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[smiiithy]

Hello all,

I am new to the forum. I am a keen (tent) camper from Northumberland and I have been presented potential opportunity to purchase a cheap minibus due to them being de-commissioned at work.

All are one owner (my employer), have circa 130,000 miles on the clock and have had six-weekly checks in addition to routine maintenance from new. At this stage I have limited information, but the choice could be between any of the below. I have a category B/B1 licence and am looking for some advice on which could be the best vehicle for me to convert into a basic campervan.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. You can find some info on each vehicle below:
Make: Volkswagen
Model: CRAFTER CR35 TDI KOMBI 109 Minibus
Registered: October 2010
CC: 2461 cc
Current Seating Configuration: 11 + 2 wheelchair spaces
Revenue Weight (according to DVLA): 5000kg

Make: Fiat
Model: DUCATO 35 LWB MULTIJET 120 Minibus
Registered: March 2011
CC: 2287 cc
Current Seating Configuration: 7 + 1 wheelchair space
Revenue Weight (according to DVLA): Unknown

Make: Renault
Model: MASTER EXTRA LM35DCI 100 Minibus
Registered: February 2010
CC: 2464 cc
Current Seating Configuration: 9 + 1 wheelchair space
Revenue Weight (according to DVLA): 3500kg

[Camper_Dan]

I'm not familiar with any of those, and I'm in the USA...  For comparison though, my van was originally a 15 passenger van.  Judging by the passenger capacities listed, none of these sound too big, so I would probably go with the largest one available.  An extra foot or two can make a huge difference.

Good Luck!

[ecotrails]

Hi
Good luck with new project, was looking  at Iveco minibuses recently but that does not help you.

2 things spring to mind, ....

VW highly regarded as most reliable of the three and less rust prone vehicle but perhaps your company will reflect that in the asking price.

Standing height without continually having to bend over? can be a pain (literally) over a time if you have to stoop everywhere.

Hope that might help

Eco

[James]

Hey Smithy. I'm right next to Northumberland. I'd recommend the biggest spaced van you can get your hands on. Every extra inch counts when you're spending a lot of time in your van. Be easier weight wise if you also stick to the 3500kg limit for a basic license, remember a lot of roads have weight limits, especially off the beaten track.