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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

Campervans as your main car.

96 replies

Scramble · 26/01/2008 23:57

Have a mad urge to get a campervan, but can't afford to run a car and a campervan.

Looking at a bargain basement ancient thing probably, will it cost too much to run day to day? I do about 140 miles a week on average. I want to be able to go off the od weekend here and there and use it for weekends away working through the summer.

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pirategirl · 27/01/2008 00:03

weekends away working in the summer, oooh that sounds interesting in a nomadic way?

my ex wanted to have one as a main vehicle, i just thought it would be too slow!!!

He has one now, but its more like a converted bus, not a vw or anything.

I bet there are lots of forums you could have a look at. one things for sure the cheaper, the more they are going to fall apart, depends how handy you or a family member is with the haynes manual and a spanner!!!

Wisteria · 27/01/2008 00:09

I had one - it was lovely and I miss him every day (1972 with original pop up roof in ark green and white).

Honestly though, as a main car it is not practical. Mine was in absolute perfect condition (after 5 years of painful and expensive restoration) but finances decreed that he had to go and I regret it every day .

Pros : no tax and very low insurance

You are cool by default

They are lovely and every trip out is like a holiday

Cons: Astronomically high fuel bills

Pain in the arse for parking in towns (especially car parks with height restrictions

Slow on the motorway but somehow you don't seem to care

Would I have one again? Yes, like a shot, but not if you're skint

pirategirl · 27/01/2008 00:33

..'Slow on the motorway but somehow you don't seem to care'...

no becuase everyone can get a good look at the cool happy camper when they overtake as you sing 'we're all going on a summer holiday'!!

i would too if i had the money.

there's quite a few around here (devon, surfy types)and they are so lovely.

Original poster
Scramble · 27/01/2008 21:23

It doesn't have to be a 1970's VW with surf boards on the roof, (although that would be cool ), just a wee one, probably not oo ancient, but that makes them more expensive to buy. A bongo or what ever they are called would be ideal, but they are going to be pricey I know.

I suppose it is a nice idea and all that, but I will probably end up with a fiat panda or something .

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yurt1 · 27/01/2008 21:31

Look at Bongos. Plenty of people use those as cars and they make good weekend campervans (I want one!)

yurt1 · 27/01/2008 21:33

Bongos are cheap cheap cheap (as far as campervans go- for a fully converted one about 10 grand ish). We were looking at one which gave us 3 proper seatbelts in the back plus sink and bed etc- and it would have been about 11 grand.

Not cheap, but far cheaper than a VW.

Have a look at Bongo fury - and avoid the Bristol dealers- heard a few dodgy stories about them!

Original poster
Scramble · 27/01/2008 21:40

MMh still a bit pricey for me I really need to be under £2000, something part converted that could be a project, or something to fling a mattress in even.

Wonder what thre MPG are for a vehicle like that, I do like the look of th bongos.

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yurt1 · 27/01/2008 21:43

You can get them unconverted from about 5 grand I think. Worth looking at other Japanese imports as well, as you usually get low mileage for your money.

Mercy · 27/01/2008 21:48

Dh had an old one when he lived in NZ. Apparently they are a nightmare when they break down and need parts replacing.

When I was a child my neighbours had one - it had one of those pull out roof thingies. They were hte envy of our street - they used to go to the south of France in summer

V cool.

singledadofthree · 27/01/2008 21:50

i've had 3 vw campers - 2 old aircooled bays and a type 25 watercooled. i wouldnt even consider an aircooled again as a main car - 55mph flat out and about 20 to the gallon. and you cant get a decent one for under £3000. the 25's are better, faster and do about 25 to the gallon. prices for a useable one from about £2000 but loads of rubbish about.
and its true - got stuck going into the multistorey in Stratford once

Original poster
Scramble · 27/01/2008 21:52

LOL

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Spillage21 · 27/01/2008 21:52

I guess you're talking about a VW splitty/bay window.

As a long-time owner of several vans, I don't recommend them as day-to-day vehicles. They are waaaayyyy coool and you can have lots of fun in them at weekends/hols, but they are high maintenance, both money and time, and not awfully nippy and easy to park. In the winter they are very cold - we don't even consider using ours between October and March. Because they are popular, they are also very nickable, as we have found to our cost [towed in dead of night from out the front of our house and never seen again...sob]).

Spillage21 · 27/01/2008 21:54

WTF is a bongo???

Original poster
Scramble · 27/01/2008 21:54

Somethiing like this would be good I can cope with a doing a bit of a make over but nothing too mechanical. BIL and FIL will help out with basic mechanical stuff if req.

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funnypeculiar · 27/01/2008 21:55

We had one as our main car when I was a kid (an upgrade from a 2CV when the family got too big to fit in that
From my recollection:

  • motorway driving was pretty painful
  • parking was a PITA

But being able to ship off for weekends away en famille in your own little house? Priceless

Original poster
Scramble · 27/01/2008 21:55

So who can work out if I do 14o miles a week what would that be in £££ if it did 25 to the gallon???

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stealthsquiggle · 27/01/2008 21:56

My DM had one as her main car for years and years - but I suspect times (and petrol prices) have changed a lot since then!

One thing I do still find funny is that I judged places on how far they took to get to ...in a camper van! I have a very skewed view of the geography of some parts of the UK

They are hugely practical for shipping large amounts of DC and their possessions around - and you will be very popular at football matches, etc when you can put the kettle on!

singledadofthree · 27/01/2008 21:57

£30!!!

UnquietDad · 27/01/2008 21:57

My parents had a VW Dormobile as their main car for years. Used to drive me to school in it!

singledadofthree · 27/01/2008 21:58

scramble - thats what i had last

Original poster
Scramble · 27/01/2008 22:01

Argh £30 I spend about £10, but that is for a automatic fecking micra.

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singledadofthree · 27/01/2008 22:02

ooo a micra - a real passion wagon

but they are cheap, thought petrol would scare you. i just kept pouring it in - we toured the south the first year - cost me £200 in fuel.

yurt1 · 27/01/2008 22:03

for you spillage - bongos

Original poster
Scramble · 27/01/2008 22:07

£30 is not toooooo scary, if I don't do extra runs into town my milage is about 70, so £15 doesn't seem to bad, I will just get MIL to take her car if we go into town .

Oh I really need a new car but don't know if I can afford that much right now, perhaps I should sell off the caravan I did up and kitted out but since being single and downsizing my car I can't fecking tow the thing anywhere.

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Original poster
Scramble · 27/01/2008 22:10

I waschecking to see how much a carvan likemine would go for and found this

WOW

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