[Closed] Talk to me about campervans....................................

You'd probably be able to get a VW T4 for that sort of cash.

I'm not a brand snob, would I be right in thinking the equivalent transit van must be cheaper than a merc vito/VW T3,4,5

caravan can be left, you have to pack a campervan to drive away (*without breaking stuff).
towing has lower speed limit, and most caravan owners don't appear to be able to reverse

But I just joined YHA, laterooms and do ebay for accom, and I've got Berlingo and a popup tent/quality tent/........

No need to pay for the badge on a VW, get a Transit or Ducato/Relay/Boxer van conversion 🙂

Or if you are up for a bit of work and have the time, spend £4k on a van and £4 to 6k on fittings and you'll end up with a nice self build van at the end of it, for half the price of the equivalent professional conversion.

Caravan isn't much good for getting to places in a hurry on Friday evening, especially when you want to stop off at the local petrol station to fill up. Plus when you get onsite, (and leave for home) there is plenty of faffage involved with a caravan, whereas in a van, you simply check all the cupboards are closed, walked through to the cab and off you go 🙂

Edit: Plus with a van, you can have a quick overnight stop in the services/tesco's/trail centre, with a caravan you stick out like a sore thumb and are vulnerable to goings on outside, so a campsite is the only real option if you want to break a long journey.

I thought of the hotel idea, but having sent time in hotels, hostels and my grandparents camper van, the camper van wins hands down. OK it compromises on just about everything, but at least it has some of everything.

Old job used to have a Renault traffic van that I like the look of, I feel a project coming along.............

yes a transit would be cheaper.

You don't really "pack up" a campervan as if it's got cupboards most of the stuff just lives in there you don't pull up and empty everything out, but you do obviously have to make sure the awning isn't still up or that the van is still plugged to the electric before making an exit,

I've got a T5 currently which is just a blank empty van, i'm being sucked towards buying one of the Kea conversions here and taking out/moving the rear seats etc to make room for bikes. We tend to use the van a lot at weekends and the idea of being able to pop the roof up and snuggle up is quite appealing while the bikes are safe downstairs.

If it's just you (no passengers), get a van - you'll never regret the freedom. Just had an elevating roof and bed put in ours for the kids - it's fantastic to be able to get in and go, then stop and sleep wherever you fancy/dare.

NZCol that is simliar to how I designed my van.

Forge you got any infop on yours ? THe only thing stopping me getting a camper is that we don;t really need the whole camper coversion but getting roofs etc done in NZ is almost impossible. Figured it could be easier to take out what we don't need. I vaguely remember someone getting a conversion that had bike storage in the back of a T5 LWB

while the bikes are safe downstairs.

Unfortunately I suspect the missus might ask for things like showers, tables, and maybe even a cooker...... And much as I'd like to spend 3 months eating takeaway in the drivers seat and washing out of a mug, I'd probably see her point :-p

It'll probably get deigned with some kind of false floor/wall to take a bike in a bike bag, not quite as convenient, but probably as secure a it gets, even if scroats got in they'd have to find the bike.

Ohh and on a very personal note are the pop up roofs/beds "young couple" proof?

check out ex windsurfer ones, quite a few had 'false' floor storage layers underneath to stash boards/masts/sales

We had two vans, before we had kids, first a homemade conversion of an old VW LT, then a Talbot Express AutoSleeper. Loved it, and would happily do it again. Some of the Japanese purpose built vans seem good value these days, but maybe not this one.

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Ohh and on a very personal note are the pop up roofs/beds "young couple" proof?

yep.

its the van suspension I worry about 😉

My 2p. We sold up a couple of years back, and spent a few months in our camper. I thought of getting a van and then doing a diy job. Consensus seems to be that unless you are keeping the van for a long time, then this is a waste of money, as proportionally, you'll not get monies spent back. Dependant on where you want to go (in Europe) a caravan would be a nightmare on some of the more minor roads, whereas we only nearly came unstuck once (unmarked low bridge) with our camper.

As to campervans needing packing away before leaving, the only thing we did was turn off the gas bottle, push in the step and wind in the awning. Two minute tops.

I wouldn't have one for the odd weekend away though, as storage, depreciation, and basic running costs soon add up, and make hiring one for even 4 weeks of the year seem a better proposition.

WTF is that thing?

NZCol mine is a LWB with bike storage at the rear it uses a Variotech seat on rails with two postions one where the bikes fit in the rear minus the front wheels, the second position provides a larger living space and less storage at the rear.

Apologies to OP as the above is a bit off your topic.

DIY would undoubtedly be cheaper, I'd only spend £1k tops, just a simple trip to B&Q for a lot of plywood, some 2"x2", a big bag of screws, tub of white paint, tub of yacht varnish.

Meths cooker

Mattress.

Won't be neat or tidy, but would be functional and cheep.

rich - you had a motor home though.

Id make the distinction between that and a campervan - the size is important (id hate to meet the bridge that was low enough for our campervan to hit! 😉 )

Mrs S (and S jr) and I are known to spend weeks and months on end living out of our campervan (T4). If I had my way it would be most of the year.

If I were a single man, footloose and fancy free 🙄 I would buy a reliable TDi commercial van, fit it out myself with a water tank/sink, stove, fridge, battery/split charge relay/inverter, propane/diesel heater, insulation and a bunk and be off to the continent faster than you can say Huckleberry Finn.