Advice on 1st Van needed

[jerryz]

Hi Im 65 and now retired i am looking to buy a Coach built Class B van to spend up to 6 months a year travelling round UK and Europe a year I have both UK and EU passports and have a flat in Uk and a house in Thailand where I spend the winters , I am a keen motorcylist with several bikes Ducatis , kawasakis and HD

I have worked all over the world and am a bit of a nomad at heart in Telecoms and offshore industries .

my current budget is about £40k I am looking for a reliable used machine , coach built at least 2 seat belts and a double bed ,,toilet , shower large fridge etc ,, would like cruise control , preferably automatic and will consider LHD as I will spend most time in EU ...I would like to be able to carry one of my Motorcycles about 180KG which I know may be a big issue with payload ideas an solutions please .

I want to know which is more reliable and best for longevity German vans , or UK models or Italian ,, Merc, Fiat or Peugeot Chassis etc

I will need other advice later , security ,, over winter storage when i am in Thailand etc most of the time I will be solo but sometimes I may have at least one other person with me
In Uk I am in Sussex but will be looking all over England and even Germany for a good van

Sincerely Jerry Z

 

[Guigsy]

Your best bet is probably search autotrader and eBay for a "race van" Mercedes conversion. You'll need the length to fit a bike in.

 

[suavecarve]

Your best bet is is to look in the classifieds at a Hymer currently based in Poitiers and for sale in September.

Look at the spec and the interior. Really really nice van

Hymer B544

Ready for sale in April 2025

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Northernraider]

Your best bet is is to look in the classifieds at a Hymer currently based in Poitiers and for sale in September.

Look at the spec and the interior. Really really nice van

Hymer B544

Ready for sale in April 2025

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

That wouldn't be able to carry a 180kg bike

 

[Nanniemate]

Pay the subs and you'll get access to the full form including advice on buying a van and what to look for

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[suavecarve]

That wouldn't be able to carry a 180kg bike

It takes a motorbike (say 100 kg) and 2 light bikes (say 20kg) so not a million miles away and has the upgraded suspension so it might or might not.

There really wont be many that are able to take 180 kg bike on the back but fair to medium point well raised

 

[jerryz]

Unfortunately September is probably to long im looking to buy before August 12 th
looked at a few nice Race vans but some had garages to large or poor accomodation ,,i may have to compromise and drop the big bike idea and just have a lightweight small bike or Scooter but I will keep researching

seems from my research to be that most vans are Fiat based but the gearboxes are ,not so good , and that Hymers with older Merc engines are rated super reliable . from my experience I would never touch a Ford .
I have a Toyota and isuzu pickups in Thailand totally bombproof diesels one has 540,000 miles and is 22 years old the new Hilux is 5 years old with 175,000 mile never had and issue its an auto and my UK car is a small nissan 12 years old never had a problem ,, seems no European vehicles are as reliable,, but there are only camper vans non couchbuilt with Nissan or Toyota base vehicle Alphards and Elgrands , and they are all gas guzzling petrol models so not viable for my use

 

[Blue Moon]

Sounds like you prefer your Japanese base vehicles. There's plenty on Google as Coachbuilts on Toyota, Isuzu etc chassis's that can be imported from Japan. All RHD, some petrol, some diesel. Might be worth contacting one of the specialist importers.

 

[jerryz]

Sounds like you prefer your Japanese base vehicles. There's plenty on Google as Coachbuilts on Toyota, Isuzu etc chassis's that can be imported from Japan. All RHD, some petrol, some diesel. Might be worth contacting one of the specialist importers.

Unfortunately not an option as i have to get a vehicle by 12 th August , so i may drop the bike idea and get a van , for this years trips and next year and once more experienced change up in 2 years , money is not the issue,, in the long run

I am activly looking on Auto trader and Ebay and will travel around looking at vans and sealer to see what I like ,, I do prefer auto boxes , but I wonder how reliable the fiat ones are ??? The fiat engines from my past car experience 20 years ago were always strong but the Fiat manuals boxes were suspect ..

 

[VXman]

Unfortunately not an option as i have to get a vehicle by 12 th August , so i may drop the bike idea and get a van , for this years trips and next year and once more experienced change up in 2 years , money is not the issue,, in the long run

I am activly looking on Auto trader and Ebay and will travel around looking at vans and sealer to see what I like ,, I do prefer auto boxes , but I wonder how reliable the fiat ones are ??? The fiat engines from my past car experience 20 years ago were always strong but the Fiat manuals boxes were suspect ..

The only issues I have heard about with Flat gearboxes tend to be with the 'comformatic' auto which isn't a real automatic more of a auto manual.

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[jerryz]

i am looking niw to the Hydralift to solve the bike and weight issue so just need to find a van that fits my spec and price range on a 3500kg chassis as a starter vehicle ..
I actually have a M/c trailer but I would not want to tow it behind a motorhome and reversing it even using my mates Disco 4 is a pain , plus its not easy for security , the Hydra lift seems the best solution although some extra strength plates additions to tow bar mounts is reccomended

 

[Guigsy]

If you're prepared to put the bike on a hydralift, that opens the door to just about anything. The Ducato with a manual is a pretty reliable base. The Merc is a nicer drive, but they are rarer.

If you're worried about vehicle size and you're not massively tall, I suggest looking at shorter panel vans with a rear transverse bed. They commonly have a small bathroom, kitchen and dinnette. Lots of room under the bed for biking gear. 5.4m Ducatos are nearly as easy to drive as a car.

 

[denisejoe]

Don't think you'll find a 3500kg van capable of using a Hydralift on the back - there just won't be the necessary payload. There's not much payload on most 3500kg vans anyway.

 

[berni109]

What about one of those castor wheeled trailer type things. Ridgely connected so effectively an extension of the vans length. Not the usual trailer manovering problem. Yeh I know still the security issue.
Someone who knows what they are called will be along shortly

 

[cyberyacht]

Rear axle load is going to be the big issue. A bike that heavy is a no-no except perhaps on a maxi chassis.

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[Soycd]

If you want to buy LHD in Germany then Broken Link Removed is a good place to start, if you have not discovered it already. If you don't speak German the page will auto-translate using Google Chrome. It has a much better filter system than Autotrader, eBay, Motorhome Depot, etc so you can narrow searches down to the specifics that you want. Importing to UK is not as easy as it used to be, in fact it's a pain. Have you thought of maybe storing it in Germany or another EU country? You mentioned you had an EU passport (wish I had!)so that might open up other possibilities. There are plenty of motorhome dealers in Germany (and I'm sure other EU counties) that provide secure storage facilities.

 

[Northernraider]

What about one of those castor wheeled trailer type things. Ridgely connected so effectively an extension of the vans length. Not the usual trailer manovering problem. Yeh I know still the security issue.
Someone who knows what they are called will be along shortly

That's a hydra trail. Probably a better option for the op than a hydralift.

 

[jerryz]

Wenr to look a a lovely 2012 pro built mercedes sprinter 313 race van but fully insulated and kitted out almost perfect for my needs and in excellent condition but one big issue No origonal Mercedes A/C fitted at factory when van built ,, I need to know if it could be retro fitted but my research seems to come out that it would be very difficult and about £2500 ??? shame ... will have to look t more vans

 

[Northernraider]

Wenr to look a a lovely 2012 pro built mercedes sprinter 313 race van but fully insulated and kitted out almost perfect for my needs and in excellent condition but one big issue No origonal Mercedes A/C fitted at factory when van built ,, I need to know if it could be retro fitted but my research seems to come out that it would be very difficult and about £2500 ??? shame ... will have to look t more vans

Does it not have windows? I never use aircon .

 

[jerryz]

Yes but I will be spending a lot of time in Southern Europe etc ,,,

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[denisejoe]

With air conditioning all takes away from the payload it’s not light

 

[Northernraider]

Yes but I will be spending a lot of time in Southern Europe etc ,,,

So do I


Still never use aircon though.

 

[Northernraider]

With air conditioning all takes away from the payload it’s not light

And increases fuel consumption too.

 

[Guigsy]

And increases fuel consumption too.

Once you get to about 20mph, Aircon uses less fuel than winding down the windows... for aerodynamically shaped cars. For "nobbly brick" shaped motorhomes, it might be different.

 

[Northernraider]

Once you get to about 20mph, Aircon uses less fuel than winding down the windows... for aerodynamically shaped cars. For "nobbly brick" shaped motorhomes, it might be different.

But it just don't feel as nice lol

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[jerryz]

I have seen a really nice solid Bessacar 2007 E560 FSH 43k miles only need a Solar panel install and towbar and motorcycle lift .
are Bessacar any good its Fiat Ducato manual 6 speed with Alko Chassis ,

Seems a lot of people reckon German , French and Italian coachbuilts are better constructed and insulated ???

 

[Northernraider]

I have seen a really nice solid Bessacar 2007 E560 FSH 43k miles only need a Solar panel install and towbar and motorcycle lift .
are Bessacar any good its Fiat Ducato manual 6 speed with Alko Chassis ,

Seems a lot of people reckon German , French and Italian coachbuilts are better constructed and insulated ???

If you plan to use it in winter then the fully winterised models are far better.

 

[jerryz]

If you plan to use it in winter then the fully winterised models are far better.

Usually November to March im in Thailand , I have a Property there, but if I was going to use it in winter it would be Morocco or southern Europe Spain, Greece where the winter weather is still decent ,etc
It would probably be laid up in UK for 4 months or so otherwise .