Fellow Campers

[x Alex x]

If you want the toilet please raise your hand and wait to be excused.

Look for damp with a meter everywhere. Expect damp and be surprised if you don't find any.

Lift the window rubbers and look for clean white wood, nothing wet and dark.

Cheers

SPD

oh you actually meant there's such a thing as a damp meter

i'm going to have to do some proper looking into spotting damp, i'm looking to spend around £2k which to me spending on a first time tourer van is a lot so i don't want to end up with a lemon, cheers for the advice!

 

[rallycinq]

People are spending crazy money on old vans at the moment. I get to see the results.

The problem is that wood has an affinity with water and all wood, unless in a fire, will have some moisture content.

Its 'excessive' moisture content thats the problem.

A van at £2K is going to be damp, its just a matter of how damp.

Cheers

SPD

 

[x Alex x]

as long as i know how to spot a lemon!

i know i don't want a twin axle, my uncle said theyre more to service?

also more tyres etc which i wouldn't have though would be an issue but ah well.

would like a 4 berth but a 2 berth with an awning would do for a first time van.

also.. leisure batteries.. are they designed to be 'ok' left flat for long periods of time or like lead acid car batteries would they just give up after a while being flat?

 

[rallycinq]

as long as i know how to spot a lemon!

i know i don't want a twin axle, my uncle said theyre more to service?

Extract of bovine, two extra nuts.

also more tyres etc which i wouldn't have though would be an issue but ah well.

Extract of bovine. four tyres of lower weight rating are not more expensive than two commercial vehicle tyres.

also.. leisure batteries.. are they designed to be 'ok' left flat for long periods of time or like lead acid car batteries would they just give up after a while being flat?

Nope, they are Ok to 'deep cycle' them, but don't ever leave them flat.

Cheers

SPD

 

[x Alex x]

Extract of bovine, two extra nuts.



Extract of bovine. four tyres of lower weight rating are not more expensive than two commercial vehicle tyres.



Nope, they are Ok to 'deep cycle' them, but don't ever leave them flat.

Cheers

SPD

thanks again for the info, just got back from buying my very first tourer

it's a '94 4 berth which was what i preffered, with the awning and all the rest of it, shower/toilet etc, has a seating area at the back too which was also what i wanted, 5 mins drive from my house too so he's going to drop it off for me through the week

 

[rallycinq]

OK, make sure you get the CRiS document. Looks like the old style V5 registration doc.

Phone CRiS, 01722 411430, with the VIN to confirm its status.

The VIN is a 17 digit number etched on each of the windows (the door window, if it has one, might not be marked).

The middle digit should be 'R' for 1994.

When the guy drops it off make sure he shows you all the equipment working, especially the Carver Cascade water heater. Do not take his word for it.

I presume it has a service history and/or you have checked it for damp.

Cheers

SPD

 

[x Alex x]

OK, make sure you get the CRiS document. Looks like the old style V5 registration doc.

Phone CRiS, 01722 411430, with the VIN to confirm its status.

The VIN is a 17 digit number etched on each of the windows (the door window, if it has one, might not be marked).

The middle digit should be 'R' for 1994.

When the guy drops it off make sure he shows you all the equipment working, especially the Carver Cascade water heater. Do not take his word for it.

I presume it has a service history and/or you have checked it for damp.

Cheers

SPD

brilliant, i'm going down with my uncle soon to show him, i've left a £20 deposit to secure it (all he wanted)

no damp, he showed me every inch of the van and there was no stains or anything like that, all nice and clean inside.

he has documents with it just not sure what they were tbh, will be properly checked before i hand over the money and after i check with CRiS!

my uncle did mention service history but i'm still a bit unclear about it.

paid £1k for the van down from £1300 with everything in

 

[rallycinq]

That is suspiciously cheap for a 4 berth. Do check the VIN very carefully.

If its genuine (could be) and dry (which I doubt) £1K is a bargain.

Cheers

SPD

 

[x Alex x]

That is suspiciously cheap for a 4 berth. Do check the VIN very carefully.

If its genuine (could be) and dry (which I doubt) £1K is a bargain.

Cheers

SPD

ooh great, i'll get the VIN and call them, i looked through every inch of the van and it really did look spottless with no signs of damp at all, stored in a big lock-up type garage too so that could be why.

took some persuading to get the price down but i think he just wanted a quick sale as his new van (bigger) was on the roadside.

EDIT - it's a 93 not a 94

 

[rallycinq]

EDIT - it's a 93 not a 94

Therefore 'P' will be the middle digit.

Cheers

SPD

 

[x Alex x]

Therefore 'P' will be the middle digit.

Cheers

SPD

brilliant, thanks for all the great advice mate!

 

[x Alex x]

Right, my uncle's checked it over properly and says it's as clean or cleaner than is 2001 van with no signs of damp! was too late to ring CRiS though, i'll do that tommorow, hopefully i can get a place where he keeps his van up the road for £150 a year.

 

[x Alex x]

i've got it, although not in the proper place i wanted it until this weekend, water pump, heater etc all checked and working fine

only thing i can't work out is the toilet, when i press it, it makes a buzzing type nouse but the dial wont turn for some reason.

 

[rallycinq]

i've got it, although not in the proper place i wanted it until this weekend, water pump, heater etc all checked and working fine

only thing i can't work out is the toilet, when i press it, it makes a buzzing type nouse but the dial wont turn for some reason.

Buzzing noise is the flush pump, turning the handle should open the blade on the cassette.

If the blade is shut, take the cassette out and check whether the blade will open. If its stuck, only use olive oil or Thetford's own maintenance spray. DO NOT use WD40, axle grease, gear oil etc etc.

Cheers

SPD

 

[x Alex x]

Buzzing noise is the flush pump, turning the handle should open the blade on the cassette.

If the blade is shut, take the cassette out and check whether the blade will open. If its stuck, only use olive oil or Thetford's own maintenance spray. DO NOT use WD40, axle grease, gear oil etc etc.

Cheers

SPD

brilliant, thanks again! will have a proper look at the whole van, good clean too! wanted to get away in it but the GFs at work all weekend and i haven't got the towbar on my dads car yet, no hope of the punto towning it

 

[x Alex x]

managed to sort the toilet, just pulled out what i think is the cassette bit? just turned the lever bit by hand and it freed up, turns nicely in the van now.

going to collect one of these tommorow http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110529020885&_trksid=p2759.l1259

so i can take my sky plus box away with me, seller is only 10 mins away so i can get it for £12!

i know the one on my mams static van was a bit tricky to get a signal on when we set it up, hopefuly this wont be as bad every time i go away!

 

[rallycinq]

managed to sort the toilet, just pulled out what i think is the cassette bit? just turned the lever bit by hand and it freed up, turns nicely in the van now.

going to collect one of these tommorow http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110529020885&_trksid=p2759.l1259

so i can take my sky plus box away with me, seller is only 10 mins away so i can get it for £12!

i know the one on my mams static van was a bit tricky to get a signal on when we set it up, hopefuly this wont be as bad every time i go away!

Bit more 'spensive than the dish, but good stuff.

http://www.gradeuk.co.uk/store/shelf.asp?shelfid=108S109S1

Cheers

SPD

 

[balidey]

Camping thread, so I'll add my new purchase in here.
Conway Cruiser, 1998 model folding camper.
For those that don't know about these, its like the bottom 1/3 of a small caravan but with a folding tent top. Brilliant bit of kit. Much smaller and lighter than a van as we need a 6 berth, and for us to get a 6 berth caravan would mean new car and storage, where as we can tow this camper with our current car, spin it round and store it next to our house.
The folding mechanism is brilliant.
With the help of my wife giving a gentle tug I can get it up in record time, fully erected in under a minute

 

[Kier]

With the help of my wife giving a gentle tug I can get it up in record time, fully erected in under a minute

Don't know if that was meant to sound that dirty...but LMAO!

 

[balidey]

its difficult to talk about folding campers without using the 'e' word.