Brand spanking newbie... Advice please!! (1 Viewer)

[Lisa_c31]

Hi all,

Firstly thanks for having me on your forum, I'm excited for the journey ahead of me (excuse the pun)!

I definitely want to get a camper, the main purpose initially will be so that me and my young son (2 year old) can go on adventures exploring the UK together over the weekends while my husband is working and I'm not!

I would like a cheap camper (under £5k) initially so that we can see if it works for us or if I realistically need to wait until my son is a bit older. My basic requirements are a separate bed to the sitting area, happy to have a pop up top, or a bed above the driving area (not sure what that's called). Also, a basic kitchen and preferably a toilet!!

Any advice for me on what type of camper would suit? I'm aware it will be an old camper with my low budget, anything in particular that I should be looking out for? And I guess just any advice or words of wisdom for me?

Sorry for the lengthy post, I'm just very excited but have no idea where to start!

 

[Phill D]

hi welcome..

good luck with the van search,
dont rush into the first van that seems to fit your shopping list, check it well and check it again.

 

[Janine]

Welcome to the Fun!

Do your homework well and be prepared to walk away from vans that don't feel right.

Be especially aware of Ebay cons in your price bracket - if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

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[hilldweller]

I would like a cheap camper (under £5k)

Do you or husband know a lot about vehicles ? Do you or your husband know a lot about motorhomes and what goes wrong with them when water or rust gets in. If the answer is no you could get yourself in deep trouble.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Sounds like you could do with trying one of the rust free Japanese imports (Toyota, Mazda, Nissan etc), not many of them have a loo but, some definitely do.
You should be able to buy one on your limited budget & hopefully you'll get the bug.

Enjoy.

 

[Hollyberry]

Be very careful of ads on EBay and Gumtree. ANY that say they’ll have the vehicle delivered to you and your money will be held by PayPal, in Escrow etc... until you are satisfied with vehicle are scams. You’ll never see a vehicle ( or your money)
Your main concern will be 3 seatbelts—- ignore any sales people or sellers who say you can have an extra belt fitted cheaply!
Good luck with your search and

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[Lisa_c31]

Do you or husband know a lot about vehicles ? Do you or your husband know a lot about motorhomes and what goes wrong with them when water or rust gets in. If the answer is no you could get yourself in deep trouble.

My husband - no, me - slightly more, my dad - lots!! I'll need to rely on his knowledge of both vehicles and campers to help us else no doubt we'll be caught out. Thanks for the heads up!!

 

[Jo662]

 

[Lisa_c31]

Sounds like you could do with trying one of the rust free Japanese imports (Toyota, Mazda, Nissan etc), not many of them have a loo but, some definitely do.
You should be able to buy one on your limited budget & hopefully you'll get the bug.

Thanks very much! Yeah I'm thinking I may have to give up on the toilet initially. Its a nice to have rather than an absolute necessity. I'm sure I'll get the bug... I feel like I already do and that's just at the thought of it!

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[Speve]

Welcome to FUN I’m sure you’ll get lots of good sound advice just be patient and don’t buy until you are absolutely sure it’s right price and more importantly right for you.
Good luck I’ll be following your posts?

 

[Lisa_c31]

Be very careful of ads on EBay and Gumtree. ANY that say they’ll have the vehicle delivered to you and your money will be held by PayPal, in Escrow etc... until you are satisfied with vehicle are scams. You’ll never see a vehicle ( or your money)
Your main concern will be 3 seatbelts—- ignore any sales people or sellers who say you can have an extra belt fitted cheaply!

Thank you so much for the advice!! Are there any sites you'd recommend to look rather than eBay etc.?
3 seatbelts is a very valid point and bizarrely one I hadn't even thought of so thank you for that too.

 

[hilldweller]

. Thanks for the heads up!!

You are welcome, search on here and you find some heartbreaking stories of vans struck down by wet and rust. The general mechanics are reasonably easy to check, electrics are doable but once you have a handful of soggy wood in your hand or the MOT fail is issued you are in trouble.

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[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN.

 

[Figaro]

Welcome to the fun.
Do be very wary of scams on ebay and elsewhere, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.
They are very common at this price range.

 

[Campervan_man]

You could maybe 'hire' a van first for a weekend away?
A decent hire company will give you a handover so you can learn the basics.

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[Jonno1103]

Have a look on autotrader , there are one or two established names on there within your price range. The 1995 Transit Duetto stands out.

Good luck and welcome!

 

[big map]

Hi Lisa
Welcome to the forum.
Buy into the forum £15 and that will allow you access to some great resources for free, including Jim’s buying guide

Good luck with your search.

 

[Geo]

DO NOT take An mot test as a indicator of condition
Straight passes could mean its had a pre MoT and all the welding and rust have been undersealed and attract no attention or comment from the tester

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[Baldeagle7470]

Hi and another big Enjoy.
Years ago I had lots of Japanese small vans and campers,Mazda Bongo the last,great van,solid and easy to drive.Had a toilet tent,quick to put up and worked fine with a small Elsan toilet,not too expensive.
Bongo’s still seem to fetch strong money,never know you may be lucky,lots out there ,just be careful,sure dad will help and spot a lemon.Good luck.

 

[MisterB]

hi and welcome. years ago we had a honda stepwagon, similar to a bongo except you could enter the habitation area without leaving the vehicle. on a bongo/freda you have to climb over the engine or go out of the front doors to get in the back.

dont be too picky re looks at that price range, your concerns should be based on looking for rust and being mechanically sound. internal stuff can all be replaced over time and painted and tidied up and made your own.

i posted an ad of one i saw for sale last weekend at 3k that might be ok, but buyer beware of course. i didnt see the inside but as it looked to be an import, it might be less rusty than a uk one of the same age?

dont be scared re ebay/gumtree etc. just do your homework or get dad to help. lots of people are genuine sellers and if you dont know a lot then get the aa or someone to do a pre purchase test and negotiate the price of this off the vehicle if you buy it. genuine sellers would be happy for anyone to do a test prior to purchase.

your main issue that i can see is down to price, so take your time and do your research, good vans at that price are out there, but you might have to travel to find them !

 

[Dazza 6863]

Hi Lisa

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[autorouter]

if I realistically need to wait until my son is a bit older.

We went on a four-week trip round Europe with a two-year-old and a two-month-old. Let's just say it was better than staying home for four weeks.

You can try just overnight, on the drive or at a nearby camp site. If you're worried about facilities or things going wrong you can stay on a camp site with full facilities, including a shop and kid's playground. At that age, everything is an interesting experience - birds, butterflies, wild flowers, even the men digging a hole in the road. If you're lucky, there will be other children to play with.

 

[David and Sally]

 

[f6c]

Welcome aboard

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[mikebeaches]

and best of luck finding the right van!

But as everybody has been saying, choose very carefully to avoid buying a 'lemon'.

Enjoy the FUN.

 

[Snoopy]

Hi and welcome ?

 

[AnnK]

Hello, I don't know whereabouts in the country you are but I drove past Leisuredrive at Kearsley the other day and they had an "older" campervan on the front at just under £5000, I don't have any dealings to go off but they seem to have a good reputation in the conversion world. ps have just checked their website but it doesn't appear on it.

I also recommend buying into the forum, best £15 I have spent on our motorhome!

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[Janine]

It might be a good idea to check previous MOTs online to see if there has been a history of rot/welding.

Put a link to anything you find and you will get lots of advice as to whether it's a good 'un or not

 

[Drum Major]

Ever one on here will give you sound advice so good luck ?