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Post by lotusanne on Jul 16, 2013 7:16:59 GMT
.... and would be willing to look at a campervan I am interested in? Its on Ebay and finishes on Snday night so would need to be before them. Its a bit far for me but would really appreciate someone having a look, seeing if there is any damp smell that sort of thing, if they seem to be covering anything up etc, not expecting a full mechanical report just a general impression
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Post by Etienne Le Croq on Jul 16, 2013 20:29:27 GMT
Any eBay link Ann? I don't know where Worcester is,but I'd like to look at the van!
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Post by lotusanne on Jul 16, 2013 21:32:40 GMT
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Post by Etienne Le Croq on Jul 16, 2013 21:45:47 GMT
Mmmm that looks nice! Like the drop down bed,it also looks very well built and has some nice extras like the awning and genny,excellent for Wildcamping !
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Post by lotusanne on Jul 16, 2013 21:58:50 GMT
Thanks Ellis boy. It will prob leap out of my price range though as it went from 10p to £4000 in a morning so there a few pretty interested! But you never know!
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Post by Firefox on Jul 16, 2013 23:12:38 GMT
Worcester on the M5 between Birmingham and Bristol... can't miss it It looks lot packed into 18 foot... flipping eck an A class too, you would be lording over us panel van plebs. Versatile layout for 1 or 2, if you used the drop down bed you would have a dedicated area on the other bed for Mia and storage of things. Tabbert has a good reputation. Solid German stuff. Very much like Hymer, maybe even better. They don't often come up. Build should be top notch. Spare parts maybe a bit of a problem as quite rare. If it's a good one, the price may shoot if there is a bidding war and someone really wants it. They don't often come up and it probably won't go at a bargain price. But you'll likely be getting something good if you get it. They have a reputation like Hobby and Knauss among travellers and showman as being built to last.
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Post by kangooroo on Jul 17, 2013 1:15:36 GMT
I live just 40 miles from Worcester but have absolutely no knowledge of this type of van or what to look for and it's unlikely I could get up there this week, I'm afraid.
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Post by lotusanne on Jul 17, 2013 7:00:50 GMT
Kangaroo - no problem, I wouldn't expect you to travel 40 miles to look at avan, wasonly thinking someone might be very local.
Firefox - thanks for your interesting comments . I had never heard of Tabbart before and could find out very little from googling it other than that they are the "Rolls Royce" of campervans - allegedly! and I think you may be right about the bidding war as there are already several very interested parties. Its an old van though with no power steering and as you say possible parts issues.. so you never know!! I will post on the other forum for anyone living down that way too, just to have a sniff for damp that sort of thing.
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Post by Firefox on Jul 17, 2013 8:00:29 GMT
I would be the wrong person to sniff for damp. I guess damp meter would help. Chassis/mechanics may be more of an issue than the caravan parts, though they can all develop leaks regardless of reputation and build quality.
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Post by billieblue on Jul 17, 2013 8:45:14 GMT
Crikey Anne, didn't see that coming! Quite an upgrade!
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Post by Ems&Beau on Jul 17, 2013 9:01:07 GMT
That looks great, I like the idea of the drop down bed, I've not seen that before. Looks like its based on a talbot as the dash is the same as mine inside, there is a great following on a talbot forum for getting things fixed. Sorry, I'm no where near to go and loo. I think damp would be my main concern as it seems to hide away! Mechanically if you hunt around you can get most bits for the base vehicle and I'm finding mine fairly easy to work on so far!
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Post by Oldish Hippy on Jul 17, 2013 14:10:06 GMT
pink has a bertie
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Post by lotusanne on Jul 17, 2013 20:56:59 GMT
Hi all Carol - I didn't see it coming either, it found me... just came up as a suggested ad on ebay , you know how they do... wasn't even looking at campervans, but they obviously know I do! And then i fell in love with it...
Ems thanks, that forum is a great link it looks really useful and lots of memebers
OH..so thats what a Bertie is! Thanks for that, I havent met Pink but I will pm her on the other site
Also, had this back from some questions...and now feel a bit worried about the damp even though they are saying it has gone... what do people think??
Answers to questions!
1. It is a turbo charged diesel engine so although it isn’t a rally car it has enough power to get us up the hills just fine.
2. The rear window is a long way away and there is no interior mirror so no not really. However you will notice that the external side mirrors are lorry sized and you can see an awful lot with these.
3. It has had damp problems in the past but this have been sorted so it doesn’t smell damp. If you look at the photos of the front of the camper you will see metal side plates which were added to stop the damp getting in. Any wood that we could find that had been affected has been replaced.
4. As far as any problems are concerned it passed its MOT yesterday with no advisories so nothing that we know of.
Please feel free to ask any other questions. David’s mobile number is xxxxxxxx if you would like to arrange for someone to come and have a look at the van on your behalf.
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Post by n brown on Jul 17, 2013 21:28:19 GMT
these vehicles are called 'flimsies' by self builders,and one of the reasons is their vulnerability to damp,once the timber framing is rotted,it's very tricky to get to to repair.passing an mot is meaningless in relation to this
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Post by lotusanne on Jul 17, 2013 21:36:23 GMT
hmmmm thanks nbrown, thats exactly what i was worrying about....i think thats enough to put me off, especially as i cant get to see it, ah well...plenty more vans in the sea!
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Post by lotusanne on Jul 17, 2013 21:38:06 GMT
ps which vehicles exactly did u mean are called flimsies... tabbarts or old vans with wooden frames in general?
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Post by X on Jul 17, 2013 21:46:16 GMT
I think he means all coach builts ! Most of them are made with old eggboxes and stuck together with toffee and chocolate !
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Post by n brown on Jul 17, 2013 22:15:07 GMT
all coach builts- just think,they have to pack in all that stuff,all those cupboards and stay below the weight limit,doesn't mean they're no good,just a bit fragile when things go wrong
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Post by Firefox on Jul 18, 2013 10:54:56 GMT
ps which vehicles exactly did u mean are called flimsies... tabbarts or old vans with wooden frames in general? I've always used Flimsy to describe any van which is not a self-build! Some of the factory built panel vans are pretty much knocked together with a few chipboard screws. I've seen a picture of one in an accident where the all interior furniture had ended up self destructing as it moved forward in the impact. I'm sure this won't apply to makes like Tabbert though!
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Post by lotusanne on Jul 18, 2013 11:46:30 GMT
Hmmm, ...so would you be concerned Vern about the reports of old damp in the Tabbert? Am half considering drving down to have a look at the weekend, as its not easy to make a call on it remotely, but what worries me is what NBrown said, even in a highly regarded make like Tabbert, if there was damp and it has not all been removed - which may not even be possible - it will just spread and rot... and even if i have a look it may not be visible... I dont know, i feel pretty dubious now, much as I like the van... ho hum!!
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Post by Firefox on Jul 18, 2013 13:15:39 GMT
Yes, I would be concerned about damp. However, if the source of the water has been removed, it should keep spreading and rotting. It should dry out and be cured, provided it has been treated internally on the wort bits. I've not huge personal experience of coach builts but if there is a problem, usually a pretty thorough rebuild in that corner is needed. It sounds like that has been done, but I guess any seller would say that.
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Post by Ems&Beau on Jul 18, 2013 14:14:11 GMT
I'd be a bit cautious, the metal bits stuck or bolted on the outside to stop the ingress of water indicate to me its not been done with a great deal of care, I might be wrong though. If I was to go to the trouble of removing the damp and repairing the leak I'd like it to look like new when finished, maybe I'm fussy! If they've bolted random metal bits on the outside who knows what there carpentry skills are like!
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Post by Firefox on Jul 18, 2013 14:42:13 GMT
Yes, I thought "metal bits" were rather strange. Usually the leak is at the seams. I'm not sure how those bits can improve the seam joint - well I guess thy can lap the seam but then the water is coming in from above. It's a strange repair. I'd want to know how long ago it was done and maybe look behind removing an interior panel in the cab if that's possible.
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Post by lotusanne on Jul 18, 2013 22:27:36 GMT
Thanks Ems and Vernm yeah I think you are right about the metal bits repairs.. I had n't thought about it being odd until you both pointed it out... wellgoing to see how much it goes up to, and if it is still in range think would only bid if i can get to see it...
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Post by billieblue on Jul 18, 2013 23:21:38 GMT
Definitely wouldn't put in a serious bid without seeing it Anne - it is a long way to go though...
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Post by Firefox on Jul 19, 2013 14:51:43 GMT
Looks like it is going to go for around 5k at the moment.
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