Newbie with MOT advisories seeking advice!

[lazydiarist]

Sorry about the topic subject sounding like a lonely hearts advert! Got a T25 last year and with one thing and another it's been sat for most of the last 12 months but have had the first MOT under my ownership and it's passed, which is nice! Advisories on it are that the anti roll bar bushes are worn and the offside front body mount is corroded behind wheel. The mechanic also said the emmisions were high and advised a carb rebuild.

I don't have much of the history of this van but I do have a receipt with the last MOT where the exhaust and fuel tank were replaced, the LPG system in the van was disconnected but not removed and they've just written 'carburretor' so I don't know what they did to it, replaced, rebuilt, cleaned, repaired or what! It's also unlikely that it's had a service in at least two years.

I gave the carb a spray with carb cleaner and whilst in there with the manual noticed that something was missing from the choke pull down. There's no vacuum pipe from the unit to the carb. So, I'll get to the point, I'm not great mechanically, certainly can't weld but I'm willing to put the time in. I just don't know what to prioritise on a low budget to get the best out of the van. Should I start with the anti roll bar and find someone to look at welding (or replacing?) the body mount? Or should I do the carb rebuild and service first and get onto the other bits later? And does that choke pulldown just need any vacuum pipe? Or does it not need it at all? Oh and does anyone know if any garage can remove the LPG system or does it need to be an autogas specialist?

Thanks in advance for any advice....

[Stesaw]

Carb rebuild is easy enough, theres a good youtube video by james akers on it. Anti roll bar bushes are easy enough, just make sure you get the right size ones as there are different size roll bars. 

As for the offside front body mount can you get a picture of that?
I assume its the jacking point at the bottom of the B pillar?

[lazydiarist]

I'll get a pic over the next few days and post. I've measured the roll bar and it's 19mm so I'm pricing it up with Brickwerks. I've found that James Aker's video so I'll have a go at those first I guess! Cheers for the reply.

[Stesaw]

No problems.

You will want to sort the vac line on the carb that's for sure. 
It might make sense to replace all of those vac hoses, not to mention check and replace your fuel lines.
As for the LPG system, there are a couple of people on here that could help you out with that. I'd just assume if it's been disconnected it would be a case of just unbolting bits and removing cables and hoses.. but theres probably more to it.

[maxstu]

If you are running your camper on a budget consider getting the LPG system re-installed instead off removed. Nearly half price motoring on LPG.
In the first instance find a local LPG installer to have a look. Or put up some photos on forum.

[ajsimmo]

I cannot understand why people disconnect or remove LPG systems. It's one of the best things to have on a T3. They are almost all single point systems which are simple and straightforward to fit and maintain. All the components can be replaced like-for-like when required, quite inexpensively compared to a full installation. Setup is fairly straightforward on a gas analyser, then it's smoother, cleaner, cheaper running from then on.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[Stesaw]

I cannot understand why people disconnect or remove LPG systems. It's one of the best things to have on a T3. They are almost all single point systems which are simple and straightforward to fit and maintain. All the components can be replaced like-for-like when required, quite inexpensively compared to a full installation. Setup is fairly straightforward on a gas analyser, then it's smoother, cleaner, cheaper running from then on.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

I keep being told lpg is being phased out. Not to mention depending where you are there arent that many stations that do lpg. But I guess thats what petrol is for :p.

Not sure how I feel having an underslung pressurised lpg tank. Might look into it at some point or if an lpg system comes up cheap.

[lazydiarist]

As I understand it the van wasn't running right and may have broken down then whoever came out to it blamed the LPG system and disconnected it! I'm not sure there are any petrol stations with LPG where I am in west yorkshire but they are still about at motorway services so if it's not too expensive I think I will keep it in place and get someone to check it and reconnect everything.

[maxstu]

I cannot understand why people disconnect or remove LPG systems. It's one of the best things to have on a T3. They are almost all single point systems which are simple and straightforward to fit and maintain. All the components can be replaced like-for-like when required, quite inexpensively compared to a full installation. Setup is fairly straightforward on a gas analyser, then it's smoother, cleaner, cheaper running from then on.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

I keep being told lpg is being phased out. Not to mention depending where you are there arent that many stations that do lpg. But I guess thats what petrol is for :p.

Not sure how I feel having an underslung pressurised lpg tank. Might look into it at some point or if an lpg system comes up cheap.

If its there then use it. We covered 70k in ten years mostly on LPG. Never had a single problem. Double-skinned thick metal with loads of safety features. Best thing we ever fitted.
Scotland and Wales needs planning. But not in Yorkshire?! I bet there are loads of places. Not only petrol stations. Coal merchants, hot ballooning companies etc often sell to the public.
With the reputation men from that beautiful county have of short arms and long pockets, it's a no brainer.

Get it fixed.

[Stesaw]

https://www.mylpg.eu/stations/united-kingdom/#map

Seems to be a fair few from this site. Not sure how updated it is.

[R0B]

FillLPG is probably the best APP for finding
LPG it's updated every day by it's users.
https://www.filllpg.co.uk/

[ajsimmo]

Looks to be a few about.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

[davidoft1]

I cannot understand why people disconnect or remove LPG systems. It's one of the best things to have on a T3. They are almost all single point systems which are simple and straightforward to fit and maintain. All the components can be replaced like-for-like when required, quite inexpensively compared to a full installation. Setup is fairly straightforward on a gas analyser, then it's smoother, cleaner, cheaper running from then on.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

I keep being told lpg is being phased out. Not to mention depending where you are there arent that many stations that do lpg. But I guess thats what petrol is for :p.

Not sure how I feel having an underslung pressurised lpg tank. Might look into it at some point or if an lpg system comes up cheap.

how do you imagine all the campers, caravan parks etc will manage without gas, its not as readily available on the forecourt of a petrol station but still available at calor etc , on the subject of pressurised gas you wouldnt likely burst one if you drove a tank over it , they are very thick very highly tested and deigned for long long life

[Stesaw]

I cannot understand why people disconnect or remove LPG systems. It's one of the best things to have on a T3. They are almost all single point systems which are simple and straightforward to fit and maintain. All the components can be replaced like-for-like when required, quite inexpensively compared to a full installation. Setup is fairly straightforward on a gas analyser, then it's smoother, cleaner, cheaper running from then on.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

I keep being told lpg is being phased out. Not to mention depending where you are there arent that many stations that do lpg. But I guess thats what petrol is for :p.

Not sure how I feel having an underslung pressurised lpg tank. Might look into it at some point or if an lpg system comes up cheap.

how do you imagine all the campers, caravan parks etc will manage without gas, its not as readily available on the forecourt of a petrol station but still available at calor etc , on the subject of pressurised gas you wouldnt likely burst one if you drove a tank over it , they are very thick very highly tested and deigned for long long life

Ah, no thats my bad not being clear. I meant being phased out from petrol stations, not entirely

[maxstu]

Yes and no. I still have four stations within fifteen miles radius from home. But my latest camper does not have a LPG system. Im only doing about 3k each year so not bothering.

Fitting the correct size tank to meet your mileage needs is an important factor. Serious travellers' such as Emma and Itchy on here relinquish space for big mileage between fill ups. I recall Emma saying her camper has a combind LPG/petrol range to get to the top of Scotland from Kent in one hit!

Economy over comfort is the balance. One could fit an underslung in spare wheel compartment (45 litres) another upright in hanging locker (about the same litres) and another under bed with a fill of 60 litres, giving a total of around 150 litres. Or approx. 500 miles range. Then there absolute no problem of finding an active LPG point. And a huge saving in money too. Very roughly 200 quid petrol against 130 for LPG.

The good news is far more campers and motorhomes have refillable gas bottles fitted as standard. So they will use same filling points instead of bottled gas.

The downside is having a tank too small (my first camper only 110 miles on a 30 litre tank) for your travels and planning your route to take in listed active LPG station, sometimes causing a deviation of many miles from your actual route, to find the pump is shut or run out of LPG.