Hi All, newbie without a van

show vans are ok if you want to sit by it saying OI! get thet efffing ball away from my van before i break your spine you little git! where as if you want to relax get a tidy but useable one.....

 

Welcome to the forum, you'll love it here hehehe

 

What ho


we have our first van , we bought it with plenty of rust and a clapped out engine that shot its load on the way home , but mostly sorted now , if its of any use to you if you buy one with rust at least you now where the rust is , rebuilds will range from 2k to 25k , it depends on how bad it is and what finish you are looking for ,


The world is your lobster , there is a lot of advice on here so take pics when you go to look at vans and put the pics on here

 

Thanks for the advice guys
Here's the van I'm going to look at in a few weeks, she is called the Shmoo and is a 1975 devon eurovette with original interior.

She Appeared in Camper and Bus magazine in May 2007 and has also won a few shows.. The seller assures me she is still in mint condition and has been garaged for the past year, he sounds a nice bloke and has been on the scene for a while. My only concern is that she is a show van and not really been setup for family camping i.e. no electrics, seat belts, heater and fridge and may cost me a bit to make her a bit more family friendly.

What do you think?

 

Electrics, seatbelts and fridge are nothing if the van is solid. Less than £500 for equipment and installation (depending on fridge).

I'm reasonably near you, if the van isn't too far I'll take a look with you - if you like.

 

Thanks, that sounds a lot cheaper than some of the quotes I've been getting, like £1,500 cheaper. Thanks for the offer mate, but I think Stoke on Trent may just be that little bit too far

 

if its an all original devon i wouldnt have had electrics or fridge or sink. but the layout is functional and can be used in different configurations.
elictric hook up can be added quite cheaply.
i use a portable chest type fridge that can be put in the awning, takes up less space in the van and i wash up in the campsite wash basins.

 

welcome to TLB,

thats a lovely looking bus

 

Yes she does look good, I've been given a figure from the seller and I'm not too sure if its good value or not ???what would you say is a good price for a van like this?

 

Peice of string question. Its worth whatever someone (you) is/are prepared to pay. You need to do some browsing and work out what you are willing to pay. Plus - ive never seen it!

 

Yep I understand what you are saying, I just wanted to check that that I'm not paying too much, I have done a lot of research and the price I think seems reasonable but just wanted to check with you guys, as we are new to this game. Here is a few more pics from the magazine article to give you an idea of the exterior and interior and the seller has assured me it is a uk van totally rust free,never been welded 3 owners with full service history, good runner etc.


Based on this and if it is in this condition do you think 13K is a good price?

Many Thanks

John

 

£13k is cheap! It looks immaculate. Make sure you take the whole family when you view. Try out the bed with your wife as 3/4 beds are really small for 2 adults-I've heard it said that you have to roll in unison! Get your kids up in the poptop beds to see if they feel comfy and safe sleeping up there. Don't underestimate the importance of a good night's sleep when you are camping, especially if you are thinking of week-long family holidays in our wet climate!!

Put a thread up in General Discussion asking if any mid-landers will accompany you to check it out. There are some really generous, knowledgable people on here who will help if you ask

Good luck with the viewing.

 

yes looks good but don't forget them pictures are 5 years old.

 

^ dirdy boid

 

Thanks for the advice ,I'm taking a mate who's a mechanic but only on new cars, I think I will post on the general forum see if anyone available to give it the quick once over

 

Thats a great looking van mate.
£13K's a good price if it looks as good as that.

 

but have you had a look at a 1977 Westy, rear hinging pop top with Berlin interior, painted Jaffa?


just jokes but it was seeing a few different conversions that made it clear to me what we wanted.. Was very gung-ho at first, and thought we wanted modern refurb'd van, but after seeing an old classic, our heart was sold!

its a lot of money to part with, so worth considering - and everyone has their own preferences!

 

True a Westy would have a full double bed in the roof as well as would a Devon Moonraker and a late Viking conversion