Motorhome

[malcolmX]

chainsaw masochist,
I sure am, first started camping years ago with a tent, then I used my work van with a mattress inside to sleep on and my plumbers blowtorch to make a cup of tea and a fry up.
Paid £8.500 for my very first camper, got £5000 back in a part ex deal for my second van which meant I had 10 years camping for £3.500.
Its a case of upgrading every few years till you get what you want, despite what a lot of people say there are lots of things to see over here,
PS, your nickname suggests you are into chains saws, hope you wear the right gear and dont cut through your climbing ropes LOL

 

[chainsaw_masochist]

Sounds like you know what you’re buying then, Malcolm. I am not really familiar with campervanning as such in the UK, but I used to live in the US and it’s a serious business over there – cvs are ubiquitous, some being juggernaut sized. With a few friends I hired a medium sized jobby to do a trip round the Grand Canyon which was a great wheeze. What I noticed, though, was how Joe Sixpack is ever-aspirational to towards the big rig. But he is actually more fixated with the amout of electrical items he can cram into the thing than he is concerned with what to use it for ie travelling. I mean does anybody actually give a cr*p about electrical can-openers, sunray lamps or drinks bar? That said, I do hope you possess none of those items?

Sorry to disappoint, Malcolm, but the name is a lot more hairy-@rsed than the poster. It merely goes back to uni days when I held the estimable position (for about a week) of movie selector for the film club. Despite herculean efforts to acquire Death in Venice, A bout de soufflé, Wild Strawberries, The Bicycle Thieves etc I ended being supplied with those very cases, each containing a copy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This provoked much bile and indignation amongst the film loving fraternity, except me that is, so hence the soubriquet.

 

[malcolmX]

No, we are not into all the electrical gizmo's just the bare essentials for everyday comfort, a lot of newbys come on the camps site with all the gubbins and wonder why the site manager has to come out at night to reset the tripped hook up because they have overloaded the system.
Whilst I dont do the bare bones under canvass camping these days, too long in the tooth for that I do like a degree of comfort.
Love bacon and eggs a la fresco on a nice morning and also love to hear the rain pitter pattering on the van roof at night while tucked up in bed.
Often seen elderly folk in motorhomes worth about 40 or 50 grand on asking how they can afford it, simple they say, sell your house and downsize and spend the kids inheritence LOL

 

[ladylola]

I know what you mean about the size of the Brazilian VWs , they do seem small in comparison to most except the really diddy ones based on a car chassis. Size was important to my friend as he had to store it at the back of his garage so as to be able to get his car out for work. It has or rather had a 1.4 L petrol engine which was claimed to be good for 45mpg, although that's probably on the flat with a tail wind! Up hills it was more like a snail with artritis but as I said it was the handling and breaking that let it down for him. I've noticed that new models coming in have power steering as standard whereas on his it was a £2000 option. What will kill them off however is stricter crash protection legislation.
Another friend has in the past also had a couple of campers . His last was a VW with the 2L petrop but before that he had a Fiat 900 with a lifting roof definately compact but alright for sleeping in.

 

[geraint]

How/why did you get a 'thumbs down' for your posting?

It wasn't me that 'thumbs downed' it, but i'd guess it was because its supposed to be a discussion forum and your thread didn't really attempt to start a discussion - it was more akin to something you might post on Facebook telling everyone what you're up to?

Or maybe whoever rated it was just in a grumpy mood....

most start with a link.... how is that discussion... so discuss the papers or whatever the link was for... cannot even start their own...

 

[imamartian]

How/why did you get a 'thumbs down' for your posting?

It wasn't me that 'thumbs downed' it, but i'd guess it was because its supposed to be a discussion forum and your thread didn't really attempt to start a discussion - it was more akin to something you might post on Facebook telling everyone what you're up to?

Or maybe whoever rated it was just in a grumpy mood....

most start with a link.... how is that discussion... so discuss the papers or whatever the link was for... cannot even start their own...

F*&% me... you know what gezza, i actually agree with you , how scary is that!!!!!

 

[geraint]

How/why did you get a 'thumbs down' for your posting?

It wasn't me that 'thumbs downed' it, but i'd guess it was because its supposed to be a discussion forum and your thread didn't really attempt to start a discussion - it was more akin to something you might post on Facebook telling everyone what you're up to?

Or maybe whoever rated it was just in a grumpy mood....

most start with a link.... how is that discussion... so discuss the papers or whatever the link was for... cannot even start their own...

F*&% me... you know what gezza, i actually agree with you , how scary is that!!!!!

stick with me son... and you will be taught....

 

[imamartian]

How/why did you get a 'thumbs down' for your posting?

It wasn't me that 'thumbs downed' it, but i'd guess it was because its supposed to be a discussion forum and your thread didn't really attempt to start a discussion - it was more akin to something you might post on Facebook telling everyone what you're up to?

Or maybe whoever rated it was just in a grumpy mood....

most start with a link.... how is that discussion... so discuss the papers or whatever the link was for... cannot even start their own...

F*&% me... you know what gezza, i actually agree with you , how scary is that!!!!!

stick with me son... and you will be taught....

I'll try to cling on (no space pun intended) as long as i can....

 

[geraint]

How/why did you get a 'thumbs down' for your posting?

It wasn't me that 'thumbs downed' it, but i'd guess it was because its supposed to be a discussion forum and your thread didn't really attempt to start a discussion - it was more akin to something you might post on Facebook telling everyone what you're up to?

Or maybe whoever rated it was just in a grumpy mood....

most start with a link.... how is that discussion... so discuss the papers or whatever the link was for... cannot even start their own...

F*&% me... you know what gezza, i actually agree with you , how scary is that!!!!!

stick with me son... and you will be taught....

I'll try to cling on (no space pun intended) as long as i can....

.,

dont do star trek...

happy days...

 

[imamartian]

most start with a link.... how is that discussion... so discuss the papers or whatever the link was for... cannot even start their own...

F*&% me... you know what gezza, i actually agree with you , how scary is that!!!!!

stick with me son... and you will be taught....

I'll try to cling on (no space pun intended) as long as i can....

.,

dont do star trek...

happy days...

so are you henry winkler?

 

[geraint]

oh no.... dont have the white tee shirt and black leather jacket.....

or hair.......

 

[Burnerman]

Out of interest Malcolm what sort of camper do you have?
A friend of mine brought one of the new volkswagan campers that are modelled on the old classic , imported from Brazil and converted over here by Danbury.However, he's now got rid of it after only a few months, losing around five thousand in the process. The reason he sold it? He liked the van when it come to the actual camping but on the road he felt the handling and braking was verging on the dangerous. The steering was so bad , he told me, that on two or three occasions the vehical wandered across motorway lanes before responding and a near miss with the side of a lorry sealed it for him.

Just getting back on topic - a pal of mine has one of these T2 vans on an 09 plate...what an amazing pile of rubbish. Polo 1.4 (dual fuel) engine in the back, no air bags or PAS, porrige stirring gear lever and hub caps and headlamp shrouds already replaced due to rust. Give it 4 years and I think it will be a sea of corrosion. Oh, she paid nearly £32k for it
John

 

[malcolmX]

Dont know why VW gave them a license to build them, they are total crap.

 

[Burnerman]

At 32k mate, its like stuffing cash down a drain
Even the cooker gas cylinder doesn't have external ventilation that I could see
John

 

[malcolmX]

About 4 or 5 years ago I was at the Volksfest show at the Three Counties showground thousands of Volkwagon campers, every shape, style and combination.
One of the visitors campervans set on fire, I have never seen a vehicle destroyed so fast it was amazing.
A combination of gas bottles and someone who does not know how to handle them is a recipe for disaster.