i wanna buy a vw campervan

georgeyoggy

hello all
Was hoping someone could help. DH has been desperate to buy one of these for ages. Anyone know any good places to look? We keep trawling ebay etc, but he wants one to do up himself. All the searches I do just comes up with restorers or hire companys.
Thanks for reading

albalad

not sure where you are based , but .......... if i remember correctly is there not a street or corner somewhere in london where people ( a lot of Australian travellers etc) sell these before they fly home ? or have i just made that up
alternatively what about autotrader, or try picking up a copy of mmm

carolbee

we used to see them for sale along the Embankment in London, near the old County Hall

otv

https://www.classycampers.com

JennyB

oh i would definitely suggest volksworld magazine. You can get it in newsagents - it's all about classic volkswagens. Their classifieds are very good and some if not all are available online - http://www.volksworld.com/

good luck! got a beetle myself and would love a camper but can't afford it (and already have two cars!). my dream camper is a samba but they're very expensive.

JennyB

just noticed you're looking to do one up - volksworld also advertise ones in need of restoration but also check out local beetle garages - you'd be amazed at how many there are once you start looking (or maybe that's just where i live!). they will have very good contacts and may even be selling some themselves. will also be mine of information during your project. best way to find is probably to ask around - for example at local parts shops and just people you know with vws. also check out vw meets - there's load of them, like bugjam - http://www.bugjam.co.uk/ which you've just missed. pick up a copy of volksworld to find out when your nearest is.

choose very carefully as even the ones in need of restoration can be expensive and a bad one can turn into a money pit. i restored my beetle and it was very expensive and actually not really that fun, but that's another story.

JennyB

just to clarify by "local beetle garages" i mean the one-man-band kind of affairs rather than vw main dealers! and for part specialists i mean places like autocavan (who I think are now called something else) - vw part specialists. ok that's my last post.

tawnyowls

Not much help if your heart is really, really set on a VW, but what about looking at Japanese grey imports, such as the Mazda Bongo (or Freda), Toyota Lucida (Previa/Estima), which are along the same lines and usually a lot easier to find?

georgeyoggy

hiya
Thanks for the replys..:)
Jenny B.... didn't think of looking in beetle garages. We thought of going to bugjam but couldn't get babysitters for the 4 kids!! Last time we went was 1996 it was great!! Our friends go every year!!!
DH wants to restore one..has always wanted to...at the minute he does motorcycles. I expect it to be a bit of a money drain...did you see that program on sky about the campervan restoration? Think the bloke said he spent atleast £24k :eek:
tawnyowls.....thanks for the idea...can't change dh mind now..has been bugging me to agree to buy a camper for the past 10 years!! The idea is it will be more fun than the espace we have now...need all the seats for the 4 kiddies and space for lucy the labrador!!:rotfl:

BungleGirl

Also worth a look is https://www.volkszone.com/VZi and then go to classifieds (cars for sale) and https://www.dubs4sale.com Ebay has quite a few but you need to be able to get to see the van before you bid as you just can't tell the condition from photos. Many vans are 'tarted up' to sell and may look pretty but it only takes a few months for the rust bubbles to start appearing through the paintwork and what you really want is a solid chassis.

If you want to go to a show it has to be https://www.vanfest.org but that is only two weeks away - it's fine to take the kids there is plenty for them to do. It's a good place to go to overdose on old VW's but not a good place to buy as they tend to be overpriced - people get cought up in the excitement of it all and pay over the odds for the vans for sale there. If you want to do it up it is well worth a visit as you will get to wander around the parts sellers and get an idea of the cost of 'bits' and pick up price lists and catalogues. You will also find thousands of people who will talk VW's to you until the cows come home! If you have a tent or can borrow one just pack up the car and head there for a great weekend. I hope to be going myself...can't wait! It's £17 per adult and kids upp to 17 are free - this includes two nights camping - not sure if it costs more if you just turn up and don't book in advance though.

I've had mine (Bungle - hence my user name!) for about four years now and love him - he took us to France and Scotland last year, Cornwall the year before and this year too - the kids love him, in fact we threw a 30th birthday party for him two years ago, invited 40 guests, had campevan birthday cake and a champagne toast...okay I'm sounding a bit mental now:eek: