LFGSS Camper Van owners?

It was nice for about an hour while we faffed about drinking tea and getting ready. Clouded over as soon as we set off! Touring the north island at the moment, heading south in spring.

Anyone converted a Delica as a camper? I'll soon be in the market for one.

Something not quite as silly as this

I've just changed jobs. This Mercedes is redundant at my new work and is for sale at £2800. If anyone is interested I can find out more. White Waltham.

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Check the Gross Vehicle Weight, axle weight on the Ambulance, some of the standard body types are over 3ton before you add on the weight of power pack & frame for the stretcher lift (which can cope with motorcycles)
The wide body coachbuilt units tend to be over 3.5t and need a C1 7.5t licence to drive.
Good base for converting though.

You should totally go for it. Looks like this could have air suspension but you might get a similar result with coilovers which I've fitted on my vw. Is there a 'scene' for these so you can get advice as to what works / doesn't?

I've now started looking at Nissan Elgrands...

Is it a bit......?

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@gabes if you can afford it you could look at a vw California beach. Otherwise vw t4s, t5s and merc vitos make good base vehicles. I assume you want to keep the bikes inside so look at the cost of a pop top roof to sleep in and coilover suspension to raise the ride height. Slidepods are pretty good, camping stove and water units that lock on to the flooring rails, which you'll need to secure the bikes anyway. What's your total budget?

I'd maybe add to that Toyota Hiace's as a good base van. I had a T4 for a few years, they are a bit spendy as they hold their value - I spent a few months in a Toyota Hiace in Oz and it was a great van and they may be a little cheaper.

Quite a few Delica owners down here in the SW - I was tempted by one myself but went for a dull repmobile instead.

The Mazda Bongo scene seems much bigger though, loads down in Bristol. I think the usual warnings apply with these: watch out for bodged conversions and utterly knackered imports which did spacecraft mileages before arriving here.

Nah! The elgrand is all class, with a Skyline engine in it. A lot of VWs on the road are a bit ^ too.

I'm torn, I like them, but the running costs wont be cheap, and potential hassle of grey imports and getting parts.

I want an El Grand. Way nicer to be in than a VW transporter and half the price.

Embrace the bling.

I bet they won't be loads more to run if you're just using it for trips rather than a daily commuter.

a Skyline engine

Wtf!

Yeah, I don't commute, I work from home. I drive my car about twice a month. Would be for trips only basically.

A drive to scotland (from Devon) is £70 on diesel in my passat, would be £110 in an elgrand. I can live with that for the luxury!

It's actually the 350z engine I think. Still very desirable though.

Zackly.

And diesel will surely be loaded with more tax soon so the gap will narrow.

Get a pre 2005 for lower road tax.

And be sure to get the one with all the TV screens.

I thought the Skyline and 350Z had the same engine, but I don't know much.

Get a pre 2005 for lower road tax.

Why is it cheaper pre 2005? Because that's when they started emissions testing?

I think so. I just remember that my 2005 Lexus was twohundy to tax, had it been 2006 it would have been fourhundy.

VED is different for motorhomes. Unless you're over 3500kg, newly registered this year and / or over £40,000 in value, youre in a PLG vehicle which will currently cost you £240 a year. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/601885/Rates_of_vehicle_tax_for_cars__motorcycles__light_goods_vehicles_and_private_light_goods_vehicles_V149.pdf

Aah, maybe so. Perhaps a higher state of tune in the Skyline?

@freddo I'm not getting a motorhome, and Elgrand is 1.8 Tonnes IIRC.

@el_presidente Yeah, for sure, Elgrand is ~250bhp, I'm sure skyline is a fair bit higher. Same engine block, probably that's about it.

It's a detuned normally aspirated 350Z lump. UK Skylines are all twin turbo, there were some single turbo in Japan I think.

But you're converting it, right? Not very exciting I know but if you do you will have to reclassify it as a motorhome in order to insure it, and you want to do so as it is then treated as a PLG vehicle for VED. This means a fixed tax rate which is not based on emissions.

Might convert it, but not 100% sure when. The point about PLG for VED is interesting, and I didn't know that. Thanks.