Mac69400

Could be that long. The furniture was fun, but the guys I was working for were a bit tricky, and we ended up folding the company in the UK and the Netherlands. I've had a lot of fun since then, and hope to continue to do so. Good to know you're still fucking about with bikes and cars.

That must be 10 years ago, I think. Small world...

This might seem like an odd question, but did I once shift a BMW motorbike across Bristol for you in one of my vans? I'm thinking possibly Bedminster to Montpelier.

Thanks very much. I'll keep my eyes out for a C15, definitely. I'd probably swap the Custom for one!

I've been reading AS for a while, but not contributed. I almost bought a van from @BeEP a few months back, but struggled with logistics at the time. I've been self employed for most of my career, and normally used vans to do everything. However, I've had a few cars for various reasons. This was great. I think it was the 2.5 10v version. I bought it after my first divorce, thinking that dating while only having five Iveco Dailys might be a hindrance. It soon became clear that a battered 850 wasn't much of a help either. It was replaced with this: An ex taxi, 2.0Hdi auto. A surprisingly good car. I kept it for a couple of years and sold it for about what I'd paid for it. At the time, I had a few of these, which I used to deliver furniture across the UK and Northern Europe for a number of customers. Great vans. The rear calipers used to seize for a pastime, and I became quite adept at changing them. My little forklift made life much easier. This was an impulse purchase. It was fun while it lasted, but constant battles with emissions and an incredibly high tick over made it a pain in the arse. I sold it to a mate, who sorted it for pennies, and ran around in it for a couple of years, just to rub salt into the wound. It was lovely while it worked. I then bought a very scruffy Ford Ranger pick up specifically for a job I was working on at the time. It did its job, mostly running about in Holland and Germany. My wife absolutely loathed it, and once I'd finished that job, it had to go. By this time, I'd become an employee, rather than being self employed. To celebrate, I bought this beauty: This is one I regret parting with. It was a T5 auto, £600 tax, and about 23mpg. I didn't care, I loved it. I became self employed again, and needed a nasty van to run about in. Consequently: It was an old friend's fishing van. The first summer I owned it, it would be absolutely full of bluebottles every warm day. Mike had spilled loads of maggots in it, and the bastard things were the bane of my life for a good while. I hit a pheasant, and it wore the gaffa tape for a good few years. The rear locks didn't work, it was a pig to start from cold, but I kept it for five years, I think. I needed a van that would take an 8x4 sheet, and tried to sell this on eBay. After interaction with all sorts of idiots, I was at the scrapyard one day and asked what they'd pay for the van. The dog and I walked back home, £290 in my pocket. I'd paid £400 for the van and abused it for about five years. In the background to the right of the Scudo is this: It's a 1993 Hymer S700. Despite the ungainly looks, it's a fantastic motorhome. Built on the Mercedes T1 410d chassis, it's given me, my ex wife and my son loads of happy memories. We've been to France, Germany and Spain in it, as well as countless weekends away in the UK. I'm hoping to have a Viking funeral in this thing. For a few years, I also had an older and slightly larger Hymer, which I sold to a customer. It was also a great van, but I preferred the later one, with the om602 engine and auto gearbox to the om617 and manual. The new owner is very happy with it, which is a good thing. Last summer, a different customer gave me this, for nothing: Sadly, I was diagnosed with incurable cancer shortly afterwards, and I sold it almost immediately. It was great to drive, and the brakes weren't as bad as I feared. It needed a lot of welding, and I wasn't up for the task at the time. It would have been a great successor to the Scudo, and I'm annoyed that I sold it. I'm still alive, and I've still got incurable cancer, but I'm down to a Transit Custom and the Hymer S700 now. If there's a C15 about, I'd have it in a heartbeat.