Price is almost exclusively set via the law of supply and demand.
Their is a big demand for VW Vans because of lots of reasons, they're good, they're fashionable, they impress the neighbours where a Transit does the opposite.
It's not Rocket Surgery, everyone who's ever had a hobby that needs moving stuff has thought about having a van, they're wander into the local VW place and think "holy shit, they're soooo expensive" and moan about it - they'll be reminded that they could buy a Ford, a Vauxhall, a Citroen, a Renault etc etc etc for fraction of the cost "oh I don't want one of them"
The upside of that is they can be fantasic value, if you've got the momey to spare in the first place - they're the slowest depreciating vehicle in the UK and have been for years - buy one for £15k, sell it for £15k a few years later.
I had a socialist campervan once.
It was taken by the state.
All property is theft.
That's why you don't have any money for a jacket.
A fair point 🙂 - though I blame the kids rather than the van.
I had a socialist campervan once.
Had to sell it.
Fine in the UK but didn't like driving on the right.
I had a socialist campervan once.
Kept breaking down, think it had a Kremlin in the engine
A decent small caravan like a Tab, Eriba Puck or Kip Shelter is both much cheaper and more spacious.
I had a socialist campervan once.
Had to sell it.
Seats were covered in Marx
I had a socialist campervan once but the left wing disintegrated in the late 80s.
I had a socialist campervan once.
It was a bit small, had to Karl up to go to sleep.
I doubt the experience would have been greatly enlivened by being in a £60k works van instead
until you turned on the heating and got a brew on
I had a socialist campervan.
Braking was really difficult - too much Momentum.
Socialist campervans are perfect for vanguard parties.
I had a socialist campervan.
the French police pulled me over for not having a kGB sticker.
I've always fancied one of these....
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I can even sleep in the back with a bike if I want
I've done that in the back of a few vans too - in my younger days, naturally....
I had a socialist campervan once.
I had to sell it.
Couldn't work out how much fuel to Putin
HoratioHufnagel - Member
I've always fancied one of these....[/quote
Get to the back of the question.
I reckon it's perfect
[i]I've always fancied one of these.... [/i]
You rascal.
I've always fancied one of these....
My in laws had a bambi, drove from UK to spain in it a couple of times a year and went camping all over the UK. Was a great wee van, total nightmare in strong sidewinds though.
I had a socialist capervan once
I had to sell it
Kept leaking Castro GTX
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/camper-van-gives-illusion-of-freedom-2012061430501
As with most Daily Mash stories, the title gives you all you need to know.
I had a socialist campervan once.
I had to sell it.
Engine had seized the means of production.
A decent small caravan like a Tab, Eriba Puck or Kip Shelter is both much cheaper and more spacious.
But then you have a caravan.
Which is a PITA on a single track road, can't be quite so stealthy in laybys, wouldn't work in any sense of 'off-road' beyond billiard table smooth camping grounds that aren't muddy, isn't great for trail centers or beach car parks when all you want is a big car that fits bikes/boards in but doesn't take up 3x parking spaces. And you still need to buy a car with the change anyway.
I can see the appeal of a caravan, put a fair bit of thought into the pros/cons Vs a campervan whilst following your line of logic after my parents got the T5. But decided they were fundamentally only suited for retired people with no hobbies who holiday in Skegness.
I've had a few campervans, last one was a new California. Past tense as I sold it late last year. I think we suffered from far too many miserable wet weekends and weeks juggling a small child, there were only 3 but when its hoofing it down and cold they aren't massive and its like a complex game of jenga. We're from camping stock and caravans but the combination of a lot of capital tied up in a vehicle, it being quite fragile so you had to be careful, unreliable weather etc we decided to give it a break for a few years and do other stuff. The reality of heading off on a whim was that most weekends we're doing something anyway. For a couple, totally, we had a couple of weekends just the two of us inc Torridon biking and nowherespecific for another night on the fly - that works. Next step is a cheap caravan on a seasonal pitch, much easier for us to manage and still camping sort of.
EDIT: They do hold their value, we had ours for 18 months from new, it cost me 3k in that time total which I didn't think was too bad, not great and i could have had a fair few weekends away but it was also our second vehicle. The new ones are mental prices, 70k easy if you want an Ocean. The only upside is petrol engined models. They aren't great to drive really either despite what anyone says, better than a van but still not exactly comofortable, well mine wasn't and it had all the bells and whistles.
Next step is a cheap caravan on a seasonal pitch, much easier for us to manage and still camping sort of.
That's what we have, well apart from the cheap bit 🙂 One of the best things we've ever done. Heading there in about 10 minutes.
Ever tried booking a hotel room in the Scottish Highlands and Islands in the summer with less than 3 months notice?
Don't get me started on caravans! Socialist or otherwise. Having just driven back from Wales (where we stayed in a lovely, reasonably priced cottage, not the back of an exorbitantly priced transit)
When I'm running the world, it will be legal to deploy anti-tank weaponry against those sheds-on-wheels. You've had fair warning!
You see, for me a vehicle has to be as multi functional as absolutely possible. For past 5 years I have mainly driven my Landrover 110 out of necessity of needing to regularly tow a large trailer, fetch loads of sheep feed, drive around fields and up steep muddy tracks in winter where 2wd just doesn't work. I also use it to sleep in when on biking weekends and on weeks away. However, it is not great for fast economical cruising or for carrying a 3rd person as I sometimes need to, and being old and with no Cat is increasingly restricted where it can go. Meant I always needed a car as well. So anyway, the car has gone and has been replaced by a 4momtion T5. Euro 5 and high 30's mpg is considerably better than the Landrover (low 20's mpg), Tows 2500KG which is enough and about 1 tonne more than most vans out there. Much more spacious and practical for sleeping in and bike carrying (and for bags of sheep feed), and it also seats 3. So the 110 is being mothballed for the time being and I hope the T5 can be my one do-it-all vehicle. Yes it is a lifestyle vehicle, but only in the sense that it is the one vehicle that comes closest to matching my lifestyle.
When I'm running the world, it will be legal to deploy anti-tank weaponry against those sheds-on-wheels. You've had fair warning!
Yeh whatever, a seasonal pitch means it doesn't get towed. 🙂
Camper vans are great, vw camper vans are a cliche though.
Binners lives the cottaging lifestyle.
Ironic, given his distaste for their so called pie.
binners
When I'm running the world, it will be legal to deploy anti-tank weaponry against those sheds-on-wheels. You've had fair warning!
[img] 
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^ rotfl
We bought one at the end of last year. Its based on a 10 year old transit so way south of £10k fully converted with cooker, fridge heating etc. Have to say its excellent. So far we have done weeks in N wales, 2 weeks in the alps, numerous weekends away in it with more planned.
Having looked at several I wouldnt want a T5, way too small for 2 once you start to factor wet biking kit and you cant stand up in them unless you open the tent on top. Whats the point of having a campervan thats got a tent roof?
You can park it in a garage ?
But, the difference is comfort. However much I enjoy camping, it's still battling the elements (too hot, too cold, too wet, ground too lumpy) and nature (picking 101 slugs off the inside of the flysheet before packing it up in the morning). Vs a proper mattress, a proper duvet, and a proper breakfast in the morning tat doesn't taste like titanium camping mug.
bell tent, wood burning stove, inflatable mattress.
proper STW style.
I have a T6 California Beach. I bought the image on the brochures with the surf boards and the whole lifestyle bit.
Love it, bought it on PCP too just to help our economy go down the toilet. No regrets from me beats my old estate car hands down.
Transporter owner. 6k ex AA van owned for 8 years. Self conversion. Was my daily driver/work van now just weekend van. Countless trips round UK/Alps,away 2 weekends a month in it. That's why I own one.
I aspire to have an aspirational lifestyle vehicle, if i'm honest..DrP
I'm aspiring to have an aspiration about a car one day, of I'm honest.
Binners lives the cottaging lifestyle.Ironic, given his distaste for their so called pie
I thought Toad in Hole was the cottaging food of choice?
We saw a family on Barra in a T5 (or similar). 2 adults & 3 kids.
Didn't even look bearable never mind fun.
[quote=NZCol ]You can park it in a garage ?
I'm confused by that suggestion - looking around my end of the street, nobody even parks a car in their garage. Hence I'm struggling to see why that is an advantage!
(why on earth would you use a relatively secure weatherproof structure on the side of your house as storage for something which is relatively secure and weatherproof?)
(why on earth would you use a relatively secure weatherproof structure on the side of your house as storage for something which is relatively secure and weatherproof?)
that's a whole different thread right there...
oh and I had a socialist campervan once. It was the 'Union' model.
I paid over the odds, it never worked and you couldn't fire it.
I'm confused by that suggestion - looking around my end of the street, nobody even parks a car in their garage. Hence I'm struggling to see why that is an advantage!(why on earth would you use a relatively secure weatherproof structure on the side of your house as storage for something which is relatively secure and weatherproof?)
For us one of the advantages of having a campervan, as stated in this thread, is we could head off at the drop of a hat, therefore we had the van fully loaded in the garage with the bike rack on it. IT was plugged in, fridge on, we could chuck bikes on, cold stuff into fridge and be gone. I'm not sure i would have left it loaded like that parked on the street. Perhaps I'm odd but i use my garage for my vehicles.
