camper van purchase

yellowbeetle

Hi, I am new here and I accidentally started this thread under the FETAC heading, anyway think im in the right place now.:eek:
I need some advice about an1985 Toyota Hiace camper van.
Is 137000 miles high for a petrol engine of that age and would it be a classic next year.
Thanks for any advice.

elaverty

yellowbeetle wrote: »

Hi, I am new here and I accidentally started this thread under the FETAC heading, anyway think im in the right place now.:eek:
I need some advice about an1985 Toyota Hiace camper van.
Is 137000 miles high for a petrol engine of that age and would it be a classic next year.
Thanks for any advice.

It depends on how well its been minded,,,in theory a Toyota Hiace was/is a great reliable van,,but as i said depends how well its been maintained,,,timeingbelt change,rusty/rotten chassi etc...if in any doubt bring a mechanic with you to give it the once over,,any vehicle of that age would have the potential to be a disaster,,,,If in doubt ask the seller to run it through a DOE and take it from here,,,or atleast get it onto a lift and have a good luck under neath her...

spaceHopper

I have a Jap import Hiace camper but it's a diesle. It all depends was it always a camper or is it a converted van, if it was used comericall around a city, stop starting carry loads the it could be nackered... Has it been clocked.
I it was alway a camper the chances are it's done a lot of long trips which could do it no real harm.

Mine has a 2.8 lrt engine so doesn't break a sweat and is never under pressure so less wear. The bad side is it drinks, can you afford to fill it up or will you be thinking twice before going away.
Don't worry about a clasic - camper tax is 88 euros don't know about up nort?

Where are you, up nort? There is a cracking van on gumtree.ie that is on a UK reg for just 2300 euros, but as it's so cheap I'd run a reg check on it just to be on the safe side.

http://dublin.gumtree.ie/c-Cars-and-vehicles-for-Sale-Camervans-Caravans-1994-RHD-T4-2-4L-5-cylinder-Diesel-47-600-miles-W0QQAdIdZ291992257

Macy0161

yellowbeetle wrote: »

and would it be a classic next year.

You'd have to look into it, but as far as I'm aware it was a rolling 30 years, until they stopped it at 1980!

Irishgoatman

Macy0161 wrote: »

You'd have to look into it, but as far as I'm aware it was a rolling 30 years, until they stopped it at 1980!

Macy0161 is partially right.

Vehicles older than 01/01/80 do not require a N.C.T.

Vehicles more than 30 yrs. old, no V.R.T. to pay and road tax of 48euro per year.

Do you not think the mileage on the camper is high for a petrol engine?.
My camper is a 1986 Bedford Romahome petrol but it only had 68odd thousand, genuine miles on the clock. And, with just one missing, I have all the English M.O.T. certs. plus other documents. I get about 32 mpg on a good run (with a following wind).:eek:

paddyp

Its getting harder to get anything from that era hiace that hasn't gone to africa.

Funny story about that actually. There was an african guy came around our area last year hoovering up all the toyoto stuff going very nice fella. Anyway the neighbour had a wreck of a 87 hiace with fecked engine he had been using for a turf shed for 10 years the guy gave him €250 for it.

Neighbour then offered him a and battered but running perfectly transit for free without even seeing it the guy just started roaring laughing at the thought of it no no no no, no thanks hahaha no thanks hahaha. They really don't rate the ford stuff do they.

Irishgoatman

At one time, in England, all Fords were known as "Dagenham Dustbins".:D

Rightly so if you happened to get a friday afternoon or monday morning made one.

DVD2009

Hiace is no no.if u want parts u will have to send to Africa 4 them.

spaceHopper

DVD2009 wrote: »

Hiace is no no.if u want parts u will have to send to Africa 4 them.

You don't need parts they don't break down - sais he hopeing not to jinx it touch wood .....

Mine's got the same engine as the hilux that top gear lost at sea, set fire to and blew up and was still going

it's also got a small about of rust that I want to get treated soon

paddyp

spaceHopper wrote: »

You don't need parts they don't break down - sais he hopeing not to jinx it touch wood .....

Mine's got the same engine as the hilux that top gear lost at sea, set fire to and blew up and was still going

it's also got a small about of rust that I want to get treated soon

They're pretty reliable alright, I just saw the van the op was talking about on donedeal and it looks very clean and the guy just knocked 500 euro off the price looks very cheap even with vrt on top.

yellowbeetle

Thanks everyone, The van is a long drive to go look at , up in Armagh, wonder why 500 was knocked off? Is the new Vrt 200 from May 2011 or am I confusing with something else

Buford T Justice

yellowbeetle wrote: »

Thanks everyone, The van is a long drive to go look at , up in Armagh, wonder why 500 was knocked off? Is the new Vrt 200 from May 2011 or am I confusing with something else

You're thinking of commercial VRT. Read the thread in my sig about VRT.

paddyp

yellowbeetle wrote: »

Thanks everyone, The van is a long drive to go look at , up in Armagh, wonder why 500 was knocked off? Is the new Vrt 200 from May 2011 or am I confusing with something else

Sold. You'd hardly get a playhouse for the kids for that money.