Buying Camper Van (first time) - what to look for / ask about?

Aidan Harney

More than probably done to death already but ran a search and could not find any previous threads....

I am thinking of buying a camper van.
I would have about 8K to spend.
I have a wife and 2 small kids, soon to be 3 small kids.
The camper would be stored outside.
It would be for use mainly/completely in Ireland.

All I know is that I want one with rear seat belts, 3 ideally (can these be retrofitted, if so, at a premium??).
I know to look for rust.
A bike rack would be good.
Solar panels for fridge would be good.

Other than that, what should I keep a good eye out for....?
Is a petrol engine a major no-no.
Is there a year or mileage beyond which I should not consider...
Is Left hand drive/ right hand drive an issue...
Is there any point looking at the engine - as I would have no clue...
Should I look to scrounge another few euro from Mammy/Credit Union/loan shark to try and get a better camper - better to run therefore save on maintenance.....


Apologies for being so new but given the three small kids I am kind of grounded at home and a camper van seems to be a good 'get out' overnight/weekend jaunts with one or two of the wee ones, or the whole lot of us...

There is also the option of buying in France or Europe but that may well be a whole different ball game, may be best to keep it simple and buy second hand (done deal or the likes) for the first time...

Any positive responses to any of the multitude of questions above will be much appreciated!

meercat

welcome to boards

donedeal is your friend
have a look at as many as you can

aidan mm who is one of the top men on this forum wont put you wrong
he has this which may suit,but a little over your budget
http://www.pathoranmotors.com/?p=681

lhd/rhd doesnt really matter

my advice is to stretch yourself a little bit if possible and get a decent motorhome that will do you for 5 yrs
happy hunting and keep us updated

meercat

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055043527
good thread with great info too

Buford T Justice

If you're not in any way handy with an engine or with electrical etc... then you may be better off to buy from a dealer, the likes of Pat Horans. You will get a warranty of some sorts and it will be properly serviced before you get it, unlike buying privately. caveat emptor....

killalanerr

hi and wellcome,nice old thread here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056260378&page=2
should get you going,lots on donedeal if you could up the budget a bit it would give you a bit more choice look at loads make sure all the bits work as far as the engine gos campers spend a lot of their life parked in driveway so as a rule they have low mileage,best of luck with the search

HereAndThere

Have just been through the process myself.

Best advice I can give is look at as many as you possibly can, gives you a great feel for the layout you want.

Its a very exciting time when you finally get a motorhome but there are alot of questions to ask and I found asking questions here was the best place to go.

• Check for extras - leisure batteries, awnings, awning tents, although not individually pricey can all add up after purchase cost.

• Check what needs to be repaired, fridge, awning, heating, water pumps. All extra costs that add up. Check everything works. Bring someone along to look at it with you, its amazing the small things you may miss. There are some very good checklists online.

• Buy a moisture meter from eBay, relatively cheap but can tell you if there is damp in the MH, potentially a big issue (Water Damage).

• German builds are usually very good.

• Importing isn't really a good option anymore with the 13.5% VRT. There are alot of good deals to be had at the minute, be bold, there isn't alot of cash/credit at the minute so sellers are willing to take a good bit less - or should be?

• DOE testing maybe coming in next year so factor costs of this in, similar to NCT test but for Motorhomes. Things like window regulations etc... if needing to be replaced could be costly.

• LHD resale not as good as RHD for some reason. But I went LHD because I want to go to europe and think it will be easier with the LHD. RHD would suit if you are staying here but equally LHD is as good (You can hug the ditch).

• You may be looking at a conversion with your budget - Fingers_McGee is the man to talk to about camper conversions.

Happy hunting.

Take your time and you'll know when you see the right one for you.

Aidan_M_M

More than probably done to death already but ran a search and could not find any previous threads....

I am thinking of buying a camper van.
I would have about 8K to spend.
I have a wife and 2 small kids, soon to be 3 small kids.

really so you need a 6 berth , do you need separate bunks for the kids? If so bunks is an attractive option .

The camper would be stored outside.

I'd say most are!

All I know is that I want one with rear seat belts, 3 ideally

scarce tbh on older stuff , you may have to look at a good few to find that.

I know to look for rust.
A bike rack would be good.
Solar panels for fridge would be good.

solar panels for fridge? The fridges 99% of the time don't use any battery power when the engine isn't on.
Bike racks are an easy retro fit , so don't let that put you off if it doesn't have one .:)

Other than that, what should I keep a good eye out for....?

Damp! and leaks , and signs of dodgey repairs , pretty much anything else can he sorted.

Is a petrol engine a major no-no.

Most of us say No to petrol , the diesels are torquier and and make pulling the weight around easier . Petrols would be quite hard on fuel too .

Is there a year or mileage beyond which I should not consider...

Phew..hard one to answer , on Fiats the rustproofing is better after 88 , and the base vehicles are nicer again after 95 . Mileage is rarely an issue tbh , I've only seen one camper with high mileage , ever.

Is Left hand drive/ right hand drive an issue...
Is there any point looking at the engine - as I would have no clue...

From a dealer , shouldn't be an issue , from private , I would say yes . Make sure you hear it start from cold , shouldn't be slow to go , or smokey .

Should I look to scrounge another few euro from Mammy/Credit Union/loan shark to try and get a better camper - better to run therefore save on maintenance.....

I am biased but I would say yes . If you could come to something after 1995 , it'll be easier maintain . And less likely to be rusty .

Apologies for being so new but given the three small kids I am kind of grounded at home and a camper van seems to be a good 'get out' overnight/weekend jaunts with one or two of the wee ones, or the whole lot of us...

I always say there's no such thing as a stupid question when you don't know the answer. And yes , they are great craic . WE had the best of times as kids , going off in campers .

There is also the option of buying in France or Europe but that may well be a whole different ball game, may be best to keep it simple and buy second hand (done deal or the likes) for the first time...

Trust me , with the new VRT rules , they're cheaper here...



Hope that helps.

Macy0161

Aidan Harney wrote: »

Apologies for being so new but given the three small kids I am kind of grounded at home and a camper van seems to be a good 'get out' overnight/weekend jaunts with one or two of the wee ones, or the whole lot of us...

Also for days out, even through the winter. Great for days at the beach - so much easier! One of the reasons we went for a campervan rather than a motorhome in the end.

You might have to up the budget for the seat belts though on a motorhome - when we were looking mid 90's was the age we were starting to get 3 point belts in the forward facing dinner seats. It appears to be accepted that lap belts are ok for rear facing seats.

Buford T Justice

3 point seat belts are useless unless the seat is forward facing.

Aidan Harney

Thanks for all replies to date. A few years back I hired a campervan from Celtic Campervans based near Ashbourne. I went in there during the week and told Stpehen I was thinking of buying and he had a couple of tips too. LIke to have a look at the table between the back seats as it will more than likely need to be lifted out every time we want to get 2 or 3 kids in the back to travel with. So the easier to move out and in the better. Also suggested for first time it might be best use a dealer such as Maynooth Motorhomes as opposed to the internet as there may be some chance of a warranty. And finally said to look at loads and if I see one I like then try not to let on, as my haggling potential will nosedive if they know I am interested!!
Thanks again for all advice to date. Will continue to collect info before the visiting of sales places begins!!

dorts

Hello Aidan,welcome to boards.I work at Donaghey motorhomes in Letterkenny.
You should go to as many dealers as possible when looking for your first motorhome.Get into the the motorhomes,bring the kids,their seats,try them in the camper,take it for a good drive with the family on board.It may be biased of me but when its your first camper a dealer is better.All the major dealers have there own websites,but it is hard to beat standing in the camper getting the feel for it all.We are all here to help you get into this fantastic lifestyle.We reared our 4 boys in motorhomes,all their holidays and weekends were spent in campers.Dont leave it too long to get on the road.Good luck in your search.

joed571

hi aiden, i was in the same position this time last year, i went for a 1995 fiat dethleffs 5 birth with 3 forward facing rear seatbelts, after doing 8k kilometres this year id say go for 2.5 diesel, have a oven (getting mine fitted in donagheys on Monday ) and enjoy dont be afriad to wild camp

Buford T Justice

Tips shmips imo.

If you're serious about buying a camper, then you will find out that there are only a few of them that actually suit you perfectly. Before I built mine, meself and the missus spent a couple of hours mooching at a dealership and out of all we looked at, there was only one that suited us down to the ground, and it was a 95 fiat.

Take you're time, mooch, ask, drive etc... Visit plenty of places. If you're going to go to a dealership, then go to at least two, because neither of them are likely to have the same stock and so you will get a wide variety between them.

joed571

[QUOTE=Fingers McGee

Take you're time, mooch, ask, drive etc... Visit plenty of places. If you're going to go to a dealership, then go to at least two, because neither of them are likely to have the same stock and so you will get a wide variety between them/QUOTE]

totally agree i done the same then ended up buying private for the one that best matched our needs.

fjkilkelly

I've gone a fair way to deciding what style of camper van to buy, the one factor that I'm unsure about is engine size. I (we) want a 4 berth, so not a big vehicle, the Fiat Granduca seems about right, but we've been advised against any smaller engine than 2.4/2.5. Would a 1.9 Turbo do the job, or will we be sorry if we buy one with an engine that small?

fjkilkelly

Joed571, Is yours a 2.5 diesel?

Aidan_M_M

again , I'm biased , but especially for your first camper a dealer is safest . We find that the warranty we offer is probably what makes most people , especially first-timers , buy from us as there's a lot of stuff on a camper a regular mechanic or handyman can be unfamiliar with . We've some customers on their 5th or 6th camper from us....so we must be doing something right!

regards , the humble SpannerMonkey in Pat Horan Motors.

joed571

fjkilkelly wrote: »

Joed571, Is yours a 2.5 diesel?

no mine is a 1.9 turbo but with little mileage . its perfect for about 90 percent of the time. just that odd big hill you wish it was a little bigger.
we leaving for france next Wednesday for three weeks, will be a test for it.

paddyp

fjkilkelly wrote: »

I've gone a fair way to deciding what style of camper van to buy, the one factor that I'm unsure about is engine size. I (we) want a 4 berth, so not a big vehicle, the Fiat Granduca seems about right, but we've been advised against any smaller engine than 2.4/2.5. Would a 1.9 Turbo do the job, or will we be sorry if we buy one with an engine that small?

If you can get the 2.5td for a similar price thats what to go for. The idtd is the last rendition of the 2.5 engine and is direct injection should be slightly more economical.

There are always people asking about putting the 2.5 td into the ducato, never seen anyone wanting to do it the other way around.

The 2.5 is a brilliant engine once looked after it will easily go to 300k miles.

In terms of power the 2.5 td is only 25% more power and 20% more torque but the max torque is at much lower revs which is better.

jetgvc

We've just had a DOE done on our 2002 Burstner, and thankfully it passed with flying colours. It just happened that a rep from the RSA was in the garage when we were having it done, and he said that it will be two years before Ireland enforces the DOE test for MH, but that it is essential to have a DOE if you are travelling to Europe.