[sjw]

Any tips for little vans? Like really little (berlingo, partner, caddy etc).

I'm after something small and cheap to insure that will still give a decent MPG.

Me and the ladywoman manage fine in a Caddy with a bench seat/bed, although we've just bought a little drive away awning which helps for longer trips.

Some photos here

It's a 1.9tdi and I get 45-48mpg consistently, 50-52mpg on a long run.

[kelvin]

So that's the electrics done and dusted - lights, charging facilities and nothing fancy. Got a solar panel to plug in when we're around the van as well. A week today, should be waking up in Font with eight months of climbing ahead of me. Cannae wait!

[rodma]

 

[Fultonius]

Your sparky skills are much superior to mine!

This year I took it to the council transport depot in Darnell which primarily tests council stock and taxis, but is obliged by law to provide an MOT service to the public also

Just tried that, Glasgow's test facility has a "fuck off and don't come knocking on our door" 16 week waiting list... 

[kelvin]

Your sparky skills are much superior to mine!

My housemate is a sparky! 

Did everything else myself and pretty pleased in general. Looks good but it is a basic setup - lots of storage under a 6ft 1in x 4ft 6in bed across the back of the van, a cooker above those electrics and a two person bench seat for cooking stuff storage. Coolbox that can 12v on a long drive, three lights, charging points... don't need much more to be honest. I'll try and get a pic up this week.

[kelvin]

Me and the ladywoman manage fine in a Caddy with a bench seat/bed, although we've just bought a little drive away awning which helps for longer trips.

Some photos here

It's a 1.9tdi and I get 45-48mpg consistently, 50-52mpg on a long run.

Looks great that does - nice conversion on a small van, not always easily achievable.

[kelvin]

A NNFN for sure - after two weeks of settling in to van life, last night the van gave up the ghost. Engine died with resultant loss of brake servo and power steering... as we headed down a series of steep hairpins near Andorra. Next minute, the engine is revving its nuts off and I'm pretty sure it's some sort of throttle sticking thingy. Management light is on for the over fueling, next stop garage if we can limp there once the traffic dies this evening.

Wallet prepare to die.

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[fried]

That's shit. Do you have any contacts in that part of the world?

[kelvin]

No mate. There's a garage 2.4 miles down the road that the lady in the book shop recommended. I was buying a French/English dictionary :-) Not too sure how to say it's 'proper fucked' yet.

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[fried]

You could try connacting John or Ann Arran at Chez Arran

Chez Arran  

Address: 5 Quartier de Bacquié, 09400 Ornolac
Phone:07 81 79 90 06

They're not far from Tarascon sur ariege. Thay've been down there a few years so they might know someone.

http://www.chezarran.com/

Good luck!

[Fultonius]

No mate. There's a garage 2.4 miles down the road that the lady in the book shop recommended. I was buying a French/English dictionary :-) Not too sure how to say it's 'proper fucked' yet.

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Keep the faith, it might not be as bad as you fear.

We've got a real love/hate relationship with our van. When it goes well it's all good, but when you lose faith it's no fun. It has, so far, always turned out ok.

[kelvin]

Cheers fella. If it'd broke in Tarascon a couple of days back, it would have been much easier or even in Barcelona where I have friends but here... the van is definitely a tempramental Italian female. I had started to think it was male and had contemplated calling it Barti but she seems to have had a hissy at that. Bridget it is!

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[fried]

She fair purred along while I was in her

[kelvin]

Obviously had a thing for your Belgian accent.


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[Fultonius]

Yaay! Our van has been officially imported from France  to the UK (old S-reg) and at the same time changed to a Motor Caravan  woot woot!

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[SA Chris]

Can it actually do 70?

[Fultonius]

km/h no worries    We've had it going faster than 150km/h on the Autobahn but since I do the work on the brakes I generally take it a bit easier these days...

[Fultonius]

Dealing with Insurance at the mo.

I see from earlier in the thread that quite a few people have insurance underwritten by Markerstudy (Adrian Flux, Brentacre etc.).

We have signed up with A-Plan insurance (through VW T4 forums) and when I was reading through the policy documents it seemed a bit light on info and then I realised they're based in Gibraltar. Are they even registered with the Financial Ombudsman?

[rodma]

Can't remember who we went through, but it wasn't one of those in the end. I'll dig out the details.

Breakdown cover through asda due to them being generally awesome (will repatriate you and your vehicle ) and they don't care if the vehicle is over 15 years old, which most other cheap providers count as the cutoff age. Have used them once in anger, they're like what green flag used to be in their early years

[slackline]

If your vehicle is registered as "Motorhome" on your V5C you can get very competitive insurance through the Camping and Caravan club (without actually having to be a member).

Registierng a DIY Motor Caravan - www.gov.uk

Club Care Insurance

[Fultonius]

The guy form A-Plan basically said we can't get "Camper" insurance, despite being register on the V5 as a Motorcaravan - because it our only vehicle.

Now, I get the logic in this - we use it more frequently so the risk is higher. But is there truth behind the logic?

[slackline]

The guy form A-Plan basically said we can't get "Camper" insurance, despite being register on the V5 as a Motorcaravan - because it our only vehicle.

Now, I get the logic in this - we use it more frequently so the risk is higher. But is there truth behind the logic?

Mates are similar, their campervan is their only vehicle.  They've insured through Camping & Caravan club.  They don't drive locally round the city much at all (cycle and get veg/food shopping delivered), weekend/summer evenings out to Peak for climbing.

I think you have to state what your annual mileage will be (as I have had to with Adrian Flux, since my van doesn't yet qualify to get the V5C changed) and as long as you don't exceed that you should presumably be ok since the mileage is where the risk increases proportionally as you're spending more time on the road and what you're actually using it for is irrelevant.

[Fultonius]

I'll keep that in mind for next year. Cheers.

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[rodma]

the reason we went with who we went with was all about cost, since neither mrs rodma or me have any no-claims bonus.

have checked and the broker we went through in the end was called Advanced. they were good and were happy that the van was in the process of being converted (they asked for progress photos which we continued to send them). it's really cheap annually, only about the same as the vehicle tax. they were cheaper by about 40 fuckalls or so.

it's now reregistered as a motorcaravan.

there is sound logic behind the "its your only vehicle therefore not a mororcaravan" argument. you may be able to demonstrate that you won't be using it for commuting (perhaps you take the bus, train and this won't change due to parking constraints etc.), doing grocery runs (get it delivered, use the local shops so don't need to) etc. etc.

we wanted to get more than the 8,000 mile allowance that came with the policy, but they said that would look suspicious. i was arguing that most of the rock was far enough away that it wouldn't take many weekends, combined with two trips to font, to quickly surpass the allowance. the real problem was that we put on loads of miles whilst carying out the conversion, otherwise 8,000 easily would have covered it

[Probes]

T5 knowledge kings... Just a quick one to see if anyone has any pointers to look for.. mechanically wise.. when checking out T5's. I'm looking around 5 years old maybe 100k on the clock, probably unconverted.. Any advice greatly appreciated.

Also I will probably selling my T4 pretty soon, full custom conversion, 195k, R reg, total bomber van, loads done mechanically, just looking to upgrade.. please keep in mind if your looking