don't like to worry you but .................

[David Ayers 171]

2 hours ago, Rory RSC said:

but when would I ever get time for weekends or days off

I think that could be a whole new thread!

[Contracts 68]

Have sold a few T6’s to people who are getting conversions done.  They haggle the last penny out the van price then send it to a converter who often ups their original quote and bolts on a few extras halfway through the conversion.

Did a California last week, SOR but still £40k for a 15/15.  Blokes wife was not as amused, something about staying in a hotel and not looking like a builder the rest of the time.

[BHM 994]

20 hours ago, Contracts said:

Have sold a few T6’s to people who are getting conversions done.  They haggle the last penny out the van price then send it to a converter who often ups their original quote and bolts on a few extras halfway through the conversion.

Did a California last week, SOR but still £40k for a 15/15.  Blokes wife was not as amused, something about staying in a hotel and not looking like a builder the rest of the time.

VW men, ’nuf said.

[trade vet 703]

On 23/10/2018 at 11:41 PM, MrC said:

Someone better let my customers know about this impending doom, im flat out with work and they seem to be spending like sailors.

My lastest customer spent more on the the conversion that he paid for the van.  £15k the van £16400 on the conversion.

If I get the job on the most recent quote, that will take my diary till Feb.

I am interested to know how this works.You buy a van for £15k+vat which you claim back.You work on it and claim back as much VAT as you can on the parts and fittings.You then sell it for £30k.Is the VAT due on the sale £6k.or is there more duty to pay for converting a commercial vehicle to a private vehicle.

[David Ayers 171]

Customer brings their own van?

[Mark101 536]

I don't get the whole VW thing, whether that be the original camper, the wedge or the latest T whatevers.

If I am paying £40k + for somewhere to sleep, it needs to have full standing headroom (I don't sleep standing up mind), a kitchen and most importantly, somewhere I can shit without walking across a field with a load of wannabe hippies born too late to really recall the 60's.

Plus, many of them are complete bores.

My mate has one of the most expensive and rare vans (about £70-80k) and it is valuable becuase it has a certain number of windows - think it is a Samba or something from Calafornia and about a thousand years old - does nothing for me.

He also has a new A Class (German) quality motor home, that's more to my liking but he reckons his classic is worth more - not to me it isn't.

He also has the Jags, Porkers, Rangies etc but it's the camper he (bores) me about.

Having said all that, I admire the work MrC does, it looks top quality and I can see why he does well.  Me, I'm into boats in a big way - you know the ones with a stick and rags hanging off them - I could bore you for hours on that subject.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Mark101

[NOACROSS 414]

23 window or 21?  Does he have the 'safaris' & 'jail bars'? ;0)

Best place for old cars is in the past. 

I too don't get the watercooled in particular ones.  Fortunes for a builders van with a sleeping bag and a kettle in it.  There's a ballistic miles lime green one on Sytner making stupid money.  As has been said above, give me a few hundred nice hotel or B&B stays and a car any day- but, we are (I am) miserable apparently.

There's a crook near us that does dodgy conversions and still gets stupid money for the junk.  Don't understand it. Do people keep these long term or do they soon get bored/wake up and sell them?

However, Mr.C's stuff looks a different league- and you can certainly see why people use him over others: I admire his skills, (as I couldn't even fit a plug without wanting to smash something) plus, to be fair to them- they're busier than us so what do we know. 

Anyway, liking the things and buying them -and just finding a niche that's in demand and working on them- are two different things I guess.

Do you have/ use a van yourself Mr.C?

[BHM 994]

1 hour ago, NOACROSS said:

There's a ballistic miles lime green one on Sytner making stupid money.

I came across it half an hour ago, I just laughed & scrolled past it. I didn’t even open up the advert - them Sytner buyers must be on crack.

[NOACROSS 414]

Ha. Probably. I had to click on it.  Have a look/a read. Mad.

[Ocsltd 133]

I did chuckle when I saw this, https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/saturday-3rd-november-2018/1970-austin-j4-camper-shed/

One of Mr C's finest...?

[metcars 397]

3 hours ago, NOACROSS said:

.......................................................... Don't understand it. Do people keep these long term or do they soon get bored/wake up and sell them?...................

In reality, touring or driving for its own enjoyment is over; has been over since the mid 70s. After a week 'touring' the Lake District you'd need a holiday to recover. There are loads of camper vans near me. They just sit outside the house all year and get dragged down to Southend on Sea for a day to drink tea. Personally, the reality of owning them and using them outweighs the dream. Gone are the days of stopping wherever you like and walking to the local farm for fresh eggs and milk in the morning. You now have to chase the clock like a multi drop driver to be at the prebooked campsites on time. And it's not cheap, camping and caravaning is a middle class hobby, you don't do it to save money. There are splinter groups though. IT consultants who relive their Uni days by spending a weekend surfing, or the festival goers who spend a few days in a mud pit.

My brother in law is doing a conversion at the moment, he is highly capable and his eldest son is a 'chippie' so I expect it to be to a high standard. But I said to him as soon as it's finished "flog it".

[David Ayers 171]

1 hour ago, Ocsltd said:

I did chuckle when I saw this, https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/saturday-3rd-november-2018/1970-austin-j4-camper-shed/

One of Mr C's finest...?

Litterally a shed on wheels!

[metcars 397]

41 minutes ago, David Ayers said:

Litterally a shed on wheels!

Beach hut!

[grant8064 219]

6 hours ago, Mark101 said:

I don't get the whole VW thing, whether that be the original camper, the wedge or the latest T whatevers.

If I am paying £40k + for somewhere to sleep, it needs to have full standing headroom (I don't sleep standing up mind), a kitchen and most importantly, somewhere I can shit without walking across a field with a load of wannabe hippies born too late to really recall the 60's.

Plus, many of them are complete bores.

 

I don't get it either. A friends parents recently bought an early VW camper minibus thing for close on 30k, not my bag but a real gorgeous looking thing. I think they were hoping it would change their lives like a lot of these expensive white elephants. Took it on a trip to France, got four miles from home before it conked out. They'd only been out in it once before and had a sudden and scary understanding of what drum brakes were that time.

Best place for it's a museum or real enthusiast who can tinker with it every weekend. Instead it's sitting on the drive rotting which is a real shame. 

They've just started sailing lessons and bought a (cheap...it's all relative) yacht. Mid life crisis or not my mate's not gonna see much inheritance that's for sure!

 

[Mark101 536]

6 minutes ago, grant8064 said:

They've just started sailing lessons and bought a (cheap...it's all relative) yacht. Mid life crisis or not my mate's not gonna see much inheritance that's for sure!

 

I used to do 6 races per week in my prime including National championships and also teach sailing if they want some help on their new yacht.

Bloody expensive hobby but I have seen the light and sold my yacht, I now bare boat charter (rent) as I was told many years ago:

If you want a boat, stand at the end of the jetty and chuck £50 notes in the water, one after an other. Or better still; If it flies, floats or fucks........rent it!

[MrC 142]

13 hours ago, trade vet said:

I am interested to know how this works.You buy a van for £15k+vat which you claim back.You work on it and claim back as much VAT as you can on the parts and fittings.You then sell it for £30k.Is the VAT due on the sale £6k.or is there more duty to pay for converting a commercial vehicle to a private vehicle.

You pay commercial VAT 20% on the sale price, not unless the van was bought from a none VAT registered seller then its just VAT Margin. Turning it in to a Camper makes no difference on the VAT.

 

 

8 hours ago, NOACROSS said:

 

Do you have/ use a van yourself Mr.C?

I cant afford one of my vans,  

11 hours ago, David Ayers said:

Customer brings their own van?

Im getting this more and more, I help customers find a base van. I have a couple of contacts I can put them in touch with. This gets me away from selling the vehicle, and reduces my VAT... And saves capital expenditure. Win WIn Win 

On 25/10/2018 at 11:07 AM, boring dave said:

personally i just see them as the next jangly

we had the big i am pickups pre 08

then they died off due to nobody who does mostly jack all day getting finance for them

then came the range rovers with silly bits nailed on

now comes the day vans pimped up like a whores bedroom

im not knocking by the way good on anyone who sees the trend and runs with it and profits

but like all latest trends just make sure when it all dies and it will you are not holding overpriced babies

just sayin like..............................

This trend has been going since the 60's

[trade vet 703]

4 hours ago, met said:

Beach hut!

Now beach huts,that’s a good business.This summer I was talking to a dealer friend who introduced his son to me.He managed some seaside leisure park in AD country.They aparently bought glorified beach huts or mobile homes which are manufactured in Yorkshire fo £70k and sell them for £250k to people on their site on the coast who then rent them out.They charge site rental and management fees on top,what a great business.

[Area 51 33]

4 hours ago, Mark101 said:

If you want a boat, stand at the end of the jetty and chuck £50 notes in the water, one after an other. Or better still; If it flies, floats or fucks........rent it!

 

+1

Always and you will not go far wrong

 

1 hour ago, trade vet said:

Now beach huts,that’s a good business.This summer I was talking to a dealer friend who introduced his son to me.He managed some seaside leisure park in AD country.They aparently bought glorified beach huts or mobile homes which are manufactured in Yorkshire fo £70k and sell them for £250k to people on their site on the coast who then rent them out.They charge site rental and management fees on top,what a great business.

Key here surely has to be owning the land! Buy land they wont be making any more!!!

 

[Mark101 536]

10 hours ago, Area 51 said:

 

+1

Always and you will not go far wrong

 

Key here surely has to be owning the land! Buy land they wont be making any more!!!

 

That and. 

Two happiest times for a boat owner, the day they buy it and the day they sell it 

[Area 51 33]

1 hour ago, Mark101 said:

That and. 

Two happiest times for a boat owner, the day they buy it and the day they sell it 

My old man (RIP) was a Marine Design Engineer, B'day was 6th June, he served in the Royal Navy on D-Day in his early 20's... He occasionally visited ships in dry dock; took me along a couple of times (it scared the sh*t out of me how huge they were)... Anyway, can always remember him saying; anyone can buy a boat, its the running of them that costs the money..

[Mark101 536]

3 minutes ago, Area 51 said:

My old man (RIP) was a Marine Design Engineer, B'day was 6th June, he served in the Royal Navy on D-Day in his early 20's... He occasionally visited ships in dry dock; took me along a couple of times (it scared the sh*t out of me how huge they were)... Anyway, can always remember him saying; anyone can buy a boat, its the running of them that costs the money..

Your Dad was a clever man.  My boat cost be about £10k a year to own (not including paying for it).  Marina fees, annual maintenance, anti-fouling, repairs, fuel etc etc etc.  I now charter a bare boat (wife, me and our dog - see avatar) and it costs us about £3k for a week including all moorings, food, drink, fuel, hire etc.  We do it once a year as our main holiday and I don't worry about the boat/bills in between.

[metcars 397]

17 hours ago, trade vet said:

Now beach huts,that’s a good business.This summer I was talking to a dealer friend who introduced his son to me.He managed some seaside leisure park in AD country.They aparently bought glorified beach huts or mobile homes which are manufactured in Yorkshire fo £70k and sell them for £250k to people on their site on the coast who then rent them out.They charge site rental and management fees on top,what a great business.

Southwold?

20 hours ago, Mark101 said:

I used to do 6 races per week in my prime including National championships and also teach sailing if they want some help on their new yacht.

Bloody expensive hobby but I have seen the light and sold my yacht, I now bare boat charter (rent) as I was told many years ago:

If you want a boat, stand at the end of the jetty and chuck £50 notes in the water, one after an other. Or better still; If it flies, floats or fucks........rent it!

Marina fees! Just that! Lol 

[trade vet 703]

15 minutes ago, met said:

Southwold?

Marina fees! Just that! Lol 

I am in our apartment now in Puerto Portals marina Mallorca.Leases on births here for the big floating caravans change hands for over 1m euros and I think there are only 12 years left on the leases. Most of them rarely go out yet they have a full time crew,it makes no sense.

 

[Mark101 536]

1 hour ago, trade vet said:

I am in our apartment now in Puerto Portals marina Mallorca.Leases on births here for the big floating caravans change hands for over 1m euros and I think there are only 12 years left on the leases. Most of them rarely go out yet they have a full time crew,it makes no sense.

 

I bet most of those are stink boats though TV - there’s a difference.

[trade vet 703]

31 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

I bet most of those are stink boats though TV - there’s a difference.

Stink boats ?