There should be no smell of fuel but there are so many minor causes that assuming Dunc didn't see damaged fuel lines it's likely to be breathers or the filler pipe. Maybe don't brim the tank before you get to the bottom of it. Apologies for sounding blase earlier, mainly based on assuming Dunc would have spotted a catastrophe in the making. Perhaps a chat with the man himself would put your mind at rest. Edit : cross posted with "lovely" Dunc.
Evening all! Going to finalise/pick up our van tomorrow and I’m an absolute bag of nerves. There’s excitement there for sure and maybe once we pull up again a sea of calmness will come over me. But at the moment I feel mostly anxiety over whether we are making the right call, have we got a good price, what will happen in the months/years to come, if it all goes badly we will be able to sell. I’ve wanted a camper for a long time and everything I ever thought about having one was positive. Now it’s actually happening it’s like everything I read or think is negative! Anyway, just felt I wanted to share with whoever is reading.
You'll be fine. They are great vehicles. Just got back from a week or so away in mine. Sheffield Malvern Cotswolds Bradford on Avon Cotswolds again Warwickshire Back to Sheffield You will love it, I remember getting mine many many years ago. No need to stress, get breakdown cover in case you ever need it & learn from each experience
You’ll be fine..... you’ve done it the right way: gone and seen it, taken someone knowledgeable with you (the lovely Duncan of course), hopefully not blown your budget completely, and joined an ace forum which occasionally actually talks about bay window campers. It’s the start of your adventure. Enjoy your first drive as someone who doesn’t just want a VW Campervan, but as someone who actually owns one
You'll love it. Work on it. Learn all about it. Try to fix everything yourself. Drive it. Camp in it.
To find the build date of your van send the details from the M plate(chassis number etc.)with a covering letter, and a return stamped addressed envelope to .Mick Jackson, Homologation Specialist. Vehicle compliance department Volkswagen Group UK Ltd. Yeomans Drive Blakelands MILTON KEYNES MK 14 5 AN I did this at the start of 2019, and got a conformation letter stating my van build date in a few weeks. Then make a copy and send it off to the dvla The good bit is VW don't charge. .
Thanks all. I think I’ve done everything I can. HPI check, insurance sorted, breakdown sorted, money ready to go. Apart from checking everything over again and a good look at the V5c, guess there’s not much else to necessarily worry about. Also bought the John Muir book haha. Anxious to get behind the wheel and start building up some confidence in it as my vehicle! Main worries at the moment centre around driving away and something going wrong immediately. Edit to add. The colour is officially down as maroon from a colour change registered in 2002. It’s now green, that colour comes up on the mot check but not on the DVLA vehicle check. Something to worry about or not?
It’s many years since I drove a bay but from memory I seem to remember needing arms like popeye. Have you got a weights bench at home?
When you get it home, change the fuel lines for peace of mind as well as the rubber hoses on the breather pipes... especially the one in the left hand D pillar. Don’t brim the tank until you’ve changed all of the above!! Ask us how we know
You do realise that it’s a forum rule to post a picture of you with your bus on its first day home. A bit like showing all your mates your new puppy. also it’s a lovely thing to be able to look back on. “Look darling at this picture of us with the bus before we discovered the front beam was made out of a quality street tin. Look we still had both kids then, before we sold one to that nice Chinese couple to pay for the welding”