first time camper

Thespoofer

I'm hoping to buy an old camper to get me up and running in the camping world but I would appreciate any advice on what questions I need to be asking before any purchase. I have my eye on a minibus conversion which looks legit and running well but I don't want to hand over any cash and find out its not keeping within certain rules and regs and so on.
So uf any of ye guys could give a few pointers I'd be grateful, cheers.

Aidan_M_M

Thespoofer wrote: »

I'm hoping to buy an old camper to get me up and running in the camping world but I would appreciate any advice on what questions I need to be asking before any purchase. I have my eye on a minibus conversion which looks legit and running well but I don't want to hand over any cash and find out its not keeping within certain rules and regs and so on.
So uf any of ye guys could give a few pointers I'd be grateful, cheers.

Unless it's really really cheap, I couldn't advise a converted bus. I've never seen one as well done as a camper that started as a bare panel van. What's your budget?

Thespoofer

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

Unless it's really really cheap, I couldn't advise a converted bus. I've never seen one as well done as a camper that started as a bare panel van. What's your budget?

Only a few thousand ( under 5k ). The reason I'm looking at a particular one ( minibus conversion ) at the moment is it has the required seats/seatbelts installed to carry my family and truth be told, I kinda like the shape of it even though its an old one.

650Ginge

Thespoofer wrote: »

Only a few thousand ( under 5k ). The reason I'm looking at a particular one ( minibus conversion ) at the moment is it has the required seats/seatbelts installed to carry my family and truth be told, I kinda like the shape of it even though its an old one.

I agreed with Aidan. Mini bus conversions will unlikely be as good as a camper. Insulation of heat and light, location of water tanks and electrics will all be weird.

How many belted seats do you need?

Thespoofer

650Ginge wrote: »

I agreed with Aidan. Mini bus conversions will unlikely be as good as a camper. Insulation of heat and light, location of water tanks and electrics will all be weird.

How many belted seats do you need?

4 would do, 5 would be great. In regards to normal campers I can't seem to take to the shape of the ' Elvis style ' campers as I call them, you know the ones with the ' quiff ' sleeping area above the driving seats. This may seem weird to some but I think I've got this from owning a standard van for work. I'm open to ideas though.
Theres one on the internet at the moment I can show ye I kinda think its not bad ( maybe if a little cheaper ) once ye don't step inside me and buy !
I mightn't be able to post a link as I'm on my phone but I can point ye in the general direction where ye'll find it.

Moomat

Thespoofer wrote: »

' Elvis style ' campers

I'll never look at one of those campers the same again!:D

Make sure you get something with a valid and long DOE/CVRT. You don't want a money pit. Still give it a good once over mechanically too.
I'd check to see are all electrics working on the outside plug and from the leisure battery.
Keep an eye on the GVW also, some, conversions especially, have ridiculously low payloads.
Check the logbook and see how many seats are listed. Mine has 4 belted seats but only 2 on the log book.
Ask the seller to show you everything working and how it's operated, shower, toilet, oven/grill, sink, fridge, lesuire battery charging and switching, heating system etc...
Bring you future travelmates with you to view and everybody should be poking around inside at the same time to give you an idea of what it will be like space wise heading off on your holiers together.

I wouldn't be worried about buying a bus conversion if all the above check out ok and it suits you needs. Considering your budget and you want a minimum of a 4 berth/seats your options on "Elvis" campers will be limited.
They say your 3rd camper is your favourite so you better get going!

niloc1951

Moomat wrote: »

......................................
Check the logbook and see how many seats are listed. Mine has 4 belted seats but only 2 on the log book.
...............................................

Get that sorted, you could end up in all sorts of trouble if you had three or four on board and a situation arose where Gardaí or more particularly foreign Police had an interest in how legal you were if you came to their attention for some reason :eek:

The vehicle log book is the official document carrying the specifications of the vehicle, think of it as the vehicles birth cert.

Moomat

niloc1951 wrote: »

Get that sorted, you could end up in all sorts of trouble if you had three or four on board and a situation arose where Gardaí or more particularly foreign Police had an interest in how legal you were if you came to their attention for some reason :eek:

The vehicle log book is the official document carrying the specifications of the vehicle, think of it as the vehicles birth cert.

Thanks but wouldn't have anymore than 2 people in it if that's what is on the logbook. Wanted to bring it to OP's attention as it's not the 1st time I saw campers with extra belted seats. Might aswell be beanbags if the guards stopped you with people strapped into them!

niloc1951

Moomat wrote: »

Thanks but wouldn't have anymore than 2 people in it if that's what is on the logbook. Wanted to bring it to OP's attention as it's not the 1st time I saw campers with extra belted seats. Might aswell be beanbags if the guards stopped you with people strapped into them!

I can understand you may not be concerned of you plan to carry no more than one passenger.

However, many of the 'log books' RF101 documents issued for motor caravans by the vehicle registration unit at Shannon contain errors and omissions. One of the types of errors I have seen is the number of seats recorded at (S1) being different from the original manufacturers Certificate of Conformity or on second-hand imports being different from the 'log book' of the country of origin.

Moomat

niloc1951 wrote: »

I can understand you may not be concerned of you plan to carry no more than one passenger.

However, many of the 'log books' RF101 documents issued for motor caravans by the vehicle registration unit at Shannon contain errors and omissions. One of the types of errors I have seen is the number of seats recorded at (S1) being different from the original manufacturers Certificate of Conformity or on second-hand imports being different from the 'log book' of the country of origin.

I wonder how you could get them on the log book?

They are lap belts and part of a rock and roll bed, both ends are bolted into the floor. I just treat them as non existent considering they are not on the log book but I wouldn't mind adding them if it was easy. It's a uk import and I've no certificate of conformity or old log book.

niloc1951

Moomat wrote: »

I wonder how you could get them on the log book?

They are lap belts and part of a rock and roll bed, both ends are bolted into the floor. I just treat them as non existent considering they are not on the log book but I wouldn't mind adding them if it was easy. It's a uk import and I've no certificate of conformity or old log book.

The country of previous registration documents, in your case the UK, would have been retained by vehicle registrations in Shannon and should still be on file, probably in an archive box somewhere. Those documents would have contained, among other information, the number of officially designated travel seats.

Irishgoatman

Having kept an eye on this thread I think it just boils down to common sense.

My Bedford Romahome, a U.K. import, quite clearly has only 2 seats, both in the cab which is not accessible from the camper body. The camper has 2 bench seats which are also the beds.

S1 on the Reg Cert reads 4 seats!!!!.

Can't remember what was on the original U.K. cert but can't believe that it was 4.

Needless to say I never carry more than 1 passenger.

maclovin67

Agree with everything here,but my biggest tip would be make sure it has a doe/or will pass doe as it's a uk import,had to get rid of my gulfstream 32" because i couldn't afford to put it thru doe..and yes it had a uk mot when I brought it over..

Irishgoatman

Mine goes through the test without any problems each year and no tester has asked were the other 2 seats are:).

niloc1951

Irishgoatman wrote: »

Mine goes through the test without any problems each year and no tester has asked were the other 2 seats are:).

So did mine, it has four travel seats and four listed on the RF101 at S1. But the belts for the two in the back were out of sight (behind the cushions) I had forgoten to position them so they could be seen..........................................and it passed too