AMC Rebel's unoriginal threads P94 - Camper Vans

[AMC Rebel]

It pissed it down on the last day of the festival so we upped sticks and came home.

 

There were showers, but the queue was massive.

 

I am therefore wondering about a camper van (or even caravan or some awning/attachment for the Discovery)

 

Requirements -

 

Sleep 3 adults (not all in one bed) at least as comfortably as a tent.

 

Running water (hot would be nice) 

 

 

 

I know there's a terrible scene tax, but I keep thinking about VWs - I am not hardcore (or rich) enough for a splitty and I probably don't have enough time off work in a year to get to and from anywhere in a Bay, so I am thinking about later ones.  Prices seem to be all over the shop though.

 

Since part of my motivation is to go as a couple (with one or other kids on occasion) I want something fairly presentable too.

 

What does the AS massive think?  

 

I know we have done this before - but I couldn't google up much that wasn't about the most esoteric and AS type campers and I need a bit of practicality and even a little visual appeal.

 

 

[Mally]

Cheapest  way, I have had a couple of these and they do the job.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Esterel-2-3-berth-folding-popup-caravan/122689540716?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150313114020%26meid%3De1eb1b89eafb4ea09a797d1019f16b44%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D30%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D152659974865&_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726

[cobblers]

I've owned a few, built dozens and camped in all sizes and shape of VW camper, and they're just not great to camp in, especially not with three adults! Good vans though, I run a T25 as a daily but it's crap to camp in.

 

TBH with three adults you're looking at a bigger van than anything VW make anyway - Most 4 berth things with a roof bed are just 2+2 for the kids. You could squeeze 4 adults in but it's no fun, you've no room to physically move around each other once inside it. They won't generally have hot water either, unless you get an autosleeper or "traditional" conversion.

 

The best thing I've done camper wise is get a Talbot Express Autosleeper off here. It's slow and rusty but good god is it nice to camp in - Hot water, toilet, shower, oven, cooker, central heating. You can stand up in it and everything.

 

They're fairly presentable in that they are just "Motorhome" to most people, and that's deffo what I recommend. Maybe not an Express, but definitely a traditional conversion by Autosleeper/autohomes etc etc in a large ish van like a ducato thing.

 

You'd sleep three adults in my van, one up top and two down the bottom. The bottom beds can be two singles or one massive superkingsize, but as a king size you lose "shuffling about" room which you'd probably miss with three of you.

With three adults you might even want to move up to a coachbuilt for a bigger shower and bog and more storage, but they have their own pitfalls.

[AMC Rebel]

Thanks folks - interesting.  I have been spending a lot of time browsing various of these on ebay.

[mercrocker]

My experience of T25 camping is different being only half of a couple instead of one third or a quarter of a family.    If I had a very young child I would still consider it as festival base or weekender at least, with a bunk across the front seats.   Mrs Rocker and I can do about 10 days in the van without an awning although it is admittedly much easier if we take the caravan as well.   No hot running water and I keep it very simple with plastic jerry can water "tank" inside a cupboard, drop-in submersible pump to the tap and just a standard porta-potti.   Still have two-ring burner and grille but no fridge - only a powered cool box.   No mains hook up but a breaker-type consumer unit is carried to connect up to campsites etc.

 

I make this point quite a lot about T25 ownership but it's not all about the camping.   It is compact enough to drive to work and be available at a moment's notice for a road trip, day out or use as a beach hut.  With the weather nowadays that instant readiness is all the more useful.  

 

I am about as far from being a dubbah as I possibly can be and ignore all that shit but I have struggled to think what to replace the van with that doesn't start to alter some of the advantages of it.  

 

I did the "slow, lumbering, noisy, uneconomical but nice to sleep in" side of camper vanning before with a CF ambulance and prefer to tip the balance the other way.    

 

There does not seem to be a huge amount of monetary difference between a shagged "Scene'd" T25 and a genuine good one, there are plenty out there and spares are as easy to come by as any other 30 year old commercial vehicle - by a long way! 

 

Alternatively, drag a caravan around for the times you want to stay in style - huge value compared to any additional vehicle.   

[spartacus]

I'm with Cobblers, although I would be, he bought his off me! It was a great first camper and the novelty of hot running water and a toilet never wears off.

I've moved to something a little bigger and newer, it's a Devon conversion based on an LDV Convoy, it's good and has all the trimmings I need but it's not quite as well thought out as the Autosleeper.

[Noel Tidybeard]

what! an ldv camper we need pix

[DodgeRover]

If you must go VW then but an LT they're pretty much unloved and can be much bigger than a combi.

Otherwise CFs don't have the old Ford scene tax associated with Transits for about the same size. If you want hot water and a shower then you will be looking at a coach built camper rather than a van conversion, like buying a caravan take a non invasive (ie not the spiked probe type) damp meter and see how damp it is so you can work out the amount of work required to seal it.

Like caravans the joints flex and move, the more they travel the more they move and leaks will start eventually rotting out the wooden frame.

Personally when they've got to that state and you just want a few more years I've resealed using tiger seal and pop rivets where the frame has gone too much for the screws to hold.

[sierraman]

I'd get one of those Sherpa cab based campers, ideally one that's rotten with a really fusty interior that's been home to some transient illegal workers on a farm for a few years.

 

Near me someone's got an old Sherpa ambulance as a camper. Grim.

[Mally]

We have done all the above, it can work, can be expensive, can be cheap, but always has a downside.

Now rely mainly on Travelodges booked early for cheapness.

However I slept in the back of a Tranny van Sat night among all the tools. Was £99 in TLodge.