18 years old - What to convert?

[Harryden]

Hey all,

Looking to find a van/mpv to convert for use as a surf van. Obviously first choice was a vw transporter but being 18 and no claims it was like 5 grand!

Had almost given up when I found that I could insure a hijet for £1,700 as it came under car insurance being an MPV! Only thing is they arn't exactly 'lookers' haha.

So had just wondered if I'd missed anything. I think it would need to be classed as a MPV as van insurance is crazy, and small engine is good. Any recommendations?

 

[Airbag]

If you have the budget there are plenty of Mazda Bongos around, an 8 seater MPV which also very easily becomes a camper. They come as 'pop-tops' or plain old tin-tops.

Insurance (for us oldies) becomes cheaper when they are converted to campers and registered as such with DVLA, my insurance is £200 a year. but I'm old and decrepid.

I wish you luck, what's the insurance situation with converting a smaller panel van?

Before I got the Bongo, I did look at smaller vehicles for a stealth micro-camper such as the Berlingo, but if insurance is the main issue, I'm out of the loop.

 

[Ste]

Sherpa Camper (eg Item number: 200606097547 on ebay). Cheap to buy & run. Should be eligible for classic insurance.

 

[Deleted member 775]

yea but then again the old insurance thing crops up some of the older vans may be ok for classic status and you can get cover for about 80 quid ,but can he get insured reasonably at his age for that type of thing some companies wont touch you unless you are over 21 . i have just sold my beddy insurance was 198 quid ish for me but then again i am 59 full n/claims .i have just got a mercedes c250 diesel auto car( £375 f/comp ) to run and i need a small van to convert for a weekender , sooty van or the like , cheap tax and insurance , so i got in touch with mister flux we all know him ok , so i asked for my daughter to be put on the policy so i could give her a few driving lessons ( she needs an auto ) total refusal and she is 32 years old . wont insure a learner ,so good luck with the seach for a van ps you can always put wide wheels a spoiler a drain spout exhaust and a boom box in a sooty van and an a team stripe down the side wont make it look any better or drive any better or go any faster but just think of the individuality .

 

[Ste]

Coming from a business background, we couldn't get van insurance (Sprinter's, Daily's, Escorts & Connects) for anyone under 25 however because we were a family firm, my sister was allowed on when she joined the Co at just 23.
Everyone's different though, I share our MH with my parents. (I'm 31 now) our insurance forbids anyone under 30 driving (with C&CC) which excludes my sis.
But I've had a classic since I was 17 and always got classic insurance. Yes it has gone up in recent years for youngsters, but an old 1600cc petrol/1800 diesel Sherpa surely can't be that expensive they've so slow. Especially if you restrict the mileage. A modern 1 litre car would walk all over one!!
Its a combination of things I guess, VW's are more popular, hence also more likely to be stolen or modified etc... Bedford Rascals are a heatlh hazard...
I suppose if you can find one a Marina Suntor might be a better choice as they've an even smaller engine.

 

[bob72]

I was about 22 when I bought my VW Camper (Bay window 1972) (i'm 28 now so thats not too long ago) and insurance was not a problem for it. Even had a few younger friends (18/19) that were also able to insure the reasonably. Just make sure you join the VW forums and find the best insurers (tip, its not the ones you see advertised on the TV!) volkszone.com is very good.

I suspect a T25 would be the easist and cheapest to get insured but make sure you check for rust issues on any VW. And don't be fooled by 'restorations' a lot of the panels used are seriously poor quality material (I worked heavily restoring my old Bay and Beetle and gave up on both in the end) and will rot out again very very quickly. I'd prefer a tatty relatively rust free and mostly original bodywork/chassis bus over a restored one any day.

VW's are great and there is a great community around them.

 

[windyjools]

Van to convert

My first weekend conversion was a Toyota Hiace, bullet-proof motor, simple to repair and as they are not in the cccoooooolllllll bracket, prices are sensible too.
Eventually sold it with 140,000 on the clock, still ran like clockwork, used no oil, ane did 37mpg no matter what you did with it. It would sit at 70mph comfortably and was comfy to drive. If they did a larger version, I would buy one in a heartbeat. Look for one with decent bodywork, and some proof that servicing has been done.