tobytenblue
Free Member
Hi All, I'm Brian. I've been motorhoming for 2 years now and boy have I made some mistakes! Talk about learning the hard way....:Sad:
I started with nothing except the idea that owning a campervan might be fun, I knew nobody who had one to ask questions of so I went ahead and bought a VW T2, that was mistake number one. It broke down on the way home from the vendors and it broke down regularly after that. I managed to pass it on after a few months only managing one adventure without mishap, after that it showed its true colours, what an absolute dog that van was, dreadful! So awful, I decided that campervans weren't for me and dismissed the idea of ever having another one. After a few years had passed the idea of freedom and the open road emerged once more, so I bought a two berth 15 year old Leisuredrive on a SWB Transit base, this turned out to be mistake number two! It looked nice when I bought it but began disintegrating before my very eyes! That said, I enjoyed the van for the few months I kept it and it was above everything very reliable however the chassis was a rustbucket held together with wire and bailer twine! Next, a micro camper, a Diahatsu columbus that ran out of fuel a mile from the dealers on my way home with it and no key for the locked petrol cap, not on the key fob or at the dealers! Helpful assistant from the dealers came out and 'bust the blighter off', a dreadful omen predicting accurately mistake number three. Lots of issues with the van ensued, too many to describe in detail here, suffice it to say that I was delighted to wave bye-bye to that one. Mistake number four came in the guise of a Compass Calypso on a Fiat Ducato petrol, I bought at an inflated price (not knowing any different). This van simply refused to run properly after I washed it to offer it for sale. It has remained at my mechanic's workshop since early December last year refusing to budge. Mechanic is totally flummoxed by it, God knows when I'll get it back, maybe when its got a new engine, carburetor, fuel tank, distributor, coil, battery and has undergone a complete rewire!!!!
THEN I FIND YOU LOT HERE!:Angry: If only I'd known where to get the advice I now know I badly needed.
However, looking on the positive side, I am now in a position to dole out advice myself and would urge every newbie reading this diatribe not to pursue 'the dream' without obtaining the advice that I lacked. learn from my mistakes and 'look before you leap.
Oh, if there is anyone out there who can suggest a possible explanation for my Fiat's demise and that might be able to offer advice about bringing her back to life, please feel free, all suggestions will be much appreciated.
Brian.
I started with nothing except the idea that owning a campervan might be fun, I knew nobody who had one to ask questions of so I went ahead and bought a VW T2, that was mistake number one. It broke down on the way home from the vendors and it broke down regularly after that. I managed to pass it on after a few months only managing one adventure without mishap, after that it showed its true colours, what an absolute dog that van was, dreadful! So awful, I decided that campervans weren't for me and dismissed the idea of ever having another one. After a few years had passed the idea of freedom and the open road emerged once more, so I bought a two berth 15 year old Leisuredrive on a SWB Transit base, this turned out to be mistake number two! It looked nice when I bought it but began disintegrating before my very eyes! That said, I enjoyed the van for the few months I kept it and it was above everything very reliable however the chassis was a rustbucket held together with wire and bailer twine! Next, a micro camper, a Diahatsu columbus that ran out of fuel a mile from the dealers on my way home with it and no key for the locked petrol cap, not on the key fob or at the dealers! Helpful assistant from the dealers came out and 'bust the blighter off', a dreadful omen predicting accurately mistake number three. Lots of issues with the van ensued, too many to describe in detail here, suffice it to say that I was delighted to wave bye-bye to that one. Mistake number four came in the guise of a Compass Calypso on a Fiat Ducato petrol, I bought at an inflated price (not knowing any different). This van simply refused to run properly after I washed it to offer it for sale. It has remained at my mechanic's workshop since early December last year refusing to budge. Mechanic is totally flummoxed by it, God knows when I'll get it back, maybe when its got a new engine, carburetor, fuel tank, distributor, coil, battery and has undergone a complete rewire!!!!
THEN I FIND YOU LOT HERE!:Angry: If only I'd known where to get the advice I now know I badly needed.
However, looking on the positive side, I am now in a position to dole out advice myself and would urge every newbie reading this diatribe not to pursue 'the dream' without obtaining the advice that I lacked. learn from my mistakes and 'look before you leap.
Oh, if there is anyone out there who can suggest a possible explanation for my Fiat's demise and that might be able to offer advice about bringing her back to life, please feel free, all suggestions will be much appreciated.
Brian.