Buying a classic camper

[crankedup5]

I’m in the market to buy a classic camper van, been here before and had a Bedford CA dorma, but found the bed arrangement tortuous. Looking at the market again for Bedford, Morris or perhaps Ford from the 1950’s to early 1970’s.
Prices are staggeringly high it seems at around 12 - 15k for a decent van, two years ago they were half of that. Will prices come down later this year? Cant see them going much higher, famous last words

[ColinM50]

Haven't got round to charging the batteries in my crystal ball so can't tell you what prices are going to be in a year +, just that at the present time all leisure stuff is through the roof. Track cars, motorhomes, caravans, boats etc all benefitting form the covid stay home craze.

If you can afford it, then buy it but of course caveat emptor

[mike9009]

All campers (new and old) have rocketed through COVID. As everyone is stay-cationing.

I suspect, when foreign holidays become readily available and the campers are languishing on driveways for months on end, the prices will soften somewhat as people look to shift them to fund a trip to the Disneyland Florida.

[crankedup5]

Both reasonable replies thank you. I continue to watch the market or while, no hurry as my last steam rally of the season has just been cancelled, so I going nowhere

[Jonboy_t]

I’m not sure something as niche as a Bedford etc will change in price that much. The types who are buying classics at the moment are the types that are buying VW T2’s for the image that comes with them, not because its an old and lovely thing to be part of!

Purely an opinion, of course, but I can’t see proper classics dropping in price in the foreseeable. Nitwits (sorry) who think it’s all fun and jollies will be writing them off left, right and centre when the big end goes for the first time. Or the rot eats the chassis members. Or the bodywork needs a touch up and they’re ‘charged’ for it. Or it spins a bearing. Or the oil cooler clogs and the light comes on on the M5. Or they find you can’t use E10 in them. Etc etc etc

All the time the classics are getting rarer and Boris lets us keep them, the prices ain’t going to change dramatically. I hope…

[crankedup5]

^^^
I do hope you are right, an interesting and refreshing post.

[crankedup5]

Finally found what I was looking for!!

[valiant]

More pics needed!

Looks slower than a slow thing but looks ace.

[crankedup5]

Thanks, it is definitely slow, a tiny 4 pot 1622cc wheezing away to push it along at a steady 35mph
or so But the driving is part of the fun and we have great little ‘B’ roads and back lanes to enjoy in Suffolk and Norfolk, keeping out of the way of ‘normal traffic’.

[crankedup5]

[crankedup5]

[Rh14n]

Shame you didn't see this little gem currently on eBay. Love the description by the jaded owner!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265345781696?hash=item3...

[crankedup5]

^^^^^^
I only hope it’s not any of my neighbours planning to put that thing on their drive, I will look and curse my bad luck missing it

[mike9009]

crankedup5 said:

Finally found what I was looking for!!

That looks great! Proper classic...

Will it top out at 35mph?? Wait till you have to climb some of the hills in Devon...definitely a challenge and I have been tempted to ask the family to get out and walk! Ours is comfortable at 55mph but can do 70mph if we can put up with the din. I think the journey definitely becomes part of the holiday - as you will find out.

[Mikebentley]

Rh14n said:

Shame you didn't see this little gem currently on eBay. Love the description by the jaded owner!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265345781696?hash=item3...

That is the greatest ebay advert ever written.

[21st Century Man]

I bought a couple of coffees from one just like it today, there was an H van next door doing likewise.

[crankedup5]

mike9009 said:

crankedup5 said:

Finally found what I was looking for!!

That looks great! Proper classic...

Will it top out at 35mph?? Wait till you have to climb some of the hills in Devon...definitely a challenge and I have been tempted to ask the family to get out and walk! Ours is comfortable at 55mph but can do 70mph if we can put up with the din. I think the journey definitely becomes part of the holiday - as you will find out.

Thanks.
Definitely the journey is part of the event, not far out with 35mph maybe 40mph on a good day.
Noisy, slow, thirsty and I love it
This is for me an update on my previous fun wagons!! 1928 caravan pulled by a 1928 car

[crankedup5]

21st Century Man said:

I bought a couple of coffees from one just like it today, there was an H van next door doing likewise.

The chap that I purchased from said that he had an enquiry from a ‘costa coffee’ type outfit,They are buying them up for conversion into refreshment wagons, such a shame. Fortunately the chap refused to sell to such vandalism.

[21st Century Man]

crankedup5 said:

They are buying them up for conversion into refreshment wagons, such a shame. Fortunately the chap refused to sell to such vandalism.

Yes, it's such a shame as they force prices up and they invariably get butchered too. I don't think the argument that it preserves vehicles that might otherwise get scrapped holds water imo as they are already desirable and preservation worthy anyway.
Just look at H vans, crazy money now because hipster coffee wagon, organic and vegan of course.

[oblio]

crankedup5 said:

The chap that I purchased from said that he had an enquiry from a ‘costa coffee’ type outfit,They are buying them up for conversion into refreshment wagons, such a shame. Fortunately the chap refused to sell to such vandalism.

It's for posts like this that we need a 'Like' button