Camper as an everyday car?

[Clydefrog]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about replacing my trusty ol' 320d (e90) with something a bit more adventurous.

I've always wanted a car that I can sleep in, for quick, one or two night escapades into the peaks / broads / lakes / Wales / Scotland.

I don't really want a trailer, because I live in a city and have nowhere to park it. Space is a major problem for me, which means if I was to buy a vehicle I could sleep in, it would also have to serve as a daily driver. I have spent days doing research, looking at all sorts of vans and estates but nothing strikes me as 'the one'. Admittedly, I found a couple that appeared suitable but I'd like to pick your brains and see if you can recommend anything I haven't thought about.

These are my circumstances:
Live in a city with limited space
Do around 250 miles a day, 60% city, 40% carriageways
No kids, not planning any
Not particularly fussy, as long as I have a roof and a sleeping bag
Late 20s
Girlfriend will probably want to tag along too


These are my criteria:
Must be a suitable daily driver, which also means good fuel economy (30mpg in the city would be great), tax and insurance
Must sleep two (reasonably) comfortably
Can be a regular van, happy to carry out a DIY conversion over a period of time
Don't need all the bells and whistles (electricity, cookers, portable loos etc). Will probably be using campsites most of the time
Budget between £4000 - £6000

Considering the following:
sigh....Defender - impractical, uncomfortable, noisy, inefficient but I find myself drawn to it, probably because I've been brainwashed by the 'adventure' image
Transporter - expensive
Vivaro - seems like the best example at the moment
Transit - highly recommended by a few people

[Vladimir]

We have a VW camper and have owned a Defender; the running costs of the latter were near supercar levels; I'd avoid!
Sadky £6k won't get you much of a VW camper but my dad's just bought a high mile, mint T4 (the older shape) Caravelle for under £6k and he's converting it into a camper himself.

Transits are fine and not a bad base to start from but beware of the many that have been ragged half to death.
Avoid the Vito - a total rust magnet and they all fall to bits.

I often use our camper as a daily driver - ours is a thirty bu99er (sub 30mpg) but it's a full VW conversion weighing close to 3 tonnes and it's 4WD too - a fairly sparse van with a smaller output can easily get mid 30s to the gallon. Easy to park, nice being high up, comfy on long journeys.

Edited by Vladimir on Thursday 23 January 12:12

[abbotsmike]

For the transit option, would a tourneo be worth a look? Driven a 9 seat tourneo minibus, and was very impressed. Was an 09 plate, the longer wheel base version. 9 people, and loaded up to the rafters with climbing kit, got 34mpg to Wales and back.

[ehonda]

What about a bongo? My petrol one gives approximately 25mpg, not sure what you can expect from the diesels. Other than fuel consumption it seems to fit the bill.

Or something like this:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=100...

[Bill]

Doing those miles the economy you get from a car (plus better pace and not driving a van all the time) would pay for quite a few hotels. Depending on the city you live in (and visit) vans are also subject to the LEZ so you might find vans in your budget are a non- starter from the outset.

[Fishtigua]

There are a few rules and regs for some campsites about not kipping in a converted estate car. Curtains and changing room, that sort of thing.

Could you live with a Fiat Doblo or Citroen Berlingo/C15? Might be worth looking at.

http://www.smallmotorhome.co.uk/2006-fiat-doblo-ur...

Or some Spanish ideas.

http://www.furgovw.org/index.php?PHPSESSID=128338c...

[robpearson]

I've got a 5.8m long renault master that i've used as a daily drive for the last 4 months. I get around 28mpg on a 10 mile each way commute in fairly heavy traffic. probably larger than you want, but much cheaper than a camper. you might also consider an older merc sprinter - they are great for converting and bombproof if well maintained.
the conversion into a camper is a work in progress, but i can sleep two in a king bed and two more in a fold down bed. i have a fairly full kitchen, fridge and hot water.

[PurpleTurtle]

I regularly find myself surfing eBay for VW T5 campers to replace my E46. 2.0TDis all kitted out very nicely seem ideal but as you say are very spendy.

However they seem to hold their money amazingly well, so as always comes down to 'cost to change'.

[Vladimir]

PurpleTurtle said:

I regularly find myself surfing eBay for VW T5 campers to replace my E46. 2.0TDis all kitted out very nicely seem ideal but as you say are very spendy.

However they seem to hold their money amazingly well, so as always comes down to 'cost to change'.

That was our thinking - it's a big chunk to stick in a vehicle but that chunk will stay big, servicing is cheap and insurance is pretty good.

[r-kid]

Similar to the Bongo or Delicia suggestion how about a different Japanese import:

http://www.importmpvcentre.co.uk/weekender-camper-...

[egor110]

ehonda said:

What about a bongo? My petrol one gives approximately 25mpg, not sure what you can expect from the diesels. Other than fuel consumption it seems to fit the bill.

Or something like this:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=100...

Seconded- ours is our daily driver, it's narrower than a vwt4 so great to park etc however if you get the one with the roof that folds up it won't fit in the multistory carparks.

[V8RX7]

You do 250 miles a day ?

You would be mental to do that in a camper instead of a decent car.

Buy a tent or go B&B

[Chicken Chaser]

50k miles a year? Its doable in a Vw but bearing in mind you would be looking at a high miler to start with at that budget I think that you would find it difficult.

Ive got a T5 as my daily. Chopped the car in last summer and so far not finding it too bad although I do find myself parking further away from shops and its a bit thirstier. Im getting about 36 from a diesel around town. Up to around 39-40 motorway miles.

[Chrisgr31]

At the budget end of the market there is a firm who hire out Toyota Previas that have been converted to campers. So a conversion of a people carrier could be an option?

[kowalski655]

If you dont need a loo,leccy etc,would a regular estate with a big flat load area,once the back seats are down,not do?Volvo or something. I used to have a Nissan Serena(yes,I know!) & me & Mrs K could spend a night in it with a duvet on top of us,no problem. Room on the front seat for your stuff when you cozy down.

[Gaspode]

I had a T4 Hightop conversion (Autosleeper Trident) that I used as a daily driver for nearly 10 years, the only drawback was that I couldn't use height-restricted car parks, but apart from that I had no problems. It's true that they are expensive, but they hold their value extremely well. I bought mine at 3 years old in 1998 and paid £18k for it. I traded it in at a Motorhome dealer in 2007, but which time it had over 100k miles on it, and I got £10k for it.

[dirty boy]

I've just bought a T4.

Paid £6,250 for it, which, considering it's a 10+ year old van on 150k is mental.

However, so far, i'm absolutely loving it. I have 6 seats, so can take out the family, and grandparents can come too, without the need to take another car.

I'm getting 45mpg.

I went to the park the other day, threw 2 bikes, 2 scooters and a toy pram in by simply putting them in.

I can see our other car being made redundant pretty quickly.




The mileages these things do are incredible, as long as they're looked after.

Not the quickest, but does a job and the kids love it.

[Bill]

45mpg? Do you only ever drive downhill?

[Odie]

What about a pickup with a pop up dismountable? might be cost prohibited as I don't think i've ever seen one in the UK.

[V8RX7]

dirty boy said:

I've just bought a T4.

Paid £6,250 for it, which, considering it's a 10+ year old van on 150k is mental.

However, so far, i'm absolutely loving it. I have 6 seats, so can take out the family, and grandparents can come too, without the need to take another car.

I'm getting 45mpg.

I went to the park the other day, threw 2 bikes, 2 scooters and a toy pram in by simply putting them in.

I can see our other car being made redundant pretty quickly.




The mileages these things do are incredible, as long as they're looked after.

Not the quickest, but does a job and the kids love it.

Blue i ?

Fit the intercooler and remap it.

I have the IC version with 102bhp as std - remapped to 148bhp and still get 35mpg driven enthusiastically.