Motorhomes & Campervans off grid Vs Traditional?

[Yorick]

My Sister is now buying a campervan. It's a home conversion of a Renault master. She's tying Adrian Flux but is there anywhere else that specialises in insurance for these types of conversions?

You should go halves with here. Then it won't be sat idle as much.

[Wossname]

My Sister is now buying a campervan. It's a home conversion of a Renault master. She's tying Adrian Flux but is there anywhere else that specialises in insurance for these types of conversions?

Try: Footman James
Just Kampers
2gether
Lancaster
Performance Direct

Not sure how they all feel about home-built vans, tho, but worth a call? We're with PD for our elderly Talbot.

[Count Steer]

Inspired by this thread I looked at a some campervans that I have always rather had a fancy for (even going to view at the builders and getting quite close to buying a few years ago). They have been going for years and years and started off advertising in Private Eye I think. Bilbo's campers...but the prices! Ouch. £70k for an ex-demo VW T6.1.

[Taipan]

I confess that I have just started revisiting the VWs, thinking that one of them would at least have a dual purpose as a day van and an ability to carry more adults than our current cars, something we do often need. But then it really lets us down as a camper by having no bathroom. TBH I wish I 'd never started looking!

[Rockburner]

I confess that I have just started revisiting the VWs, thinking that one of them would at least have a dual purpose as a day van and an ability to carry more adults than our current cars, something we do often need. But then it really lets us down as a camper by having no bathroom. TBH I wish I 'd never started looking!

The VWs are always about twice the price of any other equivalent dayvan or camper, and often with less room or kit. It's like the difference between a Panigale to a Fireblade - they both do pretty much the same job, but one has a lot more 'cachet' or 'brand-value' and so its more expensive for no rational reason.

[Druid]

My Sister is now buying a campervan. It's a home conversion of a Renault master. She's tying Adrian Flux but is there anywhere else that specialises in insurance for these types of conversions?

I have used the following on our home built vans:

Brentacre
Ageas
Peter Best

[Felix]

My Sister is now buying a campervan. It's a home conversion of a Renault master. She's tying Adrian Flux but is there anywhere else that specialises in insurance for these types of conversions?

https://www.aib-insurance.co.uk/

Just look at reviews for Adrian Flux before anyone recommends them bunch of wank

[Taipan]

Well, my Sister got one and hasn't stopped banging on about how good owning one is, so now it looks like we're back in the market for one! I quite like the look of this one. I assume it's a home conversion, but it looks like it's well done and has everything in that we'd need/want? Anyone see anything wrong with it? Is there enough solar stuff to be off grid?

"Conversion details - Exterior3.7m Fiamma roof mounted race awning 16" alloy wheels and brand new tyres 230V Hook-up Point (Inlet) Gas BBQ point, Solar panel, Swivel front seat800w inverter supplied and fitted Reverse camera, Layout:- Double bed conversion Sleeps 2. Kitchen area:- Interior Ceiling and walls fully lined and insulated, Cupboard storage space2 x 400x400 Mini-Heki rooflights with blinds and flyscreens (1 above seating/kitchen, 1 in rear toilet / shower) Switches and sockets throughout, Leather cream and grey upholstery Dark Grey effect heavy duty laminate flooring, which is scratch and dent resistant, Removable table, kitchen worktop, Pioneer Bluetooth sound system with dvd and Apple car play, TV bracket & points, WiFi, Electrical:- 2 leisure batteries, Electrical mains hook up point, Roof mounted TV aerial and signal booster, Chrome LED low power consumption spotlights throughout, Heating:- Propex Blown air heater (gas)Kitchen combi sink & under body refillable log tank, compressor fridge with small freezer compartment (no external ugly vents)240V microwave

Vehicle registered: 10/03/2014".

[Yorick]

Plenty of seating area

[Felix]

Some of them Relay, Boxer and Ducato from that era was a bus before hand make sure they are not governed to 60 as not all can be lifted. More so the 2.2 model https://vantuner.co.uk/limiter-removal/

[Count Steer]

You should have gone halvies TP. It'll be parked up with a clamp on half the time if it's like most of them I see around and you'd probably only want it a few weeks a year. They're the perfect 'pool' vehicle if you go in with someone you trust. That way you can often upgrade by pooling the cash too.

[Yorick]

You should have gone halvies TP. It'll be parked up with a clamp on half the time if it's like most of them I see around and you'd probably only want it a few weeks a year. They're the perfect 'pool' vehicle if you go in with someone you trust. That way you can often upgrade by pooling the cash too.

I said that ages ago. CBA to go look back though

[Taipan]

You should have gone halvies TP. It'll be parked up with a clamp on half the time if it's like most of them I see around and you'd probably only want it a few weeks a year. They're the perfect 'pool' vehicle if you go in with someone you trust. That way you can often upgrade by pooling the cash too.

I could never do that. I like my own stuff and looking after it the way I like to. My Sister driving any vehicle I own would worry the life out of me!

[Count Steer]

You should have gone halvies TP. It'll be parked up with a clamp on half the time if it's like most of them I see around and you'd probably only want it a few weeks a year. They're the perfect 'pool' vehicle if you go in with someone you trust. That way you can often upgrade by pooling the cash too.

I said that ages ago. CBA to go look back though

Great minds

(If they weren't silly prices I'd say for many people they're the perfect rental vehicle. There must be a fortune sat on drives (or parked up at a nearby farm as they do locally) doing uggber all 48 weeks of the year.)

[KungFooBob]

Well you can't have mind, the agent has taken a deposit and they collect it on Friday.

[Count Steer]

Didn't Piranha say his was up for sale? Can't have many miles on the clock, v high spec. Looks

[Taipan]

Didn't Piranha say his was up for sale? Can't have many miles on the clock, v high spec. Looks

Too rich for this proley boy!

We've reached an impasse. I thought the one above fitted the bill nicely, but the wife says she likes an end bed with storage for folding bikes underneath. Ho hum...

[KungFooBob]

Fixed beds FTW, you'll never use a lounge area if you've got swivel seats.

IMHO, cos I'm usually too pissed to make the beds up and it's nicer to sit outside anyways.

[Scotsrich]

One of the channels I watch on YouTube is a guy who sells motor homes and camper vans.

Obviously his opinion isn’t completely independent but he says that he has to turn down most of the home built vans when they come in wanting to trade in/up.

The biggest problems are with the gas supply and electrics.

Always worth getting it checked over by someone who knows what to look for.

[Rockburner]

Well, my Sister got one and hasn't stopped banging on about how good owning one is, so now it looks like we're back in the market for one! I quite like the look of this one. I assume it's a home conversion, but it looks like it's well done and has everything in that we'd need/want? Anyone see anything wrong with it? Is there enough solar stuff to be off grid?

"Conversion details - Exterior3.7m Fiamma roof mounted race awning 16" alloy wheels and brand new tyres 230V Hook-up Point (Inlet) Gas BBQ point, Solar panel, Swivel front seat800w inverter supplied and fitted Reverse camera, Layout:- Double bed conversion Sleeps 2. Kitchen area:- Interior Ceiling and walls fully lined and insulated, Cupboard storage space2 x 400x400 Mini-Heki rooflights with blinds and flyscreens (1 above seating/kitchen, 1 in rear toilet / shower) Switches and sockets throughout, Leather cream and grey upholstery Dark Grey effect heavy duty laminate flooring, which is scratch and dent resistant, Removable table, kitchen worktop, Pioneer Bluetooth sound system with dvd and Apple car play, TV bracket & points, WiFi, Electrical:- 2 leisure batteries, Electrical mains hook up point, Roof mounted TV aerial and signal booster, Chrome LED low power consumption spotlights throughout, Heating:- Propex Blown air heater (gas)Kitchen combi sink & under body refillable log tank, compressor fridge with small freezer compartment (no external ugly vents)240V microwave

Vehicle registered: 10/03/2014".

Looks like a factory job from the paintjob: that compass logo is distinctive, but I can't remember the company (Westfalia maybe?)

The internals look factory fit - it's not a home-brew.

What output is the solar panel? Has the solar been wired up so that it charges the leisure batteries and then the vehicle battery? Does the vehicle generator charge the leisure batteries along with the vehicle battery?

What's the gas situation? Does it have an LPG fill point? How many bottles can it carry and how are they accessed? For proper 'off-grid' the LPG mod really makes life easier.

What's the water situation? How big is the clean water tank? How big is the grey water tank? (and where are they?). You want them as big as possible so you're not filling up/emptying every day. (I got into the habit of drinking bottled water, but it's amazing how much water you use dong everything else).

One thing I'd say about that layout..... you're very likely to be needing to put the bed away every time you want access to the shower/loo - which could turn out to be a faff. I think i'd want a layout where the bed was at the very end of the van (also means you can use the rear doors for access which is more useful than you might think), so when you put the bed up it can stay up sometimes.