Campervans

[uDicko]

What are your thoughts ?

Waste of money? Can't live without?

Currently know we are going to NEED a new vehicle in August and the current car is not big enough in width to take 3 car seats. We could just get a large car and sink some money into another motor as the current car is a works car that she can't change. Will have to run two for a period of time.

Me and the Mrs always liked the idea of being able to get up and just do one at the weekend and go camp somewhere and quite like the thought of doing it when the kids are young as they will inevitably grow out of it.

Thought seeing as we need a new car, why not go a little bit further and get a bus that we can holiday in.

Mad?

 

[Slid]

When our kids were very young, we bought a touring caravan. We had it for 3 summer seasons and sold it as SWMBO was bored of it by then. It rained a lot that third summer.
Essentially, we sold the van we should have bought, nearly new, scarcely used and much cheaper...We saw a lot more of the country than we did before or since.

The caravan plus an awning was OK with 2 young daughters. A week or so was good, and a caravan for a long weekend somewhere an hour from home was fine too, without an awning.

SWMBO has suggested a campervan, but to me it is just too little space. We did try camping for a long weekend, but that was basically a bridge too far for the females, who were quite a bit older by then. The only saving point from that experience was watching the Perseid asteroid show, miles from any streetlights.

 

[Leon103]

We had a campervan but sold it when kids arrived. It was amazing and we should have kept it or got a bigger one. Perfect for short trips or something longer.

Swmbo wants one again but with a 4 and 1 year old I think I will go crazy. A caravan may be on the kids next year. At least there is a little bit more room.

Never a waste of money, they tend to hold their money more than a car

 

[Banbeer]

I looked into buying a van (Peugeot Boxer, Fiat Ducato or Citroen Relay) all the same vans made in the same factory, and converting it, you can buy a ready made kit for a few grand and fit it yourself for a fraction of the price. These vans are good because they are 6ft wide and can have the bed(s) width ways, there is loads of content on You Tube and t'internet on how to build from basic to fitting a kit, in the end I bought a caravan and a 4x4 to tow it but sometimes wish i'd gone down the campervan route

 

[prog99]

Based in Edinburgh.
http://campervanbrewery.com/wandering-but-not-lost

 

[Gulpitdarn]

Still got our 1991 Talbot Express motorhome second hand at 35k miles, had it ten years now and would not be without it. In the picture I'm parked up on the north Norfolk coast wildcamping. You often see these vans crop up on ebay for very good prices, there is even a good forum for them which I'm in.

 

[Clint]

A few in work have got them ranging from modern VW vans which they have put windows,beds etc in to older renovations that are retro or have TVs,games consoles etc ..they all love them and are out all over the place.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
A former teaching colleague had a campervan. He used to load it up on the evening before the last day of Summer Term, come home after the final day and drive off.
He drove around Europe for 6 weeks and came back the evening before he was due back at work.
That's freedom!

 

[uDicko]

We had a campervan but sold it when kids arrived. It was amazing and we should have kept it or got a bigger one. Perfect for short trips or something longer.

Swmbo wants one again but with a 4 and 1 year old I think I will go crazy. A caravan may be on the kids next year. At least there is a little bit more room.

Never a waste of money, they tend to hold their money more than a car

Did you buy new or used when you had it? And was it a factory fit VW?

 

[Leon103]

Did you buy new or used when you had it? And was it a factory fit VW?

Sorry it wasn't a vw

 

[Davewhit]

Go for it. I also own a Talbot express not the fastest or most glamorous and sometimes we've been to local camps not even 5 miles away from home but we love it.
Dave

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Reminds me of a Tommy Cooper gag:
I went into the car showroom and said, "I want one of those vans you sleep in."
The salesman said, "Camper", so I said, " Ooooh! I want one of those vans you sleep in."

 

[VW911]

I've got a 40 year old VW Type 2. Had it about 10 years now, and I can honestly say it's the best vehicle I've ever owned.
More than enough room for a family of 4, and 3 dogs with the drive-away awning.
Tax free and MOT exempt, 2.7L Porsche 911 engine. It even handles well in the snow. What's not to love?

 

[uDicko]

I think I'm sold on the idea

 

[mickthetrick]

you wont regret having one. i had a camper and also caravan. used to take my kids and one of our nieces away. my son slept in camper and the wife and i with the girls had the caravan. best holidays we had imo. kids absolutely loved it. fond memories were made for sure.

 

[Graz]

It's my retirement plan.

At the moment though we have a caravan as to get any sort of motorhome big enough for us and the kids would be expensive and too big for some of the places we like to visit when holidaying in the UK (i.e. narrow roads, out of the way beaches etc.). Eventually when it's just me an the wife something small will be fine.

We did a month in a hired camper van touring the north and south islands of New Zealand, best holiday I've ever had.

 

[SteveH]

Agree with the previous replies, if you like travelling and the outdoors it's a great choice.

We had a small VW (modern watercooled not classic) van before kids and it was great for a couple camping and also as a daily driver. Later we had kids and got a caravan as we needed/wanted extra space (the VW style vans are pretty cramped for a family, but do-able if you don't mind adding an awning).

 

[Druncan]

Tiree ate our T25 Vinnie. Rusted away in front of us and only 60'000 on the clock. But we stuck a R&R bed in our 2009 Dispatch it's the XTR version so semi offroad. Been our faithful surf bus. We could not live without a van.

But the van and R&R bed has really been our dogs house. He waits in the morning to go out to it and happily sits out there barking at the other farm dogs and chilling in the sun. But not in the winter,, as he's a lurcher and doesn't like the cold!

 

[The Baron]

Just a word of warning to all you would be campervan purchases. If you buy a properly converted campervan by a approved converter who provide all the relevant certificates you are ok but the plethera of people who are buying vans and converting them and then selling them can cause nothing but trouble for the buyers. fitting electrics and gas cookers needz to be inspected and have the relevant certificates also most insurance companies have cottoned on to this and usually the first question they will ask is who converted the van as they have a list of approved companies which if it does not meet this criteria they will generally refuse to insure the vehicle. As a buyer the first question you should ask the seller is what does it say on the V5? is it down as a camper or a van if it is a van it has not been converted by a approved fitter and not been requested by the DVLA to change the van to a campervan i.e it has not had the relevant certified work. So do your home work before buying a Campervan as it can become a minefield with the non compliance vehicles around and also if you bought one it may look very well fitted out but most of these people have not had the vehicles inspected and change of use done and have not the ability to fit gas and electrics to the relevant standards. Be safe and buy a named conversion vehicle is my advice and you will have years of use and fun.

 

[Gunge]

My mate had one years ago. It had 'Muttley' spray-painted on the back doors and was used mainly as a knocking shop. Great times.