Anyone know stuff about vans?

[Ian_Fearn]

When I finally finish house shite and my garage is built I want to start a budget camper project.

 

So, what sort of van should I buy, 3-4k budget? I'm thinking swb size transit rather than anything smaller. I'm after something tough with good ground clearance and enough power to get up hills. As much as I love the old Merc T1 vans, I aint driving driving to the Costa Blanca at 50mph (less up hill).

 

Given the hoplessness of modern diesels I'm quite keen on a petrol with gas. Ford did a transit from the factory like this but I'm not sure about the long term reliability. Lpg has come on a lot since then early noughties so in theory it could be fixed with new kit but more $$$$$.

 

Other budget shite includes the ducato range. Perhaps its telling that all Sprinters at this price range seem to have 200+k on the clock.

[dollywobbler]

Sprinters are pretty good, but as you say, a lot of them have covered silly miles. You might well find a minibus with fewer miles on it though. VW LT is the same thing near enough, but some are rather short on power. Transports rightly lauded as they're ace. Hideous scene tax though. Transits rot like you wouldn't believe. 

 

Sprinters could be specced with a cracking 4-cylinder engine. Very robust and genuinely pleasant. £3-4k should get you a Mazda Bongo Friendee though, and many of those are already in some sort of camper form. They're just (typically for J-tin diesels of this era) a bit prone to head gasket woes.

[skattrd]

VW T4 ... I await the flames.

[Cavcraft]

It seems pretty hard to buy a (modern) van without there being horror stories of some sort. I can't believe I'm even thinking this, never mind typing it, but from what I can see VWs seem about the best bet in the reliability stakes. The Vivaro is supposed to be a belter to drive, but they seem to om-nom-nom their way through 5th gear and Sprinters seem a bit glitch at times.

A decent Transit worth considering but DMF IS GONNA GET YA at some point if you do go diesel.

[Ian_Fearn]

I tried a Bongo. Having had a t25, they are seriously small inside. Bigger is needed.

 

Are Renault Masters classic Renault? I.e. shite

[Cavcraft]

Aren't the Masters all over 3.5T though, or am I confusing them with other Renault vans?

[Ian_Fearn]

At least a dmf can be changed in my garage. Sudden turbo loss is catastrophic when climbing hills above the arctic circle!

 

You cannot get a decent vw transporter in my price range. I could buy a project but goes against the grain at 4 large.

[Ian_Fearn]

I think the Renault Mascot is the bigun. Plenty of swb masters about nice and cheap.

[andy18s]

Iveco Daily 35s12 FTW !!!!!!!

[skattrd]

As this is Autoshite the only real choice is a Sherpa or a Commer if you can find one.

 

Just think how much Sherpa you could get for 4 bags.

[Cavcraft]

Please place your face on your monitor, I'm sending you an electronic punch to the kipper any moment now. Standby....

[dollywobbler]

Not tempted by a Citroen Relay then? The newer ones are seriously punchy, but I'm not convinced by reliability. It's always really annoying small things that seem to break, but our similar Peugeot Boxer needed a new ABS ECU, just inside warranty thankfully. I'd personally go Sprinter. They do also rust quite badly, but they feel proper old-school in their engineering. The early ones have a five-pot engine too. Simple, old-school engineering.

[Ian_Fearn]

I must admit to the tight bastard side of me being hugely tempted by an LDV Pilot.

 

So what are these Ivecos like? Arent they built in Italy? This bothers me.

 

Ian, I need to google the Boxer, Relay type vans. I think a 2.8hdi exists. Should have the grunt I want.

[cms206]

I'd go LDV with a 2.5tdi Convoy; Iveco Dailys are GR12 but they are seriously thirsty. I'd avoid a Sprinter if you plan on going anywhere cold as they're horrible in even damp conditions.

[Ian_Fearn]

LDV convoy is a good call but arent these thing woeful to drive? Only the PO bought them due to the enormous fleet discount they got??

 

Still appeals but unless I'm mistaken, air con wasnt an option?? So I'd have to go for a separate unit for the long drives in hot climates.

 

Theres an awesome petrol Sprinter 4x4 on ebay but its 14 years old for 10k +vat.

[Bren]

When I finally finish house shite and my garage is built I want to start a budget camper project.

So, what sort of van should I buy, 3-4k budget? I'm thinking swb size transit rather than anything smaller. I'm after something tough with good ground clearance and enough power to get up hills. As much as I love the old Merc T1 vans, I aint driving driving to the Costa Blanca at 50mph (less up hill).

Given the hoplessness of modern diesels I'm quite keen on a petrol with gas. Ford did a transit from the factory like this but I'm not sure about the long term reliability. Lpg has come on a lot since then early noughties so in theory it could be fixed with new kit but more $$$$$.

Other budget shite includes the ducato range. Perhaps its telling that all Sprinters at this price range seem to have 200+k on the clock.

If you buy an LDV driving to the costa Blanca at 50 MPH will be a miracle.

 

Without doubt the most sluggish thing I have ever schlepped in. Acceleration that makes continental drift feel quick.

 

You need a mk1 transit with an essex and gas - you will be autoshite world champion.

[dollywobbler]

Mixed experiences here. My LDV 400 with Peugeot TD power would cruise all day at 70 no bother. Non-turbos best avoided. I've also driven an LDV Convoy with Transit power, and that was happy at motorway speeds too. Drove that all the way to Normandy and back and the only issue was a hideous shake through the steering wheel that was probably kingpin related. 

 

For maximum shite points, go LDV Maxus. They absolute fly and the only real downsides are a chocolate gearbox gate and panels that make a 2CV seem like a Volvo. They dent easily.

[Partridge]

For a very short time I worked for a contractor who used Vauxhall vans. My god, those things were SHIT. All of what Cavette says is true, in fact, the whole gearbox seems to be made out of Cadbury's flake bars. The insides have OMG BAD KWOLITIE and the speakers were falling out of ours after 29k, which in van terms is bugger all. When I left it was fucked with a capital "F".

Jap vans seem to be pretty good...

[cms206]

LDV convoy is a good call but arent these thing woeful to drive? Only the PO bought them due to the enormous fleet discount they got??

 

Still appeals but unless I'm mistaken, air con wasnt an option?? So I'd have to go for a separate unit for the long drives in hot climates.

 

Theres an awesome petrol Sprinter 4x4 on ebay but its 14 years old for 10k +vat.

I liked them but I was always in the minority; we had a non-turbo Peugeot Convoy that could crack 80 and it drove A1. Aircon wasn't an issue as it had no rear wheeltubs and the bulkhead fell out.

 

Despite that they don't drive too badly if you bear in mind the age of the design and rot on Convoys is generally cab floor/cab steps/rear wheeltubs and that's about it. Plenty good ones floating about still and they're plenty big enough inside.

 

Had I the cash I'd got for a TurboDaily Classic 35.10 as I found them the most comfy to drive (Sprinters cripple me) but ours was shit on diesel.

[The Moog]

I am currently in process of doing this. Estimate at the moment I reckon I can get it all done for between 1.5-2k including van purchase.

 

No air con or power steering. But being minibus loads of room, body isn't going to rust and is pretty much a blank canvas.

 

Getting a good base vehicle and sorting the rust out is vital I reckon. Our t25 needed money spent to get all seams fixed and the rust dealt with and we sold it for £5k.

[Angrydicky]

Sherpa. MK1 Renault Trafic, MK2 Transit, Fiat Fiorino.

[spike60]

For a very short time I worked for a contractor who used Vauxhall vans. My god, those things were SHIT. All of what Cavette says is true, in fact, the whole gearbox seems to be made out of Cadbury's flake bars. The insides have OMG BAD KWOLITIE and the speakers were falling out of ours after 29k, which in van terms is bugger all. When I left it was fucked with a capital "F".

Jap vans seem to be pretty good...

Aren't the Vauxhalls re badged Renaults?

[andy18s]

Vivaro are Nissan Primastar as well as the Citroën version I can't think of right now

Our Daily does 25ish mpg regardless of being empty or loaded up to the max

[Lacquer Peel]

BEDFORD CF.

[willswitchengage]

Hiace

 

Remember Top Gear's indestructible Hilux? Basically that in a van. 1,000,000 third world taxi drivers can't be wrong.

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/toyota-hiace-lwb-petrol-f-reg-/231322598095?pt=UK_Commercial_Trucks&hash=item35dbe6bacf

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Hiace-1975-Classic-Camper-Van-Refurbished-engine-/281427224804?pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item41865ea8e4

[eddyramrod]

Ask Cyanide Steve, he has a TurboDaily with which he's done exactly this, in fact I think he's on the road with it now.  TurboDaily would absolutely be my choice, avoid Sprinters like a riot.  Anything else won't be big enough inside, with the possible exception of the Convoy and Transit, and you can find them all over ebay in various stages of conversion.  Best of luck!

[andy18s]

I posted a pic of a damaged extending sides camper truck over on 1 of the open forums.cant think whose it was but the thread is called Living in my camper I think

[warren t claim]

BEDFORD CF.

BEDFORD MIDI

[dollywobbler]

Vivaro are Nissan Primastar as well as the Citroën version I can't think of right now

Our Daily does 25ish mpg regardless of being empty or loaded up to the max

 

Correct about the Nissan, incorrect about Citroen. Citroen has their own small van shared with Peugeot and Fiat. To confuse matters, the Fiat Doblo now also seems to be a Vauxhall and the Renault Kangoo can be had as a Mercedes.

 

Vivaro/Trafic/Primastar is built at Luton and they're not bad, just prone to flaky trim and exploding gearboxes.

[PiperCub]

Was going to suggest the jap stuff, look how much is exported to places like Africa, they don't buy unreliable, unfixable (OK, unbodgable might be more apt) junk, tend to go on and on. As some said, thousands of bush taxi drivers can't be wrong.

 

VW Trainspotters are real nice but cost and command a premium, even the crap ones so beware, friends of mine nearly got caught earlier this year.

 

Don't know if it helps but picked up a copy of a book at an autojumble last year, it was called something like 'Build a camper for £1K' (Amazon-it see what comes up), quite a good read, a couple of brothers got an LDV Pilot (ie: an updated Sherpa) and an old caravan and broke the latter for the core of a camper. The book goes through how they did it, the end result looked pretty good. Whether you choose to believe it was for under a bag of sand is up to you - I suspect it was a bit more personally - but they certainly didn't spend alot.