• If you have bought, sold or gained information from our Classifieds, please donate to Early Bay and give back.

    You can become a Supporting Member or just click here to donate.

Wanted - RHD Pop Top Camper

Early Bay Forum

Help Support Early Bay Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bikermike87

New member
Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Hello all,

I am currently an owner of a 1988 tin top T25 and I'm looking to join the earlybay crowed!
I don't know much about the earlybays, so please excuse my naive approach to this.

I'm basically looking to sell the nice car and T25 to buy a nice earlybay and a motorbike or cheap motor.

I would prefer a pop top but not fixed on one. I need something that would be fine to put on 4-5k miles a year without worrying about ringing the RAC. I'm guessing a 2.0l would be best?! I'm looking at the idea of LPG so I could use the van as much as possible.

What age are Tax exempt, this would definitely help convince me down the route of an earlybay!

I would love one already done out inside, but mechanics and bodywork are the most important factors. I have all the camping gear from my T25.

I have got up to 9k to play around with but could go up to 12k if something special came along.

So guys and gals, feel free to correct me and tell me what I don't and do need!

Thanks,
Michael
 
I've just been through the same process. Originally wanted RHD pop-top too.

In the end have purchased a newly imported lhd californian tin top, because you'll be surprised how much "pretty crap" there is out there in the RHD market. People asking silly money for something that's got a reasonable paint job, but probably has as much filler as metal underneath!

We didn't mind doing the van up ourselves but wanted something that didn't need major welding work, so the best route for that without spending over £10k was to go lhd import. We managed to get a perfectly solid and dry, rot free, rust free (well almost!) '68 van for under £7k, still with original paintwork. We may respray it, we may leave it as it is (because it looks quite cool a bit faded and used!), but what we do know is that what you see is what you get. There should be no hidden surprises.

If you really want RHD, the UK vans will all have been "restored" at some point, so make sure you have photo evidence of the restoration process or it's been done by someone reputable, so you can see exactly what's been done. And be prepared to pay your £12k budget for a good one.

We decided a pop-top wasn't as important as originally thought as we will camp with an awning and we liked the look of the tin-tops better. But that's purely personal choice.

All the above is mainly aimed at early bays - 1968-1971 - low front indicators, small rear light clusters, crescent moon shaped side air vents. Some 1971 early bays had disk brakes, but before that they're all drums. 1972 I think is what they call a crossover (low front indicators, large rear lights and larger side vents). Late bay is 1973 on I think - high front indicators, large rear light clusters and larger side vents.

You will get late bays quite a bit cheaper than early bays and if you wanted a 2 litre, it would probably be a late bay unless someone has changed the engine in an early one. You will get better mechanicals all round with a late bay.

I think that's right, someone will correct me if I'm wrong!

Probably worth taking a trip to Vanfest next week and see what's what there - I expect you'll see every combination possible there and be able to work out what you want and how much it will set you back.

Good luck!
 
Forgot to mention that vehicles manufactured before 31st December 1972 are tax exempt....
So you might see the odd late bay registered in 1973 that is tax exempt, because it was actually built in 1972...
 
Well thought out reply Ruth and a good situation of the market as it stands

Your description is mostly right, all 71MY buses have disc brakes at the front and indeed 72MY buses are crossovers, low front light but big rear ones, Rear Wheel arches change on a 71MY on as well to 'flares' rather than the rolled edge on earlier buses as well as the PCD of the wheels, 68/69/70 MY buses run 'wide 5' wheels (5 x 205) wheras 71MY buses on run 'small 5' (5 x 112). Front wheelarches change on crossovers with a moulded rib around the wheelarch.

For your budget I would expect you to be able to pick up a decent LHD rust free bus that you can use straight away, RHD may work out a bit more but there are some buses out there within your budget but be prepared to do some work maybe not now but in the future!!

We've got a few buses due in so if we can be of any assistance feel free to drop me an email,
 

Latest posts

Top