Is an old van a bad idea for me?

[RubyOptics]

Hi all! I'll start by apologising in advance for what may turn out to be quite a long, rambling first "proper" post, I do hope you will forgive me and that with your collective wisdom you can offer me some advice with the problem I am having.

So, I'm 38, my partner is 35 and we have two kids of 13 and 10. We do a lot of camping holidays together, which we all love, especially the kids. Indeed, given the repeated choice between camping and a nice hotel with a pool etc, the choice is always "the tent of course dad" which makes me pretty darn happy to be honest with you! I've always been interested in motorhomes/campervans and even as a young kid i would spend my pocket money on "Motorhome Monthly Magazine", much to the chagrin of my caravan-loathing father! So recently, we booked an AirBnB apartment in Italy. The holiday was great, saw some amazing places and a fantastic time was had by all. Here's the thing though, we drove from our home just outside of Warsaw to southern Italy. It took use a few days, but I really did enjoy the "road-trip" to get there just as much, if not more than, the stationary holiday in Sacrafano, Italy itself.

This got me seriously thinking about the idea of getting a van again. I've toyed with the idea for years, but that trip really lit a flame under my behind, so to speak. We booked tickets to the recent Motorhome Expo in Warsaw, i took my partner and she went from being very reluctant to rather excited by the whole idea once she saw inside some of the vans and the clever usage of space that they offer (she's a HUGE 'Tiny Homes" fan, so i guess the van thing fed into that).

The problem is that, much as I juggle the numbers, there is simply no way we can afford a new van.....or a nearly new one......or even a not very new one!! The only way we could possibly entertain a purchase would be to buy a MUCH older van. Something mid-1990's for example. I've been browsing here for a number of months (ever since we arrived at our Italian destination on that holiday to my girlfriends huge annoyance!!) and so I am aware of a lot of the issues to look out for, damp especially and the necessity of a full habitation check before purchase. I'm fine with the idea of an older van. I was a RN submariner engineer for over a decade, so having something to tinker on really appeals to me. I also like the idea of taking something cheaper and maybe a bit tired looking, giving it a bit of investment and TLC and coming away with something we can enjoy together for many years.

So, thank you for reaching the end of my ramble and here are my questions for you!

1- Is buying a much older van an inherently bad idea for someone who has never owned one before?
2 - Apart from watching out for damp and general condition, are there any issues specific to buying/owning a van of this age that i should be aware of?
3 - For someone with a reasonable level of confidence and ability, how feasible is it to give the interior a new lease of life? I don't really mean a brand-new interior, more of a good coat of paint, new upholstery etc?
4 - I'm 6'3", whilst I accept that measurements will differ according to brand and model, are there any other tall people out there using an overhead bed on a coachbuilt or A-class? If so, would you mind sharing your experience with me? Are you cramped? Do you sleep diagonally?!

That's it folks! If you got this far I sincerely thank you for your time and patience and look forward to reading any and all help and advice that is put forwards.

Joe

 

[TheBig1]

Hi Joe, nothing inherently wrong with buying an older van. The base van is designed to do in excess of 500,000 miles. But motorhomes often only do a few thousand each year. They will rust out long before they wear out

the other important thing to be acutely aware of, other than rust, is damp. there are plenty of older vans out there, buy a damp meter and be fussy about condition

there is a great van for sale in the classified section of this site 1999 and immaculate for £22,495 by JockandRita . you wont go far wrong buying that one if you can afford it

 

[RubyOptics]

Thanks for your reply Big1. Yes indeed, damp and rust are already my two biggest concerns but I didn't know if there was anything else i should be paranoid about! I did see the van you mention, it looks amazing, however take that figure you quoted and divide it by roughly 4....that's the budget unfortunately!!

 

[RubyOptics]

I'm not at all set on this particular example, but this is the kind of thing I am thinking about, if that helps either you or others with what I am rambling on about!

 

[TerryL]

Just looking at that particular example, it is of course somewhat dated - so what does your other half think about that having seen all the flash new vans she saw at the show? However if you're prepared to do a little work (see the thread by Dazzlin who's taken on a well-used Hymer A-class and is "renovating" it) it could very well be what you are looking for. Obviously it must pass the damp/rust/corrosion test but if that's okay and everything else works okay it would be a great "starter" van. You're not the only one on a limited budget and there are lots and lots of older vans out there in your price bracket just crying out for a new owner to love them.

Having mentioned Hymer the older "A" class models are acknowledged to be built very well and last well too so you couldn't go far wrong with one of those. You've just got to keep looking but one will eventually pop up as "the right one".

Hope that helps and, of course, to the Fun.

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[RubyOptics]

Thanks Terry. Your first point is a really good one. Of course, she was really impressed with all the great new features such as electrically lowering beds...floor level LED lighting etc etc that she saw at the show (as was I if I'm honest with myself!) and for sure I think that there is a certain level of reluctance in getting such a different van. I've found a few renovation videos on YouTube and shown her those, which did help. As you rightly state, I don't think it's so much the age of the van that worries her, more the dated living conditions inside. So, as long as we can find a way to modify and modernize the interior a bit, we should (fingers-crossed) be good to go! I will go look for that thread you mention now as that could be another source of inspiration...thanks!!

 

[mikebeaches]

Your technical and engineering skills will hold you in good stead for fettling an older van. And indeed, there will no doubt be more opportunity to use your skills on a vintage vehicle compared to a modern one - they have more stuff that is fixable and are less reliant on expensive throw-away electronic components.

You are already aware of the importance of avoiding anything suffering from damp.

Obviously, you'll have to accept that the 'travelling' part of the motorhome experience will be very different from, say, travelling in a modern car, as you did on the holiday to Italy.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Speve]

Take a look on The Hymer Market on Face book there are some good old vans at good prices.?

 

[scotzsue]

good looking van for the year, but didn't see any rear seatbelts, would you really want to take your kids without them. retrofitting is not usually an option. Enjoy your search.

 

[TheBig1]

RubyOptics you would do well reading ryan_flea s thread as well, where he revamps an old van with a younger twist

Our motor-home revamp

Good Afternoon. Well,here we go.... the before and after element. **Disclaimer...I can not refund time invested in reading/viewing or commenting .. :) (Also, if this is posted in the wrong area lemmie know). Motorhome Day one: Started to get involved with the inner demons of motorhome...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

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[Podney]

It’s in your blood............go for it!
Good luck and welcome to mhf.

 

[WillH]

Love your post, and attitude. When we are in France we often see really old Hymer's, 30 or 40 years old. Start looking and keep your eyes open and if you are any good with DIY you may well find a gem. Who needs electric beds and low level LED lights anyway!

 

[Nikki]

Hi there,
You sound enthusiastic enough to cope!!
And the kids sound like they would enjoy tinkering with it too
My first and still my only van, Elddis autostratus 1997, cost me £9000 , all my savings, bloody good van, 4 seatbelts,
Love it, not too old fashioned inside, change all lights for LEDs etc
I'm not saying get this van, but it gives you an idea of different things out there on a budget, there are loads
Especially if owned by older people ( forgive me ) because they look after them well!!! Mine was owned by an older couple who took her all over Europe, no she is retired having a quieter life with me!
Nik

 

[Reallyretired]

An older mh is easier to work on, less unreliable and unrepairable electronic bits. If you want low level led lights they are easily obtained for a couple of quid. Electric beds are a bit of a gimmick rather than useful see someone on here who had to start the engine to give the batteries enough oomph to raise the bed.
Main things are damp and rust, everything else can be fixed relatively cheaply.
I am 6'3" and dont find any beds a problem, I dont sleep straight anyway.

 

[Yorick]

I'm gonna get flamed for this, but if your budget is around £5k, then you'd get a much better caravan than camper. Then save up and buy a decent camper.

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[RubyOptics]

Obviously, you'll have to accept that the 'travelling' part of the motorhome experience will be very different from, say, travelling in a modern car, as you did on the holiday to Italy.

Absolutely I will, and to be honest with you that is part of the lure of an older van. The chance to slow down a bit and enjoy the journey for what it is rather than just dashing blindly for the destination!

Take a look on The Hymer Market on Face book there are some good old vans at good prices.?

Already did that from my 'lurking around' time on here! You are right, some great looking vans but i feel that a 7000Km trip to bring it back might be a bit much for a first journey!!

good looking van for the year, but didn't see any rear seatbelts, would you really want to take your kids without them. retrofitting is not usually an option. Enjoy your search.

Absolutely you are right. I would never, for one second, entertain the thought of travelling with my, or indeed anyone else's, kids without seatbelts. This is in fact another...question...but one i know no-one can really help me with. Do i get a two person van for just me and the SO, use it as a way to get some time out, or do i go for a larger and newer van - for the seatbelts as well as space, but accept the financial hit that comes along with it?

For everyone else, thank you so much for taking your time to reply and offer you valuable insight. All of them are useful and giving me a lot to consider!

Joe

 

[RubyOptics]

Yorick I briefly considered the idea of a caravan, but it simply isn't fitting for the type of trips I envisage. I want to be able to simply jump in the van, decide on a whim to go to, ohhh, let's say Berlin, for the weekend and be able to stop anywhere that takes my fancy and grab a bit of sleep/have a meal/whatever. Pitching a caravan each night won't work for me, but thank you for taking the time to suggest it!

 

[TheBig1]

one significant issue with big vans is the licence problem. You are too young to drive over 3500kg without taking the C1 licence test

 

[MANGOFORTH]

Have you thought about a self build? Way cheaper and can use a newer base vehicle, Plus its fun and a great product.

 

[RubyOptics]

Yes, I've considered the licence issue quite a bit. I don't think (emphasis on think) it will be a problem. After so many years of camping, we are used to packing fairly light and of course, the van itself means we don't need to pack many of the items we usually do. Also, a big van isn't really of interest to either of us, we would much rather have a smaller vehicle to make it easier to explore the back roads of wherever we end up!

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[Yorick]

Just buy a Transit. Get a portable cooker and 2 mattresses. I spent more time outside than in.

 

[RubyOptics]

MANGOFORTH ahhh, you had to go there didn't you!! The SO is VERY interested in this side of things. I must admit that there is a side to it that really does appeal, however when i start thinking about the logistics of such an endeavour...it just seems SO much. It is certainly something that we need to keep in mind though!

 

[RubyOptics]

Removed accidental double post.

 

[MANGOFORTH]

Removed accidental double post.

You can do it so cheaply. New van, old caravan. Rip out, put in, shut the doors and go. ?‍. You're an engineer, sure you can manage ?

 

[TheBig1]

You can do it so cheaply. New van, old caravan. Rip out, put in, shut the doors and go. ?‍. You're an engineer, sure you can manage ?

this is by far the cheapest foot in the door of owning a motorhome. Have converted a few vans myself. It is not that difficult if you have basic tool skills

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[Hollyberry]

There’s also Jim’s e-book on buying a motorhome. If you haven’t already downloaded it, it’s worth adding to your armoury when out van hunting. It’s free as you’re a full member.
Good luck with your project—- you won’t regret it.

 

[Peskyrabbitt]

We purchased our first Coach built motor home for less than £5k in November 2018 a Renault Traffic Holdsworth Ranger, in the time we owned we did have a few repairs to do which most of them we did ourselves ( kept costs down dramatically ) the only issue we found was given its age 1990 finding parts was tough, but we always found them in the end. We only decided to put it up for sale in the summer past to see the response, sold in 48 hours and made a profit.

We now own a slighter newer 1998 Autotrail Cheyenne and loving it. There are plenty older motor homes out there some good , some bad, just go over them with a fine tooth pick checking everywhere. And where possible do the repairs yourself.

Regarding height I am also about 6ft 3" , plenty head room in our Autotrail and our over cab bed is about 6ft 6" so plenty length also ,our seating area which converts to a small double also has enough room for me.
In our Renault I had enough head and leg room just and no more.

 

[thebriars]

Electric beds are a bit of a gimmick rather than useful see someone on here who had to start the engine to give the batteries enough oomph to raise the bed.

Electric beds are certainly not a gimmick, ours is absolutely superb. As for the point about batteries, this is completely wrong, ours uses very little current, there must be another fault on the van you've quoted.

 

[Shrimp]

We have a 2001 Hymer.
If we had to change and couldn’t afford a newer van I would be quite happy with an older Hymer, they are built to last and they do, you see so many of the older ones still on the road, in fact the older ones are better quality than the more modern ones!
Make sure you look at everything within your price range, and go in with an open mind and good luck.

 

[Mel]

I'm not at all set on this particular example, but this is the kind of thing I am thinking about, if that helps either you or others with what I am rambling on about!

Enjoy whatever you buy
Just to let you know

The motorhome for sale in his advert has a fake rear number plate
All rear plates in Belgium are issued by the state