T25 VW (I think)

[GRWXJR]

Hi. This is just a question as much as anything else (& I'm new to campervans)....

My daughter has a C Reg (1986?) medium top (I think) VW Camper - from what I've gleaned off here, I guess its a T25. Boxy thing, LWB, engine between the f seats, 6-cyl n/a diesel. Fully kitted inside with c/h, water heater, full cooker, bathroom/shower etc. etc.

Daughter & her then bf bought it, and after a French jaunt the MoT ran out, and the van just sat on my folks' yard and got .... left. It is still there a couple of years later.

Now, I've not looked at it beyond walking apst it 7 looking inside once or twice, but betting the brakes and sills n stuff will be rusty, so mean that it'd either need LOTS of work, or she'd go for spares or to convert another van. I really don't know. But, I know this is a popular campervan, and there's no point in daughter just letting it sit there indefinitely, her Grandmother wouldn't mind the hyard space back, so we've suggested she sells it.

Is there likely to be a lot of interest in it do you think, and any ideas what the daughter ought to ask for it? Surely all the goodies inside have value, while for spares at least then the rest of the van would be of interest? Biggest hassle for anyone buying it would probably be trailering it off site I'd guess.

I'd appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

 

[outtolunch]

Not a t25 thats rear engine its an LT

 

[mikejay]

^^WHS^^ This will be a vw lt not as popular as a t25 but still a good van we had our last one for 10years have a look on The Brick-yard plenty of info and if you are getting rid of it someone may have it off you to save or for spares.

Mike

 

[cooljules]

Well it could be a LT 35, it def isnt a T3 (or what some call a T25 over here). It could be a LT28 or something, I have a LT 35 diesel, and looking around on ebay they dont go for much, mainly cos not as 'cute' as a T3 (i had one of those too).

Where abouts are you? someone local who knows a bit can give it a once over. brakes will need doing i guess, maybe a tune up type of thing. rear brake actuator thingy wotsit can seize

 

[GRWXJR]

Yep, seems its an LT28

Yes, its an LT28 (sorry, don't know anything about the veedub stuff at all really (cept the original hippy-buses are super-trendy & mega-bucks!).

This has been standing & unloved for some time, so dare say it'd be a fair bit more than just some brake lines and cylinders etc. It'll have some tin weevil, and is a delightful shade of battleship grey paint as well.

I'm not sure it'd be viable to put her back on the road - I'm guessing it'd take a full bodywork restoration (well sills etc. anyway) with someone armed with a grinder, sheet metal and a welder to do that. Seems watertight though, and everything was working fine when it was parked up. She only got used for a 4-week France tour, and a few local festivals / weekending by my daughter who kept her tidy inside.

But of course 1986 is 27-years ago now, so she's getting on a bit, and wasn't an immaculate stored example when she was bought. I expect the main interest would maybe be for someone who's already got one (or the sister van and wants to convert it?) and wants another one for the bits?

No idea what its worth, but adding up the value of all the various internal camper van gubbins such as the gas blown ch unit, the fridge cooker, sink, water heating as well as the furniture would make your eyes water if you went out and bought them all, even s/h (and one of the reasons why I bought a ready-converted van as my 1st camper just before xmas - it worked out cheaper than doing it myself with a base van).

I know we could break it, and sell all the goodies off - but my daughter is sentimental about the thing and it would break her heart to watch the van broken up in front of her. Better it just goes from there in 1 piece for the sake of her feelings I reckon.

Maybe its worth sticking it on ebAy or Gumtree and see what response there is - I really don't know.

 

[daz]

put some pics up, I'm always looking for something new to keep me busy

 

[cooljules]

Mine was stood on the drive for over a year not moved, but took it for a MOT straight away and it passed. mine looks a complete mess on the outisde and lots of surface rust but underneath etc its solid. A MOT even if it fails would tell you on what and how good/bad. might just need a little tinkering, which will make it better to be done up, than if its totally rotten and more of a scrapper.

Mine inside is all stripped out and a mess inside, the wife wont go in it until got leccy, toilet, heating etc so if yours has all that, if its not too badly rusty etc that would help.

without fotos and a test to see the problems you wont get next to nothing for it. but at least the way i said people know what they would be letting themselves in for

 

[Deleted member 20892]

Cooljules, why don't ya make him an offer, then ya can transfer all the goodies from that van to yours. Then your good lady will be well and truly satisfied and will then make all the trips that you want to do a reality.....Stop taling and start doing, this si an ideal opportunity for you.!!!!!

jt

 

[cooljules]

Cooljules, why don't ya make him an offer, then ya can transfer all the goodies from that van to yours. Then your good lady will be well and truly satisfied and will then make all the trips that you want to do a reality.....Stop taling and start doing, this si an ideal opportunity for you.!!!!!

jt

i would but would cost a fortune to get it over here from wales and i guess the van alone would be out of our price range anyway. I have a nice cooker, fridge and oven, but just nothing else apart from lots of wood offcutts and bits off freecycle i got.

 

[GRWXJR]

Sorry - I'm a bit rubbish!

I've been busy with general work n life, plus trying to do bits n pieces to the LDV Convoy Campervan I bought for myself to play in back in November.

I will get up there and talk to my daughter and take a few pics as soon as I can get a few minutes in daylight to spare, then post them on here.

I wasn't actually thinking that anyone off here would be interested in actually buying the thing when i put the original query, was really only hoping for a few of the great many blanks I have on the subject to be filled in. One issue as pointed out, is that it seems most members are a LONG way from where we are, making retrieval expensive or impractical. Someone would REALLY have to want the old girl to go to all that hassle.

I'd like my daughter to get as much back against the van of course, but also realise there's no point in having unrealistic expectations and asking for silly money (either way!) through abject ignorance. I figured there's be plenty of folks on here with direct experience of the van make/type (as well as building or restoring older vans), and point me in the right direction.

G.

 

[cooljules]

its the sort of thing i would rather have that a T3, much more room, but they really dont have any value or cuteness (but i dont go in for cuteness...cant stand the old really VW's, damn slow and unreliable and not much use as a camper), its the sort of thing i would want to strip back to the shell and build up, but no way i can, i cant even use a power drill or saw without the vibrations screwing up my back. Lots of peeople like them, but most i see are around Europe, less and less over here.

always a shame when scrapped.

Being a N/A the slightest hill, they come to a standstill, 1st or 2nd, im having to use mine daily since the wifes car snapped the belt and pretty hard work driving, not good for backs either. Much more reliable than a turbo engine, everyone tells me though. Mines been the worst thing ever this week in the snow, 10 times worse than any of my old BMW's, rear wheels spinning with the slightest bit of snow, even with huge new tyres full of tread, and a lot of weight in the rear. took me 80 minutes over day to get out of a car park, back and forth due to a slightly rough surface and a little bit of snow, and im used to driving in Germany etc in really bad weather. mind you the gearbox, clutch etc stood up to what i threw at the old girl lol. more an more people are now going for Mk2 LT's to turn into campers, more modern and better on fuel etc.

Got no idea how much it would cost to transport over to Sheffield, but cant see it being cheap. Sounds ideal for the insides for mine, but cant think of anyone who could lend a hand to strip that van down and get it good enough to be put back on the road.

 

[cooljules]

if you can stick a load of fotos on here, im on a facebook page esp for VW LT's and i know a few are from wales as all they seem to talk about is tom jones and sheep lol

Maybe if one is close by, they could come along and tell you what they honestly thing about the van.

or goto VW LT Owners (VOLT) on facebook yer'sen

 

[GRWXJR]

Update on the daughter's LT

Update....

My daughter took my advice and cleaned the green stuff off her old camper last week, and got her bf (whose well handy as he's a mechanic and also a classic rally car restorer) to have a bash at starting her up (this was my idea to get them motivated and at least able to honestly state what the van had going for it if advertised, rather than just scrap it or let it rot away).

Anyway -turned out that the stop solenoid was stuck preventing it starting, but once released and cranked a few times the old 6-pot diesel lump fired up pretty easily! Even after standing for I don't know how long (longer than I thought - several years) its still dry inside too.

Daughter has been looking and reckons that her van is laid out better and with more kit than many similar LT's and the fact that it ran up so well got her bf interested enough to take a closer look at it.

Seems that, although the below chassis level panels are rusty and the sills gone , the separate chassis is sound so the tin weevil is more cosmetic than structural and MoT failure stuff. Still loads of work though. But.... they are seriously considering resurrecting the old girl with a top-end refresh and piston rings, some serious bodywork attention and brakes etc. with a paint job (all stuff well within bf's capabilities) and getting it back on the road!

They might change their mind if initial actual work reveals some serious body horror not immediately apparent. I'm going to follow what they do with interest. The LT is a nice roomy van and has stuff my LDV doesn't - like a proper toilet/shower room and hot water heating - so it'd be nice to see it saved.