Tam & co the great winter escape

[bobandjanie]

I really admire self build people, your choice of chassi and layout the perfect motorhome, not only getting to know how things work but where everything is and where cables / pipes run and so on.

Having owned trucks for years, my 4th Scania didn't even have a throttle cable it was the worry of my life so many electrical devices to go wrong, in those days I never had time for anything, and I couldn't fix it unlike the others, one day I had a problem it kept stopping, spoke to the professional he told me how to clear the fault and all was well until it stopped in the dartford tunnel, I was panicking and after them closing the tunnel and the tow truck turning up, it started at that point, I had ££££££££ in my eyes, I phoned and booked it in to be done before I got home.
One thing to consider with the Vario especially in Morroco, everytime I see problems with fiat ducato ours is 2017 I think here we go, knowing you have very little chance of fixing it yourself.

Looking at what you have done with the rust and welding, I think your find the rest a walk in the park.
You can always get advice or pay someone to do various jobs, as for the finish most cupboards/cupboard doors you buy to fit the space as you would in a kitchen, if you want bespoke hire a cabinet maker.

I often wished we built our own, but instead we was pulling roofs off houses, knocking walls down and re designing, the thing we learnt by doing it was apart from adding value was we got a huge sense of achievement.
Just my opinion, but then I not one for wishing I did this or that or we would not be doing what we do and living here. Bob.

 

[Dutch 68]

You could just finish it to a high standard as a van and then sell it to me for a token price, if you can also do the windows please and spray it in anthracite grey then I will build the interior

 

[Conal]

Dutch 68 A pound a week?

 

[Rollingwheels]

Hi Tam, I have followed your vario build with interest then your winter trip, I am a carpenter builder and have been my whole life, for what it is worth my experience is we had a smaller motorhome, needed/wanted something bigger got a 7.8m motorhome same height same width as previous van the extra wheelbase made it a bugger to manoeuvre, so we thought long and hard about all of the best bits of previous vans and decided to incorporate these into a van that I would build myself, I ordered a new 6.8m crafter I mocked up everything in ply made a ply bodyshell to fit all of the bits in checked everything all good, I built the van myself immerising myself into it as I am a bit anal with stuff like that, it looked brilliant but before I had completed it I knew it would not work it was the width that was the problem, we have two small dogs who need somewhere to sit and the van not being a motorhome was just too narrow for comfort I was always having to move them from one seat to another or something else to move, bit of a bugger really but with all the double floor storage extra width and lack of compromises in a motorhome, if you don’t have a dog you are not aware of the extra space they need as ours if I step over them jump up incase I tread on them. Your Vario looks like it could be amazing but to make it worth good money I assume you will have to spend quite a lot of money to get it to the standard that you want, I am sure that you know not matter how skilled someone is they are never as accurate as a machine made component that is why cars are not made by hand these days and the most things that go wrong on a motorhome are the bits that have had a human hand on them.
Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[chaser]

I know whatever I say means nothing to you and just encourages you to do the opposite.
But my advice would be to get someone like Liam the terrible off you tube to get it into some sort of order for you, you concentrate on your delivery job, all costs would balance themselves out.
Keep a good eye on what the converter does and make sure it's how you want it, then you do as much as you want to it.
Try it out when done and then decide where to go from there.

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[jumartoo]

Blimey, some of those motorhomes advertised on Ebay, looking at mileage done, have hardly got out of the owners' drives.

What did it cost the original owners for a few months motorhoming??

 

[nicholsong]

Hi Tam, I have followed your vario build with interest then your winter trip, I am a carpenter builder and have been my whole life, for what it is worth my experience is we had a smaller motorhome, needed/wanted something bigger got a 7.8m motorhome same height same width as previous van the extra wheelbase made it a bugger to manoeuvre, so we thought long and hard about all of the best bits of previous vans and decided to incorporate these into a van that I would build myself, I ordered a new 6.8m crafter I mocked up everything in ply made a ply bodyshell to fit all of the bits in checked everything all good, I built the van myself immerising myself into it as I am a bit anal with stuff like that, it looked brilliant but before I had completed it I knew it would not work it was the width that was the problem, we have two small dogs who need somewhere to sit and the van not being a motorhome was just too narrow for comfort I was always having to move them from one seat to another or something else to move, bit of a bugger really but with all the double floor storage extra width and lack of compromises in a motorhome, if you don’t have a dog you are not aware of the extra space they need as ours if I step over them jump up incase I tread on them. Your Vario looks like it could be amazing but to make it worth good money I assume you will have to spend quite a lot of money to get it to the standard that you want, I am sure that you know not matter how skilled someone is they are never as accurate as a machine made component that is why cars are not made by hand these days and the most things that go wrong on a motorhome are the bits that have had a human hand on them.
Best of luck with whatever you decide.

A touch of realism from that poster.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Someone on MHF used to sing the praises of RMB Motorhomes as being very well built.
Hens teeth probably.

I broadly agree that you'll never get back the value of the hours spent.

 

[Janine]

Someone on MHF used to sing the praises of RMB Motorhomes as being very well built.
Hens teeth probably.

I broadly agree that you'll never get back the value of the hours spent.

That'll be Dave Snowbird.

 

[Littlewheels]

A bit out of your budget probably but very nice.

https://www.avontuurcampers.nl/occasions.aspx?did=19555&zoek=1

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[Littlewheels]

All of a sudden l am looking for something to suit you

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[Littlewheels]

£18500.

 

[jumartoo]

A bit out of your budget probably but very nice.

https://www.avontuurcampers.nl/occasions.aspx?did=19555&zoek=1

The German vehicles certainly get more use.

I'd skip the 1900 registered one though

 

[Northernraider]

A bit out of your budget probably but very nice.

https://www.avontuurcampers.nl/occasions.aspx?did=19555&zoek=1

Yes ive seen that on the Facebook vario group

 

[Dutch 68]

Dutch 68 A pound a week?

Seems reasonable

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[Shrimp]

Sounds like you might be getting thru to Ela.
The easiest dog I ever trained was a Lab as a gundog for myself, she was a treat, so willing and quite biddable!
The worst dog was the one before Pip, but she was very aggressive as well as unbiddable!
Pippa I was very surprised about, as it had been a loooong time since coping with a puppy I read a lot and watch a lot.
If you’re trying to get Ela to come to you do you look at her when you call her?
That might not be helping!
Don’t look too hard at her, call her like you’re after a game and ’isn’t this fun’ sort of thing then either pretend you’ve found something really interesting or even turn and walk/ funny walk-run away from her, this needs to feel like this is a game for her!
When she does come to you get down on the ground and just make a BIG fuss of her and plenty of treats but don’t get hold of her let her feel that she came just for a bit of fuss!
She may be feeling that you call her and if she comes she gets caught! More reason not to come to you!
I was always told never to push or follow/chase a dog, go the other way as tho you don’t care if she comes or not. Only do this in an enclosed area tho!
Good luck!

 

[gus-lopez]

One here Broken Link Removed

Nice,i like that.

Not sure if the hobby 600 has the double floor but id expect the 700 to have it.

check with Paul , Badknee . Sure his is a 700 tag.

I think the Vario is lovely

It's annoying that every time I more or less make up my mind to build one I get talked out of it. Think it's a conspiracy

your lucky day, tam has one possibly for sale.

Someone on MHF used to sing the praises of RMB Motorhomes as being very well built.
Hens teeth probably.

I broadly agree that you'll never get back the value of the hours spent.

yes as janine said Dave Snowbird . Lovely vans but hard to come buy & definitely pricey usually.

 

[Gina M]

I just see it as a heat source that requires no electricity lol. And theres wood lying around everywhere. But even that i keep getting negative thoughts on from folk and a few ive seen lately on Instagram etc look very messy so again theres pros and cons.

They look lovely....but ive never had one.

I just think it would be nice cosying up in front of one. But i need a nice comfortable lounge to do that too lol

We have a wood burner in the house and it is messy. We get our logs for free so I put up with it The house is always dusty and the ash cleaning of the grate is a pain. But, the room gets so hot we can sit in Tee shirts in the winter and our living room is 35m square. I get what you mean about being cold It can be so miserable and depressing too, there is nothing worse

 

[Badknee]

The hobby 700 type would only be single floor, would that be problem for you

Hmmm, are you sure on that? This is ours outside BCS Manchester the day we picked it up, oh, and their in Rochdale not Manchester

 

[Badknee]

In that picture the front locker is for lpg bottles but now freed up as I fitted an underslung tank, the rear locker has the habitation air/con. The double floor runs from the rear bathroom to the cab with the water tanks under there.

Ive removed the table, far too big.

300 watts of solar, twin 115ah batteries, 2000 watt inverter, hydraulic jacks.

Got rid of the scoot.

And tow this.

Fulltimed for six years and loving it.

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[Jamesh]

<Broken link removed>

Any good??

 

[StephandJohn]

In that picture the front locker is for lpg bottles but now freed up as I fitted an underslung tank, the rear locker has the habitation air/con. The double floor runs from the rear bathroom to the cab with the water tanks under there.

View attachment 603149

Ive removed the table, far too big.

View attachment 603150View attachment 603151View attachment 603152

300 watts of solar, twin 115ah batteries, 2000 watt inverter, hydraulic jacks.

Got rid of the scoot.View attachment 603154
And tow this.View attachment 603155

Fulltimed for six years and loving it.

We've got light wood in our Swift Firebrand. A lot of van are too dsark for us.

 

[Northernraider]

In that picture the front locker is for lpg bottles but now freed up as I fitted an underslung tank, the rear locker has the habitation air/con. The double floor runs from the rear bathroom to the cab with the water tanks under there.

View attachment 603149

Ive removed the table, far too big.

View attachment 603150View attachment 603151View attachment 603152

300 watts of solar, twin 115ah batteries, 2000 watt inverter, hydraulic jacks.

Got rid of the scoot.View attachment 603154
And tow this.View attachment 603155

Fulltimed for six years and loving it.

I love the layout in yours the only thing i wouldn't want is the single beds.

It looks good with the sides being sprayed silver now too.

 

[Northernraider]

Someone on MHF used to sing the praises of RMB Motorhomes as being very well built.
Hens teeth probably.

I broadly agree that you'll never get back the value of the hours spent.

That'll be Dave Snowbird.

Yes snowbird has had a few rmb's they do seem very well built but i don't like them. The interiors always look very dark wood and very old fashioned upholstery etc. The newer ones are possibly more modern but then they are usually well out of my price range.

 

[Northernraider]

£18500.

View attachment 603005

Aye and its not pretty

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[Northernraider]

Sounds like you might be getting thru to Ela.
The easiest dog I ever trained was a Lab as a gundog for myself, she was a treat, so willing and quite biddable!
The worst dog was the one before Pip, but she was very aggressive as well as unbiddable!
Pippa I was very surprised about, as it had been a loooong time since coping with a puppy I read a lot and watch a lot.
If you’re trying to get Ela to come to you do you look at her when you call her?
That might not be helping!
Don’t look too hard at her, call her like you’re after a game and ’isn’t this fun’ sort of thing then either pretend you’ve found something really interesting or even turn and walk/ funny walk-run away from her, this needs to feel like this is a game for her!
When she does come to you get down on the ground and just make a BIG fuss of her and plenty of treats but don’t get hold of her let her feel that she came just for a bit of fuss!
She may be feeling that you call her and if she comes she gets caught! More reason not to come to you!
I was always told never to push or follow/chase a dog, go the other way as tho you don’t care if she comes or not. Only do this in an enclosed area tho!
Good luck!

I already do all that , with limited success.

Its unfortunately a constant state of 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Yesterday and today have not been good days.

As much as it upsets me and i really hate to give up on her i think im losing the battle. And both jade and milo are suffering as a result.

So i think its got to the stage where i have to start looking for a new owner for her.

 

[Jamesh]

I'm guessing what it comes down to is are you a builder or a traveller?

If your a builder then the actual building takes precident over the final use, like me you enjoy the design and build of the project.

Or your a traveller and seeing far away places, cultures and people is what's important and the MH is simply a vehicle to make it happen.

Of course we are somewhere on that spectrum.

But it influences how much time we devote to one or the other.....

 

[Stonemags76]

Those small log burners for vans must take constant tending! Ours at home goes through wood like nobody’s business & you have to constantly mess with it! Also, as someone else said they are messy & dusty! I think a diesel heater is a much better idea!

 

[Figaro]

Aye and its not pretty

Fugley ?

 

[Badknee]

I love the layout in yours the only thing i wouldn't want is the single beds.

It looks good with the sides being sprayed silver now too.

You lose the rear bathroom with the double bed though Tam

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