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Diggs |
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Diggs World Chat Champion
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Karma :
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Posted: 11:55 - 05 Sep 2020 Post subject: Camper Van on a budget |
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'Er indoors and I are considering touring around Europe in a van once the kids finally bugger off. In theory all will be gone in two years time.
I have never owned a camper having always been a tent bloke, so have zero experience here. What I am thinking is not spending tens of thousands on a ready-made vehicle that we may use for 3 months then sell at a loss, but rather going the 'Berlingo with boxes and a mattress plus awning' route.
Anybody here tried it and able to offer practical advice? ____________________ Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting... |
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A100man |
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A100man World Chat Champion
Joined: 19 Aug 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 12:23 - 05 Sep 2020 Post subject: |
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Ideally you want something to can stand up in - so a hi top, if you can start with an old mini-bus then all the better as you can get windows already installed and seatbelt mounts should you need them. Most proper VW campers were microbus not panel vans to start with.
You can also but ready-cut wood work interior kits for a lot of standard vans (Transit etc..) search ebay. ____________________ Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750
Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600 |
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The Artist |
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The Artist Super Spammer
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 16:56 - 05 Sep 2020 Post subject: |
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Wait. Every fucker and his wife has just bought a camper van because they can't go abroad on holiday and are busy driving them slowly and ineptly round the North Coast of Scotland, dropping litter and human excrement as they go.
Anything that could possibly be considered a camper van or converted into one is going for silly money. My tradesman mates are really struggling to get old beaters for their work.
Two years will be long enough for a huge number of these people to be back off to Benidorm and realising they have money sat moudering on their drive. There will be a glut of hardly used camper vans. ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
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yen_powell |
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yen_powell World Chat Champion
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MarJay |
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MarJay But it's British!
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martin734 |
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martin734 Spanner Monkey
Joined: 28 Aug 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 17:55 - 05 Sep 2020 Post subject: |
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We have a Mazda Bongo campervan that we use for weekends away and the occasional longer trip. Ours is a professional conversion with 240v electrics, fridge, sink, gas cooker and pull out bed. It has a lifting roof so there is room to stand up in. Size wise, it is ideal for two of us for a long weekend and just fine for a week or more if staying on a campsite and we can put the drive-away awning up. A bigger motorhome with more space and a built in toilet and shower may be more practical, but then you have the extra size to consider. Our Bongo is 4.7 meters long 2.1 meters high and 1.8 meters wide meaning it can fit in almost all car parks and is fine for narrow roads. Most VW campers are about the same size and you can also get campers based on vehicles like the Nissan Elgrand and Toyota Alphard. Although the Elgrand, Alphard and VW Transporter T4 onwards have less room inside due to them being front engined, whereas the Bongo is mid engined, and the VW's up to the T3 are rear engined.
Europe, particularly France, is much better than the UK for touring in a campervan, with most large towns and even smaller ones having motorhome parking areas called Aires. Most motorway (peage) service stations also have facilities for motorhomes and campervans. My advice would be to buy an up-to-date guide book specific to campervans and motorhomes before you start touring. ____________________ Current bike: ST1100 "Big Red" |
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yen_powell |
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yen_powell World Chat Champion
Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Karma :
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Posted: 19:26 - 05 Sep 2020 Post subject: |
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martin734 wrote: | We have a Mazda Bongo campervan that we use for weekends away and the occasional longer trip. Ours is a professional conversion with 240v electrics, fridge, sink, gas cooker and pull out bed. It has a lifting roof so there is room to stand up in. Size wise, it is ideal for two of us for a long weekend and just fine for a week or more if staying on a campsite and we can put the drive-away awning up. A bigger motorhome with more space and a built in toilet and shower may be more practical, but then you have the extra size to consider. Our Bongo is 4.7 meters long 2.1 meters high and 1.8 meters wide meaning it can fit in almost all car parks and is fine for narrow roads. Most VW campers are about the same size and you can also get campers based on vehicles like the Nissan Elgrand and Toyota Alphard. Although the Elgrand, Alphard and VW Transporter T4 onwards have less room inside due to them being front engined, whereas the Bongo is mid engined, and the VW's up to the T3 are rear engined.
Europe, particularly France, is much better than the UK for touring in a campervan, with most large towns and even smaller ones having motorhome parking areas called Aires. Most motorway (peage) service stations also have facilities for motorhomes and campervans. My advice would be to buy an up-to-date guide book specific to campervans and motorhomes before you start touring. | I heard that there is a secret Bongo (Fury?) wave. Is this true? ____________________ Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits |
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Riejufixing |
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Riejufixing World Chat Champion
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martin734 |
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martin734 Spanner Monkey
Joined: 28 Aug 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 21:31 - 05 Sep 2020 Post subject: |
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yen_powell wrote: | martin734 wrote: | We have a Mazda Bongo campervan that we use for weekends away and the occasional longer trip. Ours is a professional conversion with 240v electrics, fridge, sink, gas cooker and pull out bed. It has a lifting roof so there is room to stand up in. Size wise, it is ideal for two of us for a long weekend and just fine for a week or more if staying on a campsite and we can put the drive-away awning up. A bigger motorhome with more space and a built in toilet and shower may be more practical, but then you have the extra size to consider. Our Bongo is 4.7 meters long 2.1 meters high and 1.8 meters wide meaning it can fit in almost all car parks and is fine for narrow roads. Most VW campers are about the same size and you can also get campers based on vehicles like the Nissan Elgrand and Toyota Alphard. Although the Elgrand, Alphard and VW Transporter T4 onwards have less room inside due to them being front engined, whereas the Bongo is mid engined, and the VW's up to the T3 are rear engined.
Europe, particularly France, is much better than the UK for touring in a campervan, with most large towns and even smaller ones having motorhome parking areas called Aires. Most motorway (peage) service stations also have facilities for motorhomes and campervans. My advice would be to buy an up-to-date guide book specific to campervans and motorhomes before you start touring. | I heard that there is a secret Bongo (Fury?) wave. Is this true? |
I don't know about secret wave, but Bongo owners do wave at each other, like old Land Rover, VW camper and VW Beetle owners. ____________________ Current bike: ST1100 "Big Red" |
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yen_powell |
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yen_powell World Chat Champion
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duhawkz |
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duhawkz World Chat Champion
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Posted: 22:43 - 05 Sep 2020 Post subject: Re: Camper Van on a budget |
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Diggs wrote: | 'Er indoors and I are considering touring around Europe in a van once the kids finally bugger off. In theory all will be gone in two years time.
I have never owned a camper having always been a tent bloke, so have zero experience here. What I am thinking is not spending tens of thousands on a ready-made vehicle that we may use for 3 months then sell at a loss, but rather going the 'Berlingo with boxes and a mattress plus awning' route.
Anybody here tried it and able to offer practical advice? |
I've been looking for another motorhome recently and I'd agree with Stinkers on the price of used vans/camper at the minute, people asking 10k for N Reg stuff you could have had for 4-6k last year.
Theres also a load if shitters out there which look nice enough on the photos but are rotten underneath when you go look at them, check the mot history for any structural issues.
Personally I wouldn't fancy going to the mattress in the back of a van for more then a pissed up weekend at a festival or something, it will noisy and cold in an uninsulated van. get a proper campervan or a decent conversion (or build on yourself)
if your buying a proper van, check if its go a recent habitation certificate, there a bit like an mot for motorhomes, while not legally required it gives you some confidence that its not got and damp issues and the gas/electrics are safe.
also invest in a damp meter, you can pick them up for a few quid on amazon, and use it to check round all the windows, seams, in the cabinets etc.
also the aires sites that martin734 mentioned, vary from a lay-by with a grey water disposal point and fresh water tap, to really nice sites that have electric hookup points and shower blocks. so unless you plan on staying on sites with facilities you need to factor that in your plans to bum it in the back of van with a mattress ____________________ "The guy is a worthless cunt and I honestly believe I would be a slightly happier person if he died." - Chris-Red |
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Moxey |
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Moxey World Chat Champion
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Posted: 22:55 - 05 Sep 2020 Post subject: |
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As others have stated now really isn't the time to pick anything cheap due to the staycation brigade.
If normality begins to return sometimes it can be worth keeping an eye out for supposed spares repairs jobs depending how handy you are with spanners, the other half is into her vans as much as I'm into my bikes.
She got a 2001 Renault Master ambulance conversion that had a cooked engine for £1500 last year, replacement engine was £600 (she's in the know with contacts for cheap recovery and her dad did the engine swap for her, I believe Iveco and Renault are interchangeable) so fully running and furnished van for £2100.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/9FlitMMJk-Tw4C3lnWhbNvt-zvxmwFT6lP882VgZRaKZhDYHpnIJdS2l5h1mCfngSf__EtCJf__Km51UBc9m-ANTzQf7St4
Basically the above (also had the to get it re-weighed to change to 3.5t for car license, chucking all the ambulance gear got it down to 3t but still has the quality wiring for appliances). ____________________ Current: 02 FZS 1000 Some Bike Pics...
'I was too busy paying attention to pay attention' |
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
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Lone-Wolf |
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Lone-Wolf World Chat Champion
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yen_powell World Chat Champion
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
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Diggs |
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Diggs World Chat Champion
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Posted: 15:38 - 06 Sep 2020 Post subject: |
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All good advice - thanks folks!
Looks like the smart move will be to wait until the 'staycation' folk have gotten fed up with their vans and are flogging them off en-mass. Sounds like getting a proper one will be better than the Berlingo with mattress option too.... ____________________ Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting... |
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WD Forte |
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WD Forte World Chat Champion
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
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A100man |
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A100man World Chat Champion
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Posted: 23:50 - 07 Sep 2020 Post subject: |
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WD Forte wrote: | https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ldv-convoy-van-banana-engine/264852081699?hash=item3daa6a0c23:g:eBgAAOSwwX9fAMgY
camping?, bikes?, moonlight flits?, sexual orgies?
travelling workshop?
nae bother |
OOh that does look rough.. Even through the grainy pics you can see teh Dulux gloss touch-up (applied with a yard brush) and Isopon.. ____________________ Now: A100, GT250A, XJ598, FZ750
Then: Fizz, RS200, KL250, XJ550, Laverda Alpina, XJ600, FZS600 |
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ThunderGuts World Chat Champion
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 3 years, 231 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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