Any reason I shouldn’t buy a 20+ year old camper

As title, looking for something to use for 3/4 months in the summer while I’m working on events. Was going down the caravan route, but as I don’t have a suitable towing vehicle atm, considering a camper at the cheaper end of the market (13-15k). Vans at that price are old, but don’t necessarily have a lot of miles on them.

So what are the pros and cons of running a vehicle that old?

Coach built or a panel van?

Damp and corrosion are the 2 killers

Coach built or a panel van?

Coach built.  I see you can get habitation checks done, any idea if that also include damp / rot etc?

They do yes as a rule.

Older things like Talbot etc rot

Any reason I shouldn’t buy a 20+ year old camper

Rust?

Must be some decent ones out there but be very, very fussy.
Also, that budget will get a converted panel van less than half the age (which doesn’t guarantee no rust admittedly…)

It’ll be an overpriced rotbox – that would be my primary concern.

You’d get far more for your money buying a caravan and a cheap towing vehicle.

It’ll be an overpriced rotbox – that would be my primary concern.

You’ve seen my in-laws 1993 Bongo then? They paid £12k….

Don’t be put off by age, some of the new models aren’t as good a quality – my local service people (a two person outfit) are getting a lot of new vehicles in for damp warranty work at the moment. Our 17 year old 6.9m Adria (a good standard of winterisation) has just needed a rooflight re-seal but otherwise is damp free. Using regularly though throughout the year I believe helps keeps things better and allowing air circulation by moving furnishings away from walls helps. Ours is Ducato based and we can get over 30mpg loaded up.
Damp checks can be carried out separately from a full habitation check which should include gas appliances etc. Don’t be put off by age, our last one was even older and we travelled all over, only selling after the chassis cracked for the second time (Transit based) I’ve treated the present chassis and very little rust still.
You may find the rear end sagging on some as they sit with weight on all year, I fixed mine with Dunlop air-assist springs a relatively easy diy job for around £600. Tyres are expensive and run usually at maximum pressure [80 psi) in our case, so worth checking thoroughly for manufacturing date.
Hope this helps, direct message me if you want more.

Nah that not old enough, you want my m8’s 1970’s GMC Eleganza (I canne find any picture of his..)

We used to have a 1986 petrol T25. Great fun when the kids were young. But reliability … nope, fuel economy … noper.

What’s the comparison cost and practicality of staying in a local b&b?

What’s the comparison cost and practicality of staying in a local b&b?

would that be the bnbs that every one else at the event likely wants ?

the bnbs that are offsite in inconvenient locations?

I can see the appeal but in this situation id be looking for a caravan given the current market.

Depends on the scenario’s doesn’t it really? I’d be looking into all options if the current favourite is to spend £15k on a knackered old van. If it’s genuinely 120 days away from home, it’s a challenging equation. But if your festival is fri to mon, you could b&b the setup nights, camp the festival and back to b&b for the breakdown?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185353389034

£6.5k for this? The price of campers has gone crazy.

Depends largely on the make, method of contruction & how it been looked after. You got any more info?

@wheelsonfire1 Just reading through your post. Our MH is about the same size as yours & advice from Hymer was also to run the tyres at 80 PSI. The ride was very harsh & I contacted Continental RE the tyre pressure for the size and weight of vehicle. Their advice was to get the thing weighed empty & then fully loaded & give them the weights. I did this & they came back with the correct pressures which were a lot lower than 80 PSI. It transformed the ride quality & stopped my teeth knocking together :o)

You’d get far more for your money buying a caravan and a cheap towing vehicle.

This all over!

For £15k I’m almost convinced you’ll get a nicer Caravan, PLUS a rather nice old car to tow it with!

Yes, that advice is true and I’ve tried it with little discernible difference in performance. On a break on a long run I tend to feel the temperature of each tyre which can give you some idea of whether you’re in the right area. Certainly the tyres need inflating to max if you’re not travelling for a while or they end up very square!
The best improvement was fitting the air assistance. The Ducato chassis I have has leaf springs with what you would perhaps think are conical bump stops. These are actually called “load assisters” and you’ll probably be travelling on these 99percent of the time. The Dunlop adjustable airbags do transform the ride! Direct message me if you like, I think we’re hijacking a thread!

For £15k I’m almost convinced you’ll get a nicer Caravan, PLUS a rather nice old car to tow it with!

You absolutely will, no question. Campers are insanely poor value for money to buy. You would get a really nice alu sided caravan with proper insulation, hot water, blown air gas/electric heating, separate shower cubicle, toilet, the works and even a fixed bed if you want one with a proper sprung mattress, and a decent reliable car, for the price of a knackered old heap of a camper.

Our 20 year old caravan is warm, dry, spacious, shower, hot water, heater etc and it was just over TWO grand.

Apart from the newer vans. They’re all wooden framed and stuck together with Sikaflex or an equivalent sealant and a few screws. The sealants are very good products. But they’re not made of fairy dust. Even if it was a static object and inside. 20 years would be asking a lot from a sealant.

Coach built vans also flex a surprising amount. Further shortening the life of the sealant and making it more prone to leaks. So unless the vans been completely re sealed it will be leaking somewhere and will only get worse. This is all before we start talking about UV exposure.

If it’s something your going to keep then a self built panel Van is the way to go. But as you only want it for a few months then I echo what’s been said above. Caravan and new car or towbar on yours if you can.

You also have to factor in you’ll be buying for summer and presumably selling after. The worst time to buy and sell for obvious reasons. So the more expensive camper over a caravan gives the potential for a greater loss of money.

FWIW I used to service and repair them. Admittedly not for very long. I also agree with the above statement that the build quality on the newer vans isn’t as good as the older ones. But as I said it comes down to the life span of the sealant. It’s very labour intensive replacing sealant. To overhaul the interior and exterior on one of the older Hymer’s they recommend around a thousand hours work on the forums. Admittedly that’s stripping the interior as well. But it gives you some idea of the work involved.

I’ve serviced, repaired and driven vans which were 100k plus when new. Money aside I wouldn’t give you tuppence for them. But everybody’s circumstances are different and for some they’re the best option.

If you buy one make sure you have a proper damp test done by someone who knows what they’re doing. If you’re buying from a dealer and they say they’ve had one done. Do not take their word for it. Get an independent test done.

As title, looking for something to use for 3/4 months in the summer while I’m working on events. Was going down the caravan route, but as I don’t have a suitable towing vehicle atm

The downsides to campervans, apart from the cost is you have to pack everything up if you want to drive anywhere.

Also if your living in it, you will want an awning for the extra space.

So, why not keep your current vehicle, save some money and buy a trailor tent? It’s almost like putting up an awning and you don’t have to pack your stuff away if you want to drive anywhere. Much easier and cheaper to store and tow than a caravan and cheaper. Just maybe not as secure.

I own a vw t5 but wouldn’t want to live in it for 3 or 4 months.

This far in and no one’s mentioned the diesel thing…
…wouldn’t touch a 20yr old diesel before long you won’t be able to go drive anywhere without a huge charge.

Had to sell my VW camper van (1985) as it’s not ULEZ.

The thing is, campervan or motorhome? A motorhome can be lived in very easily with shower and toilet, and also easy to move, no need for awning. I can also see the advantages of a caravan and my parents had one for over 50 years, however you have to buy and maintain a suitable towing vehicle. Motorhome! Pull up, fridge open. Done. Enjoy where you land without driving anywhere else during your holiday is possible using feet, bicycles, buses.

Apart from the newer vans. They’re all wooden framed

The first wood free ones came out in 2010 I think.

Had to sell my VW camper van (1985) as it’s not ULEZ.

As far as I’m aware these are only getting introduced (for now) where the air quality is poor which is usually a city centre where vehicles move slowly and stop and start.

Just avoid city centres, as above, walk, ride or catch a bus.

The first wood free ones came out in 2010 I think.

Thinking about it. It was 7 or so years ago since I had the job. Time does fly!

I wasn’t in the industry long enough to become that knowledgeable. I only ever serviced a couple of wood free caravans. Never a motorhome. So I don’t know a lot about them.

But whether it’s the more modern interlocking plastic or the older wooden construction. It’s all held together by sealant. That will eventually fail no matter how well you look after the van or caravan and lead to leaks. Water leaks are very labour intensive to repair and therefore expensive if you don’t do the work yourself.

For me this is the thing the majority of people don’t understand. Would you expect the sealant in your bathroom to last 20 years? Then imagine it moving and twisting for a large part of that time while constantly being exposed to the sun.

It’s the last thing most people think of but it should be the first. There’s plenty of dealers who buy vans with known leaks from other dealers. They then don’t fix them properly. Just make them look pretty and sell them on.

I’ve seen a van just out of warranty with a 6k damp repair bill. Another poor couple got totally ripped off and left with a 16k damp repair bill. The company I worked for were half the price of other companies because most just don’t want the work. There’s no money in it compared to other areas of the business. That’s why I recommend getting an independent damp inspection by someone with a good reputation.

Just to address some of the above. My own van is 2007 vintage. All composite sandwich panels bonded & clamped. Hymer still use this system & so far I’ve got zero water ingress into the habitation. Hymer, Niesmann, Carthago & Concorde all used a similar technology hence my question about who made it. Anything as pointed out with a wooden frame, interior & exterior skin could be a nightmare as any sign of water ingress inside is only going to be the tip of a big iceberg.

That will eventually fail no matter how well you look after the van or caravan and lead to leaks.

Yes, this is true. That’s why it’s better to spend £2k on a 20 year old caravan than £15k on a 20 year old campervan! And if the caravan turns out to be (or goes) rotten you can keep the car side of things and replace the caravan part. Or vice versa obvs.

Damp is the killer for caravans and presumably coach built campers. There are dry ones out there – presumably the ones you didn’t see @trifoster – but they obviously get rarer as your budget goes down.

The early Bailey wood-free ones did leak, a lot in some cases, but they came with a 10 year water ingress warranty which will have been taken up. However, being wood free they either leaked or they didn’t, and if they did you just mopped it up and re-sealed. The problem with wooden built vans is that they can get a little bit of water in which seeps through the van and rots it inside. Ugh.

Ours has a soft section on one wall from what looks like an over-winter burst pipe from the hot water system. It’s dry now though, and it’s not spreading. We were very lucky with that purchase, after having been screwed twice before.

And.. the sealant used in bathrooms is not a comparison. Seam sealant in most motorhomes is none setting, it forms a surface skin but is still supple and “moist” underneath. I can confirm from work I carried out on my last motorhome (25 years old) and current one (2005] that it is surprisingly long lived.
Fire engines were timber framed with an aluminium skin throughout a lot of my career and damp or rot was the least of their problems!

Just avoid city centres

Thing is, the Manchester one extends out 800km from the city centre for maximum revenue generation, i mean to protect the children.

Blimey, that covers the most of Britain, what are we to do?!
Andy Burnham – King of the world – take that Johnson!

Andy Burnham- The new Putin of the Midlands.😉

Balls to campers, you could stay in a luxury hotel every weekend a year for £15k.

OT, but Manchester one has also been sacked off due to covid or something. Shame we already installed endless signage across the entire 800km spread, but hey ho it’s only money.

In the hope of contributing something more useful, have you considered a folding caravan OP?

We have a 1987 Rapido Exportmatic which fits our family of five, and can be towed with no great drama by a 1.8 NA petrol car, even when extravagantly loaded with a family of five and a family of five’s worth of holiday clobber.

For a single person smaller models might be better (Confort or Record) and you should easily be able to get a nice one for 1500 quid.

Plus they’re a good way to make friends on campsites as everyone finds them fascinating/mind-blowing 🤣

@tomparkin that’s another idea – if ever I got a caravan it would be an Eriba – probably get the same reaction as your folder. As for the 800km zone is that square, the circumference or radius? I’m confused!

I own a vw t5 but wouldn’t want to live in it for 3 or 4 months.

Neither would I but I reckon I could happily live in my Citroen Relay, and the op seems to be asking about coachbuilts which will be even bigger and comfortabler.

As for packing away before moving you soon get a system going and it only takes a couple of minutes.

I seem to have unintentionally offended some older camper owners. That wasn’t my intention. I don’t think they’re all bad.

The OP asked about 20 year old motorhomes. The biggest problem with them without doubt is rot. If you don’t know about motorhomes then you, as I would have before working on them is check the things you know. Does it run and drive okay, paint work okay, straight, doors open okay etc. Not looking at the things which you should be looking at.

Nobody can tell if a van is leaking before it’s a major problem without using a good quality damp meter. They cost £250-300 and you also need to know how to use one correctly. Using one you can catch a leaky window for example which is a £200-300 repair bill. By the time you notice it with the naked eye you’re looking at a bill in the thousand’s. This is why I recommended an independent damp test. Otherwise you run the risk of losing a lot of money very quickly. The older the van the greater the risk.

As I said earlier I agree a caravan is the way to go. With regard to the bathroom comment. I think it’s a fair comparison but all depends on the sealant. I’m a big fan of Plumbers Gold. It’s a semi setting, flexible sealant. Very similar to Sikaflex but half the price. Second only to CT1 as long as you don’t want to remove what you’ve used it on! But 20 years is still pushing it with Plumbers Gold.

I’ll admit I have a very low opinion of the industry on the whole. Motorhomes are a blatant rip off. It’s well known the major parts manufacturers Thule, Fiamma etc have an unwritten agreement not to encroach on each others area of business. Thus keeping parts artificially high. £200-300 for toilets and windows, please! They cost nothing to make and if there was some competition then they’d be a third of the price. Mini rant over.

Ah, damp. Caravans from dealers are always bone dry when you buy them but damp when you sell. I’d not trust their damp check, get an independent one done.
We bought our first caravan from what is now Marquis in Gomshall. Spent £5k. Damp report was absolutely fine. We only kept it for 6 months before we decided to upgrade to a bigger/newer one (using some money from an inheritance) at the same dealer. When we took the ‘old’ van in for the px it was apparently riddled with damp that had been there for years. They seemed to have forgotten they had sold it to us and were very red faced when I showed them their own report from 6 months earlier.
Similar with the motorhome we sold last Feb to buy a caravan (we had it for 2 years but decided we preferred a caravan for various boring reasons).
Purchasing dealer saying it was damp in all lockers despite habitation service that we’d had done a month earlier showing no damp. Argued but gave us the price we wanted in the end. 6 weeks later, saw it for sale with no mention of damp and the pictures clearly showed that no work had been done to the ‘affected’ areas.

Nice luxury hotel will be far cheaper for 3 to 4 months in the summer

As mentioned most festivals don’t happen in the middle of a big city so you could even be not that close to the site and commute in

What’s the return you get on selling a van/caravan of that age when you have finished with it or is the aim to
Keep it long term ?