20 year old car? Not interested then why a campervan?

[snozz]

What I've noticed about UK spec vans is how basic they are in the cab. If you're driving around then personally I'd want car like cab. If we get one it'll be too replace a family car. So not too big and the options a car normally have. Japanese vans tend to match this closer than UK vans.

BTW I read somewhere that the Japanese version of the UK mot is a lot more severe. Also something about not being able to export out of Japan or into UK a vehicle that's below a certain quality score. Not sure if that's true but I certainly read on a few sites that the Japanese "shaken" test is strict.

Modern vans have almost everything cars have including air con etc. I'd seriously suggest you have a look before dismissing out of hand. I would also check what parts are like for any Jap import. A friend has a Toyota van which wasn't released over here and he's finding some parts have to be imported. There are some nice be sized Toyota and Hyundai (I think) vans around. May be worth a look...

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[Paul_B]

I've looked at UK vans and the spec level at equivalent prices are not anywhere near car levels. I can see how new or nearly new vans are probably better but that's a different segment of the market. Just two I picked up off the internet. Not saying they're representative or what we'd choose just an example.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classi...nesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&page=1

Or

http://wellhouseleisure.com/product/nissan-elgrand-3-2-diesel-1997-in-black-with-96940-miles/

They are totally different vans I know but the price is close, and despite 17 years difference in ages the Japanese, converted import seems to me to to have the same or better spec. The newer UK spec van also needs to add a conversion onto the price which I've seen for £4000-6000 for even a basic spec.

If I was to go into plain vans for both then I've seen what looks like a decent Japanese van (mini bus 8 seater IIRC) for £7000. I think it was 2010 and has a lot more options. Although I suspect a lot of those options were really standard spec when new.

I'm not ruling out UK spec it's just that last year and earlier this year it looked like finding a good van and getting it converted was out of our price range, but a recently converted Japanese import by reputable companies (my impression) such as Wellhouse Leisure seems to be more cost effective introduction to camper van ownership.

 

[Guzzi Goose]

One of the main problems I found with these Japanese imports, Is that no main dealer will take them in part exchange for a car etc.....

Buying a Grey or Parallel import makes you the Anti-Christ in a main Dealers eyes, you have stepped out of the Official Importer/Main Dealer chain and are an Outlaw unworthy of contempt.

They have spent their entire working lives trying to force the country that the only way to buy a vehicle is to buy what they want to sell you from a Main Dealer, anything else is positively dangerous and probably deviant.

There was a massive boom in importing Motorbikes in the early 90's. We started buying new bikes abroad saving maybe 30% (and destroying 2nd hand values) the importers brought court cases to stop it and sort of lost.

It's easier with a bike because it can only involve adapting the speedo and maybe the headlight but the manufacturers tried to persuade us that their French market bikes became death traps in the UK.

At the same time container loads of 2nd hand bikes were coming in from Japan that were nicer than European models.

I had a Honda Dealer refuse to sell me a brake disc unless I provided them with a frame number for an official Uk bike.

 

[Janne]

All Japanese car manufacturers make cars that are for only the Japanese market.
Those I would avoid, can be a problem with parts.

My biggest worry with those would be that you can not access the computer.

Diagnostics, resetting after service and repair.

 

[Gcckoka]

Here's how its over here 20-25% of countrys cars are from japan even though we have right car lanes , 40% of nations cars are right steered and now got banned to import more of them. they are great and are very reliable , subaru , mitsubishi , toyota they all last forever but if they brake they brake like very badly , my father had a subaru forester for 5 years not a single problem even though it was 10 years old and we drove it quite often offroad on very bad roads , for 5 years nothing but when something did happen it caused many other problems and it was not reliable any more so we sold it and got a 13 year old subaru forested and its still running good most of japanese cars are like that they take a hard beating but if something fails you better get rid of it

 

[Laurentius]

All Japanese car manufacturers make cars that are for only the Japanese market.
Those I would avoid, can be a problem with parts.

My biggest worry with those would be that you can not access the computer.

Diagnostics, resetting after service and repair.

I never had a problem with parts for either of my imports, but then I never dealt with main dealers only local garages.

 

[Janne]

I never had a problem with parts for either of my imports, but then I never dealt with main dealers only local garages.

But was it a Japan only model?

All Jap. manufacturers make Japan only luxury models, on par with MB and Jag. and others. Parts have to be ordered from Japan. Check those magazines type Cars 2017 or whatever the name is.
Buying a model that is sold in Uk or Europe should be fine.

 

[Paul_B]

How many of those luxury models make it over here compared to non-luxury? Is it a significant proportion of v the imports? Is it easy to avoid getting them? I suspect if you're considering an import you'll do your homework and if worried by the parts issue you'll choose models that are based on cars, SUVs or 4x4s that are among the brand's UK product range (albeit in a different spec). There's enough of those models available when I've looked.

Besides that, I do wonder how much of an issue it really is. We have a Seat car that is a standard UK model but it's been harder than it should have been to get parts for it. Not all parts but certain user replaced parts. Motor factors don't stock them only main dealers and online sources. It's crazy since the model was part of the brand's lineup as recently as 2 or 3 years. I know that OEMs make suppliers support all platforms for ten years after serial production.

If we had known this parts issue existed we'd never have bought the car. That information wasn't commonly known but with Japanese import vans there's a lot more information readily found. In fact because of people's worries over this grey import parts issue they're having to provide this information. I really suspect that it is overplayed. The principle that for every person good report reaches there's ten people getting bad reports. Doesn't take long for that bad report to become accepted fact.

I'm not saying there's no problem BTW just that it's not universal and isn't as big an issue. With something I know a little about, exhausts, I know of I can't find the correct exhaust through normal channels there's a whole host of small companies able to make a custom exhaust at near mass market prices that is likely to be better made. I'm certain other parts are not as easy but courier from Japan is what 2 or 3 days lead time. Breakdown Sunday back on the road at your local independent garage by Friday or thereabouts. You will pay for it but from my research the savings with a Japanese van seems to cover a lot of these premiums when compared to UK vans. Just my opinion and I'll certainly post back if experience proves me wrong in the future.

Just got to get the idea past the CFO as a better idea than a new house.

 

[daveO]

I had a Jap import car a few years ago and my dog chewed the driver's seatbelt. It almost wrote off the car as the seatbelt was Jap spec only and UK cars didn't match. I made a uk spec belt fit in the end luckily but it makes you realise how minor the differences can be. I suspect it would have been easier to sort these days with more internet specialists and forums about.

 

[Janne]

Paul B, you can get the parts for your Seat easily. From a Main Dealer. The difficulty of getting them from an independent is as you know that the UK importer does not want to support independents, his responsibility lies with the chain of main dealers.
We all know that a main dealer has far higher running costs than an independent, hence the higher prices.
And you know the part will be genuine, not a knock off.

Getting parts from Japan? Are there many online parts companies that are in English?

The last Japanese car I owned was a Nissan Sunny GTI, bought hew in 1989. The cable opening the fuel flap broke the day before our holliday. None in Europe, had to be ordered from Japan. Drove around Europe for 5 weeks with tejp closing the flap. Sold it the next year. Have only bought European or North American cars since.

 

[Janne]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-4929354/From-bust-bus-beach-hut-wheels.html

 

[Paul_B]

The comments were funny. I had to look through the photographs to check out the storage. I mean the comments kept mentioning a big chest but I never saw it!!

It is a bit like a homemade version of the smaller citizen van coversion in the campervan convertor compay I linked to earlier.

Just been checking out Direct Campers. Seriously nice looking campers. However is it just me or are the various converters all just using the same furniture? A lot of coversions seem to be close to each other. A popular one seems to be a kind of grey fleck board.

I can't decide what style of conversion is a good option. Family of 3 so we're taling 2 up in the roof and two below. A lot of the side conversions and all the other styles excet perhaps the rear conversion seem to have the rear seats so far back. We have a young child so sitting on his own back there isn;t good. Are there any designs where the seat can be moved forward for travelling? What would your choice be in my situation?

 

[Janne]

I think the big chest was close to the bed. He must keep his tools there.

I was surprized about his spending, I thought it would cost more to build. Quite a large van. Plenty of space, even with a large chest inside it!

I would orefer ti have my children close by too. One solution is to jake the rear seats either on a svivel base if single seats, or with a tipping rear so it can ge tipped so you can be sitting facing back.
Svivelling single car seats are easier to make though.

 

[Paul_B]

You can get swivel bases for the passenger bench of vivaro/trafic vans really quite cheaply, about £80 last time I looked. The thing I never quite worked out is how they fit past the central island between passenger seats and driver's seat? In my mind I'd think the front of the seats would catch on this central island. It obviously doesn't but I'd need to see it first to completely believe it. Funny how you get ideas into your head and can't shake them sometimes.

Does anyone know if the ford Freda has ever been sold as a UK spec van? I know it's made by Mazda and it's basically a bongo. I just thought that if Ford ever released it here then main Ford dealers might support imported Ford fredas and similarly bongos since they're basically the same. Clutching at straws I guess.

It seems to me that the other Japanese import vans have as a base the mechanicals of UK sold vehicles as I understand it. The highly popular bongo does not AFAIK. It might not be an issue with the increasing number of bongo specialist campervan garages that are about. Also I know a at least two campervan specialists near me that have or often do sell Mazda bongos that I reckon would support owners.

It's just being without your main vehicle could be an issue for many. Not for us because we could get by for some time without any car or van. We can cycle to work, our child can walk a block or two to get to school, every work trips would provide public transport tickets or hire car or we'd go with a car owning colleague anyway. We could just wait for the imported parts if anything went wrong. Although I reckon they're more reliable than our SEAT car.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Looks useful. Likely to be Previa parts?
https://www.gumtree.com/p/campervan...eater-ideal-camper-van-conversion-/1265980255

 

[Swallow]

Bought a 94 Mitsubishi Delica in 2010 for £2500.00 from a private seller on Autotrader. Still our only car. Currently insured by Direct Line. If it failed the only thing that would make me think twice about getting another is the Low Emmission Zone being rolled out in London (as far as the South Circular) in a a couple of years. I've seen similar on Autotracer for £1000.00.

Fix list over seven years. Timing Chain replaced. Fuel Pump seal replaced. Front Shocks. Front Suspension Wishbone. Rear Brake Diss, Rear Roll bar rubber sockets. Plus the usual Brake Pads, Tyres and Wipers etc.

The most expensive bit was insurance until I got a quote from direct line.

 

[Paul_B]

I emailed my local Mitsubishi dealership to ask if they would service a Japanese import van like a delicate. They emailed back with an abrupt but friendly yes, we service Mitsubishi delica imports. Good enough for me because they're not an expensive garage to get a car fixed at. Good rep service garage in the area.,

 

[Janne]

Is the Delica not a bit to small to redo to a camper?

 

[Paul_B]

I don't really know, I assumed it was the same size as a bongo.

 

[gonzo_the_great]

the only thing that would make me think twice about getting another is the Low Emmission Zone being rolled out in London (as far as the South Circular) in a a couple of years.

See my posting a bit further down, about the emissions zone, on my Jap import landRover.
Have you checked your V5 document. If those emissions boxes are empty, you may be able to sneak in under the radar.
Try putting your reg into their online 'is my car exempt' tool. (If you have not already done so.)

Jules