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To buy or not to buy


Mickydripin

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Hi All,

I have not too many years left for motorhoming so I do not want to pay out a shed load of money buying an expensive one.

So, I have been offered a 1999 Pilote debut that in all honesty inside it is a good clean motor and looks like new, thought is a bit old fashioned the upholstery and cabinets are in excellent condition it has done 32,000 miles and it has been stood for almost 2 years so needs a bit of TLC I have driven it and the engine purrs along and pulls like a train considering that it is just under two ltr and the suspension is also great with no rattles or bangs better than a new one that I had in the past it has had two owners and I am wondering if it is worth giving it a chance.

Outside it needs some TLC and a good clean but not major it has been stored under cover for most of its life.

I am wondering if someone can give me some advice on this motor or if you have owned one in the past and what to look for on a vehicle of this vintage.

It has no service history (Mechanical or habitation) it wants a set of tyres/gas pipes to the gas cylinders and a new engine battery the hab battery is new.

Does anyone know what a van like this is worth or what I should offer or just turn and run.

Will I be able to use it in the EU or will emissions be a big problem in the past it has done about 3 or 4 trips down to Spain with no problems.

I would appreciate any comments

Many thanks Mike.

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Hi all, Surely you have all not got new motorhomes and that is why only two of you made any comments.

This was a serious question to you all but very sorry if you are all away or feel that it is beneath you to comment on a much older van I have had new and I have had old vans some bad and some good but at the moment I do not want to buy a new one. Mike.

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Sorry Mike but I never got around to replying on Sunday and then missed your post as it slipped down the page.

 

Anyway my thoughts for what they are worth...

 

The mechanicals of these older vehicles tends to be much simpler than the later computer controlled models and typical small garages can service and repair them. Or you can DIY if you are mechanically minded.

 

If the upholstery is tired then for a couple of grand you can get the whole interior re-upholstered in fabrics of your choice. Makes an old van new in a couple of days!

 

An old van will not meet any of the emissions requirements for UK or European cities so my view is if they do not want us then we do not want them! We plan our routes to avoid emissions zones and spend our money elsewhere.

 

Keith.

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As you've previously owned a mh you must surely have some idea of what you're looking at? :-S

 

Price? At the moment mh's are enjoying silly season with newbies buying their first mh as the ultimate covid "safety cell" so prices have gone a bit daft. That won't last though.

 

Ask the owner to get a full habitation check and MOT done before buying. If he isn't prepared to do that then use it to knock his asking price way down.

 

Your engine won't be compliant for city driving but do you really want to drive in cities.....anywhere?!! Not my idea of a holiday and certainly not fun.

 

I had a look around for that van model but couldn't find any for sale so no idea what their value is. As an example of what you can get (if lucky), some friends of mine bought a one owner 05 plated Swift Sundance in mint condition for £17k just before Covid. Same year vans with similar mileage are selling on AutoTrader around £23k now.

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Thank you all for your input but I thought that I would give it a go as I have not had one this old before.

I was looking for info from people that owned older vans and if they had problems getting parts but as buletguy said there are not so many fancy parts in the older vans but I will have to think about it watch this space.

Mike,

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Keithl - 2021-09-14 8:31 PM....................................................................

An old van will not meet any of the emissions requirements for UK or European cities so my view is if they do not want us then we do not want them! We plan our routes to avoid emissions zones and spend our money elsewhere.

Keith.

Fair comment, but the number of LEZs is proliferating, and with that the number of places which can be visited in older vehicles diminishing. For so long as the zones stay local (rather than regional) one can usually get into LEZs using public transport - providing one can find conveniently sited stopping places. But then, do you really want to drive into and park in places of the sizes that have LEZs? Find a good site or whatever outside, where security is likely to be better, and hop on the train or bus. Its what we do (when we can!) It all adds to the fun!

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A few disconnected thoughts Micky -

Like quite a few of us on here I too prefer older vans as they tend to be better made and less tempermental. As long as it is not too old they are easy to maintain and often even a small one man off the beaten track garage can fix things if needed.

Replacement body parts and panels are the biggest potential issue, but this can apply to even a newish van too. It is surprising what an innovative auto body repairer, or boat builder, can conjour up when needed and if you want both sides to match that too can be arranged.

With the lower value comes the grin factor of low - or zero - depreciation and the knowledge that if you need to modify or make new bits inside or out, as long as it fits well and looks good it it will not affect the value.

Even if an obsolete tap, or catch, or hinge breaks you can probably find or modify one to replace it with - it's all part of the fun!

I've never has a Pilote but they have been around a long time and my perception - other perceptions may differ - have always seem them a decent middle/upper range van?

Value? Look on Auto Trader and other large web based sales sites and filter for vans of a similar age and style and see what comes up, bearing in mind that asking price is not neccessarily what they sell for.

But does it really matter? If it is what you like and will do the job you ask of it is the future value really that important in the grand scheme of things for the sake of a few grand either way?

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Keithl - 2021-09-14 8:31 PM

An old van will not meet any of the emissions requirements for UK or European cities so my view is if they do not want us then we do not want them!.

 

They are not saying they don't want you

They are saying they don't want to breathe in poisonous gas

Wouldn't you say the same if you lived in an inner city?

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