[Closed] Tell me about campervans

I'm going for a caravan for simplicity. It can stay packed up with all the stuff, and I can just hitch and go. Bikes can go in it, and I can shower, and sleep well...

Fed up with pitching and packing tents away, and cooking on the floor.

Must disagree surfmat my VW Transporter has cost me £35 in maintenance in the past year, oil and filter change. Happily do 90 on the motorway which is fast enough for me, handles fine in town, the only hassle is parking but you soon get used to it. I've only got a basic conversion but fully lined and insulated for a couple of hundred quid. Never go back to a car again, and for what its worth the Post Office came up with the best insurance for me. Did consider buying a small van, glad I didn't.

molgrips - Member
I may get flamed for this, but I would like to point out that caravans are VASTLY cheaper for a good standard than camper vans are.

+1, so long as the OP has a car up to the task of towing.
Also needs to have "E" part of licence to tow. If test passed after 1997 (I think) then extra towing test may need to be taken - piece of piss, nothing to it.

Motorhomes, once you've got to where you want to be, if you want to go anywhere that isn't walking/biking distance, you've got to pack up to go anywhere. Bigger motorhomes can also need the "D" part of your licence.

Marin - my sister and bro in law have similar - Transporter (130) half converted (side windows, proper bed/seats, cooker, etc) into a camper - so I know what they are like. Great some of the time, heavy on fuel, quick for vans but nowhere near any half decent car, lack safety features, etc. Yes they are handy but you need to think about it carefully.

I must admit I have also been tempted to convert a van - still way way way the hell cheaper than buying a motorhome. However, it's another vehicle that needs taxing, insuring and servicing...

And the California is so clinical, it's like the inside of a hospital kitchen (and the fridge needs hook up - no gas - doh!)

For the ultimate VW camper, get a T5 Sportline 174PS and get it converted "properly" by someone that does campers with real people in mind - ones that need to be able to camp off a campsite with hook up.

IHN - Pop over and see us on the stand at Mayhem if you wanna look round a van that cost £15k..... Its got everything.

If not just message me up and pop over in the evening - i'm guessing your still in Glos.

Great all of the time for me, I ride to work mostly and go away 3 weekends out of 4 which I could not afford to do if I had to pay to stay somewhere.
If you're going to Europe buy one, or go away a lot in the UK get one. If you only go for days out then probably not worth it.Done lots and lots of car camping and lots of road trips in lots of countries wish I'd had a van for all of them now. If you decide its not for you flog it as they don't seem to loose much value its not a big problem.

The fridge in the Cali doesn't need hook up, its 12v and runs off the leisure battery.

I would never buy a sportline, they're just a bog standard van with a big engine and all the bits bolted on afterwards for a massive price premium. better to buy a well specced std van and sportline it up yourself, et voila......

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surf-mat - that's what we did pretty much though not a sportline, can also fit two bikes with seat full back with both wheels off, very flexible space wise.

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Made some changes to the rear section with more fitting mats to protect the floor a bit.

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Way back when I was into surfing I owned a VW caravanette with awning (makes a massive diff, honestly)... THE BEST TIME OF MY SINGLE LIFE 🙂 Drove it to South of France...all over UK, the comfort aspect comp-with tenting outweighs the expence imo...I've camped in the alpes for 3 weeks (climbing)and tbh by week 2 we're all too ****ed/v-tired to perform at our best/max.

...if I were doing it 2nd time round, I'd go for a new(or as updated as you can afford)Vito, most of my outdoor instructor friends have them: cheap parts, good on fuel (Turbo d) and quite rapid.

Bottom line, if your intending to spend long periods 'out there'...go for a camper...what more can I say.

Can't believe nobody has mentioned roof tents yet.

Small van + roof tent would be another option

Can't believe nobody has mentioned roof tents yet.

Small van + roof tent would be another option

Good call love tubs, camping and climbing in the Alps convinced me to get the van I was knackerd after 2 weeks. Now I'm a happy climber in my comfy bed.

The fridge in the Cali doesn't need hook up, its 12v and runs off the leisure battery.

Sportline still has the 130 or 174 engine, it's just done up nicely - nice alloys, nice added bits. While yours is well done, this looks better as a base van to me:

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You need gas for a camper fridge - no questions.

Forge - that's nicely done. Who converted it? Looks like a quality job. Apart from the glass - seems to make everything go a bit pixelly...;-)

Converted by Jerba in North Berwick, but yes pixelly windows 😀 there only like that on the web fine when I am in the van 😉

I'd have liked the Sportline but was $ so mine was a standard builders van with the 174 lump, lucked out though as it had a/c, captains chairs, leccy windows and tailgate so was a good base.

My fridge will run around 3 days off the leisure battery.

Forge - the dealer (and forums) said the Cali fridge (which is listed as just a "cooler") eats the battery life. I know "proper" fridges last must longer but also have gas in most cases.

Sounds like a decent job - might look up Jerba if we ever do take the plunge!

My bro in laws is about halfway there - same spec as yours (exact same spec apart from 130 not 174) but still got some way to go until it's fully done. Still looks pretty decent apart from a few slightly naff chrome bits.

We're thinking about a camper, probably the VW type, how do folks find cooking in them? Does it stink the van out? Are they relatively straightforward for driving away from an awning? Do you use them for every day use as well as trips away?

Surf-Mat just saw that on the VW site it cools food and drink, the fridge in our van even has a little freezer in it. I had a good look at a Calif when I was down at the dealer a few weeks ago, and it is clinical as you say, there was someone with one at the campsite over the weekend, the electric pop top took about three times longer to put up than my mechanical one 😀

Yes Jerba did a great job and the after sales support has been excellent not that I've need much more queries than anything.

forge - what is the rear seat in yours? can it slide up and down the van?

We have a 1991 T4 Westfalia left hand drive. We bought it after failing to go tent camping for most of the summer a couple of years ago because of the rain. Wet weather is much less hassle in a van - you just know you're going to be able to stay dry. We tend to use hookup but the leisure batteries can cope fine with running the fridge all the time for a couple of days, and the Eberspacher heater at night if it's cold. It has a decent fresh water tank with capacity for all cooking and cleaning for a weekend. It's just so handy to be self-contained with fridge, cooker, sink and space for all our stuff, and with small kids it is so much easier when arriving at a campsite just to pop the roof up than having to pitch a tent.

We just spent a week in it in the Netherlands over half term and it was just great. There's probably not much in it when comparing the costs of maintenance and depreciation with what one could spend on hotels, but it's not all about the money!

We use ours for everyday use as well. The left hand drive can be a bit of a pain if you're on your own in car parks but other than that it's fine. And cooking in there is no trouble - you need to leave a window open to let the steam out, but I don't recall there being a problem with smells.

I quite like the fact that ours is an old one as it means I don't worry about it getting bashed and dinged by the kids when we're camping. The only thing I would change if I could would be to get one with air-con; it's not really a problem in this country but I think it might get quite uncomfortable in southern Europe in the summer.

petrieboy, yes it slides up and down the van and seats three with proper seat belts with the benefit of being fully crash tested. It's a Reimo 333.

Oh and it's a bed

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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Iveco-Daily-van-race-home-motorhome-camper-conversion-/250650738657?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item3a5bf2bfe1#ht_1845wt_1139

Anyone know stumpjumper?

That Iveco on e-bay looks brilliant especially for the money. id have swivel seats up front that rotate to face a single row of rear seats which would leave even more space behind. pods above the "bike garage" for the kids to get down for an early night while mum and dad stay up front. perfect. <goes off to daydream about big van conversions>

could i get a bike rack for the back of this?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AMERICAN-MOTORHOME-FLEETWOOD-DISCOVERY-RV-DIESEL-PUSHER-/170496003940?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item27b25a8f64

Petrieboy - nice, but I'm after something with a bit more room...

myheadsashed - Member
> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Iveco-Daily-van-race-home-motorhome-camper-conversion-/250650738657?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item3a5bf2bfe1#ht_1845wt_1139

Anyone know stumpjumper?

Dogslow, you paid exactly the same for your van as I did for mine 🙂 Got mine a year ago but its a year older. Yours is one of the first campers I've seen with the bonded windows, looks neat 🙂

When I say truck like handling, I'm comparing it to my works dual wheel Ford Transit Luton. You can drive that like a car, it gives plenty of feedback and has supple suspension so you can just fling it into that mini-roundabout and you'll exit with a grin. The Iveco is stiff and to be frank a bit of a handful on the rough and twisty stuff, its not a complaint, just a contrast. It wouldn't be a sensible choice against a VW or Vivaro type van, but if you want something big then the LWB like Dogslows is pretty much top of the pack, with the Sprinter/LT35 XLWB and Transit Jumbo close behind.

Mine will do 29mpg at 65-70mph, push up to 80-85mph (nearly flat out) it drops to 25mpg, but 90% of the time it struggles to get 20mpg as I use it to tow a 2.8t horsebox twice a week.

We find it better than a tent, as long as you keep things relatively organised, you can be ready to roll in a couple of minutes. There will always be something you've forgotten to put away, but you only realise when it hits the floor and by then its fine to leave it there 🙂 The best bit is when you've been on holiday a week and have a 9hr trip home, you can get up at 6am, fold the bed away, roll off the chocks and be on your way home 10 minutes later a brekkie at the first services, whereas in the tent you've got a couple of hours of taking down the tent and packing the car and probably won't be leaving til 10am, plus the same when you get home!

Sportline still has the 130 or 174 engine, it's just done up nicely - nice alloys, nice added bits. While yours is well done, this looks better as a base van to me:

You need gas for a camper fridge - no questions.

Sorry but some of your facts are inaccurate. Sportlines only have a 174 engine. and I'll say again all a sportline is, is a standard van when it comes into VW they then send it out to a bodyshop to have the bumpers, alloys etc added. If you bought a standard van and then the bits it would cost you several grand less than buying one ready "done". It's for loaded electricians to pose around on site rather than anything else although seems to be adopted by, ahem, surfers also.

Mine is a 130 on an '08 plate with 17k on clock, what you see above cost less than £20k inc. full camper conversion and Reimo roof. a Sportline is £27k as a base van. mine has a full electric compressor fridge and lasts for approx 3 days before needing more juice in the batteries, gas fridges need unsightly vents adding to side so there's advantages and disadvantages with both systems.

get a sprinter !! who are you going to trust when it comes to mechanical prowess? surfers or motorsport guys? mine is amazing and im off to spend 3 weeks in glastonbury in it today WHOOP WHOOP.
i vowed never to use a nylon-nightmare again.
self conversion is the key - even if you get a specialist company to do it for you it still works out cheaper my mate paid 8k for a panel van, spent another 6k having it fitted out by aztec and sold it on for 16 after using it for a year.

im off to spend 3 weeks in glastonbury

Forge - you definitely have a good un!

Blazin - I'd get a used Sportline (would have to be 174 even if not a Sportline) and get it converted. I know it's only visual tarting up but it's done so well. Seen decent ones for just shy of £18k. Spend £6k getting it done up and you have a flipping nice van.

I think (may be wrong) that "proper" fridges do last well on 12v only but the cooler on the Cali doesn't.

Anyway no immediate plans to get one - I think we might take the plunge when we get older though.

For now a good tent, use of a lovely seaside private field/campsite (belonging to relatives) in Rock and a little 4x4 and our BMW stealth bomber estate car do the job well - we tend to rent holiday houses if we do need somewhere to stay. Pricey but much less than a decent camper!

we find we dont need a flash van or even a big engine.

ours is a 2000 vintage T4 does 80 top whack and itsnt that bad on fuel (much cheaper to run than an old t25 and a 1.2l ford fiesta). its got a few dinks but living in a busy part of town gets you those and we are not precious enough to worry about them.

converted ourselves but with a reimo seat/bed conversion (for proper safe seat belts) and windows. i need to re-do the cupboards because they are a bit crappy (i did em in a rush while preparing to get married and sit my professional engineering review in the same week)

its bloody excellent. we honeymooned in scotland in it, have toured france and use it for camping weekends and hols. stay in it at weddings etc.

personally i couldnt live without a vw van of some type. i love vans me. i did have an estate once between vans but its really not the same.

Surprised no-one has mentioned the Mazda Bongo.

We've had ours 8 months now and had it converted professionally (fridge, rock and roll bed, cooker sink etc.) but used it in its unconverted format beforehand. V6 petrol, does about 24mpg, cruises easily at 70-80 mph and drives just like a (big) car. Great, practical vehicles and quite a bit cheaper than the VW range. [url=www.bongofury.co.uk]Forum and more info here[/url]

Most campers are stupidly overpriced. I'd opt for a tent, but have the smallest vehicle you can get your head down in, if you find yourself stuck somewhere without a pitch.

Don't buy an old VW camper! They are ridiculously overpriced rust buckets than have had the sxxt knocked out of them. Beware of traders selling these, they are unscrupulous.

Perhaps buy a small second hand panel van and convert it yourself.

Alternatively, use tents and Accor Hotels - way cheaper!

+1 for Bongos and [url= http://www.bongofury.co.uk ]Bongo Fury[/url]

Good compromise if you want to use them every day as a car, albeit a bit heavy on fuel. Can't really get a bike inside overnight though, unless you sleep upstairs. Smaller than comparable VWs, but a heap more for your money.

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+1 for Bongos and [url= http://www.bongofury.co.uk ]Bongo Fury[/url]

Good compromise if you want to use them every day as a car, albeit a bit heavy on fuel. Can't really get a bike inside overnight though, unless you sleep upstairs. Smaller than comparable VWs, but a heap more for your money.

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another happy bongo owner here, i'v had a 2wd 2.5tdi auto with a hightop and been to france/holland/germany all over the uk and just been to livigno italy with 5 peaple ski kit and luggage no problems at all, had it nearly 4yrs now and not had any problems, runs a dream and cruises at 70-80 no problem, and suprisingly well equipped with ew, cl, dual zone aircon, fitted blinds on windows, electric elevating roof ect, use it as my everyday transport as its no wider or longer than a mondeo so easy to park, can be a bit juicy if you cane them but they pick their feet up pretty well for a vantype thing, good ones seem to start at 4-5k upwards 7-8k will get a fully fitted minter

Bongo here as well, got the hi-top, no conversion. We've done a month away- two young kids up top, wife and I downstairs, kit gets thrown into a small driveaway awning at night. Bit tight, but doable. Like Khani says, good equipment level and very reliable if you look after the couple of known risk areas. Aircon is a real bonus - couldn't find many vans at a reasonable price with it - if you're going to be in hot climates. We ended up selling our other car because the Bongo was so practical as a day to day driver, apart from that it's a bit thirsty, and won't fit onto many multi storey carparks.
It's great as a biking van- bike fits in the back wheels on, along with the kit- only needs the back row of seats folded up, so good security, and I sleep up top.

Added some pictures of my van on[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/volkswagon-transporter-which-engine-19-or-25#post-1571816 ]here[/url]

Do it, you won't look back. Would never be without ours

Yes, VWs are expensive, but hold their value incredibly well. We bought our T4 Westy for £11.5K two years ago and I could sell it for the same tomorrow (not that I'm going to mind).

Yes, you could buy or DIY a a builders van conversion, but it won't be so well kitted out and you may have problems with insurance.

It makes a HUGE difference what time in the year you buy... you will pay top dollar now, but wait until the Autumn and you will get a much better deal.

If you're not looking to hold onto the van long term, and can't be fussed with the hassle of selling when you get back, you could also consider buying from somewhere with a guaranteed buyback scheme - lots of dealers do it. Cheaper than hiring long term and a good escape route if you find you don't get on with it, but personally I would just buy something decent and have faith you'll be able to sell it on next season.

@dave_aber: Nice conversion. Do you know who did it?

thanks

Bongo here too, We have a Wellhouse conversion.. very nice.. we love ours, Watching prices of these some go for 6-7k for couple year old ( from import + conversion date so 10 yrs usuall) with 60-70k on the clock.

To be honest though for MTBing, I'd prefer a longer wheelbase converted Van that you can also keep the bikes in aswell as sleep in.

dave_aber - that looks like a Celtic Motorhome job. Same as ours. Top bloke.

anyone know the towing capacity of a bongo? considering a camper thing but would have to be able to tow a horsebox with 2 small horses (icelandic)