Thinking of buying Mk4 (1995) camper and need advice

[*w-r-u*]

Hi all

This is my first post here (second now as I also put this in the camper section) and I was really after some advice on what to look for when inspecting a camper I am interested in and whether it is a good deal. I have been told that the vehicle has recently been serviced although that it needs new cross members and the cills have gone. It is on the market for £550 although I think I can get it lower. The current owner says she has been quoted £800 to get the work done to pass MOT.

I have looked at the MOT history and have shown it in this message. I am a bit confused by the MOT's prior to the one that it most recently passed. It looks as though they put it through three failed MOT's last year before it passed in Sept. The things it failed on prior to passing look pretty serious although I am not a mechanic or familiar with vans. Does this mean the problems were fixed before the MOT in Sept?

I have a friend who is a welder who should be able to so the work cheaply although I am not sure how technical this work is and if doing it is realistic.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

[bigjohnthomas]

scrap it

[*w-r-u*]

scrap it

OK, thanks for the input.

So even though I could probably get it for £400 and get the welding done by a friend cheaply I should still not even bother?

Also what about the previous MOT's can you explain how some were fails and then the corrosion issue wasn't picked up in the following MOT that it passed?

[ned]

Its worth a gamble at 400 sovs, at least you know what is required for an mot, you have a couple of months to look for and fix any issues sovs allowing. N

[jonochap]

If you have a friendly mechanic you can take with you, it's worth a go...maybe the one who said they can do it for £800


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[twin wheel camper]

scrap it

OK, thanks for the input.

So even though I could probably get it for £400 and get the welding done by a friend cheaply I should still not even bother?

Also what about the previous MOT's can you explain how some were fails and then the corrosion issue wasn't picked up in the following MOT that it passed?

Dont listen to him
At £400 you can't really go wrong, at least go and take a really good poke around under it or if your not confident bring you welder friend and let him see it and give you a better idea if it's something he could put though the test again this year.
Make sure and pull up the rubber mat in the cab area and the 4 inner arches need to be carefully checked over.

[bigjohnthomas]

its f*** just read the mot sheet held together by baked been cans glued on rusty metal no doubt
The supreme being is claiming it back bit by bit

£400 would be better spent on a holiday in Pyongyang
Hth
Allcock

[*w-r-u*]

OK, so conflicting information here but thanks all the same.

Either, forget about it as it is f***ed or give it a go you have nothing to loose at that price.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

[Kjeles]

In my view, the photos of the interior are more decisive than the MOT reports. If it had been a clean, original camper, I could see doing a fair bit of mechanical maintenance -- including welding -- to salvage the van. Brakes, wheel bearings, etc. are easy to fix. The rusty cross members can also be replaced. But with the home-made furniture shown on the photos, the van does not attract my attention.

[ricc]

wouldnt touch it with a bargepole

had a load of welding done last year , needs more done now.

patch welding to get it to scrape through an mot wont last, a couple of years the bits the patchs were welded to will have rusted away.
been there got the tee shirt.

the risk with campers is when the floor/ rear arches go youve got to strip out a lot of the inflamable interior fittings/ insulation to do the welding.

youll be spending a couple of grand over the next couple of years.... anything a few years younger is likely to be just as bad.... after 2000 ish you run int electrickery problems aswell. and camper van prices shoot up as you get to newer ones.

inmo at that end of the market youre better off with a caravan than a camper van

[*w-r-u*]

wouldnt touch it with a bargepole

had a load of welding done last year , needs more done now.

patch welding to get it to scrape through an mot wont last, a couple of years the bits the patchs were welded to will have rusted away.
been there got the tee shirt.

the risk with campers is when the floor/ rear arches go youve got to strip out a lot of the inflamable interior fittings/ insulation to do the welding.

youll be spending a couple of grand over the next couple of years.... anything a few years younger is likely to be just as bad.... after 2000 ish you run int electrickery problems aswell. and camper van prices shoot up as you get to newer ones.

inmo at that end of the market youre better off with a caravan than a camper van

How about if I just want to use it until next August when I will sell it? I would abviously need to get it through the MOT. I am not a welder or have much knowledge of MOT's so this is what concerns me.

[bigjohnthomas]

once something starts needing welding its on a very slippery slope to transit hell
where it will spend eternity being boiled in 3000 degree demon semen
if you could weld it yourself and had time to spend/waste fanning around with it ....
depends on how much you want it ?
so do you ?
do you want it ?
huh?







you want it dont you

[vanfox]

I wanted a 4.11 diff. Found one but had to buy the V reg van it was in. OK, paid £200 for it thinkin' get the diff, scrap the van. It had been standing in a field for a while. Got it home on a trailer, had a look underneath with a tapping stick. Plenty of rust but not bad enough to scrap. That was 4 years ago next month. OK, I own a mig and can ....patch where necessary. Every year my MOT bloke cringes when the shed is booked in for a test. Every year it eventually passes.

The only MOT that matters is the current one.

My point? If you want a cheap but reliable Smiley be prepared to either mig it yourself or have a friend mig it for you.

Take your welder friend and get an opinion as to the work needed. If he says forget it....forget it.
If you like the furniture haggle a good deal starting at the scrap value.

[*w-r-u*]

I wanted a 4.11 diff. Found one but had to buy the V reg van it was in. OK, paid £200 for it thinkin' get the diff, scrap the van. It had been standing in a field for a while. Got it home on a trailer, had a look underneath with a tapping stick. Plenty of rust but not bad enough to scrap. That was 4 years ago next month. OK, I own a mig and can ....patch where necessary. Every year my MOT bloke cringes when the shed is booked in for a test. Every year it eventually passes.

The only MOT that matters is the current one.

My point? If you want a cheap but reliable Smiley be prepared to either mig it yourself or have a friend mig it for you.

Take your welder friend and get an opinion as to the work needed. If he says forget it....forget it.
If you like the furniture haggle a good deal starting at the scrap value.

Useful stuff, thanks. What is the scrap value of a van like that?

[vanfox]

I'd bid £100 for it, see what your welder friend thinks.

My last scrapper had no engine and gearbox, scrap man paid me a tenner for it.

That's after I sold the engine and gearbox for £200, PAS for £75 and kept two as new tyres.