[Closed] Campervan - where to buy

If you're after VW campers then German EBay is the place. Lots of high mileage examples but some bargains in there too.

You haven't told us where you live...

Do you want a full camper van, or could you get a van and do a conversion / part conversion yourself? Given the people you know that could be a viable option - and a sociable build!

Seriously, [b]do not buy on impulse[/b].
Look at many different options - what works best for your needs.
Think about non-VW options (usually cheaper - often better). £10K for a 12 year-old VW with 100K+ on the clock - no thanks!
Try them if you can.
It is worth developing your knowledge BEFORE YOU BUY as then you're less likely to buy a shed, and more likely to buy the right one for you.

IMO a functional motorhome (with toilet and shower) based on a Ducato/Boxer/Relay van may be better for UK use. We have 6m Coachbuilt M'home built on a Transit base. It is ideal for us and our pattern of usage.

Get hold of a few camper/motorhome mags and have a good look at the kind of stuff available. Look on the web for a checklists - damp and rust, as well as many different electrical problems are common killers.

[url= http://www.asoc.fsnet.co.uk/ ]could start here[/url]
[url= http://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com/ ]and here[/url]
[url= http://www.caravanfinder.co.uk/motorhomes_autosleeper/10/page7.html ]for sale[/url]
[url= http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/105770136/merecedes-208d-autotrail-comanche-for-sale.html ]Merc[/url]

Ignore the VW nay sayers. Had 3 still got one. Avoid early ones, splits and bays unless you like welding. They are also pretty slow and splits are tiny, I mean really tiny. We have an 87 T3, 2.1 petrol pop top, carries me, Mrs Cat & 2 teenagers happily. Currently touring the 7 Stanes and the advantage of a footprint no bigger than an estate car is proving valuable on tiny lanes etc. Also lots of websites, specialists and forums to keep them running.

Advice would be to get something smaller rather than a gin palace, they are a pain when you need to nip into town and you cannot cycle.

I'd say you need to go to a big dealer first, no intention to buy anything, just to look at as many different types, layouts, models etc as you can. Then you can start to think about what features you want, in what layout etc and take it from there.

T3 aren`t they slow and thirsty ? Surely something based on a modern van like a newer trafic would be much quicker and more economical ?I know people love their Vee Dubs but are they not bought for the Vee Dub surf bum lifestyle thing rather than with the need to get there today economically ?

They are a big purchase, so look at hiring one first.

T3 T4. The petrol engined ones are waaay cheaper than diesels and not that bad on fuel.
I have a 96 t4 autosleeper 2.5 petrol and it'll return 30 if you sit at 55-60.(about 5mpg in the toon however).
As b r said, hire one a few times. better to figure out what you want/need before you buy.
I have a lavvy and a shower in mine and have never once used the shower in it.

T3s are much more modern to drive, less surf orientated so don't go for really daft money. T4s are more modern in all aspects but have less space because of moving the engine to the front. Ours is giving 28-30mpg loaded with 3 SUPs, 4 bikes and 4 people. Cruised up here at 65 comfortably.

I used to have a pop-top 1990 Westfalia T3, brought back from Germany. It was a 1.6 turbo diesel and returned 30-40 mpg full of stuff. A newer non-VW van might be more economical and cheaper to run, but there's just something about a VW Camper...

We love our Mazda Bongo. For a big petrol V6 it's not horrendously thirsty, has 4wd, is lovely to drive and came in an awful lot cheaper than similar specc'ed VW. That said, it's notably smaller and I'd not want to go camping it for any length of time without our large awning...

Check out www.bongofury.co.uk

We took our time and did our research before buying. It's the wrong time of year to be buying unfortunaltely,

T25 1.6 td here.had a few,would go with the td every time,bit slow (sit at 60 mph,no probs tho),but get there 35-40mpg fully loaded,4 people,4 bikes and a dog,full gear for a week on board.
and yes,they run perfectly on veg oil..........

Pah.....

Sleeps 4, has a proper kitchen, toilet, shower, lounge, gas, electric and is as big as all but the biggest campervans - cost £6k.

GTW with tow car is going on for 4 tonnes, yet still returns 25mpg.

😉

[img] [/img]

Caravan here too, sleeps 5 ,fixed bed,shower room, toilet , on board water tank, gas BBQ point on outside and external shower/ bike washer
5 grand also tow it with a freelander and 25-28mpg

Would love a camper/ day van but you have to ride round with all your stuff all the time at least you can unhitch with a caravan

My mate has a really nice one for sale on here VW camper
look it up

OP - you say you've trawled eBay.

Then how on earth did you miss [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Luxury-coachbuilt-expedition-vehicle-/150819245353?pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item231d870d29#ht_11018wt_898 ]THIS!!!!!!!!!!![/url]

I'd spend the next few months researching what you want and then buy something next winter. Prices are mental in the summer. I bought mine on a wet day in January, and if I ever sell it I'll be doing it around this time of year 😉

We bought a motor home last month and have since had a couple of great little brakes away in it with our two girls (6&4).
We bought from eBay and the old chap ended the listing early to save himself hassle from tyre kickers however I think he was smarter than we gave him credit for as it was our first purchase of this sort and we went into it with rose tinted glasses!
It started off with ideas of wanderlust/serendipity/adventure when our neighbour spent £25000 on a T5. However when I approached the idea with HQ, she required a toilet and a shower and gave me a budget of £7000.
1990-ish and 75000-100 000 miles seemed to be the order of the day for our budget, but the one we bought had only 27000 on the clock and looking around it, the mileage seemed genuine. Its a 7m 5/6 berth based upon a Renault Master and is actually quite nice inside. Since purchase we have had a biking friend who used to service a fleet of Renault Masters (completely by chance) to give it the once over and we spent £300 with him and did the cam belt as he had the cover off to replace an oil seal anyway.
Since the purchase we've spent a lot of time putting little things right;
Water pump £49
Hob thermocouples £24
New curtains and seat covers £250
Fixing leaks / water heater / toilet door / step / shower / blocked drain / dripping pipe / lights and now it all works faultlessly.
Other purchased items include;
Carbon monoxide detector £20
Front seat (cab) covers £75
Front window blackout blinds £40
Air freshners / pots and pans / knives / electric hook up cable / £30
So apart from the fabric which wasn't totally necessary I have come in around budget. W are also confident that as we only paid £6500 we can could sell it on for at least £7500. We have already had friends asking to hire it which would cover our costs for MOT/insurance/tax etc, so financially it's a win win situation...
We love it and have really got into the whole camping/wilding thing and like the fact that we are completely self sufficient.
However when you buy get them to demonstrate EVERYTHING... Make sure that the water heater works, awning, drains, internal heater, water pump, all the taps, bog etc etc. Obviously you'll do the usual things like oil, tyres, brakes, steering, lights etc but check that all the stuff inside the 'home' works or you'll be spending a lot of time or money fixing little things.
Ours is a little on the large side but we both have our own vehicles so this will be only used for biking/family holidays. You might want to consider something smaller if it's going to be a second car too.
My advice wouldn't be to hire one for a week at around £800! Instead do your research, don't buy a dud and you'll probably get your money back.

Yes. Good points made above. You need to make sure that all appliances work on all applicable fuel sources. ie. a 3-way fridge should function on gas, 12V and 240v. If it doesn't, it is an expensive fix. Same with water heaters and space heaters.

It _may_ be an expensive fix. Everything on mine worked when I got it, since then both the water heater and fridge have failed on gas but were easily fixed on my driveway with some help from the internet ;). Definitely best to play safe, though.

Slight hijack - sorry.

I'm thinking of a campervan or caravan for the future for touring around Europe and I have one question for the caravan boys.

I tow a trailer on my car and it knocks and rattles (socket to ball coupling) a hell of a lot, vibrating through the car at times, my question is.

How noisy/rattly/knocking would the joint be on a large caravan if it's being towed by say a Merc Vito or a Transit?

mattzzzzzz - Member

Caravan here too, sleeps 5 ,fixed bed,shower room, toilet , on board water tank, gas BBQ point on outside and external shower/ bike washer
5 grand also tow it with a freelander and 25-28mpg

Would love a camper/ day van but you have to ride round with all your stuff all the time at least you can unhitch with a caravan

But you can't really wild camp with a car and caravan can you?
You can get away with it in a motor home though.

get a early bay dormy conversion - very expensive i know, but the attention you get at shows etc, best thing you'll ever do 🙂

My T4 westfalia is for sale here....
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/vw-t4-westfalia-campervan-for-sale

Have a look... its cheap for what it is.
or look at eastfalia.com justwestys.com T4 forum brickyard forum