Van or Campervan?

In twoyearstime when 4" Burrell finished i was wondering what is most popular or most practical form of transport when attending shows with engine for instance, van with caravan or campervan with trailer, what vans would be suitable which have a low floor, any suggestions ?

I've been looking at the same thing recently. If building the showmans by the time you take the weight of the engine trailers and bowser, tools and equipment, coal etc etc from weights given elsewhere we could be approaching 1.5t? add the weight of the trailer any your looking for a vehicle that can pull a breaked trailer of approx 2.5t. Add my log trailer and it gets worse still. Personally I am considering a motor home, the trailer seems to be the easy part as there are several that can deal with the requirements. If just the RL things seem much easier and the weights much less.

Also been looking at one of these which have a low floor and sometimes a disabled ramp fitted for easy loading.

http://vans.autotrader.co.uk/used-vans/fiat/ducato/2004/at8a630fd233aeb8970133c81e2b7716d1/fiat-ducato-ducato-disabled-access-welfare-minibus-crew-camper-motorhome-motox-mobile-shop-catering-coach-van-bu-diesel

You could fit part out as a motor home and keep a space at the back for the engine.


Not sure what others are thinking.

This is the 64 thousand dollar question that perplexes just about everyone who has an engine. There are fors & againsts everything, here's a list of them
Motorhome towing a trailer...comfy, well sorted living accomodation...crap on a wet sloping rally field, leave the towing eye in the front bumper!

4x4 & trailer & caravan .....go anywhere......two trips needed for most rallies

Big van & caravan......everything in one trip.......don't forget the towing eye, 2 wheel drive!

Open trailer.....easy access, tucks away easier..........no security, everything gets wet

Closed in box trailer......nice and secure, everything dry...............big & bulky in the garden, heavy to push around

Then there is the size of everything, do you get it just big enough or do you plan for the next project! Jump ahead of the game & get a seven & half ton truck like the STW one & tow a caravan

At the end of the day 'yer pays yer money, yer makes yer choice'

I have just sold my car and bought a Citreon Berlingo van, long wheel base with two side doors, just the right size for the SWB Foden. You need to look carefully at the load capacity and the rear door height of vans, most of the other dimensions are very similar though. It helps if the van is long enough to take a camp bed as well.

Mike

I was going down the van route as we like the Caravan for holidays and weekends. A motorhome is not convenient when heading to the shops or the beach.

Only problem with a van is they only seat 3 people unless you get the crew cab version. When we go to the rallys there is always four of us when my nephew is along. With a crew cab van it take up the load space and the load capacity of a standard van. For a road loco and a couple of trailers, bowser, coal, tools, supplies, people and dogs etc there is easly a ton and a half. Put our current caravan on the back and the train is bloody heavy unless you take a tent plus we would look like pikeys with our twin axle carvan .

The LWB crew cab vans are quite rare to come up for sale in reasonble condition. My tactic for this is the equivalent Minibus. From the Ford range the 17 seat minibus is the same as the heavy duty LWB van.

Minibuses tend to be a little tider and have been looked after a mechanically, particularly if you look for ex council/school vehicles etc.. Also, they are soundproofed unlike a normal van plus you can take all the excess seats out then sell them as spares on eBay.

I did like the disabled bus Rob spotted but it is very long., I looked at the other vehicles from the same seller and noticed the ex-police prisoner vans looked good for conversion too.

Some minibuses have there engines derated so they wont go over about 60mph, bit of a pain when you have a long motorway haul. We have transit vans & minibuses at work and the vans go like the clappers but the minibuses are all slugs.

"ex-police prisoner vans looked good for conversion too."

Ideal for keeping the kids in order.

Mike

mikero wrote:"ex-police prisoner vans looked good for conversion too."

Ideal for keeping the kids in order.

Mike

Not a Group4 security van. Thinks keep going missing from them!.

It's going to be a van for me with a caravan. As i was told in no uncertain terms im not doing tents by she who must be obeyed.

chop wrote:It's going to be a van for me with a caravan. As i was told in no uncertain terms im not doing tents by she who must be obeyed.

She must have spoken to my daughter

I was planning on using the trailer I already have for towing the balloon, it's an Ivor Williams with a canvas tilt so everything stays nice and dry but can be folded forward to help load it. At the moment I only have a BMW 5 series to tow it so just two wheel drive, having sold the 110 Landy a few years ago.

One thing that may be worth mentioning for some of the younger members on here is that if you passed your driving test after 1997 then you are limited to towing an all up weight of 3.5 tonnes and that includes the weight of the car. My BMW weighes in at 2.2 tonnes empty with over 3.5 MAU which means my son cannot even tow an empty trailer. This is causing a load of problems in the ballooning circles and from my contacts in the local caravan club they are also finding problems. An additonal licence and driving test can be taken with probably geting an LGV licence being the easiest.

There has been a mention of motor home and is something which I may investigate, one of my ballooning friends bought a four wheel drive one from eBay last year. He and his wife are currently driving to South Africa aiming to fly the balloon in as many countries as possible enroute. Then next year they are driving to China doing the same on the way, sounds a major adventure. Not something I was planning on doing with the road loco!

The idea of a tent may end up being the initial accommodation well during the summer surely that will be OK then may be in retirement a motor home may make an appearance. But got to build the road loco first and that is a long way off, so plans may change along the way.
Ian

As we have sold the motorhome my other half only does 5 star accomadation, and they are not the ones you see in the sky!!!

I understood if you passed your test after 1997 you had to take another test to tow a trailer / caravan. Chap at work has had to pay out £350 for the course and test so he could pull his boat. Worth checking for those lucky enough to be young enough to fall in that category.

One problem with canvas topped trailers, or waterproofed coverings in general, is condensation. You cover an engine up overnight and it can be damp in the morning.

Mike

Hi Mike

The cover on my trailer allows it to be left open front and or rear so should keep condensation to a minimum. It is even designed to be driven with part of the cover open if needed.

Picking up on the new driving licence you can tow a trailer on the current one providing the MAU weight of the combined set up is less than 3.5 tonnes. But in reality this means you cannot as it is the plated weight that is used. So if the trailer weighes 0.5 empty but is plated to carry 2.5 then that is the weight you have to use so towing an empty trailer does not circumvent the weight limit. I know the Nottingham and S Yorks police have pulled over some trailer drivers and done them on this.

PS trailers are excluded from the fast lane on three or more lane motorways, 3 points and £60 I know at least 2 people who have been pulled for this in Nottinghamshire on the M1. There are also loads of new cameras on this section so when passing through!

Ian

Hi all
I went through the process of looking for suitable transport for the SWB Foden. Ideas ranged from a LWB Transit type, converting the front part for living/sleeping accomodation with the engine in the back, through a van and caravan, and finally settled on a motorhome and an enclosed box trailer. I have fitted a battery box and electric winch in the front of the trailer, makes loading/unloading a dawdle. This outfit works well, gives me all the comforts of home but is a pure pain to drive in muddy fields (got stuck at the Selkirk Rally and had to get towed in and out!!). The trailer is also a useful shelter in inclement weather. One idea that I looked at was the Mazda Bongo Conversions - well worth a close look, 2.5 turbo diesel with four wheel drive.
My friend with a 4" Sentinel went the Transit van conversion route and we both manage fine (although when it is raining, any beer drinking is usually done in the motorhome!!)


Trailer and engine at East Fortune



Trailer at Castle Fraser


Hope this is of some use (works for me)

Tom

Humm

What sort of £ is that combo then?

Hi Lynn
Too much!!! but a shroud hasn't got pockets and I done all my sleeping in tents tears ago.

Tom A

Wonder if STW will sponsor a rally for the Scottish Steam Traction World contingent?

a little modification and respray and this would be a feasible option £5300?

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/campers/2677127

Hi Tom,

Looking good I bet your happy I am back in the saddle and moving forward again after having a few of the motion parts nickel plated, and they do look good.

Cant wait to get some fire in the belly of the beast, one small problem the company I was going to use to inspect my boiler has posted an advert in Old Glory that he is no longer doing this service so I have noe got to find someone close to the Isle of Wight to do this for me when i'm ready.

Ian

"a little modification and respray and this would be a feasible option £5300?"

You would want to be able to carry that much beer.

Mike

"a little modification and respray and this would be a feasible option £5300?"

You would want to be able to carry that much beer.

Mike

thats what u buy the trailer for!!!