I do a lot of smiling and waving. I look a proper cunt tbh. I also shout at Dub if I'm very stressed :D :o
Click to expand...

:D :D :D

I'm raring to go now!
 
Stig said:
Are they flammable? This thing has a wood burner in it. :D

I'm happy about the sofabed now, thanks for the reassurance.
Click to expand...
:cool:

Wood-burners are fab - they'll burn all day on very little fuel. Make sure you turn it right down when you go out though - I've seen a boat burnt out by one left on too high.

If there's wood panelling/tiles behind the burner, it might be worth checking that there's no charring out of sight/behind tiles - it gets immensely hot behind them. If the area's not already well protected, it might be worth putting in a couple of sheets of fire-resistant board behind it, with an insulation gap between the boards.

I'm all excited now. Talk to one of the lads at your local garage and ask what he'd charge for a few hours on his day off. It'll be a money pit anyway, but it's worth knowing about anything obviously expensive.
 
Another good thing about campers/vans is: once you've shat yourself up on the amount of cash you have spent, you have to realise that you can sell it if it doesn't suit

I had that in mind when we got ours instead of doing a load of boring work on our flat

:)
 
:(

My boss's dad, who has been a mechanic all his life, has said he wouldn't touch one of these with a bargepole, it'll be in the workshop more than out of it, and these models for this year are prone to chassis trouble. He also says the wear and tear on a stop-and-start vehicle like an ambulance/schoolbus will be tremendous.

He recommended a VW instead. I bloody hate VWs. And moose said they were a money pit too, so what's the difference?

One other worry for a while today, but I've just been reassured by the seller that this one is petrol, not diesel, so exempt from 2010 london emission zone charges.

link again for a new page; look at it, I want this: http://www.gumtree.com/london/84/29580384.html
 
ooo! Just seen this!

All I can say is - don't go for style over substance. What you want is a powerful workhorse. It's almost impossible to have 'everything' in a van (ie. something quaint/cute/cheap/reliable as clockwork/diesel etc.).

But, then again - just choose what's most important to you! For me, it was reliability over everything else, and diesel. Everything else was secondary, really.

If you want something dead cutesy, you need to be able to spend money and time on it.

If you want something reliable, go for diesel Mercs, Fords, (avoid LDV vans as you can't get parts abroad), diesel Japanese vehicles (Japanese are also v reliable).

That one you mention looks gorgeous :cool: But then if it's not diesel, you won't be able to run it on veg oil when armageddon comes! :D
 
Well, the thing about reliability; it is a ford, (what's LDV?) and I've been assured that if it was an ambulance it will at least have been a reliable vehicle to start with. And most ads coming up are for things that look shinier but are actually older! There's a hell of a lot of mid-80's stuff for sale right now.

I'd originally set my heart on a diesel converted to veg oil, but after what everyone here said about the low emission zone in 2010, I'd only ever get a diesel if I was to move out of London. (what are you going to do about yours Han? You can have them converted to comply IIRC, but it's very expensive, and veg oil doesn't count as low emission.)

I think I've pretty much set my heart on this now, and unless it has gaping holes underneath with papier mache sticking out, I'm almost certainly going to buy it.

Absolute worst case scenario, I waste £2,000 on it, it has 11 months MOT so I can do all of next summer, even if I have to be towed round by the AA all summer, and then sell it on for half price or less, having learned my lesson, and get a shiny Bees approved fuglybus instead. :D
 
Stig said:
Well, the thing about reliability; it is a ford, (what's LDV?)
Click to expand...

post office vans :)

Stig said:
and I've been assured that if it was an ambulance it will at least have been a reliable vehicle to start with.
Click to expand...

Good point!

Stig said:
I'd originally set my heart on a diesel converted to veg oil, but after what everyone here said about the low emission zone in 2010, I'd only ever get a diesel if I was to move out of London. (what are you going to do about yours Han? You can have them converted to comply IIRC, but it's very expensive, and veg oil doesn't count as low emission.)
Click to expand...

Shit, I didn't even know about that. What does that mean? Do we have to pay loads of money to just HAVE our vehicle even if we don't use it, or does it mean that you have to pay loads more to ENTER London (I v rarely do enter the congestion zone anyway - probably about once a year!).

Stig said:
I think I've pretty much set my heart on this now, and unless it has gaping holes underneath with papier mache sticking out, I'm almost certainly going to buy it.
Click to expand...

It sounds like a good choice Stig :cool:, taking account this low emission thing, if that's gonna cost loads for diesels. :eek:
 
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