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Feb 16, 2009 19:32:08 GMT
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Like many on here i'm currently thinking camper with out scene tax. Many, me included have suggested J-tin vans as an alternative but i'm wondering if these are passing me by. They seem to be cheap and well equiped but has anyone actually lived with (or in ;D) one. What king of mpg do they get?, are they reliable?, will it rust faster than I can weld?, just how comfortable can a bed made of shaped seats be?. Pictures for your perusal, And inside the common town ace And should anyone doubt it's retroness Or should I stay in a travel lodge?.
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Feb 16, 2009 19:36:15 GMT
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need all the same answers was going vw lt route but j tinware suggested
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purplevanman
Posted a lot
Way too orangey for crows
Posts: 3,829
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Feb 16, 2009 19:38:37 GMT
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from what I've read and from mates vans they are capable trucks but can suffer head gasket problems and subsequent overheating
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Feb 16, 2009 19:39:41 GMT
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Cheers grunty, there seem to be a lot for sale with HG problems. I really wanted a sooty van with a danbury conversion but I think her indoors (soon to become her outdoors) is bottling the camping a little, so a bigger better bed may be in order.
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purplevanman
Posted a lot
Way too orangey for crows
Posts: 3,829
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Feb 16, 2009 21:01:18 GMT
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have a look for abandoned home build camper projects, transits, ducatos etc, may be a way to get cheaper camping and retaining a nice reliable truck
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Feb 16, 2009 21:05:25 GMT
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Head gasket! (which means you can pick one up for peanuts, fix it and you've got a cheap van!)
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Feb 16, 2009 21:44:45 GMT
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previas are better. and you can get one super cheep.
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1995 Toyota rav-4 1978 Kawasaki Z650B
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bortaf
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,549
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Feb 16, 2009 22:05:55 GMT
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I have an early space cruiser and rust on the bottom 6 inches is a KILLER!! not underneath but the lower body pannels are frikken Olympic gold at rusting away Early petrol engines are tougher than old boots, me mates is on 178K the clutch has been slipping for the last 6 months AND it still drove from London to the IOW 7 up + cases ect, drove round for 2 weeks and made it home (i was that confident it wouldn't make it I lent him me AA card ), i'm the mech who keeps it going and it never fails to surprise me it keeps going My Auto is also rusty but no where near as bad but only gets me 25 MPG, real nice to drive. My Lucida isn't rusty but the diesel engines are more fragile but not as bad as people make out, watch out cos most with head gasket problem actually have cracked head (2.2 TD), i know, i have one but it still soldiers on cracked head or not. They have good equipment ect nice to drive and bigger than the early ones. gotta love electric curtains
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Last Edit: Feb 16, 2009 22:07:33 GMT by bortaf
R.I.P photobucket
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Feb 16, 2009 22:12:14 GMT
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Do you really need to to hear my view on this subject?? Didn't think so?
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Feb 16, 2009 22:16:30 GMT
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I would think going the ex-fleet route to non scene camping is one way. Then again, there are loads of niche market products....
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Darrel
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,167
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I looked at these ages ago, but were put off with aqll the overheating problems. Also looking at them once the headgasket goes as bortaf says its usually a cracked head and the seller normally gives up on them as after spending mega bucks for a garage to replace the gasket they cant be bothered with buying a new head. Ive also looked at early Serena's and Delicas as from what i can see they don't seem to have the same engine issues. Ive got to get a people carrier in a couple of months time and I may just buy a Previa and take a chance on it. You can pick up nice ones cheaply (look at the one Delmastiff sold on here recently) and i love the air con controls for the back passengers
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peel
Part of things
Posts: 126
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Homebuild from a van must be the best answer if you only want two berths. Trouble is I need 3/4 berths so that means hi-top or, preferably, pop-top and that's not really something most of us could sort ourselves.
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Feb 17, 2009 10:27:05 GMT
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Homebuild from a van must be the best answer if you only want two berths. Trouble is I need 3/4 berths so that means hi-top or, preferably, pop-top and that's not really something most of us could sort ourselves. The Townace isn't usually a camper...it's just a people carrier with foldy seats that can make a bed. What about a Mazda Bongo?
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Feb 17, 2009 15:25:24 GMT
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The problem with converting a van is the insurance issues and also the fact that most vans are flogged to within an inch of their lives by the time they're a couple of years old, and medium sized vans are thin on the ground. Even early converted hi ace and L300's are creeping up in price and it's difficult to get anything even nearly road worthy for less than a couple of grand. It's more a comfortable bed with good cruising abilities I'm after, I'm not bothered about porta potties and cooking etc as I find the thought of crapping, eating and sleeping in the same space slightly disturbing. A town ace or space cruiser will already have a comfortable full interior with air con, sound deadening, windows and should be easy to insure. Mazda bongos fetch serious money and you could get a bay window for the same price, if I was prepared to pay a couple of grand i'm bnot sure i'd be having the same problems. I had designed an aluminium pop top but i'm not sure I have the required stotts to cut up a perfectly good van. If rust is the only issue with an early town ace/space cruiser then I think we have a winner. Edit to say, I do still have concerns about calling that a bed It doen't look overly comfortable.
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Feb 17, 2009 20:01:11 GMT
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I've used various campers/mpv of J origin for windsurfing weekends away. Apart from Bongo's with roofs I've always found the seats to be an issue yes! Tries Lucida's, Elgrands, Highway Stars, RVR's etc etc However, Honda SMX's have flat seats which is better, not the biggest but for overnighting just fine. Have just aquired an Efini Mazda MPV (odd looking thing) looks like a big estate but is Huuuge. Will let you know how I get on with that shortly.
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Resident Toyota Geek Current Fleet: HDJ81 Landcruiser, GZ20 Soarer, JZX81 Cresta
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bortaf
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,549
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Feb 17, 2009 22:10:19 GMT
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An air matress over the seats flattens it out a bit but then you sleep level with the windows which makes it colder especialy if your bare hits the glass at night! The later Lucida/previas don't allway come with the lay flats, mine has swivel seats in the middle and they most deffinatly don't even come close to flat (guess who found that out AFTER driving from London to wales to a car show) worse nights kip ever All the space cruisers i've had/seen have the layflats but town aces surf aces and master aces (import i think?) have had swivels so check they do actually lay flat first
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R.I.P photobucket
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Feb 17, 2009 22:29:13 GMT
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I've got one! It's a 4WD, fairly early one (for the UK) at 1988 and I bought it for £200 with 80,000 kms and a failed head gasket. The head had been taken off. I had it crack tested and skimmed and a new Toyota head gasket and cam belt and I was away! The problem seems to be the head gaskets are made from oatcakes and the cooling system is intended for towns (hence Townace) so they're not happy above 65mph in stock form. We've been all over covering thousands of miles now, acknowledging the poor cooling by driving carefully. I fitted taller tyres to up the gearing and make it a bit more rugged. I also fitted a tow bar, nudge bar, Eberspacher night heater and mirrorball! The seats fold flat but are not comfy enough like that. We regularly go camping for weekends away with a firm 2" foam mattress over the seats and it's pretty comfy. It's not good enough for more than a week though and I have a good back. We've had tons of fun in it though and it's been mega-reliable and rugged too. Most are auto, ours is manual Sussex Scottish Highlands 12" snow the other day I love my van and don't intend to part with it even after 4 years of ownership. It's a 2-litre turbo diesel and it's slow and does 28mpg but it's funny, comfy, VERY useful, reliable, popular and has dual AC and a fridge in the front also run off the AC. Most parts are still available from Toyota Ferg
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Feb 17, 2009 22:30:52 GMT
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Oh yeah, we made and fitted curtains too. Some come with them Ferg
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Last Edit: Feb 17, 2009 22:32:06 GMT by goosegog
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Feb 18, 2009 18:43:02 GMT
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Thats more like it, I'll have to see what the bay throws up before summer.
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Feb 18, 2009 20:28:52 GMT
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I forgot to say, the replacement head gaskets from Toyota are of a different construction - all metal so no crumbly fibre stuff like the original type. Once replaced, it should be (and has so far) very reliable
Ferg
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