The resurrection of Doc, bringing a 20 year old neismann Bischoff Flair back to life after 12 years off road.

[Dolmen]

And then discover its not suitable sell it next year for a huge loss.

I've only driven the van twice lol and both times it's ran like a bag of shite. The engine needs attention as do the breaks lol.

I future proofed moby . Spent more money on it than I've ever spent improving a vehicle and can't get it sold

You make a very good point here, I always felt the engine should be the starting point, forget fridge, air con generator, lights the lot, until you can be confident that engine is going to pull you a long incline without two mile of traffic behind you, you shouldn’t spend a penny on anything else. If you can’t get that engine running smoothly the vans no good to you and it’s back to Moby. So keep Moby for now, don’t spend any money and make sure you are satisfied you can get the engine running sweet; once you have passed that milestone you will feel a lot better about splashing out on a fridge, pulling the electrics out of Moby and into the new van and letting Moby go for a little less than you want.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Hi Tam she is in Peterborough and said her husband has sourced the part it £16 and will come back with cost when her husband get’s home

I'm near P'Boro if can help to shift it

 

[Northernraider]

I know moby hasn’t had much serious interest ( except from me ) but if you start to strip it I think the sale will be even harder, and you will end up loosing more, leaving the van standing around till next year will not do it any good, so many risks, vermin, theft, damage,
Give it some more time or otherwise maybe have a trusted person who looks after it and can sell it for you whilst you are away.? Good luck.

I'm giving it time . It's on ebay for another 3 weeks . I'd put it out my mind for now till folk started going on about getting an agent to sell it etc. I'm quite happy letting it sit there for now as I don't have the time to traipse up to wales to let people view it. It'll be fine sat there fir a while . Jackie will be there to let anyone view it initially .


As I said if everyone on here who has it o their ebay watchlist would remove it that would be a big help. But obviously folk aren't doing it as it still has 100 watchers and I know most of them are folk on here

 

[Northernraider]

You make a very good point here, I always felt the engine should be the starting point, forget fridge, air con generator, lights the lot, until you can be confident that engine is going to pull you a long incline without two mile of traffic behind you, you shouldn’t spend a penny on anything else. If you can’t get that engine running smoothly the vans no good to you and it’s back to Moby. So keep Moby for now, don’t spend any money and make sure you are satisfied you can get the engine running sweet; once you have passed that milestone you will feel a lot better about splashing out on a fridge, pulling the electrics out of Moby and into the new van and letting Moby go for a little less than you want.

I don't think the engine problem is serious , it's finding it that will be the hardest part and it involves lots of trial and error and roadtests unless I get it on a diagnostic machine.

I'm doing the fridge etc at the minute as I need it to live in it.

 

[Northernraider]

Going to see the fridge in Newquay tomorrow. See what that's like.

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[1967bowesj]

I don't think the engine problem is serious , it's finding it that will be the hardest part and it involves lots of trial and error and roadtests unless I get it on a diagnostic machine.

I'm doing the fridge etc at the minute as I need it to live in it.

No rush to do anything as you need it right for you or at least how you want it for now.
The world is full of ifs and buts, take your time and your mind will come to its own answers on things then you will be comfortable with the outcome.

You could be in a lot worse place than Gary’s

 

[Dutch 68]

You make a very good point here, I always felt the engine should be the starting point, forget fridge, air con generator, lights the lot, until you can be confident that engine is going to pull you a long incline without two mile of traffic behind you, you shouldn’t spend a penny on anything else. If you can’t get that engine running smoothly the vans no good to you and it’s back to Moby. So keep Moby for now, don’t spend any money and make sure you are satisfied you can get the engine running sweet; once you have passed that milestone you will feel a lot better about splashing out on a fridge, pulling the electrics out of Moby and into the new van and letting Moby go for a little less than you want.

Any engine problem is fixable

 

[1967bowesj]

Going to see the fridge in Newquay tomorrow. See what that's like.

Bet they go lower, sold my working one for £300 so that one on gas only should come down.

The electric could even be as simple as the pcb connections on the edge of the board

Good luck with it

 

[Northernraider]

Bet they go lower, sold my working one for £300 so that one on gas only should come down.

The electric could even be as simple as the pcb connections on the edge of the board

Good luck with it

If they don't go lower I ain't buying it lol as I'd just buy a compressor fridge.

But I'll need to measure it etc see if it's going to be a straight fit or not .

 

[Northernraider]

Got some of the led bulbs today ...

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[RogerIvy]

I know eh

You'd think by how popular my threads are and how much traffic they get that offgrid power solutions RogerIvy etc would be contacting me offering me a nice discount on some victron chargers and a lithium battery lol.

Not free but surely a nice discount

But we offer everyone a nice discount

 

[Gina M]

Love it, I take it Blu is in the front seat

 

[Minxy]

It's not selling because its either too dear or the interested parties don't appreciate the off grid setup it has. If not sold by the time the 30 day listing expires which is about 18 days yet then I'll remove the victron and lithium , put cheap basic stuff in and sell it cheaper. ... or it will lie there till spring next year.

Why not do that anyway? Someone paying £15k for a MH won't expect to get such expensive kit in it anyway and are unlikely to be doing long term touring like you do, surely it makes more economic sense to remove it and use it yourself, hassle I realise to make the changes but it could save you a good bit of dosh and not really affect the value of Moby significantly.

I think it’s called “future proofing” Tam, well worth it!!
Stop skimping on YOUR HOME. Do now whilst you’re in the U.K. and can get everything, do it right, do it once

Trouble is until he knows it is a keeper for a long time throwing a load of dosh at it to 'do it right' is a bit risky, similar to putting expensive lithium etc in Moby, he did it at the time as he thought he would be keeping it a while but realised it wasn't right for his situation. I bet if he was doing Moby again he would stick with more basic and cheaper stuff, eg gel batteries.

He can still do some bits to Doc without going the whole hog which will save him having to make such a large outlay at present but allow him the flexibility to add more solar, batteries etc ,at a future date. Since the cost of lithium batteries has continually dropped by leaving it a bit longer to add more it could work out a fair bit cheaper than doing it now and in the meantime he'll be able to properly assess whether he needs more or what he did already was sufficient.

I know nothing, but I think you should take the electric stuff out of Moby & fit a compressor fridge in Doc. I’m not sure if the extra off grid is adding anything to Moby price wise? Most folk don’t appreciate it until they’ve had a van for some time, & maybe Moby is an entry level Van?

I agree, you wouldn't expect to find such 'posh' gubbings in a base price MH, no matter how good Moby is I don't think the lithium etc is adding much to his value.

 

[Minxy]

Love it, I take it Blu is in the front seat

She's probably the one shouting "lights, camera ... action"!

 

[Northernraider]

But we offer everyone a nice discount

Everyone doesn't provide so much free advertising

There's 150+ people on this thread nearly every minute of the day. Many of them guests

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[Northernraider]

Love it, I take it Blu is in the front seat

She's under the table in her bed.

But not any more ...they're all on the sofa now lol

 

[dalspa]

Going to see the fridge in Newquay tomorrow. See what that's like.

Would any parts on your fridge be salvageable for reuse on the Newquay one, such as the 240v workings. Even the door catches - I’m continually repairing mine.

 

[Northernraider]

Why not do that anyway? Someone paying £15k for a MH won't expect to get such expensive kit in it anyway and are unlikely to be doing long term touring like you do, surely it makes more economic sense to remove it and use it yourself, hassle I realise to make the changes but it could save you a good bit of dosh and not really affect the value of Moby significantly.


Trouble is until he knows it is a keeper for a long time throwing a load of dosh at it to 'do it right' is a bit risky, similar to putting expensive lithium etc in Moby, he did it at the time as he thought he would be keeping it a while but realised it wasn't right for his situation. I bet if he was doing Moby again he would stick with more basic and cheaper stuff, eg gel batteries.

He can still do some bits to Doc without going the whole hog which will save him having to make such a large outlay at present but allow him the flexibility to add more solar, batteries etc ,at a future date. Since the cost of lithium batteries has continually dropped by leaving it a bit longer to add more it could work out a fair bit cheaper than doing it now and in the meantime he'll be able to properly assess whether he needs more or what he did already was sufficient.


I agree, you wouldn't expect to find such 'posh' gubbings in a base price MH, no matter how good Moby is I don't think the lithium etc is adding much to his value.

The kit is what makes it stand out . Van prices have dropped unfortunately.

I guess the lithium adds value to folk that need it .

 

[Northernraider]

Would any parts on your fridge be salvageable for reuse on the Newquay one, such as the 240v workings. Even the door catches - I’m continually repairing mine.

No idea , probably all different as it's 15 years newer than my exsisting one.

But I'm sure it's worth something for spares.

 

[Dolmen]

Any engine problem is fixable

That’s a relief, I was worried Tam may end up having to splash out more on the engine than the van would ever be worth, plus of course the running gear, chassis, brakes suspension, hydraulics and all the other gummings that show up once you recommission a vehicle that has been standing for many years. Tam is also confident it’s easily fixed albeit difficult to diagnose so one less thing to worry about

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[Dutch 68]

That’s a relief, I was worried Tam may end up having to splash out more on the engine than the van would ever be worth, plus of course the running gear, chassis, brakes suspension, hydraulics and all the other gummings that show up once you recommission a vehicle that has been standing for many years. Tam is also confident it’s easily fixed albeit difficult to diagnose so one less thing to worry about

Many vehicles are written off as deemed uneconomical to repair , but then people forget what happens with depreciation with a newer vehicle, labour is often the big one and Tam always finds ways to minimise paid labour

 

[Northernraider]

That’s a relief, I was worried Tam may end up having to splash out more on the engine than the van would ever be worth, plus of course the running gear, chassis, brakes suspension, hydraulics and all the other gummings that show up once you recommission a vehicle that has been standing for many years. Tam is also confident it’s easily fixed albeit difficult to diagnose so one less thing to worry about

The way the van drives when it isn't in limp mode suggests that it's a good engine and box etc ...its very smooth and actually isn't bad on power. Unfortunately everytime that injector light comes on it goes in to limp mode. It is however a common problem on these ivecos but it's also a problem that could be lots of different things . A few that are easy to check others are a pain in the arse ...especially on an a class with limited engine access



That's a few possibilities

 

[Minxy]

Tam, I've been giving your situation a fair bit of thought over the past few days whilst biting my fingernails waiting for you and Garry to get your bums in gear and check out the fridge!

I'm in two minds about your fridge situation - we hated the compressor fridge in our Globecar which was noisy and power hungry so we were constantly worrying about our battery levels even though we had 2 x 85ah gels and 200w of solar, but I can also appreciate others love them and the benefits of having a simple unit with much less to go wrong does have merit. Cost is also a consideration and they are a heck of a lot cheaper than a 3-way and likely much more efficient overall. You have a lot more electric stuff to power in Doc, especially the Blackpool illuminations 'fairy' lights which you seem to love , so you're power needs are going to be more anyway.

So you add to your electric power needs by installing a compressor fridge, or keep it lower by sticking with a 3-way?

A compressor fridge is cheaper and needs little attention (no servicing etc), pretty much fit and forget so long as you can power it from your solar and/or driving and have sufficient battery storage for the 'energy'.

A 3-way is more expensive and apart from the initial cost of getting one, will still require you to install sufficient LPG cylinders to power it, more than if you only needed it for heating/water/cooking, so that cost needs to be accounted for and of course you don't get 'gas' for free as you do with electric from driving/solar.

I note you said you've got a fitted microwave which will obviously need electric power regardless of your fridge situation (not seen any gas ones ) although you do have the genny which hopefully will be able to be brought back to life and ensure you have a way to generate the energy you need for it when there isn't enough sun/driving to keep the batteries topped up.

So do you install a compressor and fit a bit more solar and battery storage, or go 3-way with less solar and battery storage but spend on more gas kit and LPG? I have to say I'm leaning toward the compressor for the simplicity of use, initial cost and the fact that even adding more battery capacity will probably cost a fair bit less than installing a second-hand 3-way (which you can't guarantee isn't gong to keel over too) and extra gas capacity.

 

[Northernraider]

Tam, I've been giving your situation a fair bit of thought over the past few days whilst biting my fingernails waiting for you and Garry to get your bums in gear and check out the fridge!

I'm in two minds about your fridge situation - we hated the compressor fridge in our Globecar which was noisy and power hungry so we were constantly worrying about our battery levels even though we had 2 x 85ah gels and 200w of solar, but I can also appreciate others love them and the benefits of having a simple unit with much less to go wrong does have merit. Cost is also a consideration and they are a heck of a lot cheaper than a 3-way and likely much more efficient overall. You have a lot more electric stuff to power in Doc, especially the Blackpool illuminations 'fairy' lights which you seem to love , so you're power needs are going to be more anyway.

So you add to your electric power needs by installing a compressor fridge, or keep it lower by sticking with a 3-way?

A compressor fridge is cheaper and needs little attention (no servicing etc), pretty much fit and forget so long as you can power it from your solar and/or driving and have sufficient battery storage for the 'energy'.

A 3-way is more expensive and apart from the initial cost of getting one, will still require you to install sufficient LPG cylinders to power it, more than if you only needed it for heating/water/cooking, so that cost needs to be accounted for and of course you don't get 'gas' for free as you do with electric from driving/solar.

I note you said you've got a fitted microwave which will obviously need electric power regardless of your fridge situation (not seen any gas ones ) although you do have the genny which hopefully will be able to be brought back to life and ensure you have a way to generate the energy you need for it when there isn't enough sun/driving to keep the batteries topped up.

So do you install a compressor and fit a bit more solar and battery storage, or go 3-way with less solar and battery storage but spend on more gas kit and LPG? I have to say I'm leaning toward the compressor for the simplicity of use, initial cost and the fact that even adding more battery capacity will probably cost a fair bit less than installing a second-hand 3-way (which you can't guarantee isn't gong to keel over too) and extra gas capacity.

I've been giving it that same thought for days now . And I'm still undecided.

I'll see how this second hand fridge looks tomorrow

 

[Barclaybasher]

The kit is what makes it stand out . Van prices have dropped unfortunately.

I guess the lithium adds value to folk that need it .

You will find someone who needs a van that they can 'live' in as well as travel - space - comfortable and sorted which Moby is.

My similar van I consider a second home

Only difference - I don't have any dogs

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[Northernraider]

Tam, I've been giving your situation a fair bit of thought over the past few days whilst biting my fingernails waiting for you and Garry to get your bums in gear and check out the fridge!

I'm in two minds about your fridge situation - we hated the compressor fridge in our Globecar which was noisy and power hungry so we were constantly worrying about our battery levels even though we had 2 x 85ah gels and 200w of solar, but I can also appreciate others love them and the benefits of having a simple unit with much less to go wrong does have merit. Cost is also a consideration and they are a heck of a lot cheaper than a 3-way and likely much more efficient overall. You have a lot more electric stuff to power in Doc, especially the Blackpool illuminations 'fairy' lights which you seem to love , so you're power needs are going to be more anyway.

So you add to your electric power needs by installing a compressor fridge, or keep it lower by sticking with a 3-way?

A compressor fridge is cheaper and needs little attention (no servicing etc), pretty much fit and forget so long as you can power it from your solar and/or driving and have sufficient battery storage for the 'energy'.

A 3-way is more expensive and apart from the initial cost of getting one, will still require you to install sufficient LPG cylinders to power it, more than if you only needed it for heating/water/cooking, so that cost needs to be accounted for and of course you don't get 'gas' for free as you do with electric from driving/solar.

I note you said you've got a fitted microwave which will obviously need electric power regardless of your fridge situation (not seen any gas ones ) although you do have the genny which hopefully will be able to be brought back to life and ensure you have a way to generate the energy you need for it when there isn't enough sun/driving to keep the batteries topped up.

So do you install a compressor and fit a bit more solar and battery storage, or go 3-way with less solar and battery storage but spend on more gas kit and LPG? I have to say I'm leaning toward the compressor for the simplicity of use, initial cost and the fact that even adding more battery capacity will probably cost a fair bit less than installing a second-hand 3-way (which you can't guarantee isn't gong to keel over too) and extra gas capacity.

In all honesty I can't see how this van can be more power hungry than the frankia I had year 1 ... it had 2 lead acid batteries In it and only 200watt solar through a cheap Chinese controller. I managed a year living in that.

Uncle Lenny HB managed In his last van for years with 2 gel batteries.

And many others manage .. I don't sit with loads of lights on , I only have heating on if it's really cold, water heater only for a shower. To wash up etc I use cold water or boil a kettle. I'm not running air fryers, coffee machines or satellite TV, etc etc . I also spend most winters in warmer climates.

In truth I prefer a 3 way fridge but yes I know a compressor fridge running of surplus electric is cost free.

I've already got lpg cylinders on board which are out of date but in perfect condition... I'll not be changing them till at least next year . If the generator works it will take off some of the pressure as the places I park it will be used when required .

I can't see how with a 3 way fridge how 300ah of lithium with 400watt of solar and a decent b2b won't be enough . But if it isn't then I'll possibly add more to it later.

 

[Northernraider]

 

[Minxy]

The kit is what makes it stand out . Van prices have dropped unfortunately.

I guess the lithium adds value to folk that need it .

Indeed it will but those buyers are likely to be quite rare, I suspect most people looking to buy at the lower end of the market just want a cheap MH to try it out or for odd trips away more locally, not for long trips for months on end, thus may see the lithium as an expensive addition that their being asked to pay for which they don't need.

 

[corconx]

The kit is what makes it stand out . Van prices have dropped unfortunately.

I guess the lithium adds value to folk that need it .

Trouble is newbys generally have no idea to start with and too scared to try off grid.

 

[Lenny HB]

The kit is what makes it stand out . Van prices have dropped unfortunately.

I guess the lithium adds value to folk that need it .

But in that price range I doubt if many prospective purchasers know what lithium is.

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