Nice Van but there is a Fly in the Ointment

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My wife and I just sold our caravan last week and we are now in the process of looking at campervans. We saw this lovely Citroen Relay at the weekend and it had everything that we were looking for – price, layout, rear toilet, size, colour – but there is a fly in the ointment.
My wife had read that when looking at a van you shouldn’t be afraid to move cushions etc to get into all the nooks and crannies and check for damage and damp and she did just that, asking the owner if it was ok first, and everything was coming up fine until she got to the area under a bench cushion where the water heater and pump along with all the pipes and connections are located. She found that it was damp, almost wet, under the plywood that everything sat on and I had a feel as well getting my fingers right underneath and yes it was not only damp but I would say wet.
The owner, who seems a nice person, looked disconcerted about what we had discovered. The van is obviously well kept by the owner and his wife in fact it looks pristine and I tend to believe him when he said that this area of wetness was a surprise to him. The van had been sitting for two weeks since their last short trip.
My feeling is that there is a very slow leak from the water heater or pump and that this is causing the problem. I don’t think there is any water ingress from anywhere causing this. Everywhere else in the van as far as we could tell is dry and there is no smell of damp at all. There is no habitation report for the van.
I called him later on that day and said that I would like to buy the van on condition that the area that was wet was repaired and the cause identified.
Anyway I would appreciate any thoughts that members may have on this. This is a big purchase for us and we don’t want to be left with a white elephant if we go ahead and buy then have to sell at a loss later in the year.
cheers Martin
 
May have to do that yet - - will see what happens this weekend

Don't listen to me I had no intension of buying a van the day I did but got bored in work on a Wednesday afternoon looked on ebay drove 3 hours paid deposit collected following week. I have been lucky no major issues and it was 13 years old.

If you really love it go for it 🚐🚐🚐
 
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I don't like those wooden shutters on the windows.......
Cheers, Dave:giggle:
 
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Silly question and given all the advice which is priceless( experience is worth a fortune) but WHY are they selling? Has granny died? Have they won the lottery or is it because a serious issue has been found that will cost a fortune to put right? Not casting nasturtiums as DC says on them but ask the *Why* they are selling! If a motorhome is doing okay them we tend to keep hold of them!
 
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He should have checked the van thoroughly before sale, it's hardly a minor issue.
I don't buy the ignorance line when it comes to selling/buying motorhomes. He should know if the floor is siping wet surely.
To be fair it was right under the bit of wood that the water heater sits on but I take your point and will add it to the rest of the great advice I've had here.

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Silly question and given all the advice which is priceless( experience is worth a fortune) but WHY are they selling? Has granny died? Have they won the lottery or is it because a serious issue has been found that will cost a fortune to put right? Not casting nasturtiums as DC says on them but ask the *Why* they are selling! If a motorhome is doing okay them we tend to keep hold of them!
Yes that's a great question. Must admit I did ask and he said just mumbled about wanting something different. Now starting to wonder if I want it at all now but will see what he says when I offer 15k on condition a hab test is done.
 
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Just skimming this thread again, I would walk away from this mate. You have had a caravan, a panel van is going to be so claustrophobic by comparison, if you start with any doubts about it you could end up hating it and trying to sell it on. How would you like to do that with what you know now.
I know what you're saying Steve but my wife is adamant that we buy something that she can drive as well as me.
 
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For me access to the loo when beds made up is crucial 😉 ... you don’t want yo be going outside when it’s peeing it down! Also, check you have enough storage with this layout .. the fixed beds are less spacious in lounge but loads of storage under the beds ... maybe someone with a lounge pvc can comment eg DBK?
 
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Right, sorry to be negative, but to the trained eye, this looks like a very cheap conversion using a wrecked caravan. Overhead lockers too tall and don't flow through. The toilet area is basic to say the least and no swivel seats to use the cab onsite.

IF this is the product of a wrecked caravan, that leak may be a damaged water heater so an expensive item to replace. The biggest issue may be the insulation that was or was not installed during the conversion

£15k is tops for this type of van usually but may be up to £16-17 if prices stay so high

Just too many what if's for my liking and I would certainly be looking elsewhere. And I used to buy and sell motorhomes as a sideline so seen this sort of van too many times
Thanks will definitely take this on board. Will probably start looking for something else now.
For me access to the loo when beds made up is crucial 😉 ... you don’t want yo be going outside when it’s peeing it down! Also, check you have enough storage with this layout .. the fixed beds are less spacious in lounge but loads of storage under the beds ... maybe someone with a lounge pvc can comment eg DBK?
Yes we are initially thinking that this won't be a big problem but your the second person that's brought this up so it probably needs more thought.
 
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Seller phoned me a couple of minutes ago saying he had taken the water heater and pipes out and the only bit of damp was at the edge of the insulation. One of the pipes was connected by jubilee clip which wasn't on tight and he thinks this may have been the culprit but not sure/ He's agreed to have a habitation test done.
Asked about provenance of van and said it was self build done by guy who sold caravans so shout out to The Big 1 (y)for that spot.
Not many for sale on gumtree or autotrader in my area that I like just now so this is still in the running if habitation comes back good and can beat him down to good price.
Need to get out of the house and into the mountains have been working from home now since March and am going stir crazy. Son and daughter came home from uni to stay with us just before lockdown which doesn't help. Still others are having it worse so need to keep a sense of perspective.
Must admit this last couple of hours replying to you all has been the best fun I've had for ages.
 
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Nice looking van but no shower ? And is that a fan heater I see in photo 3 ?
 
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Right, sorry to be negative, but to the trained eye, this looks like a very cheap conversion using a wrecked caravan. Overhead lockers too tall and don't flow through. The toilet area is basic to say the least and no swivel seats to use the cab onsite.

IF this is the product of a wrecked caravan, that leak may be a damaged water heater so an expensive item to replace. The biggest issue may be the insulation that was or was not installed during the conversion

£15k is tops for this type of van usually but may be up to £16-17 if prices stay so high

Just too many what if's for my liking and I would certainly be looking elsewhere. And I used to buy and sell motorhomes as a sideline so seen this sort of van too many times
Shout out to you Big1 seller got back to say that it was converted by caravan dealer and the units are from a caravan.

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Okay but think of selling it on,,,,,,,,,,self build, caravan interior, damp issues * fixed* don't lose sight of the fact that is done 80,000 miles ( Not a problem but........when selling on!) With a bit of hunting around you can find a much better van or even do your own conversion there are loads of people with experience of doing this on this website who are happy to help guide you..................... Just a thought!
 
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For me access to the loo when beds made up is crucial 😉 ... you don’t want yo be going outside when it’s peeing it down! Also, check you have enough storage with this layout .. the fixed beds are less spacious in lounge but loads of storage under the beds ... maybe someone with a lounge pvc can comment eg DBK?
I fitted a back box on ours for extra storage but it's virtually the only Murvi I know with one. Everyone else seems to manage without. :)

The vehicle in the OP looks very tidy and the space at the back for chairs is very useful. Biggest drawback for me would be the lack of a shower. We use ours every day when using aires (or during pandemics :)) and wouldn't be without it.
 
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Nice looking van but no shower ? And is that a fan heater I see in photo 3 ?
Yes no shower. It does look like a fan heater - surely thats not the heating system for the van? Nah can't be.
 
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Okay but think of selling it on,,,,,,,,,,self build, caravan interior, damp issues * fixed* don't lose sight of the fact that is done 80,000 miles ( Not a problem but........when selling on!) With a bit of hunting around you can find a much better van or even do your own conversion there are loads of people with experience of doing this on this website who are happy to help guide you..................... Just a thought!
Good thought AC/DC - never thought about our own conversion.
 
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I fitted a back box on ours for extra storage but it's virtually the only Murvi I know with one. Everyone else seems to manage without. :)

The vehicle in the OP looks very tidy and the space at the back for chairs is very useful. Biggest drawback for me would be the lack of a shower. We use ours every day when using aires (or during pandemics :)) and wouldn't be without it.
I like a shower but according to this article in the Guardian maybe we are all washing too much!
Maybe we can fit a shower ourselves - can't be that hard.

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Need to make the tea now so signing out for a wee while. "I'll be back" as someone famous used to say.
 
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I find it hard to be cheeky when saying to a seller 'I'll give you x below asking price' and don't have much experience at all at it. For you experienced negotiators out there what price should I come back to him with - is £15k too low?

You need to take lessons from irnbru :)

I know what you're saying Steve but my wife is adamant that we buy something that she can drive as well as me.

I've always found it easier to drive larger vehicles - you have "right of size".

I drove our ancient old Hymer round Paris during rush hour (that was 25 years ago) and it wasn't an issue. I much prefer to drive the motorhome to the car.
 
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Seller phoned me a couple of minutes ago saying he had taken the water heater and pipes out and the only bit of damp was at the edge of the insulation. One of the pipes was connected by jubilee clip which wasn't on tight and he thinks this may have been the culprit but not sure/ He's agreed to have a habitation test done.
Asked about provenance of van and said it was self build done by guy who sold caravans so shout out to The Big 1 (y)for that spot.
Not many for sale on gumtree or autotrader in my area that I like just now so this is still in the running if habitation comes back good and can beat him down to good price.
Need to get out of the house and into the mountains have been working from home now since March and am going stir crazy. Son and daughter came home from uni to stay with us just before lockdown which doesn't help. Still others are having it worse so need to keep a sense of perspective.
Must admit this last couple of hours replying to you all has been the best fun I've had for ages.


The main problem for me is that with it being a self build assembled from caravan bits how do you know if any or what type of insulation has been used?
It could be bare metal in a lot of areas, over cab is usually missed and can drip terribly from condensation in cold weather.

I wouldn't touch a self build unless I knew the seller or saw pictures of the build along the way.

Will you be using it in the winter?
 
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Been on for over a week now though and have noticed that other similar vans are priced around 16k some are even 13k. A nice VW crafter going for 18750 so I definitely think its too pricey.
Personally I think you could get something better for the price, I also don’t think £15k is to low. If that’s what you want to pay you’ll need to start lower and gauge his reaction, whatever you do don’t pay more than you think it’s worth.
Where is it based?

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Yes we are initially thinking that this won't be a big problem but your the second person that's brought this up so it probably needs more thought.

And both of us have had a PVC
 
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Personally I think you could get something better for the price, I also don’t think £15k is to low. If that’s what you want to pay you’ll need to start lower and gauge his reaction, whatever you do don’t pay more than you think it’s worth.
Where is it based?
We have a budget of 20k and want to get the best we can get for that money. Its based in Pittenweem.
 
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Lorger, in the door and benches to the right that convert to a bed. Currently on Gumtree https://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/citroen-relay-campervan-/1362896010
HPI check will do as well before parting with any money.
In my vieW I would steer clear of it as there are plenty more out there. Not only that but the mileage is quite high when you consider motor homes generally average 4/5K a year. Has it got a full service history, when was the cam belt last changed etc?
 
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The main problem for me is that with it being a self build assembled from caravan bits how do you know if any or what type of insulation has been used?
It could be bare metal in a lot areas of areas, over cab is usually missed and can drop terribly from condensation in cold weather.

I wouldn't touch a self build unless I knew the seller or saw pictures of the build along the way.

Will you be using it in the winter?
Yes probably in the Cairngorms which we both know quite well.
 
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Yes probably in the Cairngorms which we both know quite well.


Well you need something with a good heater and good insulation then, don't rush there are plenty of vans around.
I personally think at the minute the motorhome market has gone crazy, I would wait a few months and snap a bargain up in November or December.

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I find it hard to be cheeky when saying to a seller 'I'll give you x below asking price' and don't have much experience at all at it. For you experienced negotiators out there what price should I come back to him with - is £15k too low?
Be greedy when people are cautious and cautious when people are greedy!
 
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