Camper van as everyday family car

[BGnz]

Hi Guys,

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but thought I would give it a go!

We are looking for a new family car now we have had our daughter and my partner is getting a works van. We want a camper van and have been looking at different types, Vws, Toyota ect..

Anyone use a camper as their everyday car? Any campers you would recommend?

We need a 3 berth and something which is reasonably economical, as I have said it will also be the main family car so will be used for the school run/food shop so can't be too big!

Thanks!

[TheMaddHugger]

I think It's a fab idea

If you get stuck in traffic you can boil the kettle and have a lovely cuppa and maybe some toast

[TheMaddHugger]

Sorry, i know this isnt what you were looking for, I just think its a fun one

[Digestive28]

We use our VW as one and know plenty of others that do. It’s fab. Be warned though it’s a long way to the back seat if kids are small so you need to get good at throwing food/toys back there!

[RunningWhipstitch]

My everyday vehicle is a vw t5 that I am converting into a camper. Does 41 mpg.

It is about the footprint of an audi A6, so does fit into parking spaces. Visibility is a pain, but you can add more windows and a reversing camera.

They are very popular, but cost a fortune if you want a professionally converted one.

[VenusInSpurs]

My friends did this. I don’t know if it was just their model, a Bongo, but the fuel was very uneconomical for town and local trips.

[DoJo]

I drive a Bongo as my main vehicle and it's really practical as it means we have somewhere we can go for picnics etc on days out even when the weather isn't great!

[DustyOwl]

We bought a van yesterday, I'm very excited! It's a ford transit custom lwb, so it's pretty big, I'm planning on using it as my everyday vehicle. I will let you know how it goes. We will be putting windows and sears in first.

[Altah]

How are you getting on with this?

We bough a transporter 2 days ago after the arrival of our baby boy.
It has already been converted to a camper, and is lovely but I started to freak out that I had been frivolous. Reading this thread is making me feel better.

Anyone have any tips for storage?
Especially things like prams and shopping

[WorriedMillie]

Someone in our village has a VW camper as her sole vehicle, she seems to manage fine with it

[SnoopyMcLoopy]

We have to sell our beloved VW Touareg because we live in London and the ULEZ charge coming in October makes it impossible to keep. I need a lengthy vehicle for work and we also camp a lot and I toyed with the idea of getting a camper van but it would have to be Euro 6 compliant or petrol. And also under £20k. Probably not much hope for that though right?

[PaulaSmith1]

We had a couple of Bongos and they were great - got an LPG conversion on one of them to sort out the fuel economy.

We now have a VW T5 which is better in some ways - it is just a bit bigger than a Bongo so is better for living in, but that makes it just a bit more difficult to fit in parking spaces - and watch out for height barriers on car parks.

The Bongo's also felt better put together than the VW - I don't think the German engineering is anywhere like as good as it is meant to be. Plus the VW cost twice as much as a comparable Bongo.

[LazyDoll]

I have a VW Caravelle as my main vehicle. I love it. Not a camper as such but SO fun to drive.

[fuzzyduck1]

I use to have a transit LWB camper as my daily drive never had any problems.
The insurance goes up if you use it for commuting as well as leisure.
Bongos seem sell set for camping without to much effort (pop top roof with bunks and back seats fold into a bed.
I don’t know about all these LEZ compliance stuff as my camper van now is classed as historic so exempt for all that stuff.

[OneEpisode]

Check there are enough seat belts. You said 1 dc but we often had extras.

[EssentialHummus]

Can I recommend a Toyota Alphard (Japanese import)? We test drove a few before settling on something much less interesting . It’s like driving a settee and they make wonderful campers. Try New Acre cars.

[EssentialHummus]

They are typically 7 or 8 seaters unconverted. 2.4/3l or hybrid models available.

[sueelleker]

It probably wouldn't suit you, but we saw one of these at a campsite once, and I thought "what a good idea".www.bing.com/images/search?q=caravan+with+detachable+cab%2fdemountable+camper&qpvt=caravan+with+detachable+cab%2fdemountable+camper&FORM=IGRE