Older motorhomes (1 Viewer)

[American Dream]

AD...I think the post reflecting my own personal experience answers that statement.....though I can only speak as far as Ford is concerned. Ford main agents can be found throughout west and eastern europe quite easily. In particular Transits, like here in the UK, are 'common as muck' with easy access to off the shelf parts.


btw; I use the term 'tin basher' with respect. It's what we call our sheet metal worker on the factory where I work.
The guy is a skilled man and what he can turn out is clear for all to see.

Hi BG

I also respect this guy for what he can do.

Those with the ability to do this are a dying breed.I thought you were jesting when you said it.

There's pros and cons to everything.

My vehicle would not be mechanically stressed travelling hours on end whereas a smaller motor might be.

It depends on "sods law" where the breakdown of a part will occur.oh:

I can understand where this thread came from but it all depends , at the end of the day, on how well the vehicle has been looked after and hence the owner.

I am very familiar with all aspects of my Van now and am aware of any possible problem areas before they arise.So...get on in there and take a good look prior to and trans european tours would seem good advice.

 

[JumboBeef]

Lots of interesting replies :thumb:

Re: american MHs. I love the size of these things but they are not for me. The max length I can get onto my drive off the lane outside (tight turn) is around 20' max. Plus, whilst I love big V8s, I don't like poor MPG. I know all about LPG as we own a Disco V8 on LPG, and there are not enough LPG stations around for my liking for a MH to use. We want to use the MH all the time, including as a day van, so good MPG is important.

Anyhoo, my search continues!

 

[Bulletguy]

Those with the ability to do this are a dying breed.I thought you were jesting when you said it.

It depends on "sods law" where the breakdown of a part will occur.oh:

I can understand where this thread came from but it all depends , at the end of the day, on how well the vehicle has been looked after and hence the owner.

Far from it AD.
The guy we had when I started there just over 25 years ago was a time served skilled man from 'the old school' who could turn anything out from pieces of sheet metal. He retired a few years back and we have a younger guy now.....good, but not nearly as good as his predecessor. As you say, unfortunately they are a dying breed.

Sods Law really was the term in my case when the master cylinder packed up in Bavaria. Because it's an old van I had taken a few spares such as fan belt, clutch cable (apparently they are handed LHD & RHD....don't ask me why!), rear lens units (prone to getting bashed on Transits), bulbs and fuses. Who would even dream of carrying around a spare master cylinder?!! But thats what failed me! Had that happened at home I could easily have got one from a local breakers for a tenner and fitted it myself. But I was just four days into a three week touring holiday in a foreign country and no time to 'muck around'. No doubt had I had a spare master cylinder and no clutch cable....the clutch cable would have gone!

Discovering your brakes are beginning to fail on an autobahn at the busiest time of the day (it was 4pm), was not a very pleasant experience! I came off at Dachau with nothing more than a handbrake, gears and a good deal of praying to the Almighty to help me to stop!

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[Bulletguy]

Lots of interesting replies :thumb:

I don't like poor MPG. I know all about LPG as we own a Disco V8 on LPG, and there are not enough LPG stations around for my liking for a MH to use. We want to use the MH all the time, including as a day van, so good MPG is important.

Anyhoo, my search continues!

Jumbo......good luck with your search. It's all down to compromise really.

My van is a simple Transit panel van camper and being swb means its relatively small. But it's driveable anywhere a car will go and also in use as daily transport to commute. More importantly, the engine is direct injection diesel as opposed to the turbo so my mpg averages around 35-37 on a run though i've had as much as 41mpg out of it. Not bad going for a 2.5 ton vehicle. The turbo type will only return 30-33mpg at the very best.

There's only myself to think about.....no wife and no kids or animals so I don't need oceans of space to rattle around in.

 

[shedbrewer]

Hi, I have to agree with Clay, anything from AutoSleeper has to be good value.We have an A/S Clubman 1993, and love the build quality of it, nothing comes close to it with newer M/H's Jack & Patty

 

[vwalan]

a few year ago a friends clutch cylinder went on a merc 508 rhd. in spain .couldnt get one anywhere not even merc. tried every where in and around gibraltar. in the end we found a spares shop that let me look through there brake wheel cylinder kits ,i found that a ford escortrearwheel cyinder had same diameter but slighly thinner seals . 4 quid. managed to scrounge a fine small cylinder hone from another garage. it workd. never been replaced since. if you are travelling around and abroad it sometimes pays to think out the solution .another time in portugal a mates clutch cylinder went on a dodge 50 again unobtainable .we managed to finf an hydrolic shop usd seals from them 1euro each .they are the wrong type rubber .but they last ed 6months .in the mean time he got given another bad cylinder ,he rebuilt it with the hydrolic seals he bought as spares and always had a spare cyl to put on . if you want to keep older vehicles on the road you do need abit of knowledge as the youngsters coming through hardly ever rebuild wheel cyl or such like. also have a chat to your local AAman they do ends to put on bowden cable for emergency use but they do work well. cheers alan

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[froghopper]

should i

for years i had talbot express motorhomes, petrol and diesels, now i have a 10 year old peagueot boxer, apart from the headlights rusting out, they are about 80 pound each one bay, and the front scuttle , the bit your wipers come out off rusting away, oh yea and if you peel the windscreen rubber back, they often go rusty there, but fear not, all available on e bay, any body shop worth a light can fit them at reasonoble cost, and at that age and price, cans of spray, do it your self, get a can in one hand, a hairdryer in other and as you spray, keep it warm, you will be amazed at the finish, then spray laquer, cheap, good, and the i did that factor.
still wish i had my old ones, at least i could do jobs, now it has to be plugged in, petrol ones had no power steering, but if you load it right, no problem, go for it, and spend your money on useing it, cheers, froghopperoh:

 

[Wildman]

The beast is a 1981 on a merc nor rust never rust chassis with an engine that is good for half a million miles plus only done 100k miles will I ever wear it out I doubt it. Even my cabinet work matches the interior, want to change it I can and do without feeling I am devaluing it. Downside is it lacks some modern toucjes but they can be added to suit you. It is large, solidly built and after 26 years the original cupboard hinges are still there and good, none fallen off. Modern builders take note.:thumb::thumb::thumb:

 

[Snowbird]

Hi all, my RV was built in 89 with a Cummins million mile motor, its now comming up to 85000. Never had a problem with it, and I have put 25000 on it.
The thing that let me down was a brake master cylinder whilst in Marocco.
The local mechanic took it away in the morning and returned it after lunch reconditioned, its still fine now after another 10000 miles.
I remember at the time a new camper sitting on the same site outside Agadir that had been awaiting repatriation to Germany for 8 weeks becouse
somthing was wrong with the electronic managment, which local mechanics could not fix.
There is a lot to be said for older,none complicated base vehicles.

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[JumboBeef]

Interesting that no one with a new or nearly motorhome hasn't come into this thread and said 'no, you're all wrong'......!