petrol or diesel

Price price price ,petrol is now cheaper than derv in the north ,also the horsepower of the van a 1990 engine won’t be as good as today’s petrol engines ,it’s one for the motor buffs ,me I would stick to derv

its totally the inside layout ive been after, 6 berth etc, no damp, had it checked over with a fine tooth comb, been really looked after and loads of extras added to it, .... i live in Tipp snd will be taking it over to UK and Cornwall a couple of times a year, was more worried if the petrol engine would struggle pulling etc... also no power steering but can get that added by my mechanic, it just seems to good to miss as righthand diesels are hard to come by within my budget or they are tatty ... just wanted to check views on if i should hold out still for diesel

It will be probably be more costly on fuel but it will get you from A to B. If the layout suit you I would go for it. By the way what make is it and what base is it built on?

they are genuinely gutted to sell it but need to to cover medical expenses coming up for private treatment, they are happy to hold onto it over xmas for me incase i find a diesel, theyve had it 6 yrs and are more interested in it going to the right person, even negotiated a good price... its not an old sob story to get rid of it as theyve shown me why they need to sell it

I was the one who always wanted a motorhome, my husband had never been in one so we knew nothing about them ( or this forum to ask) the first time we looked at 3 with one dealer and loved one, well looked after and a price that didn’t justify in regularly using it.
But price wise we had nothing to compare it and visited a few more of the larger dealers.
Decided very quickly we loved first one we saw and bought it.
Many will say with your first motorhome you learn what you like and don’t like...as a female for me it is layout and comfort of seats etc
I loved our first one, but found we weren’t using it, sold it, but we knew who bought it, and they had 3 children.
3 months later we bought another, but I still preferred that layout of first one, but there are only 2 of us in family that use it.

Lots of members on here are great when it comes to the mechanical advise.

You build up a wish list, before you buy next one. It is hard to get everything.....but currently on second motorhome and even though fun to look at new ones, we are happy at moment with it. Berth space is important especially when you have children, their ages etc.

My opinion, buy it, if you don’t like it, sell it again, but have fun family holidays, make memories children grow up so fast.

You will probably use SatNav, it thinks you are a car and it will try to take you on roads “as the crow flies” for shortest route, use in conjunction with road map.
In south part of Cornwall heading for a campsite ( think Polmantier?) it took us on a country lane where hedges were touching on both sides, wouldn’t mind but we had been there before and should have known route.
France and continent is great...the Ferry fares to UK are about same price as to France.

If you buy this motorhome be sure to come back here as there are so many topics that will be of interest...just ask questions, we have all been first time owners.

thank you all for the great replies, i def think i will go for it, and as someone said I can always sell it later, it is in great shape and a bargain and really loved and the woman has asked me to give her first refusal if i decide to sell it after the next summer when they are straight again so i think i will go for it ... will keep you posted.... liming this group alot already, your very friendly and helpful, thanks

Make sure it has a current CVRT cert and good luck

The good thing about that year of vehicle is that the mechanics are simple, actually very simple on that petrol engine.
Simple dual carburetor and a distributor ignition that is really easy to sort in event of problems..... and the petrol engine doesn’t rack up expenses either on the servicing front..... even at 5000 mikes per year (that’s a lot, 100 miles a week almost) your fuel savings with a diesel would at best be marginal.... so yes, if it ticks all the boxes, is relatively corrosion free then go for it.
All the best of luck and hopefully see you at one of the Craic meets soon....
Keep us posted.

Go for it.

Condition is everything. Unless you are doing high mileage, 12k+ per annum, diesel doesn't have any particular advantage over petrol.

A man said to me that he would get a lot of hotel breaks for the price of a Motorhome but in your own vehicle at least you are bringing your own bed bugs. A Motorhome means you can make a cup of tea, use the loo and watch telly when you want. As the Practical Motorhome reviewer says, "what's not to like about that?"

Good for day trips too. In Tyrone here we are quite close to Donegal and beans on toast overlooking the sea beats any Hotel Carvery.

this one dosnt have power steering, but my mechanic said he can add thr equilivant for a cup of tea (i think they take the part off a car)

Can I be the one who throws a spanner into the works.

It's a 28 year old Fiat Ducato/ Talbot Express. Look around, the only ones of that vintage are campers. The vans didn't last, none of them are out there. If you are thinking of going to Cornwall a couple of times a year that's a long haul in a very old Fiat. Tipp town to Truro is about 400 miles each way.

My advice would be keep saving and buy something where the reg starts with a 0.

Sorry to be bursting your bubble but I don't see it as being practical for such an old vehicle

Reg starting with a "0"? That's fine and dandy.

I have a '95 and would cheerfully head off for Cornwall or Santander.

Maybe the engine management light would come on and it'll go into limp mode?

Oh, nearly forgot. It doesn't have a computer.

And while you are reading threads, read my experience of modern diesel engines (2010 reg).
forum/topic.php?t=15698
While my experience is the extreme, as others have pointed out, older engines are very simple to repair.
The biggest issue with older campers are as follows,
- Dampness, leaking wall, roof, floor joints.
- Rust, chassis, body panels, steel piping, brakes
- Rubber perished, tyres, rubber hoses and pipes, cv joint boots, etc.
- engine coolant dirty, clogs the radiator, water pump, and piston jackets.
- dirty fuel, a buildup of water and dirt in the fuel tank.
- timing belt replacement and engine service.
The first two items are expensive due to the professional repairs needed, while the last 3 items are only a really good service from an experienced person.
Malcolm.

Appreciate your opinion, Eamonn, I wasn't having a go at you and you have a point, also would insurance be a problem at that age I wonder?

I really think you need to have someone with experience check out any prospective vehicle you’re considering buying to make sure you know exactly what you are getting.
It can be an absolute money pit if you get it wrong, corrosion and rust being one thing that is expensive to repair and will be an ongoing welding exercise year on year and you may even require expensive engineer reports for future CVRT tests.
A good mechanic who knows his way around this type of vehicle for pre purchase inspection will be money well spent and hopefully secure you against massive bills in the future.
The habitation areas also need to be checked, appliances etc.....

God luck with whatever you buy.

See if you can find someone local on here, an experienced Motorhomer. You haven't your location filled in on your profile so we dont know where you are

im in Tipp, but the campers are all over the place

Get in touch with someone here Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors (IAEA) put in your post code or where the motorhome is, it will give you a list if engineers in your area. and see if they have someone to do it and what the charges might be. They don't seem to have a motorhome section but they do have Caravan. commercial and Classic/vintage. when I search my post code them same Guy's show up for all 3 category's.
I would be asking the owners to split the pay for it, or split the cost and take it off the price if you buy. If they have nothing to hide then, It's in there interest. If I was selling my van I'd get a report and use it as a sales pitch.

Good idea to get a professional inspector to view it before buying but I would be inclined to get a friend or someone with a small bit of knowledge to inspect it first, no point spending 2 or 3 hundred euro on something that was obviously a heap of sh1t to start with. you wouldn't be long spending €1000 getting professionals to look at every van that took your fancy.

As the proud owner of a 93 Ducato (diesel) and also one of the not so proud owners of threads about my woes with her - I still wouldn’t/couldn’t have it any other way! Do as much due diligence as you can (and it sounds like you have) maybe give the mechanic a pre-paid cuppa and a biscuit to accompany you to checking it out. Any Rust comes with a red flag as there’s no asking nicely for it to not go further than the surface and it may exist in hard to see places. Also could ask for a history of cvrt reports and see if there’s any advisories etc all in all - best of luck as you can tell we’re all excited for you - and pictures are mandatory