Belgian bargain
Good news: the Gold Sovereign Award-winning Danum Motor Company has added the Belgian Home-Car range to its Italian CI line-up. This small but successful dealership won many plaudits from Practical Motorhome readers so it's especially cheering to see them expand.
A Renault Master-based PR59 is available, featuring an end bed, front dinette, 2.5-litre dCi engine, Isringhausen cab seats and more, all for £30,395. It's sensational value for money.
Going barmy over pre-owned Harvey
It was clear from the Practical Motorhome Sovereign Awards for Used Motorhomes that many people cannot – or will not – stump up the large cash sums that are often required to buy new 'vans. I aim to review several very affordable pre-owned 'vans in Practical Motorhome later this year. In the meantime, what follows is an overview of buying and using affordable
A-class 'vans according to enthusiasts Norrie and Rose Brown, from Ayrshire.
They paid a mere £7500 for their astounding Tabbert
A-class. Getting any A-class 'van for under £10,000 represents a really sound piece of shopping, but it is especially good for one of this calibre.
Norrie and Rose Brown take up the story:
"Having little spare cash we began our outdoor life as campers for a number of years, before progressing to a new Thomson Glen 4 caravan in 1972, which served us well [Flora and I had a 1971 Thomson Mini-Glen, which we used to tow with a 1966 MGB roadster! – JB]. We sold our caravan only last year after 32 great years. It cost £420 and at the time we bought it there was no VAT on caravans. It suited our needs when our sons were young but our eldest is now 42.
"So, in August 2003, with
the help of our youngest son, we bought what is now our current motorhome. It's based on the Mercedes 307 and we immediately nicknamed it 'Harvey'. It was built by the German company Tabbert in 1980 and has stood the test of time well.
"As it was built and run in Germany it hadn't been overly subjected to salt on the roads and therefore the underside is still in pristine condition. At its last MoT test in December, it passed with no trouble.
"We first saw Harvey on the website www.motorhomes-for-sale.co.uk where our interest was roused due to its individuality. Once we had pored over the photos and assessed the price we decided to have a look at it, which involved a round trip of about 460 miles up to Colne, Pendle, and back.
"The chap we bought it from made all the correct noises regarding conversion from Continental to UK spec and assured us that everything was working. However, we had to replace the headlights for left-dipping ones, at considerable extra cost.
"The drive home was comfortable and entertaining. Twice we were asked for a cup of tea when at a standstill in traffic, in Glasgow city centre! This vehicle attracts a lot of interesting looks and comments and a real sense of community spirit prevails on the road, as we exchange cheery waves with other motorhome owners.
"The weekend after we got Harvey, we were to take our granddaughter up to Skye. But as the starter engaged, the fuse box ignited. Smoke billowed ominously from the bonnet and in the process of removing the red-hot wire from the fuse box, I burnt my finger severely.
"This was not the start we had been looking for, so we fitted a new fuse box and upon checking the wiring soon discovered that it had been tampered with. It took a bit of time to remedy the problem because all the wiring was one colour. All is now well however.
"Another problem we had concerned the heater, which didn't seem to work. Upon investigation it was found that a previous owner had sprayed builders' foam into the heater intake and blocked the flow of air. He had also inserted pieces of sponge into all the outlets! When this was cleared, everything worked fine again.
"A few other fairly minor problems have become evident, too. These involved replacing an engine mounting, a centre prop shaft bearing, part of the exhaust, rear brake cylinders and brake shoes, a brake master cylinder, wiper blades, and a light bulb. To be fair though, these are general maintenance jobs required on most 'vans.
The full ramblings can be found in the June 06 issue of Practical Motorhome
Happy motorhoming!
Jack Bancroft |
