What To Look For In Older Motorhomes?

[OldHaggis]

'Ello you lot,

We're looking for an older motorhome like a 80's-90's Talbot or Fiat or even a Ford Transit.

The proper type not the ones that are like a modified van.

So we've seen loads, and looked at a few and I'd like to know what things to look out for with them, were there any things that those typs were prone for back then?

Obviously damp and those kind of things, are there specific places I should be looking for damp in?
Also as far as the chassis goes, I know cars and vans, but are there any prone places in which they rotted most?

Is there an engine to stay away from?

Anymore advice would be great too,
Thanks!

 

[Mrsambulancekidd]

We are happy with our old girl, she is 27 this year.
We have been very lucky with the condition, she has only needed one small area of welding in the cab/wheel arch area.
Robert has done so much that brings her right up to date as far as day to day use goes.
I really hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[Figaro]

Roof seals and window seals are common weak spots. Spongy floors and lower internal walls also.
I read on here of roof aluminium corrossion causing leaks, I think it was the dimpled type and the dips had rotted away to leave lots of very small holes
Chassis also needs looking at closely.
Engines of that vintage are pretty robust and simple tech, but likely high mileage so may need rebuild ?
Good luck with your search, in resources there is a very useful buyers guide

 

[Figaro]

We are happy with our old girl, she is 28 this year.
We have been very lucky with the condition, she has only needed one small area of welding in the cab/wheel arch area.
Robert has done so much that brings her right up to date as far as day to day use goes.
I really hope you find what you are looking for.
View attachment 582929View attachment 582930

That looks a stunner

 

[OldHaggis]

Roof seals and window seals are common weak spots. Spongy floors and lower internal walls also.
I read on here of roof aluminium corrossion causing leaks, I think it was the dimpled type and the dips had rotted away to leave lots of very small holes
Chassis also needs looking at closely.
Engines of that vintage are pretty robust and simple tech, but likely high mileage so may need rebuild ?
Good luck with your search, in resources there is a very useful buyers guide

Thanks I'll be looking for all those.

I've heard of a damp meter is that a real thing or some kind of jargon you lot use?

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[Mrsambulancekidd]

That looks a stunner

Thank you, she isn't bad for an old girl at all, the dealer we bought her from said we would end up keeping her and he was right.
She needed updating, but the previous owners had looker after her well.

 

[OldHaggis]

Thank you, she isn't bad for an old girl at all, the dealer we bought her from said we would end up keeping her and he was right.
She needed updating, but the previous owners had looker after her well.

Yeah she is exeptional well done!

 

[Mrsambulancekidd]

Yeah she is exeptional well done!

Thank you, wishing you happy hunting.
Another good point about 'Peggy' is that she has GRP sides, so that is maybe something to bear in mind.

 

[Figaro]

Thanks I'll be looking for all those.

I've heard of a damp meter is that a real thing or some kind of jargon you lot use?

You can indeed buy a damp meter
There are two types, cheap ones have two prongs to poke into things that leave holes
Or more expensive ones use magic to register moisture when pointed at something you wish to test and are by far the best type.
Check out screwfix or toolstation --- Edit --- forget these sellers, just had a look and they don't seem to have much and none of the contactless ones

 

[rolosroller]

Thanks I'll be looking for all those.

I've heard of a damp meter is that a real thing or some kind of jargon you lot use?

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[Southdowners]

Damp meters are real and widely available

 

[68c]

Yes, a damp meter is real. It is usually a small box with a couple of very small protruding pins. You press the pins against the suspect area, press a button and a battery sends a low voltage to the pins, if there is any damp the meter detects the current flow and displays it on a screen. That display may be labelled as % but in truth best to think of it as an indication rather than a scientific fact. Cheap on Ebay, sScrewfix or Toolstation. Get one and play around with known bits of damp wood from the garden and known dry bits. Then survey your van keeping a map of what you find. Think about where damp is likely to arise, under windows, along body seams etc. It is not the actual reading that matters rather how it differs from other areas. Doing a regular survey will highlight areas that are becoming damper. Try to avoid paranoia, areas over the sink or kettle may well be damper as will summer versus winter surveys. You breathe out water mist which will rise and condense on the cooler roof areas, a gas hob also gives off moisture. Please realise no van is really dry as there are so many ventilation ports, it is not a sealed box otherwise you would suffocate.

 

[Winger]

I’ve sent you a pm with details of a Talbot Autosleeper Talisman that a friend of mine is selling due to I’ll health. It’s in Birmingham area

 

[OldHaggis]

You can indeed buy a damp meter
There are two types, cheap ones have two prongs to poke into things that leave holes
Or more expensive ones use magic to register moisture when pointed at something you wish to test and are by far the best type.
Check out screwfix or toolstation --- Edit --- forget these sellers, just had a look and they don't seem to have much and none of the contactless ones

Thank you I'll have a look!

Yes, a damp meter is real. It is usually a small box with a couple of very small protruding pins. You press the pins against the suspect area, press a button and a battery sends a low voltage to the pins, if there is any damp the meter detects the current flow and displays it on a screen. That display may be labelled as % but in truth best to think of it as an indication rather than a scientific fact. Cheap on Ebay, sScrewfix or Toolstation. Get one and play around with known bits of damp wood from the garden and known dry bits. Then survey your van keeping a map of what you find. Think about where damp is likely to arise, under windows, along body seams etc. It is not the actual reading that matters rather how it differs from other areas. Doing a regular survey will highlight areas that are becoming damper. Try to avoid paranoia, areas over the sink or kettle may well be damper as will summer versus winter surveys. You breathe out water mist which will rise and condense on the cooler roof areas, a gas hob also gives off moisture. Please realise no van is really dry as there are so many ventilation ports, it is not a sealed box otherwise you would suffocate.

Thanks, so I've got a rough idea already and I know winter will be more damper than summer, which is why we were going to buy in the winter because I thoguht it would be easier to see problem spots where as in summer it would probably be dry due to the hotter weather, is that right?

Also what level of dampness should I be worried about in a potential motorhome?

I’ve sent you a pm with details of a Talbot Autosleeper Talisman that a friend of mine is selling due to I’ll health. It’s in Birmingham area

Thanks I'll have a look now.

 

[63720]

IMO 2 things to look out for are damp and rust anything else can be fixed.

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[rosalan]

Best damp meter is your nose! If the van or any locker smells anything but sweet, walk away. Then use a damp meter as advised in all the corners first where the air is static. The floor in some models has been known to harber problems. As bacteria form in damp conditions, I repeat your nose should pick up decaying bacteria. Do not think about repairing damp unless you have deep pockets or the knowledge and skills to do so. Good luck!

 

[OldHaggis]

Best damp meter is your nose! If the van or any locker smells anything but sweet, walk away. Then use a damp meter as advised in all the corners first where the air is static. The floor in some models has been known to harber problems. As bacteria form in damp conditions, I repeat your nose should pick up decaying bacteria. Do not think about repairing damp unless you have deep pockets or the knowledge and skills to do so. Good luck!

Thanks, that's what I've been doing so far, I've noticed that 99% of people have air freshners which to me means they're trying to get rid of smells. Having said that the use of air freshners could also just mean they want a nice smelling motorhome haha.

 

[Spriddler]

Check the MOT history of the base vehicle.

Check the MOT history of a vehicle

Check the MOT history of a vehicle from 2005 onwards, including if it passed or failed, its mileage and why it failed, download MOT test certificate

www.gov.uk

 

[Trikeman]

We had an old Kon-tiki 640 and it was fantastic (could sit on the roof with deck chairs) it truly was great. Ours had the turbo motor and wait for it,,,,,,,, power steering!
Only one small problem did we have with it and that was and injector pipe break.
Really had fun in our old Connie.

 

[OldHaggis]

We had an old Kon-tiki 640 and it was fantastic (could sit on the roof with deck chairs) it truly was great. Ours had the turbo motor and wait for it,,,,,,,, power steering!
Only one small problem did we have with it and that was and injector pipe break.
Really had fun in our old Connie.

That sounds like a blast haha we’ve seen a few with roofs like that!

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[OldHaggis]

So we’ve noticed a lot of the bathrooms look quite tatty, we don’t mind how they look because we can change that but what should we expect moisture wise? Given that is the wettest room in a motor home I assume they’re designed to cope with constant dampness.
Almost all of the ones we’ve seen so far smell damp in the toilet/shower room but how do we tell if it’s because it’s from just always being wet in there or if there’s a damp issue in there? Aside of course from the obvious walls falling apart and roof falling in haha.

 

[Jamesh]

I'd be looking at a turbo engine a naturally aspirated diesel will be soooo slow!

A 2.5tdi VW transporter based one would be my choice about £10-15k, unless you need more space.

Cheers James

 

[OldHaggis]

I'd be looking at a turbo engine a naturally aspirated diesel will be soooo slow!

A 2.5tdi VW transporter based one would be my choice about £10-15k, unless you need more space.

Cheers James

Thanks James we’d agree with you we really like VW however they’re all well out of our starting budget. We’re looking to spend sort of 6k max on our first one for now until we can upgrade. It’s all about getting one soon to make memories before the kids grow up lol.

 

[Figaro]

Thanks James we’d agree with you we really like VW however they’re all well out of our starting budget. We’re looking to spend sort of 6k max on our first one for now until we can upgrade. It’s all about getting one soon to make memories before the kids grow up lol.

There are some bargains to be had within that budget, Tam Northernraider bagged one last summer for his winter trip

 

[Jamesh]

Thanks James we’d agree with you we really like VW however they’re all well out of our starting budget. We’re looking to spend sort of 6k max on our first one for now until we can upgrade. It’s all about getting one soon to make memories before the kids grow up lol.

Fair enough VW are smaller too so not much bigger than a pvc.

I suggest the only real issue is rust both fiat and transits rust around he cab.

Anything else engine / coachwork can be fixed easily enough if your handy. Also they don't tend to go damp overnight so you can enjoy over the summer and fix any issues in the autumn.

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[Jamesh]

There are some bargains to be had within that budget, Tam Northernraider bagged one last summer for his winter trip

Currently sat waiting for its owner to be released from a Bulgaria nick..... !

 

[Kybod]

On a Fiat / Peugeot base, the front cross member attached to the front chassis and is a mounting for the radiator does rot.
The good news it is bolted on and relatively cheap to buy.
Mine is now 23 years old and I needed to replace the cross member a couple of years ago.
Mike

 

[OldHaggis]

On a Fiat / Peugeot base, the front cross member attached to the front chassis and is a mounting for the radiator does rot.
The good news it is bolted on and relatively cheap to buy.
Mine is now 23 years old and I needed to replace the cross member a couple of years ago.
Mike

Thanks for that tip!

 

[OldHaggis]

Fair enough VW are smaller too so not much bigger than a pvc.

I suggest the only real issue is rust both fiat and transits rust around he cab.

Anything else engine / coachwork can be fixed easily enough if your handy. Also they don't tend to go damp overnight so you can enjoy over the summer and fix any issues in the autumn.

Well engines are my hobby so I’m not massively worried about that it’s more the back end I don’t know a lot about, thanks

 

[Itsmcb]

We are happy with our old girl, she is 27 this year.
We have been very lucky with the condition, she has only needed one small area of welding in the cab/wheel arch area.
Robert has done so much that brings her right up to date as far as day to day use goes.
I really hope you find what you are looking for.
View attachment 582929View attachment 582930

Great vans these, mine is a 1996. Bought it as a trial into motorhoming and still have it 6 years later. Mine has the original 'graphics' (if you can call them that) but I like what you have done with yours