Campervans

[VW911]

. As a buyer the first question you should ask the seller is what does it say on the V5?

My V5 states that mine is a Delivery Van.
It was imported and converted (when new) by Devon Conversions - one of the best known in the VW world...

 

[uDicko]

What certs did you get with it? Do you have gas cooker etc.

Yea Devon conversions are a biggie!

I assume you have had no issues insuring it perhaps like the baron was suggesting?

 

[VW911]

No problems at all as far as insurance goes.
Even with the 200(ish) BHP Porsche lump in it, it still costs less to insure than my crappy old Focus!
That's Classic insurance, 5k miles per annum and an agreed value of 15K... (Keep meaning to raise that value!)

 

[VW911]

He has a cooker, gas fridge, blown air gas heating, double RnR bed, two hammocks in the roof space and a tiny little hammock in the cab area.
Got all the Devon handbooks, service history etc. I'm the 3rd owner from new, and he's still done less than 70k miles!!!

 

[The Baron]

Yeah Devon is a approved converter probably one of the best. I've had a few of them

 

[ITMA]

Wish I'd known you were thinking of this when we met at the brew club last month, you've got me on my favourite subject.

I'm thinking along the same lines, I only drive these days to running events in muddy fields and I can work from anywhere so I'm thinking a camper would be a good replacement for my car which has been condemned and needs to be replaced by October.

I was given this hippyish book for Christmas:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E0PXUC0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It's a very nice "coffee table" book, full of recipes and stuff, but there is some useful info in there. Just last night I was reading their estimates of the costs the author has incurred in 5 years of owning a classic van.

Over the five years, they've spent, on average, 40 days a year camping. Probably more than I will manage (not sure on this).

Excluding the initial cost to purchase which he doesn't mention (so mot, servicing, repairs, petrol, etc), this has resulted in an average cost of £153 per night.

That makes me very nervous. I've never spent that on a hotel room per night.

On the next page he repeats the calculation as if he'd bought a (new I think) VM Transporter Type 5 California 2.5l Diesel, on the assumption that there will be no costs for repairs. This resulted in a cost per night of £73, but he reminds us this doesn't include the circa £50k initial outlay.

Must admit this has started to put me off...

 

[mickthetrick]

to be honest id love another caravan but as above, when ive added up the cost of a van and extra fuel, pitch rates on sight etc. its not a viable solution for me. love the freedom it brought me in the past but the prices are crazy now.
i just stay in hotel/ b&b now. easier and cheaper.

 

[mitchmalt]

I converted a Relay last year, great project. So long as DVLA will recognise it as a ‘motorcaravan’, you do have to meet certain criteria, you’re insurance shouldn’t be an issue. We have been to Scotland, Belgium (beer buying holiday) France and loads of weekend jaunts, great fun but you do need to put a few hours in doing the work, I reckon I spent 100hrs doing the conversion, and my bridging insurance only gave me 90 days to do it, so busy weekends!

 

[ITMA]

to be honest id love another caravan but as above, when ive added up the cost of a van and extra fuel, pitch rates on sight etc. its not a viable solution for me. love the freedom it brought me in the past but the prices are crazy now.
i just stay in hotel/ b&b now. easier and cheaper.

Nooooooooooo! I put the numbers up wanting people to trash them and tell me not to be silly! Come on everyone, it's a wise investment, yes?

(seriously, thanks Mick, it's good to get some sober advice.)

 

[uDicko]

My scenario is different to most I would imagine.

• We have 1 car today which is too small for our growing family.
• We cannot trade this in for two years under company scheme.
• We need something bigger by August.
• We will need to pay for two cars for the next 2 years.

Seeing as I'm essentially tied to paying for two cars we have worked out our budget and are in the realms of purchasing either a car or a campervan.

I think now its about two things for me considering the above.

1. The depreciation (money I have left on my purchase after 2 years)
2. Would the vehicle fit my family lifestyle

I say 2 years on point one as if I decide I don't like it I don't lose significant cash for my troubles and I can cash out and suck it up, then get a new bigger car on company scheme bringing us back down to 1 car.

For point 1 campervans retain their value pretty well vs a car... Any car for that matter. Meaning not so much to suck up on cash lost.

For point 2 campervan would enable my family to go on smaller potentially more regular holidays (all would be revealed in 2 year trial period on if we make the most of that).

I've convinced myself

 

[Gulpitdarn]

In the last ten years or more of owning a campervan it has not really cost us anything other than petrol to get to where we are going, we always wildcamp. One tip I urge, is that you must have a toilet/shower to keep the Mrs happy, men - us, happy to go outside. A tow bar is very useful too.

 

[Leon103]

My scenario is different to most I would imagine.

• We have 1 car today which is too small for our growing family.
• We cannot trade this in for two years under company scheme.
• We need something bigger by August.
• We will need to pay for two cars for the next 2 years.

Seeing as I'm essentially tied to paying for two cars we have worked out our budget and are in the realms of purchasing either a car or a campervan.

I think now its about two things for me considering the above.

1. The depreciation (money I have left on my purchase after 2 years)
2. Would the vehicle fit my family lifestyle

I say 2 years on point one as if I decide I don't like it I don't lose significant cash for my troubles and I can cash out and suck it up, then get a new bigger car on company scheme bringing us back down to 1 car.

For point 1 campervans retain their value pretty well vs a car... Any car for that matter. Meaning not so much to suck up on cash lost.

For point 2 campervan would enable my family to go on smaller potentially more regular holidays (all would be revealed in 2 year trial period on if we make the most of that).

I've convinced myself

You also need to consider how you pay for it to compare overall costs

 

[ITMA]

I've convinced myself

You're going to have great fun and as you say you should be able to recoup the initial investment if needed.

I can't quite resolve that I don't technically NEED a vehicle when my current one goes to the scrapyard. But I've pretty much convinced myself.

Where are you buying from?

 

[Lawrence22]

I have been trying to convince the wife to allow me to trade my X5 in for a VW California. We use her car for most everyday stuff anyway and I am down to doing less than 5K a year in the X5. The VW is approximately the same length and width as the X5 so will take up no more room in the driveway and would enable my son and myself a few adventures that he'd love. She's not biting yet.

 

[ITMA]

Bumping this to find out from @uDicko - did you buy one yet?

 

[uDicko]

Not yet. It is on the cards though.

What you thinking?

 

[ITMA]

I'm still circling around it. My deadline is October but I need to get cracking about now.

As I'm just buying for myself I've a much smaller requirement and budget, so I'm thinking a Bongo in the sub 10k region.

 

[Honk]

Recently got rid of my car as I can walk to work now, plan to replace it with a small campervan as it's just usually me and the wife now. We hired a large camper last year for a week in Scotland, great fun and something I'd always wanted to try but did make me reconsider that a smaller one would be easier for parking.

 

[The Baron]

I'm still circling around it. My deadline is October but I need to get cracking about now.

As I'm just buying for myself I've a much smaller requirement and budget, so I'm thinking a Bongo in the sub 10k region.

Hi ITMA if buying the Bongo if I recall it is the Friendee which is the best one which has the elevated roof and rock and roll beds, also just as a bit of advice they suffer badly from blown head gasket and can over heat make sure you check it out for this as it is the main issue with them.Hope this advice helps

 

[mickthetrick]

had a mazda bongo for a couple years. was fun and served its purpose. most are automatic but if you hunt a manual one out id go for that. autos are very heavy on fuel. most are jap imports so are not undersealed. if you buy one get it checked for that and if it has no underseal, id get it done. 2.5lt. mazda/ford diesel same engine is in the mazda 4x4 pickups ford ranger of around same age. parts were a pain to get when i had one as there wasnt many in the country at the time but are much easier to get now. milner off road stocks parts for them (or did)