Dipping my toe in to Campervan life with a Westfalia Nugget

[LincolnLovin]

I've never been a massive fan of camping, driving somewhere to build your own home to sleep in has never really appealed. However with a growing family and a deep desire for "simple/low stress holidays" (we'll see if that is the case), has begun to change my mind.

So in typical PH fashion I've gone in at the deep end and bought a 2002 Westfalia Nugget 2 liter diesel, the logic for the purchase (such that it is) of a high top camper is that pop tops have a fixed shelf life if you have two growing children. This means the downsides (height restrictions) are out done by the positives (space and capability to have 4 adults in the camper).

It was one owner with 50k miles in good condition, albeit with some things I want sorted before I collect it, so hopefully it will be ready by the end of July.

I hope that this will be a good idea, time will tell....

[LincolnLovin]

So a week or on the market is looking even crazier (my metric is the sudden glut of van back seats on Facebook market place).

My target date for collection is likely the 16th, hopefully it will be a little earlier.

[andburg]

this one?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384159947563?hash=item5...

T125 will really help, my 68bhp T4 is rather stately and struggles a bit on bigger hills

[LincolnLovin]

andburg said:

this one?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384159947563?hash=item5...

T125 will really help, my 68bhp T4 is rather stately and struggles a bit on bigger hills

Yes that be the sexy beast.

[andburg]

Good news being a left hooker is cancelled out by a high top, you can’t use a drive through so being in the wrong side doesn’t matter!

[LincolnLovin]

TBH we don't use drive throughs all that much, even in standard cars - so that had not even crossed my mind.

[andburg]

LincolnLovin said:

TBH we don't use drive throughs all that much, even in standard cars - so that had not even crossed my mind.

We do during covid, drive through and then sit in the back.

The rings for cooking are pointless as I don’t want the whole van to smell.

Get one some forums, go to some rallies and pick up tips.

Soft airline second carryon luggage is brilliant for packing with.

Where is the first trip?

[CallMeLegend]

We've been looking at possible replacements for "Charlie" our T5 that we have had for 5 years. Prices are quite frankly daft at the moment, we have been offered just £5k less than he cost us 5 years ago!!!!!

Edited by CallMeLegend on Tuesday 29th June 13:15

Edited by CallMeLegend on Tuesday 29th June 13:15

[LincolnLovin]

With a young family we'd have to use the facilities anyway.

As for first trips it depends on when I pick it up, I may have to take a half day off work and get there in the late afternoon. This means I could try and do a night halt experiment on the way back from Portsmouth to Essex.

If I manage to get back same day I'll do an overnight on the driveway 2020 lockdown style, then we'll pop to a local campervan club site as an dry run. If all passes muster its on to Somerset for a festival wedding!

[LincolnLovin]

CallMeLegend said:

We've been looking at possible replacements for "Charlie" our T5 that we have had for 5 years. Prices are quite frankly daft at the moment, we have been offered just £5k less than he cost us 5 years ago!!!!!

Edited by CallMeLegend on Tuesday 29th June 13:15

Edited by CallMeLegend on Tuesday 29th June 13:15

The market is bananas, there are so many poorly converted vans flooding the market at the moment. Its my hope that going for the Nugget is a better 5 year plan than a smaller vehicle. I have no doubt that in saner times this vehicle would be 5-10k cheaper, but we are where we are.

[CallMeLegend]

LincolnLovin said:

CallMeLegend said:

We've been looking at possible replacements for "Charlie" our T5 that we have had for 5 years. Prices are quite frankly daft at the moment, we have been offered just £5k less than he cost us 5 years ago!!!!!

Edited by CallMeLegend on Tuesday 29th June 13:15

Edited by CallMeLegend on Tuesday 29th June 13:15

The market is bananas, there are so many poorly converted vans flooding the market at the moment. Its my hope that going for the Nugget is a better 5 year plan than a smaller vehicle. I have no doubt that in saner times this vehicle would be 5-10k cheaper, but we are where we are.

You will love it, we have had great holidays in ours from Le Mans, West coast of France, to the local site under an hour away in a last minuite "lets go away" style.

The Westfalia stuff is really well made too.

[LincolnLovin]

Lets hope the rest of the ford bits are as well made

From my look through the service history, it had a new turbo in 2014 but it came with quite a large folder that I will look forward to going through after I collect it.

[andburg]

worth getting the campervan specific breakdown cover from green flag aiva the caravan and motorhome club

[LincolnLovin]

Thats a good shout, I am already a member (as of yesterday )

[CallMeLegend]

I found Advance Insurance to be the best cover, very competative & could not be more helpful. https://advanceinsurance.co.uk/

Every year I shop around, every year I end up staying with them.

[LincolnLovin]

As mentioned there are a few, items that are being sorted before collection:

Replace - Cracked heated windscreen
Replace - Non functional Diesel space heater
Replace - Refrigerator non functional (compressor not switching on)
Repair - Rust at sill area
Repair - Slight rust at tailgate hinge area
Replace - Noisy Wheel bearing
Replace - Damaged Fly net
Replace - Leisure battery unable to power electrics
Refurbish - Bumper plastics
Refurbish - Wheels
Investigate - Small damp mark on headlining
Investigate - Water and gas was not able to be tested

It will come with gas & habitation certs as well.

Which is quite a list, in retrospect!

[Trevor555]

LincolnLovin said:

As mentioned there are a few, items that are being sorted before collection:

Replace - Cracked heated windscreen
Replace - Non functional Diesel space heater
Replace - Refrigerator non functional (compressor not switching on)
Repair - Rust at sill area
Repair - Slight rust at tailgate hinge area
Replace - Noisy Wheel bearing
Replace - Damaged Fly net
Replace - Leisure battery unable to power electrics
Refurbish - Bumper plastics
Refurbish - Wheels
Investigate - Small damp mark on headlining
Investigate - Water and gas was not able to be tested

It will come with gas & habitation certs as well.

Which is quite a list, in retrospect!

That's quite a list.

Have you asked the dealer if it was a hire vehicle beforehand?

How are they going to deal with the rust?

If all they do is a quick rub down and paint, it'll be rusty again next year.

Sorry to be negative, but in my experience of vehicles like these the owners usually look after them better than that, and have faults rectified as they appear.

And from their advert ""Please Note Some of the bed photographs are examples, and not this actual vehicle.""

Why? That's worrying.

Have you seen this vehicle in the flesh yet?

Edited by Trevor555 on Tuesday 29th June 14:50

[LincolnLovin]

I’ve seen the vehicle in the flesh, which is why I picked up the issues. It hasn’t been rented as far as I can tell.

Ive asked for photos of the repair work to confirm the bits get done properly. If they can’t supply them I’ll walk away.

The pics just added in some stock photos whilst they were awaiting arrival afaik.

Edited by LincolnLovin on Tuesday 29th June 14:58

[Trevor555]

LincolnLovin said:

I’ve seen the vehicle in the flesh, which is why I picked up the issues. It hasn’t been rented as far as I can tell.

Ive asked for photos of the repair work to confirm the bits get done properly. If they can’t supply them I’ll walk away.

The pics just added in some stock photos whilst they were awaiting arrival afaik.

Edited by LincolnLovin on Tuesday 29th June 14:58

Good to hear, sounds like you're treading carefully.

Ex hire vehicles would usually be in full working order, but I'd still be asking the dealer.

If they can get all those repairs done you'll have a nice vehicle there.

[LincolnLovin]

So goes the hope!

In-spite of those issue it seemed like a good van, those issues are not that difficult to resolve beyond the sill repair and it should easily get sorted within a week or so.