Descrizione
This van is exactly as it was described when it was listed and I bought it, except for perhaps a couple of things – the horn doesn’t work, (I can hear the relay clicking so nothing major and I am trying to fix it!) the headlamp flasher doesn’t work, the power steering belt squeals a bit, nothing sinister.
Clutch and box seem fine, nice tight gear linkage, no missing gears. 5-speed. Cold start was good, hardly any smoke. Quite a low mileage – 130000km=81250 miles=just 3500 miles a year since new!
I just went and picked it up from the Midlands and after 3 miles of local roads, drove non-stop down the M6, M5, M42, M40 and A34 without missing a beat. Its about 125 miles non stop, no smoke, plenty of power (considering its size, bulk and ancient design of engine) and 5th gear all the way, steady 80kph, the temp was always steady at around 80, +/- a few degrees as the stat opened and shut. The heater was good, drive uneventful, no crashing from worn shocks, a little buffeting when HGVs passed but that’s inevitable. I didn’t tune the stereo and it needed a scan as the battery had been isolated.
There is one reason - and one reason only – why I have decided it’s not for me.
I’ve never driven LHD before!! I managed it, but even though I’ve held HGV, PSV and EFAD licences before (Fire Engine in case you wondered), I just didn’t like it. Probably not a great idea to do it first in a 7’6” wide, 17’6” long, 9’2” tall, 2800kg mobile house, but there you go. I’m going to keep my lovely 1990 VW T25 and potter around in that, and when away we’ll just have to walk to the shower block instead of having all the mod cons on board!
This van is tidy, straight, dry and comfortable, there is some hefty wear on the table-seat cushions where the previous family’s kids climbed up to the bunk (no ladder available). The top mattress is matching material so I would have taken that material to sort this out and recovered it. The top bunk is particularly large!
It has a 500W inverter, leisure battery, hot water, the shower is apparently very good for a caravan one. It has the standard Thetford Cassette loo, twin burner hob (why do the best vans never come with a grille?), fridge with icebox, wardrobes, hot/ cold sink & basin. Loads of cupboards, drawers, lights, storage and best of all a pull-out waste bin – really! Fly screens and blackout blinds plus curtains. 6 belted seats, the rear pair have 3-points, however I am not at all happy that they are anchored to the wardrobe not the structure, so I would swap these back out for lap straps as the rear facing seats have. Onboard fresh and grey water tanks, twin good sized gas bottles, wind-out Fiamma style awning, retracting side step, deadbolt/ grab handle on rear door. Removable 4-seat table can be taken outside. The large side window is cracked in one corner but not misted or leaking, would ideally replace but no big deal as is.
Externally no issues, could do with a light polish, as per normal on white vans, but it’s not like it needs a major T-Cut. A few light scratches on the body, no overhead damage, bike rack and ladder.
MOT til 6/ 8/ 17, insurance was easy enough through the Caravan Club, it’s a standard off-the peg model albeit was obviously imported at some stage.
Previous owners had from 2010. They were 100% honest about the van and I promise I am too.
Log Book still in transit so won’t be ready to go till that’s back, I won’t bull you with the green slip malarkey, and I will want to do it properly to avoid DVLA issues.
Notwithstanding all the above: I will not be giving it away, and I have a holiday booked late July whereby I would more than happily use it.
This is a VERY good van, but the steering wheel is not where I want it, I know I should have thought about that, and the best vans are LHD, so I’ll just have to put up with my Pop Top, 1. 9 Petrol VW Holdsworth after all – and that’s not such a bad thing anyway….
Located near Reading, Berks, M4 J12.
