Talk to me about CamperVans

[Paddlechick666]

Okay, I am a seasoned traveller and am feeling the wanderlust again.

Had thought my travelling days were over with a dd of 2.5yrs but (estranged)H has a campervan (bay window type2) and I am smitten with it!

I have seriously considered pushing the divorce thru and suing for the van as settlement (he's got bugger all else lol) but this may be a tad drastic and ruin any hope of an amicable relationship going forward

So, I am now planning to sell my car and buy my own with the intention of a career break next spring and a 6 month tour of Europe.

I want a pop top with cooking/water/storage facilities. Ideally Westfalia.

Nothing too "classic" for reasons such as price, reliability, fuel consumption etc.

Nothing very tall or especially long for easy manoevering and access to car parks etc (ie: low barriers etc).

Am thinking to pay around £3.5k absolute tops.

So anyone got any advice on what to buy, what to look out for when buying and doing such a trip with a toddler.

TIA

bump

All I can say, if you have a popup top, you will break your back as you cant straighten up when in the back of the van unless you pop up the roof. THis is inconvenient during all the frequent stops with a toddler.

We had a Ford Transit Autosleeper conversion, short wheelbase, but with a high roof, so could walk uprigth all the time, and when stopping to make sandwiches, lunch, toilet stops, etc. (I can show you pics if you are interested) We bought ours for £4500 though, but you can get them cheaper. It fitted perfectly in parking bays in towncentres, etc, was great to manouvre, and we never had to visit a multi storey car park with height restrictions during our one month in Europe last summer.

We have two kids, btw, and it was perfect. Cooking facilities, hot water, fridge, light, and a porta-potti in its own little cupboard. Good luck!

oooh, I like the sound of hot water and a porta-potty. have been researching wild camping in europe as we will be on a very tight budget.

I'm not overly fussed about the roof height tbh but ask me again after a few weeks on the road LOL.

the thing is, i will only have this vehicle so it will be used for domestic stuff too altho i don't use my car a massive amount now.....

would love to see pics please

btw, email is paddlechick666 @ googlemail . com without any spaces of course.

Paddle, I have them on my picasa, I will find the http and email you later.

cool, i'll look forward to it.

had a bit of a google on them as well.

I have just emailed you!

thanks, just emailed you back

HI, we have a Westy Type 2 with all the mod cons you are looking for and are also planning a career break 6 month Europe trip in a couple of years. so good luck.

For your budget and for economy, if you def want a VW, you will be better getting a T25, the newer shape after the type 2.

For advice on what to look out for when buying, join the Just Kampers - chat forum and post on there. The site is full of very helpful VW nuts and you are sure to find someone in your local area willing to check vans out with you on viewings. They will also give you tips on parts to take with you on your trip, most things that go wrong with VW campers are small. It's all very well having AA cover but the engineer may not have the part available as the vehicle may be quite old, so if you have it with you, you can be on your way so much quicker and enjoying your trip.

May be worth also buying the latest copy of Volksworld magazine, apart from the classifieds you'll get lots of ideas about things you'll need etc.

brilliant! thanks so much for the hints and tips.

I'm planning to buy in the Autumn and hopefully get a good price as I am sure demand is high right now.

Plus I have access to H's combi this summer so no rush!

I'm very excited

ps: there are some good books and guides around for wild camping thru europe etc.

we've got a T25 westie. it does 38miles per gallon, so pretty good. it's a high top but it drives fine - you really don't feel it. lengthwise they are tghe same as cars really, so no extra cost on ferries etc. we started looking in the winter as presumed prices would be lower - apparantly though time of year doesn't make that much difference. volkzoneforum is also a good forum with loads of obsessed people on it. do you def want a VW? mazda bongo's are very very reliable and good on fuel. they are a good bit smaller than the vw's but if it is just you and your dd would probabaly be ok

hi vitomum

i was kinda hoping lots of antipodeans and south africans might be heading home in autumn and selling off their trusty steeds!

there's a few on gumtree to that effect anyways.

tbh, i'm not sure what to go for at present. i currently drive a berlingo so appreciate the T25 isn't much longer or taller with the roof down.

definately want a pop top or similar. it will be just me and dd mostly so doesn't need to be huge.

i am a bit of a sucker for being cool and hanging in the gang tho so the VW lure is there

agree - VW has more of a cool factor. and on a practical level that's what ensures they hold their value better. did you also know taht you can get the AA to do a pre purchase check? think it's about £250, so pricey but could save you buying a total wreck (as happened with my friends who were seduced by the technicolour paint job into buying a total rust bucket)

VWs are cool and fabulous, but they are expensive to buy and to maintain. HAve you considered a Mazda Bongo? We have one, although ours in unconverted, and it is wonderful. Reliable, easy to drive, comfortable - I'll find a link.

here are some on ebay. Don't know if any of them are any good - but worth a look

thanks both.

heading off on Monday for a road trip to Glasto in h's camper so i think i'll have made a decision on whether VW or something else by the end of that.

loving that Bongo with all the carpentry and stove/fridge etc but it's over my budget and not met reserve yet lol!

have a lovely time. VWs do seem to need a lot of tlc. dp is always doing oil changes and god knows what else. i am not mechanically minded at all so would struggle with all that

We have a T25 with a high top, and although we agree that a poptop would be more cool, I just don't know what we would do without the storage that the high-top gives you!

We use the upstairs 'bed' for all of our clothes and stuff, which means that when we park up, it doesn't obviously look like we are on holiday - if you see what I mean? This meant that we didn't have to worry about people breaking in so much when we did the wild camping thing the other year.

Also, it is our only car - and has been for the 2 years we have had it, and apart from having to occasionally drive around a bit to find a car park without height barriers, it really has never been a problem - infact, even if you are doing the daily commute along a hideously crowded motorway, you still feel like you are on holiday if you are in the van

Anyway, I'm rambling - good luck with your search!

hi paddlechick

Don't know if you're likely to be checking back in but thought I'd add my advice/experience just in case.

3.5k is not that much to buy a decent bay window these days and you would need to really know what you were doing - would ex h be willing to help you check some vans out if he has experience of them.

My advice is to view as many vans as you can - that way you will get a better idea of what you can get for your money. Also, you can learn a lot off the people who are selling the vans, as you probably already know, vw people tend to be a really friendly and helpful bunch so don't be afraid to ask tonnes of questions.

DH always says the most important piece of kit he has taken to view a van has been a magnet! Its amazing how clever some people are at covering up filler etc when they want to sell a van, and despite what I said above about 'vw people' there will always be some dodgy dealers around. You can use the magnet to check for solid metal all over the main structural elements of the van underneath - underseal, stonechipping and schulzing can hide a multitude of sins!

It can be really easy to be seduced by a recent paint job and snazzed up interior, but without a solid base and good engine its really not worth it in the long run. (There speaks the voice of experience - we are now on van number six over 15 years and our first one looked stunning, great bodywork, but mechanically it was a disaster area and we never really got it right even after sinking thousands into it!)

Also, have to agree with vitomum vw's are definitely high maintenance so you need at least 2, preferably 3, out of the following three things:

1. a good basic knowledge of things like where to top up the oil and regularly check all the fiddly little things that seem to forever need checking on vw's.

1. to build up a friendship with a really good local mechanic who specialises in vw's but is not a flash dealer or restorer

1. a copy of How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot. (this is a really essential book for newbie vdubbers and is useful for diagnosing problems and maintaining your van. DH keeps his in the van so it's always there in an emergency.

It's for sale on Amazon here

I know it has a picture of a beetle on the cover but it covers both.

Final bit of advice would be to check out your local vw club. They would be best placed to tell you about the best vans for sale in your area and are usually willing to answer any questions you might have. Nothing a vdubber likes better than talking about vans - preferably their own!

Good luck, hope you are successful in your search.

hi moosemama, thanks for all those great tips and advice.

h has said he'd be happy to help me find something.

he got his bay at a very good price but spent another grand on getting the engine sorted plus it's a bit shabby interior-wise.

tbh, i think you're right in that i'm being optimistic about getting a bay on my budget.

i've joined the online community 80-90 and am considering a t25 flat screen as an option.

i'm not afraid to get a bit dirty doing maintenance and have a friend who's an amazing mechanic. am considering gassing whatever i get and he would do the conversion for me.

everything on hold for now tho, gotta find some wellies and start packing for the next road trip!