Confidence and the older van

[Banjoblue]

So I'm continuing my research and thinking about budgets and how much we'd need to spend. Looking at what's available on the net I find myself being drawn to some wanting to spend less on an older van rather than spending our maximum on a later van. I am attracted to simpler technology and aren't really fussed with modern electrickery. I have a little nagging doubt however that older vans may be less reliable which is stupid in some ways because we (fairly) recently took a 1970s air-cooled VW round France and Spain without any problem at all and have a T reg Bongo that I'd set off in tomorrow without a thought. So why the nagging doubt? Perhaps its because I know so little about MHs! In these early days of research I worry about buying a bad'un. I don't know how easy they are to get repaired if they break down abroad.

Even a quick search on auto trader shows any number of MHs at about half our max budget registered between 1997 and 2003, often with reasonable mileages.

So, could you share your experience with me? Are vans of that age considered old? Do they start to have reliability issues? How easy is it to get problems fixed while abroad? Any other thoughts?

thanks

BB

 

[PhilandMena]

Jesus! how long is a piece of string! Motorhomes will last for tens of years if looked after and well maintained and will fall to bits in a few years if not! If I was in your shoes I would look for something that has had it's previous owner for a long time , if old and then I would check out it's service history and weigh up the owner too. Finally, before making that final leap, pay for an independent inspection with someone like the RAC etc, and then keep an emergency fund ready for that unplanned event that can happen to any motorhome. old or new! (including the owner too!)
Safe Travels

 

[MC 55 FUN]

One man's / woman's trash is another's treasure so to speak . . I'd be erring towards newer on the basis of euro emissions restrictions that are bound to infringe more as time goes by.

Many Moho base vehicles are the Sevel clones built in Italy & Ford bases are readily available in the euro clone zone too, so spares for the base vehicle concerned shouldn't be too much of an issue i.m.o.

 

[Just smiffy]

Even a quick search on auto trader shows any number of MHs at about half our max budget registered between 1997 and 2003, often with reasonable mileages.

If they've got a fair mileage on them and are still running then their more then likely to have been on the road then sitting in a garage being repaired....

 

[Northernraider]

As someone who has also had a lot of old vw campers and quite a few older motorhomes all I can say is there are good and bad ones.
I had an old M reg (1994) euromobil that had been bodged and I'll kept which had serious damp issues.... I made the mistake of buying that van blind, I had a 1997 which was in perfect condition, a 2000 mobilvetta which had never had a trace of water ingress, and a 2003 burstner argos which was like new yet was 7 years old when I owned it

There are a lot of great vans out there I viewed quite a few last month around the £20-25k mark most were around 2002-2004
In the end because I'm full timing for a year or so I went a little newer (2008) and more expensive but I could have got a really nice older van

I'm Biased but I do think the continental vans are better built and hold value the best, mechanically you want a decent service history and remember to do a dvla Mot history check on everything you consider
If that throws up lots of previous failures and also pay attention to advisory items and whether they are repaired or not and that will give you a good idea of how well the van has been looked after.
Someone who constantly leaves advisory items for years unfixed tends not to cherish their van.... Look for vans that have only had a few owners, one that's changed hands every year is less likely to have been looked after.
If your new to motorhomes try and get someone who isn't to go view them with you.
Second hand vans you will get a better deal buying privately than any dealer and be aware the dealers tend to botch repairs and cover up issues to pass vehicles on and the warranties are often worthless.
My sister has always bought from dealers and had nothing but problems, I've always bought privately but ive mechanical knowledge and experience which helps.
Don't feel pressure to buy a van you like if unsure there will always be others, I bought my new van 3 weeks ago and there have been a free advertised since that I would have bought had I not bought this one.
Don't overspend on your first van as it's a learning curve..... Usually takes a few attempts to find the one that works for you

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[Barclaybasher]

I am in Mallorca with my 1991 Renault Eriba, a trip I have done each year for the 3 years I have owned it.

Simple diesel system, no electronics or electric windows/mirrors. I drive the van at least once a week even if it's only local.

No intention of 'upgrading'

 

[Robin McHood]

RH is over ten years old and looks inside and out like new. MB Sprinter based so you're talking legendary reliability, 120kM on the clock so barely run in. If it was me doing it again I'd be looking for another RMB, there are some crackers about but all left hookers and mostly not in UK, try suchen.mobile.de

 

[Jim]

Generally speaking, I think if a van is under 10 years old it's a "New" one.

I've seen vans with less than 3000 miles on the clock trashed, driven to Spain, lived in full time for 5 years, wheels not moved. Then there are the vans with 100,000 miles and they look new.

Chances are a 6 year old van that has 50,000 miles on the clock will be in better nick than a 6 year old van with just 5000 miles on it.

Best of luck, Make sure you read The Motorhome Buyers Guide Subscribers download it for Free The Definitive Guide to Buying the Right Motorhome at the Best Price

 

[PaulyP]

I am in Mallorca with my 1991 Renault Eriba, a trip I have done each year for the 3 years I have owned it.

Simple diesel system, no electronics or electric windows/mirrors. I drive the van at least once a week even if it's only local.

No intention of 'upgrading'

I think i have seen you there, we go over twice a year, will be over for 5 nights on the 18th, should you drive through Peguera and see somebody wave it's likely to be me.

 

[Barclaybasher]

I think i have seen you there, we go over twice a year, will be over for 5 nights on the 18th, should you drive through Peguera and see somebody wave it's likely to be me.

Hi
I tend to do stuff last minute - just decided to catch the overnight ferry to Barcelona tomorrow - thanks for the thought

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[tacr2man]

With older motorhomes what to look at most is dependent on what the combination is , on some its the base vehicle that is the concern whereas some with say a whole fibreglass construction habitation area will be less of a concern in that area . I always start with what is not working as it a pointer to the previous owners fastidiousness
level . the higher the better . HTSH

 

[tonyandcarol]

I was going to upgrade to much newer last year but changed my mind and found a great 1997 swift kontiki 640 bone dry 30k miles and runs like a dream. i like these age vans alot less gadgets to go wrong. and there are loads of spares at the caravan breakers if things do go wrong.

 

[JeanLuc]

Ours is a 2003 Hymer on a Sprinter chassis. The only motorhome we have owned (10 years now) and we have no plans to change it. Obviously, I have to do odd little maintenance jobs each year but the basic vehicle is very sound. A joy to drive and live in for two of us and it's only six and a half metres long. We have just come back from 5 weeks in France and, as usual, it just 'went'.
130,000 km (80,00 miles) so it is nicely run in now.
The amount we have spent in maintenance over the ten years is a lot less than the difference in price we would have to find for a new van.
Whilst we have been very satisfied with the Hymer, I would not have considered buying an older British van of the late 90s - early 2000s. They may be better made now but back then I think the German and some French vans were much better constructed.

 

[Paul an Jane MK]

Lots of good advice, but I would add older vans will have problems with internal equipment but if you are reasonably practical they can be fixed.

Older stuff is much simpler, never had a big problem with a cooker, ignition might fail but you can buy some matches.

The old convector heaters seem to just run and run, transplanted an old one from a scrap caravan and gave no problems.

Water pumps can play up but are easily replaced.

Water heaters can play up but you would be surprised you can often buy spares and even if it has an old carver unit no longer made other companies make adaptor plates or Henry made a direct replacement so for £400-500 you can get a new water heater (job done)

Fridges on other hand can be a pain in the rear as they get older. But you can often buy new thermocouples, burners and ignitions and a new one can always be fitted but do seem to be a lot of money.

That's about it on the motorhome side apart from lighting. So if you find a good older van the money you save could go towards some new bits.

I went for a newer van from a dealer with a warranty and more powerful engine and have a fridge that can pick the best power source which only very occasionally I have to intervene when it gets confused and a control unit once in a blue moon needs re-booting by unplugging display which has a little back up battery that stops control unit fully shutting down.

The choice is yours but older vans can be an option and simplicity makes for an easier DIY fix. Happy hunting.

 

[two]

The uncertainty with buying an old van is determining how it’s been treated. High mileage does not mean poorly maintained and I’d be more interested in the state of the bodywork, which is more difficult to replace. Most of the electrickery is unnecessary and could be removed (or updated) as it starts to fail. Mechanics should last well and are replaceable. Just be wary of anything that might suggest a compromise to the bodywork.

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[Rob and Val]

We bought our 1994 van 7 years ago. We are its 3rd owner. First owner 5 years, second owner 11 years. In the first year there were a few mechanical problems that were soon sorted out. Since then we've travelled all over the UK and made several journeys to Europe. An older van can go anywhere that a newer van can.

We have the van serviced every year and if any problem shows before that service (only happened a couple of times and these were minor problems) then it's straight to the garage for repair. In 7 years the van has passed every MOT first time with just one advisory in that period (nearside front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt) which we immediately remedied. We've always believed that if you look after your van then your van will look after you, irrespective of its age.

 

[kitetraveller]

We have had our first van for 13 months now, Citroen Relay based PVC.

2007, with, now, 130,565 miles on the clock. Full service history, and well looked after. Bodywork straight, mechanicals in order, and everything else is replaceable. Straight through MOT, no advisories, and the only things we have done are fit larger battery (225ah) and b2b charger, have cruise control fitted, and added Duvalay matress toppers.....and keep the fridge topped up with wine and beer.

We keep looking at other vans, but they all seem to be a compromise, and the newer ones don't seem to have the same build quality as the older ones (same with caravans).

As mentioned above, a higher mileage with service history, is likely to be better than a less used van. I used to run a fleet of Sprinters that were all over 150,000 miles, but well serviced and very reliable.

It didn't take us long to realise that high mileage puts a lot of potential buyers off, but, as above, well serviced and sound is a good starting point!

Good luck in your searches!

Mr & Mrs KT

 

[Banjoblue]

Thanks all. Just back from a wet final day at Didmarton Bluegrass Festival. Chatted to a couple of MH owners including one who had a 17 year old Hymer which he really liked. My bongo more suited to someone more limber I think!

 

[Hedgewitch]

I would be more concerned about a new van that has changed hands a couple of times.

It seemed to us whilst looking to buy our own that many people who bought a new van kept it for a good few years. I know that is a massive generalisation and there are lots of genuine reasons why a one or two year old van would be sold on, but I am of cynical disposition and might just suspect that people are getting rid of something before a little problem becomes a big, expensive difficult problem.

 

[Northernraider]

I would be more concerned about a new van that has changed hands a couple of times.

It seemed to us whilst looking to buy our own that many people who bought a new van kept it for a good few years. I know that is a massive generalisation and there are lots of genuine reasons why a one or two year old van would be sold on, but I am of cynical disposition and might just suspect that people are getting rid of something before a little problem becomes a big, expensive difficult problem.

Not necessarily... Most are because they either thought motorhome was a good idea having never tried it and then realised it wasn't for them..... Or they bought what they thought was the ideal conversion for them then realised it wasn't and bought another one.

Happens with everything I change vehicles like my socks I'm just wise enough to know that so I don't buy new

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[Janine]

We have a 1995 Holdsworth Valentine on a VW T4. She's only done 40,000 miles so the engine's hardly even run-in

I've owned her for 12 years and the interior is getting a bit tired. There are a couple of damp patches but to replace her I'll have to spend another £20,000 to get something that's probably in a similar condition.

 

[gus-lopez]

I am in Mallorca with my 1991 Renault Eriba, a trip I have done each year for the 3 years I have owned it.

Simple diesel system, no electronics or electric windows/mirrors. I drive the van at least once a week even if it's only local.

No intention of 'upgrading'

Mine is a 1990 Granduca 49 with a normally aspirated 1900cc fiat diesel. Just returned yesterday from 12 weeks to & from the Uk & 9152 kms travelled averaged 29,67mpg. Had it 3 years, travelled 53k kms so far & it has done a total of 204046kms,& went for something that is repairable at the road side, runs on anything as it's a proper diesel.
Yes I've replaced many things but nothing I wouldn't have done on a vehicle 20 years newer.

friend purchased a 1 owner 10 year old Autocruise last year & when he asked whether the cam belt had been changed the reply was " I've no idea" !

 

[Silver-Fox]

The Moho we hired in N Z last year was a four berth on a VW chassis.
Had around 320k km when we collected it and we put over 10k km on her without any issues at all.

We didn't just drive on flat roads either, up hill and down dale including un paved roads

 

[Podney]

I'm pretty new to this game,but I'd say nothing wrong with an older van,as long as you pay attention to:
Service history
Damp.
Insist on trying out all the hab stuff to make sure it works i.e. Water,electrics,gas,loo.
Oh,one other thing,a lot of older vans won't have cab aircon,maybe obvious but it affected our own decision when buying. Could maybe retrofit though.

 

[ambulancekidd]

I've tried both older & newer vans, we had a Mazda Bongo which was reliable beyond belief. I then bought a late model Sprinter & again reliability was fantastic, a new EGR valve being the only repair in over three years. Then I began thinking about a decent motorhome for retirement holiday's, but in the end I settled for a year 2000 Autosleeper on a Peugeot Boxer (Fiat Ducato) chassis. The Autosleeper part is bone dry & I'm loving bringing it up to date, so its a project. The underpinnings have been a different matter though, basically its crap & there have been times that I've thought about moving it on, but its like that old car you had when you were a teenager in that you learn to love its character! Its only covered 70k & has a full service history, but its a decent project & I'm loving getting my teeth into it.

What it all boils down to is horses for courses, please keep us informed on whatever you decide to do.

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[Northernraider]

I'm pretty new to this game,but I'd say nothing wrong with an older van,as long as you pay attention to:
Service history
Damp.
Insist on trying out all the hab stuff to make sure it works i.e. Water,electrics,gas,loo.
Oh,one other thing,a lot of older vans won't have cab aircon,maybe obvious but it affected our own decision when buying. Could maybe retrofit though.

My 2008 doesn't have cab air-conditioning one of the few things I didn't check when buying it.
That said I've had many cars that had air-conditioning and didn't use it so I'll survive
A window and a fan hopefully will suffice

 

[gus-lopez]

My 2008 doesn't have cab air-conditioning one of the few things I didn't check when buying it.
That said I've had many cars that had air-conditioning and didn't use it so I'll survive
A window and a fan hopefully will suffice

Unfortunately not a lot of use in Spain in the summer. The central part hovers in the high 30's & having driven with a cab temeparture of 53ºc windows open are only any use if when you put your arm out the air temperature doesn't burn it.

 

[Northernraider]

Unfortunately not a lot of use in Spain in the summer. The central part hovers in the high 30's & having driven with a cab temeparture of 53ºc windows open are only any use if when you put your arm out the air temperature doesn't burn it.

When it's that warm I'll not be driving I'll be on the roof in my speeds lubed with baby oil working on my Greek God colouring

 

[Hymie]

We have a 1991 RHD Hymer B564 with a fiat 2.5TD with 120k on the clock. Due to commitments and illness I've once again had to leave her sitting for 3 months, came back to her last Sat, she started on the 1st turn of the key. (God bless Battery master)

Apart from the rear exhaust pipe falling off in France on the way to Spain last year, a few tyres and me killing some batteries when we first started 4 years ago we have had no problems, she flew through last years MOT with no advisories, I don't expect any major problems on this years test in a few weeks either after 25k of travel.

Nowt wrong with an elderly lady if that's what takes you fancy.

All the appliances work fine, we have solar, 60ltr underslung LPG tank, air suspension, most fitted 26 years ago when built and all still working fine.

We have looked at many vans with the thought of upgrading but haven't found anything to tempt us away from this simple, basic motorhome, no fear of spending months and shed loads of dosh trying to track down !limp mode problems, advanced electronic faults, etc.

Simple basic engine, enough for our needs, we may be overtaken on the road by more moder , more expensive vehicles but we've passed our own share of broken down modern vehicles as we'll!

Hymie