Van conversions

[00buzz]

Well, I haven't had a rant for a while, but having just spent a beautiful fortnight in sunny Dorset, I have come to realise that I have a hatred of 'van conversions'.....firstly, what the hell is the point of them....I don't like motorhomes (that's another post) but I can see why some people would buy one, and I do find it amusing to sit watching them have to pack everything away just to fill the water or buy some milk.....but why, why , why, would you want to stay in the back of a builders van with half a tent on the roof......which brings me onto my point.....the bloody sliding doors....630am, on cue, rudely awakened by the 'clunk.....whir......crash' of my neighbour alighting said 'builders van' to use the facilities or sit in their toilet tent on the portable fart 'subwoofer'......I feel a little better now, thanks for listening.....

 

[Robtel]

:lol: thanks for posting, really brightened up my morning :cheer:

 

[pitpony]

A mate of mine who was a kitchen fitter did a van conversion on a long wheel base Merc, I think he paid £10,000 for the van and was offered £30,000 after he had converted it, the van interior came from a Swift Corniche that had lets say a few leaks but the interior of the caravan was mint, so no poo-poo noises coming from his quarter,

 

[ProfJohnL]

Each to their own.

Perhaps your snoring woke them up hmy:

 

[merseydave]

Each to their own.

Perhaps your snoring woke them up hmy:

Agree, Don't see the problem.

Regards Dave.

 

[Raywood]

We are all different and what suits me may not suit others so who I am I to criticise those who buy them. The latest edition of the C&CC magazine does have an article on them pointing out why they cost more than coachbuilt conversions. From what I can see the best reason for buying one as opposed to a coachbuilt is the smaller size is easier to handle and park.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

Well, I haven't had a rant for a while, but having just spent a beautiful fortnight in sunny Dorset, I have come to realise that I have a hatred of 'van conversions'.....firstly, what the hell is the point of them....I don't like motorhomes (that's another post) but I can see why some people would buy one, and I do find it amusing to sit watching them have to pack everything away just to fill the water or buy some milk.....but why, why , why, would you want to stay in the back of a builders van with half a tent on the roof......which brings me onto my point.....the bloody sliding doors....630am, on cue, rudely awakened by the 'clunk.....whir......crash' of my neighbour alighting said 'builders van' to use the facilities or sit in their toilet tent on the portable fart 'subwoofer'......I feel a little better now, thanks for listening.....

I read this and thought. yeah. I wonder if there is a post somewhere [on a campervan forum] that starts, just had a sunny fortnight in Dorset. >>>>> .

perhaps he just prefers his builders van. in preference to a converted horse box.

 

[Mel]

Each to their own. Horses for Courses. Live and let live. Not my place to judge. and all that.
However I am mystified by the amount folks are prepared to pay for a panel van motorhome. I watch Practical Motorhome TV ( after practical caravan tv) and have seen the presenter go on about the "spacious lounge" ( couldn't swing a hamster never mind a cat)and the excellent kitchen facilities ( two burners and a small oven) and then say that it was all for a mere £45k.

If it suits someone to spend that amount of money and they totally enjoy the van and holidays then Iwish them every happiness and blessing. But I can't say I understand it.

Still the world would be a poor place if we were all the same.
Mel

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

The thing that amuses me is the amount of motor homes towing cars. It seems to defeat the advantage of a motor home to just get up and go. hmy: A motor home costs the equivalent of a car + van then you buy another car.

 

[pitpony]

The thing that amuses me is the amount of motor homes towing cars. It seems to defeat the advantage of a motor home to just get up and go. hmy: A motor home costs the equivalent of a car + van then you buy another car.

From what I have read recently there is legislation floating about in Brussels on this very subject, Motorhomes towing cars behind them that are unbraked, and it all comes down to braked towing weights/train weights, unless the car being towed has some kind of device fitted to activate the brakes when the motorhome brakes then the car being towed behind the motorhomes unless it is on a braked trailer could be illegal,

 

[Gabsgrandad]

Funny that WC - drove home from your 'territory' on Sunday (250 miles) and it was remarkable on that journey how many "caravans" were towing cars. --- Don't understand it! :huh:

 

[emmerson]

Like the OP, I could not understand the attraction of motorised caravans of any sort, having tried them in the past, and always come back to caravans.
However, Herself has always had a hankering for one, claiming that it would easier...etc, etc.
Anyway, to cut this tale down, she finally wore me down, and I agreed to look for one.
The criteria were as follows; 1), it must be more than 25 years old (to fit in with our retro caravanning), 2) it had to have an indoor loo.3) it had to be small enough to use as everyday runabout. 4) It must have a petrol engine. 5) it must be rear wheel drive.
I was convinced that we'd never fill all those points, but we started looking a couple of years ago.No luck at all, as expected, there was always something wrong.
Until last June, in our local dealers just up the road, we found Guinivere, our Talbot Camelot van conversion.(yes, I know its FWD, but four out of five ain't bad) It ticked most of the boxes, and had only one owner in its thirty years life, so was just about immaculate, and comfortably within our budget. We have used it a couple of times, and apart from being being physically small, it is OK.
As for packing everything away before moving, that was a law which I laid down - that would never happen. And really, it hasn't. Its just a case a packing everything correctly. We've even had two weeks in France in it, and are still married!
We still have our wonderful 37 - year-old Royale caravan, so have the best of both worlds, as one complements the other.
Oh, and the two of them, and my 1993 Range Rover tow car cost less than £10,000 in total, and the last two have toured extensively in Europe over the last 14 years.
So yes, there is a place for van conversions, but not perhaps in everyone's life..

 

[colin-yorkshire]

quite agree emmerson, people tend to forget that campers/motorhomes are a completely different animal to a caravan but some tend to see them as a impractical smaller versions which there not, akin to saying a day boat is similar to a house boat because they both float on the water.
we also have had both enjoyed both for different reasons and types of holiday. that suited at the time. at present we are quite happy with using the daughters holiday home. but if we did decide [unlikely] to go back touring it would be in a camper and not another van.

 

[00buzz]

only meant as a light hearted bit of 'banter' and agree that if we all liked the same then the world would be a very boring place......anyway, I a renting a vw transporter van tomorrow to move out the last remaining child :woohoo: might stick a mattress in the back and sleep in it to see what the fuss is about.....

 

[Robtel]

Light hearted banter was how I took it,00buz, hence my remark about it brightening up my morning. ( although those doors are noisy)

Enjoy your moving tomorrow, just be warned, our grandson who lived full time with us, moved "out" a few weeks ago to attend Uni. He's been home every weekend since and I'm just awaiting the text message to tell me what rail station and what time I need to pick him up later today. So it might not really be a "move out"