Is she worth it? Buying a bus for family camping : )

[dan212]

Hi Guys.

Hope everyone is well. New member here looking to pick up a bay. Not a huge amount on the market in my area but I've been to see this van 'rosie'.

It's on for 12K but managed to talk him down to £6500... 24000 miles on a 2003 1.4 petrol engine

The engine started first time and sounded well, there's a bit of rust and a bit of seam rash under the paint in a couple of areas, I imagine we would use her for the summer as she is and then get her cleared of rust and repainted...

She's described as...

Rosie has 12 Months MOT and TAX Full working kitchen with gas cooker, sink and fridge. Camping battery in good working order.
Interior upholstery in excellent condition. Lots of storage.

Electrics in good working order. 2003 petrol engine.
Left hand drive. Bodywork in good condition.
But some areas will need tinkering with!

What do you think? Worth a go for a small family to run around in over the summer and do some camping in the u.k?

[plimthing]

Well , it doesn't look like a 1.4L engine... It looks like a standard air cooled engine. It also doesn't have the complete tinware in the back so that engine has been probably cooking itself to death.
Just from the images shown, there is a fair bit of work to be done regarding rust removal. That will cost a pretty penny unless you have the skills, time and tools to do it yourself.
That's a big drop in price... I would be concerned about what else is hiding under the paint and interior.
If you are unfamiliar with VW's take someone who is with you to take a look before you part with your beer tokens

[dan212]

Cheers plimthing

Apparently the price drop is due to him moving away with work (soldier). I'm not particularly hand, but we have a contingency fund of a few grand for any rust works? Would that be enough, or could we be talking lots more? I get its really hard to guesstimate from the photos I have popped up but everything helps : ) Cheers again!

[plimthing]

You need to take a closer look really. Get underneath and start looking at the chassis, lift up the carpets in the front by the pedals and have a look at the floor. Take a look around the window seals and look for bubbling paint which is a sign of rust. Once you start digging you will be alarmed how much the cost spirals. That's just the body work!
Keep reeding on here for tips on what to look for. Try and get some more photos off the guy, tell him specific things like underneath, under carpets, underneath engine, window seals...
You may get him down a bit more if he knows its poor and wants rid.
Good Luck

[WhirledTraveller]

[MorkC68]

Looking at the rotten sections in the images you have posted, I'd be worried about what is lurking under that front panel as it has the wrong panel on for a 1977. The indicators should be higher up where the front grill is located.

Have you got any more images you could share, showing a bit more of the engine hatch & hinge area, the sliding door and close up side views down both sides and finally the front cab wheelarches?
They are all potential areas where they rot & need attention.

Plimthing has made some good suggestions as to checking out the chassis rails pedals and cab floors.

Looking at the images you have posted and the fact that the price has been reduced by £6500, I would strongly recommend walking away.

In the UK, we have a very good forum called www.thelatebay.com - I'd suggest joining up as their is a few very good, well maintained bays listed for sale & guys on the forum would give good, honest opinions to any bus you would be interested in. Ask nicely and they may go see any buses with you, should you need a watchful eye.
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[MorkC68]

[wcfvw69]

Spend a couple hundred dollars and get a VW expert to inspect it. Here in the USA it's called a PPI or pre-purchase inspection. It's the best $ you can spend when buying a 50 year old VW.

Many folks have done this and had the expert tell them to run from a potential VW purchase. Rust on VW buses is no joke. If a bus is rusty, it will be down for a LONG time getting panels cut off and then welded back on. It will also do some serious damage to your wallet.
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[jtauxe]

Yes, the rust is an issue, and the engine compartment sealing is an issue, and there are probably a number of other issues.

But there is an alternative to fixing all these issues: Just live with them. If the rust is not so bad to have compromised structural integrity (like to cause the front beam to suddenly fail, which happened to me once), then you can just let it be. It is indeed a cancer, and will be terminal if not treated. You could also treat the rusty parts as best you can, in order to stem the progression a bit, though without cutting and replacing metal (very costly) it will likely continue.

But you could just be the caretaker of a bus "in hospice", and let it die slowly while you enjoy running around in it and camping.
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[Zed999]

In answer to the thread title....buy a nice frame tent and spend £1k/year for 6 years on "holiday treats". By that time with a bus you'll have spent the same again on repairs so keep going at £1k/ year extra holiday spending money for a further 6 years. You won't be a super cool hip dude surf camp guy but hey, only bus owners think that anyway, the reality is the majority of regular campers will feel sorry for you, slumming it in a crap old van.

But if that doesn't put you off, it does seem quite cheap, looks at a glance that it doesn't get maintained at all but hey ho, it could be a good buy if you don't mind getting your hands dirty. How old is it supposed to be? edit: 72, on ebay for £8k / offers so maybe not such a knock down price?

[ImAddicted]

How much money can you collect in a year when the MOT expires? That's when it's going to cost you. Lots.

Rust repair if you are not handy means paying someone with skills - and it won't be cheap for anyone half decent - to do the work. Rule of thumb over here in the northeast of the US is for the rust you see, expect 2x as much you cannot see. Engine stuff will set you back as well, but not like body\structural work.

Yes, it has a name and it is cute. They dropped the price huge because he's moving, or something, it doesn't matter really why dropped the price unless you have the skills to make up for the difference in sweat equity. It looks good at first glance. Second glance not so much. It's going to eat your savings. I recommend endearing yourself with some local VW people, then have one of them help you in your search to find one that is structurally sound and economically "safe." Any old car is going to be expensive, pick where you want to pay - up front or when you least expect it (and can afford it).
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[Zed999]

In answer to the thread title....buy a nice frame tent and spend £1k/year for 6 years on "holiday treats". By that time with a bus you'll have spent the same again on repairs so keep going at £1k/ year extra holiday spending money for a further 6 years. You won't be a super cool hip dude surf camp guy but hey, only bus owners think that anyway, the reality is the majority of regular campers will feel sorry for you, slumming it in a crap old van.

But if that doesn't put you off, it does seem quite cheap, looks at a glance that it doesn't get maintained at all but hey ho, it could be a good buy if you don't mind getting your hands dirty. How old is it supposed to be?

[dan212]

cheers for all the advice and support lads, we have decided to walk away and keep on with the search for something in a bit better shape. Again really appreciate the help. I'll certainly give the late bay a look too.

The search continues!

[MorkC68]

[ImAddicted]

[alaskadan]

Lol, you ever think that the seller may be a member and reading all these posts thinking " You sons o bitches just cost me a sale!".

[dan212]

Haha yup I did worry about that and very nearly didn’t post. But glad I did in the long run : /

[Zed999]

Yes, vote here for Dave's Devon. He's making almost no effort to sell it because he's lazy in that way - he'd rather sell it cheap than put himself out doing the deal. Now a lot of people behave like that when selling, like they're doing you a favour, which is probably putting people off, but in this case he's genuine, the van is a good price and he really doesn't care if anyone buys it or not. Worth a look.

[dan212]

I'll certainly be giving it a look, a little more than we hoped to spend but if everyone is vouching for it, it may be worth raiding the bank so we don't have to fork out later : )

[Davydomes]

To loosely quote the legendary Gene Berg - "buy the best and cry once"
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