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Do you ever lose the faith? |
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Newty 
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Joined: 01 Jun 12 Status: Offline Points: 203 |
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 Topic: Do you ever lose the faith?Posted: 22 Aug 14 at 20:58 |
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I love my Florida and it's in generally beautiful condition. But I've been off the road since April with really silly stuff - mainly searching for/waiting for parts to arrive at whatever garage has taken it on.
So even now everything has been sorted and I'm ready to go - the summer has gone and I'm losing faith. Help me fellow LT lovers to resist being tempted by a boring camper that is mechanically and electrically sound - not least so I can justify it to Mrs Newty
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mat_the_cat
Vanorak 
Joined: 06 May 09 Location: North Wales Status: Offline Points: 1862 |
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Posted: 22 Aug 14 at 21:40 |
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I've not felt this with the LT, but I know what you mean - there comes a point where you *really* have to like the vehicle to justify the time and/or money you're spending on it. I tend not to use it in the winter, so for me that's tinkering time where I can work on anything required at leisure (I have working on cars under time pressure), and then not have to do anything to it the rest of the year.
It helps that I do everything myself though, so I only have to justify the time, which is a hobby anyway. |
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Mid engined, 6 cylinder, turbocharged 2 seater - it can only be a VW LT!
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timaldiss
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Joined: 15 Jan 14 Status: Offline Points: 255 |
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Posted: 22 Aug 14 at 22:21 |
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Aah Mark I do know that feeling. Sold my first LT (a self build on an LWB red '95) about 8 years ago as I felt like I was fighting a loosing battle (with rust, not part sourcing). When I came into some money I bought myself an Adria Twin (red in the LT's honour!). What an un-emotive vehicle she was! Everything in there you could want, and on '08 plates but just sooo boring! She lasted 18 months because we realised that we needed the money we'd invested in her for other things (she cost 5 times what I sold my old LT for). Now I'm back in the game I am sooooo unbelievably happy!
But having said that it's early days and nout's gone wrong so far! Get tinkering like Mat says, and keep the faith brother!
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I have a history of VW LT camper van addiction: http://campervanman.co.uk |
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LTCamper89
Vanorak
Joined: 18 Apr 12 Location: The Toon Status: Offline Points: 4285 |
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Posted: 23 Aug 14 at 00:16 |
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Newty old stick, this is really my first 'car', previous ones do not count since I was not bothered.
I have done so much in the last couple of years, I have wondered why I should bother when Svens go for under £3000. Just save up and get a beaut. The thing is that taking it for the annual garage laugh, MOT, has seen the advisories come down from 17no I think, to 4no, and they are nothing serious. My MOT monkey says it is noticeably better than two years ago, he loves driving it up to the test station. If the fuel consumption was better, there IS nothing better. ?Slow? Yes, but at the moment D24NA....TIC in waiting. BUT I have a massive smile on my face from driving it, and knowing with alittle help and support, I will be able to keep driving it for a good few years yet. Dearly Beloved thought that the ensuing saga of replacing the sills/skirts would be a couple of days, but she has now seen the error of her ways, but still wants to get started on the interior. She will be seeing a Florida or two at Bicester, so God help me after that...... we will still be in a van. As Tim says...keep the faith... but not in a BonJovi way... |
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1989 LT28 2.4D Saviour of 6Music, well one of them. Now playing http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_6music
VW LT Camper not Cramper ....at least the roof is not rusting away.... |
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Rabbit 16v
Yardie
Joined: 24 May 13 Location: Seattlish Status: Offline Points: 647 |
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Posted: 23 Aug 14 at 07:54 |
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Dude. I have had my LT for almost a year. It has not even been camping yet. Hoping for maiden camping voyage next weekend. You cant lose faith if you havent put forth effort that equates to mountain moving. Its an LT. they need work. Once its done (ish), you can enjoy it.
Or just win the lotto and get that bigass Unimog thing..
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Chris
1985 LT40 4x4 2.5 TDI 1987 LT28 Florida 1985 LT45 Sülzer D24TI 1992 LT40 4x4 D24t |
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roundandsquare
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Joined: 21 Feb 09 Location: Edinburgh Status: Offline Points: 48 |
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Posted: 24 Aug 14 at 14:24 |
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Take what you want from life and pay for it... or you'll get want you don't want and pay for that instead. You always have to pay.
If what you want is a modern, efficient, functioning camper then get one. Nothing wrong with that. If you want something that says something interesting, has character and that you've put a bit of your twisted personality into then stick with the LT. With the LT you pay with time, frustration, more time, garage bills (if that's your thing), arguments with your other half (if you managed to keep one...) etc... With the fancy white box camper you pay with a load of cash and a nagging feeling that you've become..... dull. I don't have a load of cash so for me the choice is fairly straight forward. By the way just because the summer is slipping away doesn't mean you cant get out in your van. I've got a wood-burner in mine and take it into the Scottish mountains in winter to go skiing or walking. I've had some of the best trips in the middle of winter. I guess your van has some sort of heating so why not get out there? One last thought... are your standards realistic? Are the things that need to be done really essential? Can they be bodged so you can get some use out of your van now? It's easy to get sucked into doing a proper job and once you've started one bit, you find another bit that isn't up to scratch so you do that too. Pretty soon you have a project in boxes with no prospect of getting fixed soon and a big risk of faith loss. Good luck
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LT35 2.4 diesel (not turbo) hybrid van/camper type thing...
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volition82
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Joined: 06 Jan 10 Location: somerset Status: Offline Points: 972 |
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Posted: 28 Aug 14 at 00:22 |
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I do know what you mean. Sometimes you think this is just hassle, a newer van would be so much easier to live with.
From your post your main problem seems to be waiting for it to be repaired. You could try doing more of the work yourself? You have more invested in it, rather than somebody who has a dozen other jobs on the go. Edited by volition82 - 28 Aug 14 at 00:24 |
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1989 LT35 - 2.4 Lpg/Petrol - Converted To Camper
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Chappy
Vanorak
Arriba! Yii-hah! Joined: 08 Jul 07 Location: North O'Cardiff Status: Offline Points: 5085 |
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Posted: 28 Aug 14 at 21:39 |
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Never!! |
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Back in the slow lane, yeah!
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ringonotts
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Joined: 12 Sep 06 Location: Krakow (Poland) Status: Offline Points: 728 |
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Posted: 29 Aug 14 at 07:06 |
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I feel i have been lucky with my Florida - compared to my T3 it is uber reliable.
However, i know where you are coming from. I took my van to the garage to get a new clutch and 3 days later they let me know they couldn't find a clutch for it. 5 minutes on ebay and i had bought a high quality clutch kit and the next day the garage fitted it. Parts arent readily available off the shelf but they are out there (mostly on ebay!). I make a point of telling any mechanic that if they need parts for the van, let me know and i can source them. Hope things get better for you.... Ringo
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Huge big LT Florida - its slow but its a Westie!
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Chappy
Vanorak
Arriba! Yii-hah! Joined: 08 Jul 07 Location: North O'Cardiff Status: Offline Points: 5085 |
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Posted: 29 Aug 14 at 11:46 |
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I agree with Ringo. I've done a stack of work on our Florida and for the most part I've sourced the parts. A garage will usually ring up their usual motor factors and ask 'need a grunt valve for a 91 LT' and the answer will be 'nope not in our catalogue - looks like it's not available'. I've recently changed the track rods, and steering link - got same answer from local motor factors. 20 mins of internet searching later, I'd found a number of suppliers, picked one and they were with me in two days. Stuff we've done to ours includes: Front calipers Clutch Spigot bearing Gearbox seals Both crank seals (incl new flywheel bolts) Cam seal Vacuum pump Header tank seals And more. In almost all cases I've sourced the hardware. As Ringo says, it's out there - you've just got to do a bit of part number research, ask a few questions and fish about a bit. |
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Back in the slow lane, yeah!
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mat_the_cat
Vanorak
Joined: 06 May 09 Location: North Wales Status: Offline Points: 1862 |
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Posted: 29 Aug 14 at 17:04 |
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Very true. Although to be fair, you can't really blame the garage - they don't want to be spending time on the phone or internet looking for bits, especially if they have a large, immobile LT on their ramp... In time to come we'll have to get more bits reconditioned rather than replaced, so it's likely there will be periods off the road in the future. But I'm confident long term that I can keep it running although I've yet to source a grunt valve... Edited by mat_the_cat - 29 Aug 14 at 17:07 |
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Mid engined, 6 cylinder, turbocharged 2 seater - it can only be a VW LT!
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Chappy
Vanorak
Arriba! Yii-hah! Joined: 08 Jul 07 Location: North O'Cardiff Status: Offline Points: 5085 |
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Posted: 29 Aug 14 at 22:38 |
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Yep, totally agree - didn't intend to decry the garage chaps!
Really!!  You don't know what you're missing fella!Only reason I used that instead of fluglegrinder, wiffle valve or gigglepin was 'cos we were talking about taking the piss out of apprentices yesterday, and that one was the latest to be used!  |
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Back in the slow lane, yeah!
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Chappy wrote: