Scrap (sell?) or fix dilemma

Jackmydad

Seems to me that with a large hole in the chassis, that will most likely be a lot larger by the time the rust is removed, and probably other rust problems, it'd be a waste of time taking it for an MOT.
As it's chassis then it really wants a proper repair doing by someone who actually knows what they're doing. Whether the vehicle is worth paying out for that sort of work is another matter.
As Adrian C says you can get some sort of patch up job done, but that's a year or two at most.

If you've been told that "it's dangerous" how about scrapping it where you are, and getting back some other way?

Herzlos

I think you've got a few options:



The legal and cheap one: Find the nearest scrap yard to where you are now, drive it there and sell it. Find another way home.

The legal and expensive one: Find a suitable garage near to where you are now and get them to repair it.



The dodgy and elaborate one: Drive it home and then sell it on eBay/gumtree as spares/repairs. It's possible someone will pay you more than scrap for the parts. Someone might want one as a cheap site-office or shed or something.



If you're selling it in the UK, you're unlikely to get more than scrap + the fuel and ferry costs.


It's almost certainly illegal driving a dangerous vehicle from Italy, and there's every chance you won't make it before a catastrophic failure.


The dodgy and easy one: Abandon it somewhere and go home. It'll eventually get stolen or impounded and you'll potentially get a fine in about it, but then it's done.

Where's it registered?


If it was me, I'd be looking to scrap or sell it in Italy and then fly home.

Bigphil1474

OP, try selling it with a full description of condition. Some one might want it as a DIY project, or to stick in a field somewhere. If it's not worth you having it fixed, best get rid imo.

MPescatore

Mutton_Geoff wrote: »

Good point, but more concerning is the OP is already aware of serious issues and intends to drive it on UK roads. Even if that was from the ferry terminal to the nearest MOT station.

The test is there for a reason, I wouldn’t like to drive a vehicle with serious structural rust, you don’t know what might happen in an accident.

Insurance cover would also be queried if the vehicle was not in a roadworthy condition. I’d find a layby in France and buy a box of allumettes.

Again, thanks everyone - it's all really useful.

This particular post takes me to my previous post.. (I can't post links apparently - it was a query about MOT fraud - thread number 76280516 if anyone's especially interested... it's my only other post here).

So, assuming this hole is so bad... (I'm no expert so can't honestly say if it's actually 'dangerous' or not... someone just told me that... He also told me if I'm driving to the UK to 'take it easy - it'll be fine on flat but be careful with potholed roads'... so... is it 'dangerous' or not?) Essentially, if it was passed under a year ago, how on earth was something so serious not picked up??

I'll expand a little - the garage I'm taking it to is the same garage as last year. I'm curious as to what they're actually going to say. I understand there's no chance after such a period of going after MOT fraud, but I just want to let this play out and see where we are.

As far as the risk goes, sure, I get it. I'm almost back now and from ferry to garage is really not far.

Thanks again everyone.

AdrianC

Honestly, by the sound of that, I wouldn't be driving it further than round the corner. And even that carefully.

Any chance of some photos of the area in question?

Other thread:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6048863/possible-mot-fraud

Foxtrot Oscar's first reply there tells you everything you need to know. The MOT is a snapshot in time, and you can complain for 28 days, three months for corrosion. After that, nope.

Frankly, I think there's some chinese whispers in there. If there "were no glow plugs" (i'm assuming it actually is diesel), it'd be damn near impossible to start from cold. And I don't just mean a little bit more churning than you'd expect. I mean not a sausage for ages.

PAS pipes? So long as they aren't actively leaking at the time of the test.
Back suspension? What "collapsed"? I'd presume it's just a pair of cart springs on there, but it may differ depending on how the motorhome's constructed - some will be on the original Fiat chassis-cab structure or even just a van conversion, some will be on aftermarket chassis. Not exactly complex. This is the entirety of the rear suspension from one of those...

Just three mounting points each side.

lincroft1710

What is the external and internal condition of the "home" part. I'm presuming it's a coachbuilt rather than van conversion. I would echo a previous poster, advertise it stating all known faults and see what response you get.

Belenus

MPescatore wrote: »

So, my problem is this:

I've been told 'it's dangerous'

I'm driving it back from Italy right now

You could have a much bigger problem if, while driving it, you have a failure that causes serious injury or death and the Italian, Swiss, French or UK police find out that you knew it was dangerous.

Take the advice given by many above and leave it in Italy or wherever you are right now.

Herzlos wrote: »

...It's almost certainly illegal driving a dangerous vehicle from Italy, and there's every chance you won't make it before a catastrophic failure....

...If it was me, I'd be looking to scrap or sell it in Italy and then fly home.

Well said.

MPescatore

Hello all

I just thought I'd add this tale's denouement as it's a real curiosity...

So, first, the van made it back. All 2000+ km of it, no problem. Parked up on a residential street. Quiet one. Went to do some stuff for a couple of days, returned and...

Someone had driven into it. Unbelievable. Fortunately the offending vehicle was still at the site, and some door-knocking informed me it was a 93 year old lady.

The van was then towed, assessed, and... written off. The day before its MOT. Unbelievable.

Thanks again for everyone's advice, and all the best with all your own circumstances, whatever they are.

Robisere

Almost forty years ago, my brother had a VW Type 2 van and bought a Type 2 coach-built camper. The van was MOT tested and was fine, had been steamed, dried and waxoyled by me from new. It sailed through an MOT test and I had also maintained it. (I never tested any family vehicles myself, because I thought that was wrong.)

The camper was a different story, it was in a dangerous condition and would have cost a fortune to get through an MOT, having had a hard life. However, all the interior furnishings and domestic items were in very good, clean condition. So I made a camper out of both vehicles, then rebuilt the donor van's engine and sold it, along with the gearbox and lots of other bits: that was my payment from big brother. Brother had a good few years of holidays with my SIL and nephew, before cancer claimed him at 59. He left the camper to my nephew, who got a very good trade in on a more modern motorhome. The camper was still going strong when traded in.

MPescatore, is the interior of that old camper still good? if so, there is always someone looking for bits to make their own camper from a van, just like I did for my brother.

Nobbie1967

MPescatore wrote: »

Hello all

I just thought I'd add this tale's denouement as it's a real curiosity...

So, first, the van made it back. All 2000+ km of it, no problem. Parked up on a residential street. Quiet one. Went to do some stuff for a couple of days, returned and...

Someone had driven into it. Unbelievable. Fortunately the offending vehicle was still at the site, and some door-knocking informed me it was a 93 year old lady.

The van was then towed, assessed, and... written off. The day before its MOT. Unbelievable.

Thanks again for everyone's advice, and all the best with all your own circumstances, whatever they are.

Hope the old lady was OK, but otherwise it sounds like a fortunate result. What did they pay out for the van?