Talk to me about Bedford cf's....UPDATED with moar pics!

[BorniteIdentity]

I had 1991 Mercedes 'pig nosed' auto trail about 8 years ago.

 

Fantastic. Proper 'shite' with swirly patterned carpets and velour.

 

Whether you'll sneak one for budget i don't know. Obviously prices fluctuate seasonally.... So good luck.

[kirton]

We had a CF2 Autosleeper with the Opel engine;  got nearly 30mpg frpm Devon to Skye and back, quite happy at 50mph.  The Autosleeper has a fibreglass shell and is probably more waterproof than the coachbuilt conversions.  The CF2 has disc front brakes and as long as you take it steady it is quite good on the road.  But one of the ball joints is special to the CF2 and is scarce - a handful of e-bay ads a year if you are lucky.  Ours had been ziebarted from new so hadn't rusted in the cab section.  Only got a newer one so we had seat belts for the grandchildren, don't even think about fitting them to the lengthwise bench seats as the injuries can be severe.

[Crusty Sills]

  no taa, I have criteria for our camper.

 

1. i need to be able to stand up in it, I'm 6'1"

2. I want a bed over the cab (can't be arsed making a bed every night)

3. It needs a loo (the missus is funny about peeing in fields.

 

So if anyone sees anything that fits these I'd love to see it.

I know you said this but....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bedford-Bambi-Rascal-Campervan-Motorhome-1988-Project-/191819559617?hash=item2ca95632c1:g:GnEAAOSwP~tW2YCs

And its only in Norwich!!!

 

No?

 

Just a thought.

[michael1703]

https://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/motorhome-camper-van-/1158044135

 

I know the guy selling this,he has been offered £800, a few pennies more would secure it. Brockford just south of diss on the a140

[barmatt]

The hunt continues....

 

I had a lead on this camper a few weeks back but then I was told that the gearbox had died so i kinda gave up on it and looked for something else. Anyhoo, the owner of this phoned me a few days back and asked if I was still interested as he'd sourced a recon gearbox for it and was having it fitted this week. So I'll be going to look at it sometime in the next few days, whenever he phones to tell me it's ready.

 

 

It's the 2.5na diesel (York?) so I'm expecting it to be bloody slow but where else do these things fail?

[Cavcraft]

Rust and parts availability. Then a bit more rust. I'd put money on an X plate being an early Di, but I've been wrong before.

[barmatt]

Rust and parts availability. Then a bit more rust. I'd put money on an X plate being an early Di, but I've been wrong before.

 

knowing the sum of sweet FA about tranny engines, are the di better/more powerful?

[skattrd]

It's a 35+ yr old diesel engine hauling a bungalow - it will be glacial.

[spike60]

I had a C reg Transit 190 coachbuilt for about 10 years, that had been converted to Di from York already when I bought it at about 27k/13 years old. I also had a works van C reg with a Di from new, C is the changeover or mebby campers take longer to register. The dash and bulkhead were already bodged up on the camper then, if it had been a pick up it would have been scrapped years before. Continued bodgery were an annual feature, the only rotten dash I've owned.

Mine was a late MK2 and had rot problems 20 years ago.....

 Type 9(?) gearbox turned to cheese at about 40k, dificult to replace. Some pics of it on SambaS (?) camper thread a couple of years back if any one cares.

With a 75bhp diesel it was slow, but not as slow as it would have been with the original 62bhp/3200kg.On a motorway it ran the same speed as the wagons. Until you got to hill that is....

Drivers wings and front doors were unobtainable 10 years ago.

 

[dean36014]

Was it the york diesels that were notoriously bad starters?

[Cavcraft]

knowing the sum of sweet FA about tranny engines, are the di better/more powerful?

 

The Di is quite simply the greatest diesel engine ever made.

[barmatt]

The Di is quite simply the greatest diesel engine ever made.

 

I hope it's an early di then, although if it turns out to be a york and I can't get on with it I know a chap with a couple of di engines and boxes that I'm sure I could acquire one of.

[spike60]

Was it the york diesels that were notoriously bad starters?

Yes, that's usually why they were binned.

[spike60]

I hope it's an early di then, although if it turns out to be a york and I can't get on with it I know a chap with a couple of di engines and boxes that I'm sure I could acquire one of.

I reckon it's unlikely many Yorks have survived in Transits though there's an abandonded A series with a 3.6 6 pot York in near here!

[barmatt]

I reckon it's unlikely many Yorks have survived in Transits though there's an abandonded A series with a 3.6 6 pot York in near here!

 

the dvla website and the owner both say it's 2.5l, wasn't the york engine 2.4? If this is true it might be a di engine, fingers crossed.

[spike60]

Yes, mine was still registered as a 2.4 and I saw no reason to bother changing it.

[danthecapriman]

Here's mine, you've all seen pics of it before though.

 

They are great vans, but they rot! Check cab steps thoroughly. Check all the obvious places like sills etc etc. the windscreen surround can rot too, check for bubbling and rusty stains on the paint around the seal, sometimes the rust can be seen inside the van on the metal dashboard where it meets the screen seal. You can also easily look up under the dash/glovebox at the base of the screen surround area and see if there's any grot there.

The one in your pic has been painted in this area by the looks of it as the mk2's often had a satin black painted section around the windscreen, so check it!

The front cross member under the radiator had surface rust on mine so check that too.

Mechanically these things are very basic and simple. Steering box will have a bit of play but shouldn't be excessive and check it for leaks.

If it's a diesel I'd expect it's the 2.5DI, which is a superb piece of kit. Again, it's a basic engine (doesn't even have glow plugs) but they go on and on, although they do sound like a proper old truck engine! I really love these engines and if you find it a bit slow then just add on the turbo set up from a later 'smiley' transit, they made them upto 2001ish so they are easy enough to find. A five speed conversion (using a 'smiley' transit as donor) is worth doing too if your going to be changing the box anyway.

Parts aren't the easiest to get anymore for bodywork or interior though. Engine parts are generally readily available.

 

If this ones any good I'd well recommend getting it.

[Pillock]

Looks like a Matchbox model that I attacked with some Humbrol enamel paints.

 

HTH.

[danthecapriman]

Looks like a Matchbox model that I attacked with some Humbrol enamel paints.

 

HTH.

Can't say I'm a fan of the blue bits either. Nothing that can't be fixed though.

[barmatt]

Can't say I'm a fan of the blue bits either. Nothing that can't be fixed though.

 

me neither, I've got a few rattle cans of matt black to sort that out.

[Noel Tidybeard]

di came at 1984 with thw facelift so on an "X" it should be a york

[Junkman]

I see a Camper Shitefest in Jaywick's future...

[barmatt]

di came at 1984 with thw facelift so on an "X" it should be a york

 

that's what I'd read but wasn't the york a 2.4l? the owner and doovla site both say this is a 2.5l

[Noel Tidybeard]

that's what I'd read but wasn't the york a 2.4l? the owner and doovla site both say this is a 2.5l

this is true

 

you'd serpently know if you start th bugger up- nothing sounds quite like an out-of-balance washing machine as a Di

[danthecapriman]

The York was a 2.4L the DI is a 2.5L, as Frank Gallagher said it should of had a York or Pinto on an X plate. But lots have been converted to the much better 2.5DI (later called the 'banana' engine due to manifold shape) as the York wasn't very good and the Pinto is a petrol, less desirable in a van.

I'd expect if the log book says 2.5 then it's almost certainly a DI.

[danthecapriman]

this is true

 

you'd serpently know if you start th bugger up- nothing sounds quite like an out-of-balance washing machine as a Di

Yeah, or if it starts it's a DI, if it doesn't start is a York!!

[barmatt]

We'll, the transit turned out to be a much bigger project than I was prepared to undertake, so the hunt continued until last Sunday when I found a likely candidate up Norf. After a few emails, pictures etc a price has been agreed and the deed is being done.

 

My journey for a camper has begun at lunchtime today in the delightful town of Kings Lynn and I probably won't be home until v late tonight.

Obligatory station shots....

 

 

 

And then onto

 

 

Currently here

 

 

Waiting to head up Norf.

 

More to follow....

[DeeJay]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mitsabushi-l300-pioneer-motorhome-/121947425894?hash=item1c64a20c66:g:XTkAAOSwWBJXBRl6

I hope it's this little beauty.

[barmatt]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mitsabushi-l300-pioneer-motorhome-/121947425894?hash=item1c64a20c66:g:XTkAAOSwWBJXBRl6

I hope it's this little beauty.

'fraid not, I had seen that but it didn't grab me.

 

 

Successfully past Donny,

 

This appears to be compulsory around here

 

Next stop Leeds.

 

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[Felly Magic]

Ooooh, this is intriguing