Sold Minibus - camper conversion? Cheap

[Tamworthbay]

The other site where I work are selling off one of their minibuses. They asked me as they know I love old rubbish no one else will buy but I have neither space nor time for it. It's an LDV Maxxus 07 reg (I think, boss was a bit vague). Failed the MoT on brake efficiency. It has done 31000 ish. I havent seen the bus in a long time and can't remember what it's like at all. It's only two miles from me but the chances of me finding time to get pics is very small. BUT it can probably be had for a donation of around £300. It will have been serviced every year (but odds are paperwork will be lost) and should be in decent mechanical fettle apart from the brakes obviously. Reg is BU07KFE so feel free to uncover a world of pain or otherwise and post up on here.

 

It's very much not a tyre kicker opportunity and the price is just what they have been offered scrap on it so there is no flexibility I don't think. If anyone is seriously interested get in touch and I will pass on contact details. Sadly I am not on commission

[Tamworthbay]

Just had a look and MoT history is pretty clean.

[wuvvum]

Whereaboots is it?

[Cavcraft]

Anyone who doesn't want an LDV with a Bukkake numberplate just log out now.

[Tamworthbay]

Tamworth. It's only being sold due to budget cuts meaning they need to shed a vehicle. Otherwise it would have been fixed and used. Due to the crazy world that is the public sector there is no easy mechanism to sell it, especially not to spend money on it and then sell it so they tend to end up being sold to scrappers when they have years of life left in them. I don't know this one at all unfortunately but would be surprised if it wasn't in decent condition and I doubt very much that it's in ready to scrap condition.

[Zelandeth]

One thing worth checking - how many seats? I.e. do you need a D1 licence to drive it?

 

If it's anything like the stuff we had where I used to work, most mechanical repairs etc were done pretty well... cosmetic issues on the other hand were treated as...well they weren't, they were totally ignored. Any sharp edges got mummified in duct tape, and generally stayed that way for the remaining life of the vehicle.

 

...we did have some right old sheds though. T plate Convoys that had been in all-day-every-day use anyone?...in 2012. They were...due for retirement in many cases! Stupid thing was that the way the budgets worked, we could spend a small fortune on repairs as that was a revenue cost...but we had no capital budget (at all) so couldn't replace them. Making the point to finance that in the last two years for the MOT that one of the buses had cost more than it would have cost to buy a new one fell on deaf ears...

[Tamworthbay]

One thing worth checking - how many seats? I.e. do you need a D1 licence to drive it?

If it's anything like the stuff we had where I used to work, most mechanical repairs etc were done pretty well... cosmetic issues on the other hand were treated as...well they weren't, they were totally ignored. Any sharp edges got mummified in duct tape, and generally stayed that way for the remaining life of the vehicle.

...we did have some right old sheds though. T plate Convoys that had been in all-day-every-day use anyone?...in 2012. They were...due for retirement in many cases!

I am not sure seat wise, either 15 or 17 but most likely 17 as all our others are. Bodywork wise ours tend to be in good shape and looked after but haven't seen this one in ages so can't be sure.

[cobblers]

According to reg plate its a 17 seater.

Look like this?:

 

Would make a good camper that!

[Zelandeth]

In that case you'll need a D1 licence (not automatically issued if you passed your test after 1997) unless you're driving the vehicle for voluntary purposes only.

 

Annoying and has prevented me from buying one already. Especially when looking at re-registering the thing as a motor caravan, apparently it had a MGVW over 3500kgs so Vosa wanted to class it as a HGV for which I'd need a C1 licence to drive instead...cue bashing head against brick wall. That was an old LWB high top LT35 that got essentially forgotten at the back of the yard following a minor shunt which took many months of legal wrangling to sort out apparently.

 

At least I did find another buyer so it was saved though.

[cobblers]

I thought you could swat all the seats in a canal and "downrate" them to 3.5t fairly easily allowing you to just drive it like any normal van. 

 

But surely if you're campering it, you're driving "voluntary" anyway?

[Tamworthbay]

Looks like it will be saved and be joining the Autoshite ranks. Hopefully a collection thread will follow in due course.

[Dave_Q]

It's coming up as 3.9t on a vehicle check, looks like downplating it to 3.5t is fairly straightforward though.

 

http://www.svtech.co.uk/our-services/downplating/

 

As Cobblers said, I think hoying 9 seats in a canal and downplating and you're away, or be a pre-97 licence holder and drive as is.

 

NB: please don't actually dispose of the seats in a canal.

[nacho man]

A river is a lot better place to dispose of the seats. Canals can be a bit shallow.

[Zelandeth]

Looks like if anything it's a bit simpler these days.

 

Big problem I had back then though was that it was on a commercial premesis, and they being, shall we say a "health and safety heavy organisation" were not willing to transfer ownership to me unless I could prove that I could legally drive it out the yard. ... totally irrespective of the fact it hadn't turned a wheel in about 15 years and would have left the yard on the back of a flatbed operated by a professional recovery firm...

[mitsisigma01]

Looks like it will be saved and be joining the Autoshite ranks. Hopefully a collection thread will follow in due course.

Does it have a buyer lined up ?

I wouldn't mind having it if it falls through

[Tamworthbay]

Does it have a buyer lined up ?

I wouldn't mind having it if it falls through

You are fourth in line at present, in the unlikely even they all fall through I will be in touch.

[Tamworthbay]

And gone.........

[mitsisigma01]

Hopefully to be seen in the field of dreams soon !!!

[23rdian]

Interested if everyone else above me is not

[Tamworthbay]

Hopefully to be seen in the field of dreams soon !!!

  

Interested if everyone else above me is not

It will be making itself known soon, I know the new keeper has a lot of plans for it so hopefully a nice camper conversion thread will be on its way in due time.

[NorthernMonkey]

Don’tcha just love Friday afternoon collections via the M6...

 

 

Absolutely chuffed with this, drives far nicer than the LDVs of old. Sorry, no fuel station shots as it came with almost a full tank of diesel.

 

Soon be pub o’clock so further updates tomorrow on its own thread.

 

Thanks again Mr Tamworthbay for facilitation duties....top seller, wud rekomend A+++

[Felly Magic]

NEADZ MOAR BAYJ LOL

[The Moog]

Wooooo camper conversion

[wuvvum]

Don't think I've seen a >3.5-tonne one of these before.  Never seen a 105bhp version either - I thought they were 95 or 120 (or 135 on the later ones).

 

They're not a bad steer apart from the shite gearchange, although the seats aren't the best.  Go bloody well for what they are though - my 95bhp LWB van would easily stay with my 115bhp Movano.

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. Pleasant old things. Go easy on that gearchange though, as it's very easy to break them.

[twosmoke300]

Not bad trucks apart from the fisher price interior . They are prone to stiff steering from knackered column uj. Only available from ldv at £150 iirc

Vm engines seem good and strong .

[Tamworthbay]

Pics here if anyone is interested:

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/29028-its-grim-up-northldv-first-fettling/page-2