General Ducato Camper Vans

[SB1500]

My father is talking about buying a small / medium camper - even one to replace the car despite a ridiculous cost surely to run?!

Anyway, when you're looking for something like this what sort of thing do you get for £5-6,000?

What sort of things do complete amateurs need to know?

I'm told there's a LOT about on a Ducato platform

 

[rayc]

"what sort of thing do you get for £5-6,000?" The short answer is not a lot unless it is trouble you are looking for. Good ones may be out there but hard to find in that price range.


http://www.campervanlife.com/buying-camper-van

 

[CDK]

For 5-6000 you probably get something very old. There are all kinds of issues with old Ducatos, both corrosion, engine and suspension. Camper vans usually are not used for longer periods, so they develop problems that delivery vans don't.
And then there is the interior, certainly not designed to survive two decades. Replacing the fridge, heater, air conditioning or toilet is all very expensive.

 

[Peter James]

Biggest issue with an old coachbuilt motorhome is damp. Its typically constructed with a 1" square softwood frame with thin aluminium sheet on the outside and thin plywood / plastic sheet on the inside. Water ingress rots the softwood frame, which then releases chemicals that rots the aluminium outer skin. Because the rot is hidden from view, by the time the damp becomes obvious the van is scrap.

 

[SB1500]

I'm trying to explain this to him at the minute.

What is the real minimum one should spend in the used market?

And what is the ideal example of size and spec , the 'Ford Focus or Gold' of the Camper/Motorhome world that could be a safe bet for someone to get into the world of motor-homing?

 

[Crossingkeeper]

If I was entering the motorhome market again with a low budget (I made all the mistakes detailed above with my first van) I would look for a small coachbuilt AutoSleeper.

The early ones were constructed with a monocoque glassfibre body i.e. no roof joints to deteriorate though of course the cab to body seam and the window and door seals could fail.

The 'gold standard' would be a VW base but if going for a more readily available Ducato try for a post '95 base with the dashboard mounted gear lever (the earlier floor mounted gearlever's linkage is prone to wear)

NB mechanical spares for the early vans are impossible to source from Fiat; he would need to join a club or scour the web for specialist suppliers.

 

[varesecrazy]

I had a VERY tidy ducato for 6k

But it got the plastic roof damaged. And took 18 months to be fixed properly.

Look up MURVI.. Best of the rest really.

Thats what Im looking for..but Diesel and Cruise make for 8 to 12 thousand..

 

[andydiver]

Hi. To sleep how many for what trip duration? Are you happy to use a drive away or other awning? Do you need a built in shower or loo? The Ducato is an excellent Base for all sorts of options especially if you are prepared to do some diy. We found a combi for 6k, 139000 miles and 58 plate. Of course if you must have coach built the comments here are valid.

 

[blaven]

Its a brave (or foolish) person who'd expect anything decent for that money.
I've owned a MURVI Morello based on a Ducato LWB 2.8 JTD since 2007. The build year was 2003.
Unless you constantly check and re-check all the systems, things can and do go wrong.
It is, after all, a house in miniature, but subject to all the internal structures like electrics and plumbing being shaken about by the road surfaces you'll encounter during the mileage you drive.
In addition, you've got to remember that despite the excellent quality of the internal habitation build by the company, the whole package is based on a bog-standard commercial van.
These vans are built and designed to be driven into the ground and be worthless commercially after 3-4 years. Consequently the manufacturers don't bother too much about access for complex servicing and rust-proofing. All this is problematic for us who want to keep and cherish our mobile homes for many years, especially if one's on a budget and can't afford to trade up every 2 years or so.
My reading of the posts here however, make me thank my lucky stars that I have a relatively unsophisticated 2003 2.8JTD rather than anything newer with all the complications in engine managment systems, electrics and emission equipment problems.