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Sept 5, 2012 12:44:01 GMT
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After hankering after a camper van of some sort for years, and never actually bothering to do so, i want to explore potential cheap vans which could be used as a camper. There are a couple of small things i definately require:
- can be an original camper or a panel van which ill convert myself.
- Needs to be VAN eg, no estates. I want to comfortably sleep in it, and be able to get changed / sit and read inside it when it's raining.
- Diesel engine, it needs to be as economical as possible.
Now as for budget. My friends and family will testify that i am a massive skinflint. I hate spending chunks of money on things. So the idea would definately be to buy something cheap, then do a bit of work on it to get it how i'd like it. I'd like something with MOT though. Basically, I'm talking £1k TOPS here, but ideally to spend £6 - 700 on the van itself.
So has anyone ever been able to manage such a thing on the cheap?
From ebay searches (for reference purposes only), i reckon i can get a decent smiley faced transit for £600 and go from there. T4's are stupid money, i hear terrible things about 90's Mercs, Peugeot vans seem cheap as do renault masters etc. Having never owned anything other than VW's, i'm going to be learning from the start.
Anyone any recommendations?
Thanks!
Joe
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craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,993
Club RR Member Number: 35
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Sept 5, 2012 12:51:43 GMT
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how about a toyota townace or a LDV?
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Sept 5, 2012 13:15:08 GMT
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- Needs to be VAN eg, no estates. I want to comfortably sleep in it, and be able to get changed / sit and read inside it when it's raining. Not a van, but I spent three nights at Bug Jam in a VW Sharan with the rear seats taken out and a tent outer hung up as temporary curtains. Loads of room to do all that, and you can get them in your budget too. |
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Last Edit: Sept 5, 2012 13:17:21 GMT by DarrenW
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will
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,023
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Sept 5, 2012 13:41:49 GMT
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I've gone the mini bus route with mine. SWB Tranny bus picked up cheap, flogged the seats but kept 2 in the back for the kids with enough room for a double airbed in front and a little table for the stove behind. More tramper than camper but it's done the job for the last 3 years plus retains tat swallowing capability's too which is a must for me. Bus variants often have an easier life than the vans. Mine was on a mere 50k despite it's near on 20 year service and I picked it up for scrap money after it had sat unused for 2 years. It's only had a battery and a few oil changes in my ownership and was pretty clean when I picked it up, needs some metal letting in now mind and a new wing thanks to some twunt on the A2 earlier this year. Some cheap DI's still turning up around town thanks to the LEZ, they are legendary engines and I do so miss my diesel transits  |
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jasonj
Part of things
Posts: 220
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Sept 5, 2012 15:29:22 GMT
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I recently bought a Citroen Synergie after my transit failed its MOT in spectacular style. With the back seats out you can fit a double airbed in. 1.9 TD engine runs on veg oil and £250 a year to insure. Cheap enough to buy.. mine is a nice example with 110k on the clock and i paid £650. Worth a look. Peugeot 806 or Fiat Ulysees are the same platform.
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Team Supercharged Opel Ascona 400.
294bhp - 235 lb/ft
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Sept 5, 2012 16:34:02 GMT
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weighed up all options on a van / van camper conversion but bought a retro caravan instead
many reasons but its seperate from tow vehicle easy to store and worth what its worth to me so I'm happy and like yerself money was the biggest consideration as usual
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Sept 5, 2012 18:11:28 GMT
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My hi top lwb td transit camper isn't cheap to run lucky if it does 25 to the gallon
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Mr S
Posted a lot
10-4 Good buddy.
Posts: 2,654
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Sept 5, 2012 18:22:40 GMT
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Keep an eye out on American dayvans - they occasionally appear (usually badly advertised) for sub £1k although you'll be lucky to get one with an MOT for that. They do appear occasionally tho!
Guess it'd have to be LPGd (or maybe the 6.2 V8 diesel) to meet your cheap to run criteria tho, my 4.3 V6 does around 21mpg on a run at best...!
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Suzuki GSXR1000 K2
BMW R1150GS
BMW K1200RS
Chevy K5 Blazer
Chevy Suburban LT
Jaguar XKR
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Sept 5, 2012 18:26:54 GMT
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I recently bought a Citroen Synergie after my transit failed its MOT in spectacular style. With the back seats out you can fit a double airbed in. 1.9 TD engine runs on veg oil and £250 a year to insure. Cheap enough to buy.. mine is a nice example with 110k on the clock and I paid £650. Worth a look. Peugeot 806 or Fiat Ulysees are the same platform. Some Synergies have swivel seats. To do this with the drivers you can pull the end of the handbrake button out and it locks so the lever can then be lowered but brake stays on. Works on early Expert, Scudo & Dispatch vans that use the same platoform as well (not my 2003 Expert though) Paul h |
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Sept 5, 2012 18:57:15 GMT
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As a base vehicle, the late '90s era Citroen Relay/Fiat Ducato/Pug Boxer is worth a look. They're in that sort of budget now I reckon, though some of them are pretty ratty.
I've a 2000 Relay panel van I bought 6 years ago for £4000 with 62,000 miles on it, much cheaper than any other vans I was considering . And it's 2.5D (non-turbo) so kinda unwanted. That means no expensive turbo worries, and will go on and on and on. I was talking to a guy has one with 180,000 on it and still going strong as a track-car tow vehcile.
Sure, you're on holiday, why do you want to go fast? Plenty of LWB high roof ones kicking around : all of 10 feet load area from back of seats to back doors.
It depends how far you want to go if doing a home conversion, but I spent around £5000 kitting out to a good standard.
It's worth finding someone else's home-converted van. Quality of conversion may be patchy, but they seem to me like they're hard to move on, so possibilty of a bargain with all the bits already included?
Personally, I suspect you'll struggle to find a professionally built retro anywhere near that budget. I see old campers advertising for 5 figures : if I saw a car in the same condition I wouldn't spend a grand on it.
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Sept 5, 2012 19:41:27 GMT
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Sept 5, 2012 20:04:54 GMT
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Not a van, but I spent three nights at Bug Jam in a VW Sharan with the rear seats taken out and a tent outer hung up as temporary curtains. Loads of room to do all that, and you can get them in your budget too. Ford Galaxy, Townace, Spacecruzer....or any of the other MPV's if you can live with windows. Otherwise - Bedford Rascal FTW! - not diesel, but cheep if you can live life at 50mph lol. |
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Sept 5, 2012 20:11:51 GMT
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Sept 5, 2012 22:05:41 GMT
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I'm having simi;ar thoughts too... kick started by sitting in bladerunners van at RRG, ive decided i need a lucida/estime/previa, they seem to crop up cheapish. most have tinted rear glass, the 7 seater has swivel seats etc,
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I'm not curse word, i just fell off my shoes
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Thanks for all the help thus far! I do feel like the cheapeast option is to find a panel van of some sorts and just undertake the work myself. I have access to waste timber / insulation etc (work for a building contrator) so i would only really need to find some carpet somewhere and i could have a good go at it. I have seen a couple of "real" campers for cheap, needing some work, such as the Renault Master below (£475!) www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/renault-traffic-camper-van-spares-or-repairs/109486802But generally i would be happy with just a very basic homemade sort of thing. |
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Be warned insurance on a van can be expensive whereas a proper camper reasonable. With that in mind do a proper job add windows, get reclassified by DVLA (they will call it "van with windows") and then most insurers will reduce premium.
Paul h
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Be warned insurance on a van can be expensive whereas a proper camper reasonable. With that in mind do a proper job add windows, get reclassified by DVLA (they will call it "van with windows") and then most insurers will reduce premium. Ahh yes the insurance issue. Do you (or does anyone) have any idea of the extent to which i'd need to convert a panel van in order to register it as a camper? Eg, does it HAVE to have windows? Power & Water? Or can any old builder just throw a matress in the back and call it a camper? Thanks! |
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Be warned insurance on a van can be expensive whereas a proper camper reasonable. With that in mind do a proper job add windows, get reclassified by DVLA (they will call it "van with windows") and then most insurers will reduce premium. Ahh yes the insurance issue. Do you (or does anyone) have any idea of the extent to which i'd need to convert a panel van in order to register it as a camper? Eg, does it HAVE to have windows? Power & Water? Or can any old builder just throw a matress in the back and call it a camper? Thanks! Have a google its all been covered a lot of times especially in the run up to the LEZ coming in inside the M25, theres a very long list of things you have to have including from memory a fixed sink and cooking facilities along with fixed fresh and waste water tanks and a toilet. Also worth remembering if you intend to drive inside the M25 you're screwed in an older diesel van - £200 fine for following a diversion off the motorway anybody? |
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mjd
Part of things
Posts: 46
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Ahh yes the insurance issue. Do you (or does anyone) have any idea of the extent to which i'd need to convert a panel van in order to register it as a camper? Eg, does it HAVE to have windows? Power & Water? Or can any old builder just throw a matress in the back and call it a camper? Off the top of my head: Fixed cooker, fixed sink, bed, side windows in the back. Google will reveal the definitive list, or join these folk: www.sbmcc.co.uk/ |
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Sept 6, 2012 18:05:01 GMT
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i'm selling a 2001 Ldv Cub,it's really a Nissan Vanette in cheaper clothes !
won't win any races but v reliable and nice enough to drive
loves the veg oil as well................
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Last Edit: Sept 6, 2012 18:05:50 GMT by Deleted
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