From a Mechanical..no hoper?No idea

[cheetahdavie]

I bought my `van` some 18 Months ago..liked it then..still do? However as with most things "the best laid plans of mice and men"..in a nutshell the Grandkids [save the youngest ] now go their own way,girl friends,sport..going with Grandad and Grandma is not on.Our 6 berth could easily become a 2/3 berth.Current van has done 9750 miles,and therin lies the problem..my lack of mechanical nous?.

Scoured the internet,and dealers sites..noted some great vans and I am quite willing to exchange for an older model..love the Hymer..Seascape..and the great looking Rapido 710F..but..the mileage on many..[we are low mileage people..the present R [97] reg car has only done 40,000 miles]..now my plea for help?.Is 50,000 miles on a 2.8 Jtd excessive..is it well worn?Can I expect mechanical problems at such "large" mileage..

*-) *-) :-)

[Lord Raindrop]

There is never an answer. Just depends who the previous owners were. 15,000 miles is maximum for some drivers, 100,000 for others.

 

Why not keep what you have if you're unsure, it could be the most economical in the end, both in cost and personal pleasure.

 

What's wrong with size? Space is a premium.

[Ocsid]

The 50,000 miles is most unlikely to be an issue on the mechanical aspects of the engine and vehicle itself but could be on the habitation/coachwork side.

 

This might not necessarily be the case and is of course dependant on build type and quality but 50K miles is 50K miles of road use the type of roads being unknown and also tends to suggest a high level of occupancy.

 

I would tend to agree that living with what you have, know and presumably have looked after, together with its low usage ought to be seriously reconsidered.

 

Just a personal view.

[Syd]

I do not have motorhomes but do have diesel MPVs and 50,000 is just about run in for them.

I have one, with a Merc engine, that has done 120,000 and uses nothing but diesel and it has been driven HARD for at least 90,000 of those miles

[Derek Uzzell]

50K miles will inevitably produce wear on 'consumable' items like brake disks/pads, shock absorbers, drive/cam belts, exhaust systems, etc. I'd be hesitant to swap a sub-10K mileage motorhome for another with 5 times that mileage, and even more hesitant if the higher mileage vehicle were a good deal older than my present one.

[Guest Tracker]

I've had several vans in the past with up to 80k on the clock and PROVIDED they have been well cared for and properly serviced there should not be any mechanical issues with what you perceive as high mileage that are just as likely to occur with a low mileage less used van.

 

These vans are mechanically designed to withstand white van man driving them to the moon and back just as hard as his right foot will allow and one of the greatest misconceptions in buying a used van is that if low mileage is good then even lower must be better?

 

The caravan side though is another issue as this part is most definitely not designed with longevity in mind so if you lack the desire or knowledge to recondition a high mileage well worn interior - don't buy one!

 

There are a few higher mileage vans around where they have been used primarily as transport and not lived in as much as the mileage would suggest and if you can find one of these at a price reflecting the mileage and not the interior condition you should have a decent van at a decent price.

 

For peace of mind you may well be better off buying from a reputable dealer - maybe one recommended in the MMM awards survey. However you will pay a lot over the odds for this peace of mind so be prepared for very steep first year of ownership depreciation and do be aware that despite many fine promises some dealers are short on delivery when push comes to shove.

 

It is a minefield out there - caveat emptor - let the buyer beware!

 

That said most of us do seem to have bought a decent van at a price we consider acceptable, if not exactly generous, with service that too is at least acceptable and mostly good.

[Keith T]

We had a Rapido 710F year 1992, and were extremely pleased with it. Sold it in 2007 at 32k miles and it was running really well,and often wish we had kept it as the size both for dirving and parking is relatively compact - our present Burstner is 7.6wide plus though huge mirrors and does cause in th UK some problems, especially with parking, as it is just over 20' long.

Th e layout inside was perfect for,us, though we did take out the 'bunk' bed from the front mini dinette,and that lived in our loft for the whole time we had the motorhome!

Not sure what year the Rapido you are looking at, but there are a few things you will need to look for, and if you want any speciic info,please send PM to me. nWe did have a few issues, which were all resoslved thanks to Martin at Raido Wokingham.

[EJB]

Many white vans do in excess of half a million miles.

Service history is the key! ;-)

[Brock]

My white van man son's 03 Transit was finally sold back to Ford having clocked up over six hundred thousand miles. I'd like to say in that time it only needed servicing and a washer replaced. Alas it didn't. It went through three engines, numerous gearboxes and other bits of kit. However, it proved to be a great workhorse.

 

So, mileage on a well maintained van should not be an issue in theory. Fiat's 2.8jtds are usually good for 125,000 miles over 5 years or so according to some van mags I've read. Low mileage vans can be problematical because under use and age can wear out parts. Your lack of confidence in the mechanical matters is an issue.

 

My wife and I have been toying with downsizing from our 05 Hymer 544. Our hearts say lets get a Murvi. Our bank balance says no problem. But somewhere in our head is a little voice saying, "why?" Our van drives well, is comfortable, and doesn't get much use. So we keep it.

 

My advice from what you say and my experience is the same as the 'stay with what you have' brigade unless there is an underlying reason for change that hasn't surfaced. And get a big dog!

[Mel B]

Hi Dave

 

Just because you don't 'think' you need the space anymore, doesn't mean you actually won't use it in the future. Selling an 18 month old van means you will take one heck of a hit financially so be very sure you want to do that first. Whilst your grandkids may not be wanting to go with you now, that could change, or you may find that you want to invite friends along instead - is the size/layout really that 'wrong' for you?

 

I assume that at times you use the van without the grandkids in tow anyway - in which case, do you still use most of the van? If so, then ask yourself what you could do without? If it is just the large overcab (assuming that's what you've got), changing for a lowline version will just mean spending money for the sake of it, you will lose the 'lump' at the front, but that's all. If you go for a shorter van, you might save some money on ferries etc but not anything like the amount you will lose on changing it, you may miss the extra space.

 

We've been going through this dilemma ourselves to some extent, we don't have kids/grandkids but our van is a big-un at just under 24ft with a fixed rear bed (no overcab). We have been seriously considering changing for a smaller van but we've just got ours as we like it (nearly 3 years old now), and apart from the odd occasion, we don't have any problems parking or otherwise. Unless a van seriously ticks all the boxes (assuming we know what the boxes are in the first place as we still haven't decided! :D ), there's no way we'll change our van.

 

If you are really seriously contemplating changing, I'd suggest trying to use your van without the 'extra' space you now have and see if you could manage, eg if you currently use the overcab for storage, remove everything and pretend it's not there and see if you can cope. Same goes for anything else that you would 'lose' with a change of van.

 

The Rapido 710F is a very nice van but it's still around 20ft and has NO rear travel seats - so if you ever needed to take a passenger then you'd be scuppered. Is this every likely to happen ????

 

If you still intend to change, think long and hard before parting with your current pride and joy - there is something which I call the '18 month motorhome itch', it tends to be at this stage that you get 'tempted' by other vans etc (been there, done that!), its when the 'excitement' of your new toy has worn off and you get to see other newer vans than yours which are saying "come hither and buy me ... you know you want to"! :-D

 

You can get very blinkered to what you've got which is why I would NEVER buy another van on first viewing, I would always go back to my own van and sit in it just looking around and making sure that what I'd already got isn't what I still want. Look at what equipment etc you've got and decide if your potential replacement van has the same things that you're used to - eg a 'none' spark ignition hob may drive you mad if you've got one now, or the non-AES fridge etc. Its stuff like this that can make a heck of a difference to your enjoyment - if it riles you every day you'll end up changing the van yet again!!!

[Guest peter]

Good advice Mel. We changed our Rapido 710F for our current Burstner Marano because we got fed up with faffing about with making up the bed each night plus he fact that the shower trays in the 710F have a habit of cracking badly. Great van to drive and park, but limited on space for long term habitation and making up the bed is a right pain in the proverbial.

[Lord Raindrop]

You imply that the 4-6 berth size is not used by the family. Why not arrange to meet them or friends at a set site somewhere which means they can do their own thing during the day and just use your van for sleeping.

 

Much cheaper for them and they wouldn't be seeing too much of you, if that's what bugs them, (as it does many teenagers growing up)

[granddad]

i say keep it and as others say more room i have just gone frome 4berth 2 6berth just 4 a table in the middle and take grand son who is 14 for 1 wk holiday and no more sitting with dinn on lap

 

dave

[cheetahdavie]

A happy new year to all.

Many thanks for all the adcice offered..it certainly made me think.

Paying a few thousand pounds more.. .. plus my current vehicle, to obtain an older vehicle, with much greater mileage does seem a waste of readies,as pointed out.

I guess I will take the advice offered and stick with what I have/

Having lots of bed space is fine..just that it means a lack of "lounging area"..the dinette seats four,and once I have spread the daily paper the table is filled..no room for the missus? I dont like climbing ladders to bed,nor down them in the night when I get caught short?

Maybe a good carpenter can move me a panel or two on the rear bunks to give me some seat room,saveme banging my head..fit a couple of Heiki rooflights to replace the ..,,,see already taken the advice and beggining to think about it...another 10 years practice and I could be helping someone...like you guys.

Thanks again..next rounds on me..

:$ *-) (^)

[Lord Raindrop]

Dave,

 

From what you say you seem to be short of space now, why you wanted to reduce it more is a puzzle.

 

There are plenty of lap tables for eating and reading off of, they contain polystyrene beads in a bag fixed under a flat tray shape, they would give you additional table space if that's all you need.

 

If you just need flat boarding, places like B&Q and Sainsbury Homebase have qualified carpenters who will cut boarding to size. Covering is easy depending on your choice of comfort; cushions are easy or visit a furnishings shop and see what they have.

 

Dave, if you are really bent on spending cash then far from choosing a smaller M/H I reckon you want a LARGER ONE !! No climbing ladders in the middle of the night with a fixed double bed !! With plenty of table and seating space this would be ideal for you.

 

You haven’t mentioned food, who does the preparation? Don’t forget to treat the lady to some comfort with more working space.

 

Be as comfortable as possible even if you are only in a field. It sure makes the scenery more appealing.

 

Fighting your surroundings is not the best way to a comfortable life!

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Most of the points have already been covered.  Regarding mileages, I would add beware any van with less than 3,000 miles average mileage - it will have spent far too long standing around somewhere, and these vehicles do not respond well to lengthy periods of inactivity.  I would add beware any van with significantly more than 6,000 miles average mileage.  High mileage may indicate an ex hire vehicle.  I would also add, beware any van that is offered for sale at less than two years old, it may be a "pup"!  Now, after all those warnings, the proviso.  If, in any of the above cases you know, and are satisfied with, the explanation as to why, then buy it if you like it.

Next point.  Sit down and have a good, long, think about why you bought your present 6 berth, whether your reasons turned out to be invalid, and whether you could have foreseen any of the problems by thinking a bit harder!  Then, have another think about why you now want to change, and whether those reasons will still be true in a few years time.

Final point.  Don't, under any circumstances, attack what you have with a saw - irrespective of the skill of the wielder!  Modified vans frighten off buyers, and by modifying the interior, you will merely turn a depreciating asset into a valueless one!