What Do you Drive

Campervanman

Guest
Just wondering what you look for in a Recreational Vehicle ( Motor home / camper ) and why ?

We drive a Coach Built over cab 4 berth 1987. We am not impressed with the modern plastic ones produced today. We also wonder if the vehicals produced today will stand the test of time especially in the coach built sector.

We started off with a van conversion but rapidly moved up to a coach built. enjoying the extra room. I personally like the older van due to its simplicity in servicing, My partner like the individuality the older vehicles portray.


T&J
 
hello there,

I have recently downsized from a merc 407 van converted into a camper to a starcraft, I think i still prefer Big Bertha (the 407) but Hizzy (starcraft) is more practical as I use him as my main vehical.
 
:D Hi Campervanman. We started off with Tents, then Caravans. Then onto our first Motorhome or Campervan as everyone calls them. A 1989 Autohomes Frontier based on a Transit. Next came our first RV. A 1988 Chevrolet Coachmen Classic 32ft with basement storage. We decided to update to a more modern one a 1993 Gulfstream Crown Regis 30ft with smaller basement storage. We found it was not big enough for all the things we had in the Coachmen. So. We have just returned from the USA (did a tour first) and are awaiting the shipping of our new-to-us 1996 Newmar Mountain Aire 38ft with basement storage and a slide out. I hope Sandy doesn't manage to fill this up too soon, because the only step left is a 40ft. Maybe we ought to get a Double Decker and convert that instead. :lol:
 
Hi Campervanman,We have a T4 VW hightop,I would like something a little bigger (if that makes sense)but the wife loves it,just the two of us so its easy to use,its our first Camper and have put 23000 miles on it in 2 years,not all camping trips,I would like to convert the New Sprinter thats about to come out but for now the T4 will have to do,Gerry
 
Hi we have a Hymer 544 and can not fault it. We are, however planning to full time in two years. Meantime we would love to hear any comments from full timers both good and bad about their choice of motorhome and any other tips.
regards
Pat P ;)
 
Hi T&J and all,
We started with a type 2 VW rising roof Dormobile, great in warm weather but that side hinging roof could be cold at nights.
Then we got a Hannomag 2.2D high top with Mercedes badges, Merc. had just taken them over at the time it was built we got it when it was 3 years old and had it for 14 yes 14 years and it was still a very good van when we sold it.
Next was a Merc 307 D hightop our best luxury van up till then, unfortunately after 4 years with it I had to sell to raise cash for another venture, which entirely took over my life for 10 years. (No van)
Now we have started at the bottom again our present van is a 1992 Talbot engined 1.9D Peugeot badged Autosleeper Harmony 23,500 miles on the clock just run in for us and only uses half a litre of oil a year. The chassis is like a 3 year old and body and paintwork looks 5 year old.
Reckon this'll last us till we can afford another Merc.

With friendly greetings,
Ian
 
Ours is a Hymer Camp55 coachbuilt and is perfect for us... well, nearly perfect anyway... increasing the GVW from 2.8t to 3.1t would make it spot-on.
It's a '93 model and the 2.5td fiat motor never misses a beat, the fixtures and fittings are all of a very high quality and it's warm and comfortable. There's enough internal space for the two of us, though a bit more space would always be useful it's certainly not essential.
If I could make any changes to it I would add a couple of feet in length (just for that bit of useful extra space) and increase the GVW to allow us to carry a bit more weight - cycles & kayaks & generator & water & food & clothes & on it goes until there's no available payload left :eek:
 
Hi All, Our present M/home is the 1997 410 Compass Drifter LE. on the Ducato chassis, which is our 2nd. one since swapping from caravans which we had for about 20yrs. The first M/home was an old VW Autotrail Cree. with a naturally aspirated diesel eng. which died a death on the tiniest of inclines, but it was a very quiet van on the road, no rattles & bangs. Now the Drifter is altogether very different. plenty of rattles & bangs, but It'll shift like the blazes with the 2.5 TD Fiat eng. & returns around 26mpg. I've lost count of the mods I've fitted, but I like to customise vehicles I own, to add to our creature comforts.

Stay safe

BeeJay
 
i'm startin' to enjoy this postin' stuff. im new to the chat room and vans.i impulse bought my van, a toyota hiace convertion by devon.i was going to buy a house but decided that i'd be happier with a van. the elevating roof is a bonus for me as it lets me still sneek under the height restrictors,does anyone feel that there are more of these now,or am i just taking note. now,. the elevating roof is obviously colder but i managed -5deg.c a few weeks ago and survived without loosing any fingers or toes to frost bight.
 
Hi Irene,
Well, the bonus of a van instead of the house is, different scenery to wake up to in the morning anytime you feel like it.
Holidays at a moments notice and no need to book also if you don't like a place, move on to the next place until your happy. Another bonus is you never need to back track to get to the camp site.

I'm sure you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of your Toyota Devon, we did with our old VW Dormobile. (and still do with our present van)
A good sleeping bag a hot water bottle and a wee nip (but be careful and remember the law)of what takes your fancy works well in a rising roof.

Happy weekends away,
Ian
 
hi ian, thought i was gettin' better at this but i just printed a reply on the wrong thread, put it on previous one. i'll keep on practicing,irene
 
i think most know ours
a bedford cf ex ambulance conversion with a 3.3 ltr straight 6 Holden lump
we did the conversion ourselves and are happy with her. [even thos we have a lot of probs with spares
 
:ph34r: mines a dodgy old bedford cf with a ci autohomes rear only been owt once to trough of bowland no hassle nice and warm just sorted roof leak exhaust fell off bits of trim falling off and the thing stands me at 1200 :blink: quid just hoping to get a good year out of it and see if i enjoy camping as this is my first van and we three kids its makes a cheap holiday if all goes will get my self a better example next year bedford again i think but with better rear rs
 
caught you rodasrs.... i shall tell em all on the beddy site what you said about your beddy lol
yep it's me again
 
hi again fella cheers for telling me abt this site gunna try the slaidburn spot on my next outing as seen here ! when i get round to bodging on my new middlebox exhaust on ppl stare enough with out her sounding like a tank lol
 
Hi All, My last post to Campervanman's "What do you drive" was to say I drive the 2.5 Fiat Ducato based, Compass Drifter LE Merit. Well I don't anymore. We've changed to a 2003 2.8 HDI Auto-Sleepers Executive SE, last week, to be precise. We decided to down-size to the Exec. having seen a few out & about they looked very a nice unit, though compact. We tried the onboard services out last week up at Glasson Dock, just for the day, & we're fairly pleased with it, even though it is a lot more compact than the enormous Drifter. Alas, it's gone in today for a few warranty jobs. Nothing serious. Cruise Control only working up to 63mph, leak at waste water drain fitting (I was going to fix that, but seeing as it was going in !!!) & Drivers door Dead-Lock a bit iffy. All in all we're happy with the swap, just need to get used to the smaller habitation space.

Stay Safe

BeeJay
 
hello, i'm a newbie.

we bought a 2005 bessacar e495 last year for a 6 month trip abroad and came home with a 3 page list of problems!!!! the Fiat part of the van is a dream, not a single fault but the rest phah!!! don't even get me started!!! light fittings fell out the ceiling, blinds fell off the wall, floods, shower tray rattling, shelves falling out, steps collapsed under me (i'm deffinately not over weight), we purchased air conditioning for almost £2,000 which flooded us on 4 different occasions, albeit thats not the vans fault. plus a huge list longer than my arm of other problems.

We purchased such a large van with the intention of having a family (am now happy to say a little on is on the way) and once we finally get everything fixed that should'nt have needed fixed in the first place we will have all we need for our growing family. If we take the dining table out there will be room for a travel cot :D and there is plenty storage space for all we will need. Its a six berth but I wouldnt reccomend actually having 6 people sleep in it as its just not feesable.

Although we've had all these problems with the camper, I soooo love the lifestyle and love camping its deffinately not put me off, I'd just buy second hand next time and I think an older van is a reliable van.

Donna
 
Hi 406tm

any tips on full timing? We have a Hymer B544 at the moment. We think it will be ok for full timing with just us two fifty somethings and the two dogs and perhaps the cat..... What do you think?

Pat P
 
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