perchman Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 Hi all I have been a caravaner for over ten years but thinking of trying a campervan/motorhome. My budget is limited so im looking at either Renault Trafix or Peugeot Boxer based petrol vehicles from the mid to late 90's and just wondered which one had the better reputation for reliability and longevity or indeed if any of them have common faults to look out for? I have discounted Fiat Ducato based vehicles from this period as they seem to suffer with a common gearbox fault affecting third gear change. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums. As far as I’m aware (and Wikipedia seems to confirm this) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Ducato the only PETROL powerplant offered for 1994-1999 Fiat Ducatos was a 2.0litre fuel-injected motor that was also fitted to 1994-1999 Peugeot Boxers - and there’s no reason to think that the gearboxes were different. Problems were reported with 5th-gear on DIESEL-fuelled Ducatos of that era, but I don’t know if similar faults occurred with petrol-fuelled Ducatos/Boxers. In the mid to late 90s motorhome manufacturers were already focusing on the Ducato and Boxer as their base-vehicle, though (as the relevant Wikipedia entry says) a small number built on the Renault Trafic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Trafic Besides the Ducato/Boxer and Trafic, you might consider a Ford Transit as petrol-fuelled Transit-based motorhome conversions were available from a few manufacturers then. Your best bet for advice might be to get in touch with Martin Watts who is an ‘older motorhome’ specialist. Martin’s contact details are in the “Vintage vans” section that appears in each issue of MMM magazine. There’s a Classic-Campers website that’s aimed at pre-1995 vehicles, but might be able to help with your enquiry as it does have a forum. http://www.classic-campers.co.uk/index.html (Besides reliability/longevity, with this sort of vehicle-age you’d also need to think about current spares availability.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perchman Posted February 27, 2019 Author Share Posted February 27, 2019 Thanks for the excellent response Derek, very much appreciated. I will deffinitely get in touch with Martin and check out the Classic Camper forum. I originally thought i might be better starting with an older motorhome, sub £10k but i am aware that in doing so im probably buying a vehicle that has done a lot of standing around, never a good thing in my experience. We've been so used to having the space that a caravan provides that im reluctant to spend a lot in case we struggle to adjust. Thanks again for you help! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 perchman - 2019-02-27 4:27 PM Thanks for the excellent response Derek, very much appreciated. I will deffinitely get in touch with Martin and check out the Classic Camper forum. I originally thought i might be better starting with an older motorhome, sub £10k but i am aware that in doing so im probably buying a vehicle that has done a lot of standing around, never a good thing in my experience. Standing around???? :-S ...........That's kinda de rigueur with Caravan and Campervan ownership ;-) ...... The difference is where they're stood around :D ..........ie like ours in the first few years we went everywhere we could at every opportunity B-) .........then we got into boats again so our camper sat for longer than he should have :$ ..........and I ended up with shelling out for new set of tyres along with the service and MOT :D ......... Which I suspect were dirt cheap when compared to a modern complicated campers electrics that has been standing around ;-) ......... Signed bloke in a nearly 30 year old camper who's Spain B-) ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 Could you stretch your budget to nearer £20,000? If so I think you would get a lot more usable MH for your money, You would then be into X240 Ducato's or even Mercedes Sprinters or Transits. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 Not sure if doubling the budget would help much if petrol-power is a must-have as, after the 1990s, motorhomes generally had turbo-diesel motors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perchman Posted February 27, 2019 Author Share Posted February 27, 2019 Hi Pelmetman Agree about the standing around, of course that varies tremendously but many motorhomes have low mileages as folks have another car and thus they often dont rack up the miles. Motorhomes comes with lots more things to go wrong with lack of use suchs engines, bushes, seals etc starting to perish but yes, much depends on where theyre stored too. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 The AutoTrader website may be useful as it gives an idea of what motorhomes are for sale within a defined price-range and adverts can then be listed in various sorted orders. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/motorhomes/used-motorhomes A current search for PETROL-fuelled motorhomes in the £3,000 to £10,000 price-range retrieves 52 adverts, or 105 adverts in a £11,000 to £20,000 price-range. As Andy (perchman) ha been a caravanner for over 10 years and has reservations regarding the relative lack of space in a motorhome, many of the adverts are likely to be unsuitable for what he has in mind. But it’s a start... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Andy, Is petrol powered a requirement or just the fact you had been looking at 1990's models and most of what you had seen where petrol engined? If you are OK with Diesel then the pool of available MH's to choose from will be vast! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perchman Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 Hi Derek I have alreday had a lok at Autotrader and its has some really useful search filters. a really good resource so no doubt it will be a great tool. Having looked through most of the adverts im now starting to wonder if i should consider an alternative route, possibly buying a newer van and undetraking the comversion myself. Its doesnt phase me at all, i know my way around vehicles and can trun my hand to most things . . . . finding the time will be the biggest problem/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perchman Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 Hi Keith I guess its not a surprise that most modern MH's are deisel but having made the change back to petrol from diesel with our two cars i was hoping to do the same with a MH. I was sick and tired of the continual issues with ERG vales, filters, DPF etc etc and im becoming increasingly uncomfortable with using deiesel, I know all the advantages but its a personal thing :) If i have to go down the alternative route and buy a more modern van and convert it i will be pretty much restricted to a diesel :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Cup Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Perhaps the van size is important than the motor. I had a very high mileage lwb High top Vivaro (Trafic) as my last van, diesel, no problems with the motor itself. Had to have a new gearbox though, common problem. When sorted it was a great van, well into the price range you are contemplating, but too small for us, no toilet or bathroom. Coming from a caravan, you'll notice the difference. Older Trafics, rust is an issue if panel van. Self conversions are probably more involved than you realize (having done a couple) and can soak up your time. Plus the resale value is low, not many people want to buy an old self-con. Modern diesels are a revelation. Just my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 perchman - 2019-02-28 5:17 PM Hi Keith I was sick and tired of the continual issues with ERG vales, filters, DPF etc etc and im becoming increasingly uncomfortable with using deiesel, I know all the advantages but its a personal thing :) Andy, Our AT is on a 2003 Sprinter chassis and meets Euro 3 emissions. It does not have a Diesel catalyst, EGR, DPF or any of the later incumbent equipment. I can service it myself on our front drive and have a hand held scanner capable of diagnosing any faults. If I where looking for a replacement now and wanted simplicity this is exactly what I would be looking for. The downside is we do not meet any of the requirements for Low Emissions Zone either here in the UK or around mainland Europe so my view is if they do not want us then we do not want them! We simply go where we are wanted. I would strongly suggest you look at some early 2000 to maybe 2005 MH's and try taking one or two for a test drive. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perchman Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 Hi Tea Cup, thanks for your input, some really good points, particularly about the resale value of self conversions. I had already estimated that a conversion would probably take me at least 6 months if not more given my current workload :-( Having to think long and hard about this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perchman Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 Hi Keith You've touched on something i know nothing about and a REALLY valid point which i hadnt considered. Part of the move to a MH is so that i can travel Europe and i never even thought of the emissions zones. Much more research to be done in this area as this might affect my purchase and put a lot of pressure on my budget :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 I'm no expert, but many of the older (pre-2000) motorhomes we see on our travels are the old AutoSleeper models with the monocoque fibreglass shell (Talisman, Clubman, Executive, Gatcombe, Legend etc.) Autotrader shows several of these for sale for under £12,000. My guess is that they are less likely to suffer from problems with water ingress that other forms of coach-built motorhomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 https://www.crit-air.fr/en/information-about-the-critair-vignette/french-environmental-zones-zcr/french-environmental-zones.html Information on emissions zone areas in France. It's worth getting a sticker (€3.40) Older vehicles may be restricted on days when pollution is high as well as the permanent, mainly city centre, zones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 michaelmorris - 2019-03-04 7:58 AM I'm no expert, but many of the older (pre-2000) motorhomes we see on our travels are the old AutoSleeper models with the monocoque fibreglass shell (Talisman, Clubman, Executive, Gatcombe, Legend etc.) Autotrader shows several of these for sale for under £12,000. My guess is that they are less likely to suffer from problems with water ingress that other forms of coach-built motorhomes. Auto-Sleepers with a GRP monocoque body-shell will be much less vulnerable to damage from water ingress (which, to some extent, is why their asking-prices tend to be highish) and older models can be obtained with petrol-fuelled motors. However, although the GRP body-shell should be ‘waterproof’, the wooden floor of the habitation area definitely is not and needs to be very carefully inspected whatever the A-S motorhome’s age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 I agree with Derek - Ingress through side skirts, and poor sealing around lockers, pipe exits, and other components - combined with an almost non-existent level of protection on the underside of older coach-built vans will be the biggest problem. I've never seen a decent job done on a UK van prior to 2012/13, and not much better since. There must be 100's of vans rotting away from the underside, whilst the owner is blissfully unaware. Don't assume those on a dealer forecourt are any better. I can assure you they're not - there are plenty of 15-25k vans for sale that are totally rotten. I know, I've seen enough of them. Remember that a Habitation Check seldom extends to a thorough inspection of the underside - so always the first place to look IMO - regardless of country of origin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perchman Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, it is very much appreciated and giving much food for thought! Its also giving much pain as im starting to feel my budget being stretched further and further as its clear that without a really thorough check buying an old motorhome could be a money pit . . . . . mind you having messed about with classic cars for some years that really sholdnt be a surprise :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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