Club 80-90 Forums

Hi its my first post so first of all hi everyone, im about to buy my first camper a t25, the seller said theres a slight problem with the fan, when i asked what the problem was he messaged me this


The fan I referred to is an electric fan in the front at the radiator which is designed to cut in by thermostat, only when needed, to avoid overheating but it has once or twice been “wind milling “ with the air flow generated by the forward movement of the vehicle. As far as I can see It is accessible from the front grill. I haven’t taken time or trouble to investigate fully ,

Can anyone tell me if this is serious ?, the engine is a short engine recently been overhauled and only 1350 mls since, i dont want to go buying something that could be a major headache at £5000, thanks

Hi there, welcome to here, where you can learn all that you need to, and lots that you don't

Re Fan, no it's not serious.

I often wondered if our rad fans "windmilled", it's difficult to see it when driving along but even if they do, it ain't a problem. Just check that the fan does come on via the thermo switch when it should, though at this time of year, even sat ticking over for 1/2 an hour it might not get hot enough to trigger. Even if the fan or switch does have a fault, it's easily fixed.

There are much more important considerations.

They go in this order :-
Body work (rusty seams, sills, windscreen corners, step plates, around seat belt anchors, around fuel cap, rear lower corners, etc)
Interior condition (can be expensive and time consuming to sort out a bad interior)
Engine and gearbox (either can cost between £500 for used to over £1,000 for reconditioned)

Do you know what company did the recon short motor? And is it a flat four or a Diesel?

Firstly, welcome.
There should be plenty of advice waiting for you around the corner on this site so you've come to the right place.

Slightly limited "advice" (more suggestions) from me but I'd suggest that a) if the rest of the van is to a condition that's worth the money I wouldn't let a mechanical problem like the cooling fan put me off as it's unlikely to cost too much to fix should it be playing up, b) run the van. Get it up to temp and see if everything works as it should. Take it for a decent run and watch the temp gauge. Put the engine under load if possible and see how it responds.
Let's face it, these are old vehicles and come with problems, either immediately apparent or lurking in the depths to pop their ugly little heads or when least expected or desired.

Thanks for replys, this is the add details
VW T25 CAMPER VAN WITH BRAND NEW 'VEGE' SHORT MOTOR AND NEW EXHAUST FITTED JULY 2014 (AT A COST OF £3484!) AND ONLY DONE 1,105 MILES SINCE! STILL UNDER WARRANTY !

OWNED FOR 10 YEARS

2/4 BERTH WITH ALL EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING CHAIRS, TABLE ETC) PLUS DRIVE-AWAY AWNING AS SEEN IN PHOTO

MOT 10 JUNE 2015



BODYWORK:

GENERALLY GOOD CONDITION WITH THE USUAL AGE RELATED MARKS (THIS HAS VARIOUS SPOTS OF SURFACE RUST BUT ALL SOLID.

INTERIOR:

IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH SOME WEAR AND TEAR EASILY REPAIRED.

DRIVING:

THE CAMPER DRIVES EXACTLY AS IT SHOULD. PULLS VERY WELL AS YOU WOULD EXPECT. GEARBOX CHANGES UP AND DOWN AS IT SHOULD AND BRAKES ARE FIRM AND STOPS THE CAMPER IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE STEERING IS TYPICALLY VAGUE BUT DRIVES STRAIGHT AS IT SHOULD DO

ALL DOCUMENTS ARE PRESENT WITH THE V5, MOT, SERVICE RECEIPTS, 2 KEYS

REALISTICALLY PRICED TO ENCOURAGE A QUICK SALE

GENUINE INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE



THANKS FOR LOOKING

As no one else has mentioned it yet - take a look at this section of the Wiki for some buying advice ....
https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ma ... e_Owner.3F
Read it all and you'll be a bit more informed when you go take a look ... Good luck!!!

Ah, so we still don't know if it is a Petrol or Diesel one

Sounds good, except for the quoted cost of the motor & exhaust of £3484. A decent stainless steel exhaust (is yours SS?) is around £750. A Vege recon WBX is around £1500 so a total of £2250. That leaves £1,234 for a days work (max) fitting it and a bit of oil and antifreeze

Welcome.
Vege rebuilt engines used to be excellent but have varied reliability these days. Some are great, others don't last long so it's not really a selling point. As advised, check the wiki buying guide and ask if somebody who knows what to look for on here, can go to see it with you. Always better to do that.
Sellers usually go on about 'reluctant sale' 'much loved family van' etc. Ignore all that too cos peole selling a pile of crap will usually big it up for a sale.
Happy hunting!

"...Surface rust"

Jimmy68 wrote:
The fan I referred to is an electric fan in the front at the radiator which is designed to cut in by thermostat,

Nah... it cuts in with a thermoswitch on the radiator, they cost a few quid, a common replacement at this age.

"....The steering is typically vague"

I would not say the T25 has vague steering. maybe his interpretation is off, but if it isn't, vague steering is a more expensive issue

Any idea what Typical vague would mean ? Anything i should look out for in steering

Jimmy68 wrote:Any idea what Typical vague would mean ? Anything i should look out for in steering

No idea what typically vague steering is.

Vague steering feels like the vehicle is wandering alarmingly in a straight line, and not turning into corners as you turn the wheel

The engine is a 1915 petrol, waiting on word about gears

Sorry, let's go back a bit... The fan is in front of the rad? I wonder what other bodges - oops, sorry, "well-thought out improvements" will be uncovered over time...

I have just opened up one of those emerald green painted wbx recons for a re-seal. Never seen so much clear bathroom sealant in an engine...

its this van

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-VOLKSWAGEN ... 3f48b09f6b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;