Club 80-90 Forums

Here is the dilema, we bought Betty last April with a full years MOT to see if we could use a camper as our only vehicle. She needed work (panels, roof, paint job, new curtains), but seems OK.

After spending over £350 on breaks, new exhaust system, slave cylinder for clutch, Betty has taken us over 6000 miles, from the New Forest to the Inner Hebrides. The children love her and even the husband agrees a camper van is the vehicle for us.

The question is, is Betty the van for us, due to the amount of work, or should we sell her and get a newer van (or one with the work already done.) If we sell Betty, should we get the work done first, or could we sell her as a working project. Would she sell better with a new roof on, or at least a roof included which a suitable skilled person could put on themselves?

I don't want mega bucks for Betty, but need to maximise what we do get so we can put it towards the next bus.

What are everybodies suggestions?

hi its a question i asked myself, but when i saw the prices of rust bucket talbots etc i thought stick the money into my vw and know what i have for less than the price of a more modern unit. it was worth it my wife and teenage kids just love it. i use it every day as my transport. it does need looking after servicing, keeping on top of the rust etc but its fun to drive and you become a fanatic very quick.

Opium wrote:
After spending over £350 on breaks, new exhaust system, slave cylinder for clutch, Betty has taken us over 6000 miles, from the New Forest to the Inner Hebrides. The children love her and even the husband agrees a camper van is the vehicle for us.

Thats priceless

Opium wrote:Is betty the van for us?

I think you've anwered your own question... and thats great value for money by the way.

I bought a camper for £5000 and still spent more money on her...so the anwer I would give is "better the devil you know"
Try to stop looking at the value and see the joy instead

give betty all she needs looks like she'll pay you back in smiles


our does

i went the poor mans route due too lack of funds...spent £1200 getting marladys camper up and running and mot'd....engine,zig,gearbox,tyres,brake pipes,hoses etc,and i did all the work myself,but id rather have a £2000 van with £1200 worth of reciepts,rather than a £2000 van that may well need another £2000 chucking at it,so i agree with the shepster..............better the devil...every time.........regards

oh no dont do it ihave been in the dilemma myself twice now and ive put alot of money into our van and TBH when you look at anything else it just doesnt look right feel right or drive right at least when you drive your VW camper its with a smile!! and you cant put a price on that
surely if you stuck with fitting the roof and various other things there will be a member somewhere near to you who would be more than willing to help all you gotta do is ask
stick with it just think how much a holiday abroad would cost for a week????
and then add up how many times you been away in the van!!!!!...................... kinda pays for itself dont it?????

Dont get rid of your t25 for a more modern vehicle.i had a t25 with upgraded diesel engine and thought i would have a more modern bigger camper, i bought a talbot highwayman. big mistake. i have now sold that and im looking for another t25

Understand your plight, currently investing heavily to get a Syncro sorted. But you have the van, done lots already and invested time and energy. At least you have a shopping list of what is needed and can budget accordingly.
And a a wise person recently said to me, once its sorted - you have a sorted van.

We're looking for a T25 camper ourselves right now. I've never owned one, but have had a 61 7 door panel for 25 years and other splitty and bay campers have come and gone.

Agree with everyone, but one thing is missing. How bad is Betty's rust/cancer? If she has minimal rust, keep her. Everything else is cheap to replace compared to replacing rusty metal.

TT will put a nice new hi-top with bed and storage on for about 700ish. Top is 350, 550 installed, bed and storage is another 200ish.

Good Luck!

Well, it's a personal thing I guess, but I have looked seriousley at some modern vans, and they really don't do anything much better than my old T25, just that they cost loads more.
Anyway, once the supply of type 2 vans rusts away, guess which ones will start rocketing upin price and become fashionable ?

You got it !

Many (including myself) think the T25/30 is the best van for the money now. They are as much better then a bay as a bay is better then a splitty. Each is a great vehicle with it's own cult following. I love my 7 door panel splitty. I've 10-15k/year in splits and bays (usually campers) for 25 years. Bays have more comfort/power/speed/handling then splits. T25s are another generation of improvement, and the older I get, the more comfort I want. That's why I'm going for one..

Sorry for hijack

Dont thik it matters what you have or what you buy you end up spending money anyway better to be happy with what you have than regret it later, if I had the cash I'd buy another one but I'd never sell gromit, I'd only regret it.

Mrs Mash

So we are going to keep Betty but really need a good cheap welder in South Hampshire as she is well rusty

Any suggestions anyone? bushaus is full for the next 12 years and the local bodywork shop wanted £2000 and I had to provide panels, and a further £2000 for a blow over.

I think you need an unemotional second opinion, some one on here maybe who knows what they're looking at rust wise. 4K would buy a lot of bus, no point throwing good money at it . An option is to keep it on the road for as long as poss spending the least amount you can get away with to keep it mot-able. you could have the high top done by TT and sell it on or put it on your next van, not everyones van is bling and top paint, in fact At vanwest last year i blended in well with all the other slightly worn, dog eared , well used campers,