What van to buy (1 Viewer)

[Fidden family]

I have some newbie questions:
My wife and I are looking for a van to start our campervan journeys with, which will not depreciate too much in the next 3 to 4 years when we hope to have more time and then we would be seeking to invest in a longer term vehicle.
We are looking for a van larger than a bongo, but small enough for us to park in a normal parking area. We have been considering, e.g. Renault Trafics or Talbot Ramblers / Express or Ford conversions.

However we wonder if parts be sourced for them?

How ‘bullet proof’ are their engines if looked after?

How much TLC / mechanical attention do 20 + year old vans require?

How drivable are older vans, without power steering for my wife?

And at what age of van can we expect power steering to appear?

We have so many questions- - - -.

Perspectives welcomed.

 

[Snowbird]

Power steering has been out for much longer than 20 years. A 20 year old van will take just as much looking after as a new van, but you should be able to do most of the work yourself rather than being at the mercy of main agents.

 

[Fidden family]

Thanks for that Snowbird.

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[DBK]

I would suggest buying your longer term van now. If you buy an interim vehicle first which is going to be 20+ years old you will probably spend quite a bit over the next few years getting it sorted then probably lose money when you sell it.

 

[greyman1]

from my own experience i would recommend a T25 vw campervan . they can still be bought at sensible money [they have not reached the iconic status or price of the earlier split/bay window models yet !] the engines, esp the air-cooled ones are very simple and robust. being rear engined they do not even need power steering . they also benefit from a good specialist/ parts supply network. i have owned,bought and sold about a dozen T25s over the years and i have NEVER lost any money on any of them ! i dont think there will be many talbot express owners making that claim ! regards garry

 

[tambo]

I second the above comment about a vw t25 or even an early t4 ....if you buy a t4 with a fixed high top you'll get one cheaper than a tin top or pop top as they tend not to be so popular with the cult following ......a few of the auto sleeper long wheel base versions even have a toilet and shower in them

Will hold its value

If buying a coach built at that age it's best to find a good trustworthy friend who knows what they're doing as there's a good chance it will have leaked etc

Plenty of budget entry level vans out there though I've went from 30k vans to 5k vans and back to 20k vans as circumstances changed and always managed to find a good one

Make a list of what you need , what you'd like and then see what you can get .....next few months will be flooded with end of season bargains

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[stcyr]

So far (touch wood ) our 1991 MH has cost £42.90 in repairs in 5 years ....

 

[Fidden family]

Devon Beekeper, gary / greyman1, tambo and stcyr, thanks for your responses - all very good and valid points, which we'll need to weigh up. Brian