Buying a van

[Mr. Dazzle]

Those bigger ones won't go in a lot of carparks in my limited experience.

Maybe it's just MK, but around here even all the outdoor car parks have 1.8m height barriers on entry. It's the same at the local woods etc.

Presumably intended to stop people setting up camp.

It's the sort of thing I didn't even think about or notice until it was a problem!

[weeksy]

Those bigger ones won't go in a lot of carparks in my limited experience.

Maybe it's just MK, but around here even all the outdoor car parks have 1.8m height barriers on entry. It's the same at the local woods etc.

Presumably intended to stop people setting up camp.

It's the sort of thing I didn't even think about or notice until it was a problem!

I don't use car parks mate. Or at least very very rarely, enough so that it's not a consideration for what van i go for anyway.

Fuel economy is a factor of course which the bigger ones will be less economical than the Custom.

I'm tempted to just go with a Custom with extended warranty at the end of the day it's looking at 60k miles for swapping the belt which is 2-3 years.

[Taipan]

For me I'd go camper. The camper is giving you a lot more benefits over the occasional inconvenience of uplift day.

[weeksy]

For me I'd go camper. The camper is giving you a lot more benefits over the occasional inconvenience of uplift day.

Hmmmm a reasonable point yeah... maybe.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126566691135 ... R_ikqvCkZA

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126566691136 ... R_akqvCkZA

This is the sort of thing it'd be.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145899350676 ... R5TUxvCkZA

[Mussels]

Those bigger ones won't go in a lot of carparks in my limited experience.

Maybe it's just MK, but around here even all the outdoor car parks have 1.8m height barriers on entry. It's the same at the local woods etc.

Presumably intended to stop people setting up camp.

It's the sort of thing I didn't even think about or notice until it was a problem!

It seems to be regional. My transit was a fag paper under 2m and would fit in most car parks I tried* apart from Eastbourne where 1.8m seemed common.

* Tunbridge Wells has several signs hanging from the roof a foot lower than the entrance barrier, most are bent.

[Taipan]

For me I'd go camper. The camper is giving you a lot more benefits over the occasional inconvenience of uplift day.

Hmmmm a reasonable point yeah... maybe.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126566691135 ... R_ikqvCkZA

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126566691136 ... R_akqvCkZA

This is the sort of thing it'd be.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145899350676 ... R5TUxvCkZA

Nice, but check your insurance on conversions. Not sure what exactly, but it seems some people have problems with vans that don't have campervan/motorhome classification on their logbooks?

[cheb]

It's worth getting the logbook changed, you get an extra 10mph on the speed limit for dual and single carriageways compared to a van.

[Yorick]

Camper conversions can give you exactly what you want. Mine was made to get the bike in with one bed next to it.
With the bike out, it was just like any other camper.

These conversion dudes are clever.

[Mussels]

It's worth getting the logbook changed, you get an extra 10mph on the speed limit for dual and single carriageways compared to a van.

The speed limit is defined by construction and use regs rather than the tax class, I don't think the log book will make any difference.
Iirc it's about it being more of a passenger vehicle than goods, my combi only failed as there was no window in the rear doors.

[Druid]

We have a MWB Crafter which I converted to a camper during lockdown. The DVLA have changed the criteria for reclassifying as a "Motor Caravan" and mine doesn't meet the new requirements, seems to be home conversions that are affected, professional conversions seem to be accepted without any problem. However most insurers are happy to insure as a camper if that's what it is irrespective of what it says on the logbook. I've just renewed my comprehensive insurance for £254 a year. As I understand if it is converted to a camper and is insured as a camper then the higher speed limits apply even if it says van on the logbook*.
Up to 2017 the Crafter is identical to a Sprinter from the cab backwards but it uses the VW 2litre engine and a restyled bonnet and grille, a Stage1 remap takes it up to 160bhp - with the standard 109bhp it struggled a bit when it was fully loaded . It's 2.7m high so access to some places can be a problem. I used to use it on my 10 mile commute and it returned about 25mpg, on a longer run I get 30ish



*What Mussels said

[cheb]

Thanks. I asked the two ex traffic cops who ran the CPC course I attended about this*. My understanding was based on that. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm inclined to believe the tax class reasoning. Occam's razor applied to government bureaucracy.

*I like to believe they were thrown off the force for being too patronising.

[Rockburner]

For me I'd go camper. The camper is giving you a lot more benefits over the occasional inconvenience of uplift day.

Hmmmm a reasonable point yeah... maybe.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126566691135 ... R_ikqvCkZA

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126566691136 ... R_akqvCkZA

This is the sort of thing it'd be.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145899350676 ... R5TUxvCkZA

for (almost) those prices, you could buy new : https://weinsberg.com/en-uk/camper-vans ... ur-outlaw/

(obviously you may need to add extras like awnings etc)

[Mussels]

Thanks. I asked the two ex traffic cops who ran the CPC course I attended about this*. My understanding was based on that. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm inclined to believe the tax class reasoning. Occam's razor applied to government bureaucracy.

*I like to believe they were thrown off the force for being too patronising.

I read the regs carefully even though I decided it wasn't worth the effort, I'm confident I'm right. They were complex, apart from the rear view the luggage area could be a certain % of the passenger area measured from the bottom of the steering wheel, there was a weight limit* as well and probably more I have forgotten.
However when I went looking for examples, AXA, RAC, Auto Express all gave different interpretations. I think they each went for the lazy option of assuming what the nearest copper told them was true.

* A point that was noted in a couple of places was a Vito could qualify only if it didn't have the luxury seats, they were heavy and took it over a limit.

[cheb]

I'll just stick to the lower limits then.

[Felix]

Like the police care anyway. If DVLA dont give you camper status with a self build they will call it van with windows so god knows what that does for speed limits, insurance, ferry prices.


Speed limits https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

[Sadlonelygit]

There's a pre drafted letter available from DVLA of all people which states a van with windows isn't constricted by lower speedlimits.
You may spend some time replying to nip letters though!

[Felix]

There's a pre drafted letter available from DVLA of all people which states a van with windows isn't constricted by lower speedlimits.
You may spend some time replying to nip letters though!

TBF in all my days of driving vans i have never worried about the lower limits. Yet to get a tug from plod and they have been behind me on a few occasions. Probably doing 60 on a B road in a 7.5T is taking the piss but my van is about 3.5T. Camperbus is 4.2t and yet to attempt the DVLA reclassification.

[Felix]

So why not get a slightly longer van. Buy a kitchen pod. Two Z Beds and a diesel heater https://www.vangear.co.uk/products/blac ... d_source=1

Save a small fortune on hotels. Most camp sites will let you shower for a few quid as well as wash clothing, fresh water and get rid of any portaloo waste.

[MyLittleStudPony]

I'm getting on well with my Tourneo. Ford did replace the wet belt and that seems fine.

I haven't used it a huge amount but last week we went away on holiday and used it. There are seven of us, two adults and five kids (as one of the older ones has a girlfriend now and she came too).

It worked really well. It's spacious for seven and has enough luggage space. There's no way we could have done this in the seven seat Prius.

The van is slightly noisier inside than the Prius but it's not a problem and it's fun being high up. We probably did about 700 miles in the week.

[Pirahna]

Ford have changed the service intervals for the wet belt.

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/ford-e ... elt-change