Mercedes vario 814 self build bus to FLT palace

[Northernraider]

So*s law says something wrong will show up to let you down at the last minute!
However it doesn't appear to have caused any major setbacks.

Yeah its hopefully just a minor issue ill sort the tyre pressures and take it out again ...if not ill have to get wheels off and investigate.

 

[Val 3 dogs]

Ok so its technically sold...we have shook on it but he hasn't paid the deposit yet ..he says he will transfer that this evening.



Collecting 1st September so that would give me around 3.5 weeks to press on with the van

No, only three Tam as you will have to sort these little gliches with Toby and empty all your belongings out him and give him a quick spruce up before he leaves but sounds to be a good job done.

 

[Manic]

You had those lights on when you were coming back from you last winter trip did you.

 

[Lesanda]

Congrats, one less thing to worry about and keep you from the important work and a bit more space in yer mum's garden.

 

[Northernraider]

You had those lights on when you were coming back from you last winter trip did you.

Now you mention it i remember a light coming on and going off again but can't remember what one it was.

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[Northernraider]

Thats the deposit received

 

[Northernraider]

So this little £800 caravan

Pro's

Its cheap
Its small for driveway
It would be here when van collected so easy to move in.
Has full cooker , fridge , toilet , all the aquaroll, wastewater etc and an awning
Its not bad looking for a 25 year old caravan .
Could probably get more than 800 when im done with it .

Con's

Its small
Would have to use a single bed or make a bed up every night.
Heating doesnt work
It has had a couple of leaks in the past by the looks of it. It has a few spongy bits here and there ...but no visible damp and doesn't smell.
The shower compartment is that waterproof wallpaper stuff ....think id probably trash it using it constantly for 3 or 4 months.


The heater i could use an oil filled radiator on hook up ...or i could fit a £70 chinese diesel heater.

I think even if it was damp when i was finished with it i could get most of the 800 back selling it as spare or repair


Looking on gumtree and ebay theres not many caravans under 3 grand that look much better ...but 3k is more to lose than a few hundred

This is the pics of it .....thoughts please

 

[CazPaul]

It looks a tidy van, is the floor sound?

You will have had a damp meter on it i presume but for that price it looks tidy.

However, If it were me and i know you dont want to but i would move in with your mum for a while, save money, saves messing about fitting/repairing heating etc, do you really want to be repairing a caravan with the big build underway, and it gives you more room on the drive and a big incentive to get the Vario finished.

 

[Jamesh]

That's not a bad van Tam!

You'll easily get your money back.

Did it feel damp / discoloured wall boards or spongy floor? do the major appliance work? cooker lights fridge etc?

Apart from that your good to go.

Cheers James

 

[mackeellan]

Does it need any repairs to the floor or any other time consuming repairs?

If not, then I would prefer the freedom of living in the caravan and not beholding to anyone. If you get your money back then it would be for free anyway. Its a no brainer from my point of view. Good luck once again.

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[intokenny]

More to the point Tam, what do the dogs say?!?!?

 

[Northernraider]

It looks a tidy van, is the floor sound?

You will have had a damp meter on it i presume but for that price it looks tidy.

However, If it were me and i know you dont want to but i would move in with your mum for a while, save money, saves messing about fitting/repairing heating etc, do you really want to be repairing a caravan with the big build underway, and it gives you more room on the drive and a big incentive to get the Vario finished.

Floor a little soft at one point but might have been my weight not had a damp meter on it i literally spent about 10 minutes tops in it as little interest in it .

Not wanting to move in with mum and to be honest she wouldn't really want me to anyway. She likes me being close by but we also both like our own space , she goes to bed at 9pm etc and i work later than that ...and then theres the dogs and all my stuff. So i need something to tide me over till the merc is done ... doesn't have to be anything fancy

Id not be spending a lot of time repairing it to be honest ...just stick a heater in and some sealant in the bathroom .if when i was finished with it i couldn't get my 800 back im sure id get at least half of it for scrap ... Appliances are worth a few hundred quid etc.

That's not a bad van Tam!

You'll easily get your money back.

Did it feel damp / discoloured wall boards or spongy floor? do the major appliance work? cooker lights fridge etc?

Apart from that your good to go.

Cheers James

He assures me everything works bar the heater which he had told me about the other day ... they've had it 6 years and used it regular ... theres a similar model on ebay for £2195 .

It has a bit of spongy here and there but surprisingly little for its age ...no black marks etc though

Does it need any repairs to the floor or any other time consuming repairs?

If not, then I would prefer the freedom of living in the caravan and not beholding to anyone. If you get your money back then it would be for free anyway. Its a no brainer from my point of view. Good luck once again.

Would need a bit of a tidy up inside ...re seal around cassette toilet ...fit a shower curtain ...theres a oil filled radiator in it i could use till i fitted a diesel heater. So maybe a days work on it to make it do me .


I think id drive mum nuts being in the house which isnt ideal when im doing the van up here so for sake of avoiding problems I prefer my own space.

 

[Northernraider]

More to the point Tam, what do the dogs say?!?!?

They know nothing about it

 

[Val 3 dogs]

Come on you soft lowland jessie, I've lived in far worse!
Just bite the bullet and get on with it. The dogs will be fine. You can do it.

 

[Northernraider]

To be honest the £681 renewal quote for insurance and the £165 road tax due this month covers the cost of the caravan anyway lol.

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[Figaro]

Insurance seems high at 681 ? is that for fulltime living insurance

That caravan looks like ir will suit your needs nicely

 

[Northernraider]

Insurance seems high at 681 ? is that for fulltime living insurance

That caravan looks like ir will suit your needs nicely

It is high yeah ...it jumped up last year after that person in Spain claimed my skylight hit his land rover ... safeguard knocked me down from 9 years NCB to 3 so it jumped up over £200 a year.

 

[Lenny HB]

Looks OK for the money, £800 for 6-9months accommodation that's less one months rent for a house.

 

[Just smiffy]

You are not going to find any accommodation much cheaper then that, it doesn’t look bad for 800… I’d go for it especially if you got what you wanted for the van…

 

[Cobra]

How are the appliances in the caravan?
you could always consider using some of them in the new van?
Perhaps parts of the interior of the caravan might be useful too

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[Mikey RV]

Take the caravan, it’s cheap living for you. The more you start to hate it the quicker you will get the merc done.

 

[scousebird]

£800 is a cheap monthly rent down here, I'd go for it. It also saves you looking for something else which takes time away from you working on the van.

 

[Jaws]

WOW !!!
You have come across a VERY rare beast indeed !!!!!
There not many blind maniacal welders in the world !

 

[Hirsch]

This is a great thread

 

[Eggs]

That little trailer looks ok, I'd grab it.

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[Northernraider]

How are the appliances in the caravan?
you could always consider using some of them in the new van?
Perhaps parts of the interior of the caravan might be useful too

They looked clean enough and he says they all work apart from the heater. But I wouldn't use them in the vario. I plan to fit all new modern stuff in that.

WOW !!!
You have come across a VERY rare beast indeed !!!!!
There not many blind maniacal welders in the world !

Yes he wasn't very good lol.....it took them 3 weeks to do that aswell

 

[gus-lopez]

So this little £800 caravan

Pro's

Its cheap
Its small for driveway
It would be here when van collected so easy to move in.
Has full cooker , fridge , toilet , all the aquaroll, wastewater etc and an awning
Its not bad looking for a 25 year old caravan .
Could probably get more than 800 when im done with it .

Con's

Its small
Would have to use a single bed or make a bed up every night.
Heating doesnt work
It has had a couple of leaks in the past by the looks of it. It has a few spongy bits here and there ...but no visible damp and doesn't smell.
The shower compartment is that waterproof wallpaper stuff ....think id probably trash it using it constantly for 3 or 4 months.


The heater i could use an oil filled radiator on hook up ...or i could fit a £70 chinese diesel heater.

I think even if it was damp when i was finished with it i could get most of the 800 back selling it as spare or repair


Looking on gumtree and ebay theres not many caravans under 3 grand that look much better ...but 3k is more to lose than a few hundred
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This is the pics of it .....thoughts please

Yes I'd have it.

 

[Top Hat]

They looked clean enough and he says they all work apart from the heater. But I wouldn't use them in the vario. I plan to fit all new modern stuff in that.


Yes he wasn't very good lol.....it took them 3 weeks to do that aswell

With money in the bank I bet a few upgrades to your plan's will come along,
I know I couldn't resist.

 

[Val 3 dogs]

Ill get him to carry me up a ladder that will flush out any fraudster

I thought firemen carried people down ladders not up! Poor man would end up with a double hernia and a b*gg**ed backif he had to carry you!

 

[Lenny HB]

I thought firemen carried people down ladders not up! Poor man would end up with a double hernia and a b*gg**ed backif he had to carry you!

So true.

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