Think before buy !
- Thread starter Jonesy123
- Start date
Good job you had something else hot in your hand!!!
Well, she may have been surprised! In fairness, it’s the only raise the NHS might see this year
Have relatives in the NHS, Police and teaching. Not many complain (more than anyone else) about pay but the abuse they have to put up with is just shocking. I left local authority work for that reason. You do the job primarily to try and help, to ‘give something back’… the pay isn’t great but it’s good enough usually, but when you try and help and get abuse every single day, from absolutely clueless folk that do sweet FA for anyone else throughout their lives, it takes it’s toll. Those that stick at it get my respect and sympathy.
Spot on Lu. She feels as you did.
She's risen the ranks in critical care and is now an advanced critical care practitioner, aka mini doc.
Her worst job was at the Birmingham childrens hospital, when they 'lost' a patient it was also the grief of the parents she brought home with her, her average patient now has at least lived a life, I'm proud of her.
I sell happy things to generally happy people, I don't feel I have worked a day in my life in comparison, my own business for 20 years and I'm 'out to pasture' now working for a big independent, I haven't lived, or maybe just lucky?!
We love our van, we thought before we bought, it's our escape!
And we're back on track!
I wish she had a better sense of her worth!
An entertaining post @Jonesy123 with an important dash of reality for anyone considering “van life”. We are 2 years in now and very glad that we (1) went with a new T6.1 conversion rather than a romantic purchase of an older van (2) avoided the trend towards lowered suspension and massive alloys (3) included a diesel heater for those colder nights and (4) also bought a pop up toilet tent and bivvy loo to avoid those dark treks across a campsite in the middle of the night (this may have been a few trips into our campervan travels 
) Practicality and usability were our watchwords when specifying and we think we got most of it right, but it’s a minefield out there and so easy to get dragged into things that look fabulous. I would also add (5) delighted I came across this forum which I found to be a fabulous and helpful community for anyone seriously thinking about buying a campervan and looking for practical advice.
) Practicality and usability were our watchwords when specifying and we think we got most of it right, but it’s a minefield out there and so easy to get dragged into things that look fabulous. I would also add (5) delighted I came across this forum which I found to be a fabulous and helpful community for anyone seriously thinking about buying a campervan and looking for practical advice.
Here is another way of doing it...
I would love a camper but for the time being I need an occasional 2nd vehicle, a mtb/bike mule, camping vehicle, long trips across Europe vehicle. So what to buy? For the past two vehicles I have had new Mits L200's and kept the first for 12 years and the second on purchased 9m old in 2017 was a brilliant vehicle with an hard top on the back. I loved driving it but....
Every service (considering I was doing 4~5k miles pa), cost between £1k and £2k worst case on a relatively new vehicle with less than 40k miles on it. SO I bought an old Caravelle. Its a 140k miles (now, was 130k miles) 4motion dsg, Bitdi (and that a whole thread/conversation on itself) with a full leather interior, one business owner from new.
This was and is my plan: buy an old Caravelle as primary its a second vehicle, I couldnt afford or want to afford a t6/61 Caravelle as I was buying it cash with the money I got for the last L200. Anything I have done on this van has been cash, so on the cheap/carefull and for the first time in 35 years I am back on the DIY spanners (as much as possible for the fun project and to save money possibly). Its been brilliant. I have gradually been through the suspension and brakes last year. I found Retro Resus in Taunton to help with the dodgy engine and we spent a little bit on it and full engine, DSG, 4motion service, new DPF and blocked EGR etc. New clip on tent and few other camping items and we did more camping last year than we have ever done. We went to Wales hiking and mtbing fully loaded, we went on holiday for two weeks in North Wales and Anglesea and then finally we drove to the French Alps at NY. Its been a fun year.
My plan was always get the mechanics good first, and then spend on the nice items, so the final piece of the jigsaw is a new VW engine by Retro Resus next month. Its not what the van is worth, but what its worth to us, ie to replace it with a newer low milage 4motion Caravelle will cost a lot (and being 4motion Caravelle it will always be a dodgy bitdi). This thing is like new underneath and drives amazing, the whole family love it. Better the devil you know right? And drive it until I am told I cant and in the meantime save up for the replacement or maybe a SA import T3 syncro 5 pot camper project?????
We have two trips planned this summer to Ventoux with bikes and then Corfu and back, a week in a nice place with extended family and then a long drive, occasional camp and staying in Northern Italy for a week, whole trip will be three weeks plus. I know this vehicle back to front and with a new engine it will be tip-top condition. Next year maybe we make it more friendly inside, maybe a Ovano and pop-top, we will see... Long live Fr.Jack! I bloody love my old dented van
I would love a camper but for the time being I need an occasional 2nd vehicle, a mtb/bike mule, camping vehicle, long trips across Europe vehicle. So what to buy? For the past two vehicles I have had new Mits L200's and kept the first for 12 years and the second on purchased 9m old in 2017 was a brilliant vehicle with an hard top on the back. I loved driving it but....
Every service (considering I was doing 4~5k miles pa), cost between £1k and £2k worst case on a relatively new vehicle with less than 40k miles on it. SO I bought an old Caravelle. Its a 140k miles (now, was 130k miles) 4motion dsg, Bitdi (and that a whole thread/conversation on itself) with a full leather interior, one business owner from new.
This was and is my plan: buy an old Caravelle as primary its a second vehicle, I couldnt afford or want to afford a t6/61 Caravelle as I was buying it cash with the money I got for the last L200. Anything I have done on this van has been cash, so on the cheap/carefull and for the first time in 35 years I am back on the DIY spanners (as much as possible for the fun project and to save money possibly). Its been brilliant. I have gradually been through the suspension and brakes last year. I found Retro Resus in Taunton to help with the dodgy engine and we spent a little bit on it and full engine, DSG, 4motion service, new DPF and blocked EGR etc. New clip on tent and few other camping items and we did more camping last year than we have ever done. We went to Wales hiking and mtbing fully loaded, we went on holiday for two weeks in North Wales and Anglesea and then finally we drove to the French Alps at NY. Its been a fun year.
My plan was always get the mechanics good first, and then spend on the nice items, so the final piece of the jigsaw is a new VW engine by Retro Resus next month. Its not what the van is worth, but what its worth to us, ie to replace it with a newer low milage 4motion Caravelle will cost a lot (and being 4motion Caravelle it will always be a dodgy bitdi). This thing is like new underneath and drives amazing, the whole family love it. Better the devil you know right? And drive it until I am told I cant and in the meantime save up for the replacement or maybe a SA import T3 syncro 5 pot camper project?????
We have two trips planned this summer to Ventoux with bikes and then Corfu and back, a week in a nice place with extended family and then a long drive, occasional camp and staying in Northern Italy for a week, whole trip will be three weeks plus. I know this vehicle back to front and with a new engine it will be tip-top condition. Next year maybe we make it more friendly inside, maybe a Ovano and pop-top, we will see... Long live Fr.Jack! I bloody love my old dented van
ksm1701
Member
+1 on this. We hired a SWB for 4 nights camping on a mini road trip before deciding to look into buying and converting. On returning the van we chatted with the owner about how the experience was. After saying we felt a little cramped with two adults, two kids and a beagle (+ all the tent camping crap we could fit in) they advised us to go down the LWB route and I can definitely say that small bit of extra length (oo-er missus) has made a huge difference to the 'feel' inside the van for us. Now the kids are teens and much bigger we still feel we have the room to comfortably accommodate all four of us and the dog.Just remember…It’s the van that takes you on the journey….Hire before you buy is great advice……there are too many out there that want to take your money and sell you a dream…..Make sure it’s your dream
I had 3 months away in my van off site over the last winter, didn’t regret a single day.
No planning other than the odd desperate search for water, 10 minutes of ‘housekeeping’ / day and minimal online bllx to distract from the more important things in life.
Doing much the same next winter.
No planning other than the odd desperate search for water, 10 minutes of ‘housekeeping’ / day and minimal online bllx to distract from the more important things in life.
Doing much the same next winter.
Did you not know she is alloy rim tester!
In CC2 and CRS we trust! Oh, and fingers crossed...Did you not know she is alloy rim tester!
