Is Buying A Camper From a Vw Specialist Dealer Ok :)

Could try local VW independent workshops. They won't be selling themselves but if you ask if they have any customers looking to sell etc. They would have a good idea of condition if they work on them too. Sometimes it's just friend of a freind knowledge.
Could try - Shaun Baker Car Care in Maldon 01621 851871 or
Harry Harpics near Southend 01702 713114

 

You can buy an immaculate camper and drive it into the ground really quickly through inexperience too. Staying in too high gear, letting the oil level drop, driving with a warning light on, thrashing it...

Or the engine may simply be about to expire with a latent fault, as they are so old.

Expect to pay out a lot to keep going. I think ownership of a £6250 camper has been maybe £30000 over 10 years and 80000 miles.

 

Its a good time to buy a Bay as prices have come down recently. Take your time, maybe TLB members near you could show you their vans and point out the things to look for when viewing a for sale van. VW shows are a good place to see lots of vans up close and meet the owners. The more you learn about Bays before you buy the better. Spend time on here and look through the restoration threads. You will quickly learn that bodywork and rust are the main issues as with any classic vehicle of age. Buy a Bay restoration manual and study it.

Have a look on ebay etc to get a feel about asking and sold prices.

As for buying from a dealer, I don't think there is much benefit and the dealer would mark up the price for their profit.

 

The Fletcher Gillett restoration manual is the one to get and readily available on ebay.

 

^this.

Don't be seduced by the dream of a surfboard on the roof and trips to the beach. You won't be buying the mobile home of your dreams. You'll be buying an old 1970s delivery van that likely hasn't been serviced properly in the past 20 years, done with the cheapest parts by someone who is unlikely to have known what they're doing. It will have done so few miles a year that will have never dried out properly underneath, making it rot twice as fast. And it will have been "improved".

The ads just show the interior. You need to see the underside and mechanical bits. They are what will fail you an MOT and dump you by the roadside in the dead of night.

As above, dealer will bump the price up and basically just want to get rid of it.

 

Also...you'll need to develop your mechanical skills, if you don't have any. Unlike old MGs, say, campers tend to be bought by Livers of the Dream, to whom spanners are unknown. They spend many hours waiting by the side of the road for the AA...

 

Vwdownunder used to do an assisted search service. @gratboyslim suggested another couple of places in Essex so are you from this neck of the woods? There are a few of us on here from Essex (though don’t usually admit to it) that could help if you are not too far away?

 

Are you wearing white socks ?

 

Nope. Just the white stilettos and boob tube.

 

Ford Capri parked outside?

 

Do you do the same with boilers ?

 

Nope but might have had one at some time, as well as a mk 2 Cortina when I had a mullet.

 

I’m from witham, so not far away. I am not sure I’m qualified on these new fangled campers, as still learning myself. I can say that body work and welding is the most expensive bit, so look for something solid. If it has a type 1 engine it’s simpler for spares etc and can use beetle parts. My Type 4 is great so far, but fuel injection has limited spares available if it doesn’t work properly. late gearboxes are expensive to replace. Late model Rhd steering boxes are expensive too. Lhd not so, but finding was tricky. Repro are rubbish apparently. Early ones are rebuildable I believe. The rest is fairly straightforward. Go for genuine spares if needed and quite often secondhand is better than new.


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Also a trip to t2 detectives is good. Not far, near Cambridge. Some of their prices might be out of reach, but they often have stock of a few to look at and are a good bunch for advice.


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I'm interested too, Is there "cheap and good" place to look for?

 

I don’t think cheap and good go together very often unfortunately. You buy cheap and then spend money restoring or you buy restored.


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Most thing have been said above, but tell us what area you’re in as in town or county, then possibly tell us where the van of your dreams is, again the town or county, and ask if anyone is near ish or if Mr Davidoft would venture over to have a good look at this dream van
Usually the cheaper they are, the more needs spending on them or work required.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,, once you got one , they’s wonderful(mostly)

 

If all the chaps here haven’t put you off, here’s my take as someone who is STILL “seduced by the dream of a surfboard on the roof and trips to the beach.” (Copyright @snotty)
I have surfed and I have been to the beach and it was, and is, fab! These vans are supposed to be fun and they are, in the main.
All I’d chuck in is to think about what you want it for and choose the right interior - there are loads of options.
For instance if you’re going to get up close and personal with your partner, get a full-width bed. Anything smaller is really too squished for two adults.

 

Paul at Harry Harpics is a lovely bloke and really knows his stuff, had a lot of work done a few years ago and his advice is always good.