Glad Ive found you, can you advise?

Post by **matt** » 30 Jan 2007, 15:11

with billys caper you get a westy style int. with out the silly price tag
Me n Torz were very close to buying his, but had to be sensible and go with the 'velle for ferrying the tribe in

Post by **Gone-Westy** » 30 Jan 2007, 18:31

Hi Peter,

£6500 is cheap for a California by dealer standards. A Westy is an investment that will hold it's value as its the best camper you can get. FACT! Look at the value of Baywindows as an example - there are loads of crappy, rusty old English ones for peanuts, but the ones that change hands for top dollar are the Westy's if they're well looked after and original. Same with T3s.

A top notch Cally/Atlantic/Club Joker will set you back £8-10k easily!
Ask Simon Baxter what he drives. A Westy! He should know!

Post by **stuckin88** » 30 Jan 2007, 18:40

--Hi mate--Ive answered your PM with pictures---

Post by **matt** » 30 Jan 2007, 21:03

as its the best camper you can get. FACT!

mmm, not so sure, spent over a fortnight camping in a very late California (1990), a 1980 Devon, and my own homebrew.....
Its a FACT that the bed in the westy is so hard that I know of at least 5 members who use a topper matress, one going as far as to sleep on an air bed !!!!
And how the foooook do you make toast ????

Fried boiled or nowt in a westy

#And the table is so cumbersome, it never got used

And the wiring is "pooh"......

Bit like saying Manchester are the best foootball tean in the world FACT

However, they are very very very good

bit like Man u really

Post by **torz** » 30 Jan 2007, 21:38

Peter...
Firstly welcome to club 80-90...if its advice about vans you need then you have come tot he right place.

You are pretty much in the same position i was in 3 years ago!!! jeez has it been that long~~~~~

3 years ago I bought a 1990 1.6td Hightop California westfalia for not much less than you are quoting...

I thought that if I was going to spend that much money then I wanted the best, with the best interior, best bodywork, most modern reg plate etc..

The grea tthing about Westys are that they are the ultimate finale in the T25 range... over the years trhey were perfected and tweeked and the van youa re looking at the the final peice of the puzzle.

But...............
Let me tell you what I found out after camping in one for two years...

They're not all they are cracked up to be...

Most hightops are a painfuly heavy vans that really need "driving" cos its LHD and a 5 speed box and probably diesel. So much so that after driving a 1.9 petrol van I then, with my partner went on to buy a 2.1 Auto just for vroom ability!!!

If you have kids they will scratch the interior, inevitably get mud somewhere... cause damage etc... lets face it they are 16 yr old vans...
Yes they are well made but they are "over" engineered....everythings perfect....

you cannot with hand on heart "personalise" one to your own tastes,,, which lets face it is what we all really want to do, because of the fact it is a Westfalia!!!! and if you buy i to campo/play/travel/have fun/explore/entertain etc then you are always aware of what damage can be done.

In the end it was a relief to buy a van that didn't need the kid glove treatment everytime i got in it...

Now I enjoy playing without the fear of damage to such an expensive and sort after van..... Also I was always thinking of resale value... and thats mad.
I wanted a van I could play in....not treat like a china doll.

I would say if you have young kids or dogs, don't buy a Westy.....
If its just two of you then fine, but think about what you will be doing in it.....
Will you be camping in muddy places???.....Don't buy one....

Will you be toootling along at a steady 60pmh doing a bit of sight seeing in comfort...........then buy it and enjoy the luxury......

any Van you buy will at some point need work doing on it, just like any car would.

Post by **Ivor Brownun** » 30 Jan 2007, 23:31

Torz you have hit the nail on the head, if i was buying one now for camping I would go for Billys (stuckin88) especially if I was going abroad, replacement engine and gearbox = peace of mind.

owlets · Post by **owlets** » 31 Jan 2007, 09:13

Peter

I'm selling an 83 Westy, with 125k on the clock..........spent most of its life in a dry warm country (Greece), £4500 on eBay now. I'm not too far away in sunny Surrey just south of Guildford.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... &rd=1&rd=1

Its in really good nick, engine runs sweetly, just been serviced. We drove it around Brittany for two weeks last summer no problem, and in the almost 2 years I've owned it I've had to call out the AA twice, once when I ran out of petrol and the second time when the starter motor was stuck, this has since been replaced.

Post by **Mocki** » 31 Jan 2007, 09:37

if westys are so good, how come no one keeps them above a couple or three years?
FACT is they are good, but not the best.

Your paying for the name, and that is a FACT!

owlets · Post by **owlets** » 31 Jan 2007, 09:40

Mocki wrote:if westys are so good, how come no one keeps them above a couple or three years?
FACT is they are good, but not the best.

Your paying for the name, and that is a FACT!

Thats a bit of a sweeping statement, some people do keep them for more than a few years. There are various reasons mine is going, but none of them are to do with the practicialities of camping in it. Its got loads of storage, the amount of crap you can take is huge. I don't even mind not having a toaster, problem solved with camp toaster thing. In fact, I'm buying another Westy, just a T4

Post by **kevtherev** » 31 Jan 2007, 12:55

Mocki wrote: Your paying for the name

here here

I asked the seller why his westfalia towbar was £20 more expensive than a normal one....."the name will carry the extra" he replied.

wha...!

owlets · Post by **owlets** » 31 Jan 2007, 13:53

We are a family of 3 Peter, last summer we took loads of stuff with us in the Pop Top, the roof rack at the front does a cracking job. I did look at High Tops when I bought mine but decided that they were too impractical for everyday driving, with a pop top you can get into any multistory car park, you get better fuel economy and you are at lot less susceptable to cross winds and passing HGV's. Are you thinking of storing stuff in the top whilst driving along? I wouldn't to be honest. We do store things up there when parked up though. If you want to have a look on Saturday you are more than welcome.

For our 2 week trip last year we took all our clothes, 3mx2m awning and ground sheet, gas bbq, 2 gas bottles, porta potti, additional waste water tank, additional coolbox, screen mats.......the list goes on.

Post by **torz** » 31 Jan 2007, 15:17

I'm sorry Owletts but it seems you are trying to pressure this nice new guy into buying your van, when he has plainly said he wants a hitop.
Linnsound..... nice expensive, tastefull name may i add

If you have kids I would get a hitop.
1.Warmer in the winter.....mine have slept in both poptop and hitop and they preferre the hitop for warmth and sound deadening, ensuring a peacful nights sleep.
2. Store loads of stuff up there whilst travveling and whilst camping.
3. Somewhere for the kids to sleep away from you guys, hence a bit of relative privacy

4. Standing room to cook, get dressed etc.

I've had both and I would say for camping with kids I would go with the hitop.

Linnsound, DO NOT make the mistake of letting your heart rule your head.....
and 2nd bit of advice....
DO NOT buy the first van you look at because you think another may not come along....
It will and they will continue to do so....
3frd bit of advice, if you are going to view a van and you have no idea what to look out for then try to take someone who knows what to look out for along for the ride.
A few members on here have done it and I'm sure if you find a van to view and it's near any of our members we wouold love to come along and help you sort the wheat from the chaffe.

Do your research and ask your selves what is important to you as a family.

Personally I would go petrol, in order to gas it, 1.9 or 2.1

If you have 6500 to play around with then consider a van on a D plate or newer....
If you buy slightly cheaper and you get a petrol van, then you have £1000 to gas it.
Both our vans are gassed and it is a DAMN sight cheaper....
I think Matts has actually paid for itself by now....

Keep the questions coming and if I think of anything else I'll put it up on here.

Also try to get to dubfreeze and Bus types.....

In searching for vans for sale ...off the top of my head try

VZI
80-90
Brickyard

Be sensible with Gumtree.although I got mine from a Gum tree ad and she was simply stunning...... yes she was but she had to go in order to travel 8 of us around safely and legally....

Keep them questions coming Linn..

Post by **Mocki** » 31 Jan 2007, 16:36

you can happily store stuff in the hightop when travelling, pop-toppers just say you cant because they wish they could.

As for wind resistance, crap! Hi tops catch no more than pop tops, the wind is sealed out of a high top, but it enters a pop top round the lifting bit and catches just as much, what you gain in less height you loose in leakage....... and beware advice that you can get in any car park with a pop top, sadly most pop tops cannot, its only the lowered ones that might be able to, infact tin tops cant get in all car parks.

owlets · Post by **owlets** » 31 Jan 2007, 16:52

No pressure.........just pointing out the positives of a Pop Top , once a salesman is my problem

and re car parks.........mines lowered 45mm so can get into them easily, the aerial acts as a warning