New to Campervan/motorhome/whatever.

Hi, I'm new to this lark hence the title.  Just bought a 2000 VW Gatcombe off ebay and looking to travel in these difficult times from Northern Ireland to central England to look it over and hopefully bring it home.

I have many questions and concerns so please be gentle with my ignorance and annoying curiosity.

My first question is regarding painted interior furniture.  How easy, or difficult Half full pint glass ) is it to remove and restore doors back to original?  I'm aware that all paint jobs are different and it depends on the type of paint, but it's a hopeful question to those who may have come across painted kitchen units and removed the paint.

Looking forward to learning and maybe sharing.

Hello & welcome from S/Yorks.

Not sure if there IS anything painted in AS vans, the furniture edge sections are usually varnished wood & all paneling is wood-effect vinyl, akin to 'Fablon'!

Good luck in your quest.

Thanks modelman, looks like a previous owner took a paintbrush to the interior to recreate an episode from 60 minute makeover 

When I saw a Gatcombe for £14k I thought immediately 'scam'. Now I've looked at the photos I'm more convinced that something is very wrong. The Gatcombe has more fashionable woodwork than its stablemate Clubman and should be a very nice wood finish not painted. So has all the woodwork been replaced and if so why?
This is what it should look like.....

https://www.nickwhalemotorhomes.co.uk/auto-sleepers-gatcombe-

Hi Paul, I haven't reached the number of posts to pm you.  Did you see the advert?  I'm not an expert but sensible enough to worry.  I looked at the MOT records and it was registered as a transporter, just like other gatcombe registrations I typed in.  I think it doesnt quite add up and I have a fair bit of travel to find it's a lemon.

The ad is still visible if you look up 'completed sales'. The Gatcombe always commands a premium price over the Clubman (perhaps similar price to Clubman Anniversary) and £14k is just too cheap but perhaps that's because it's lost value by painting the woodwork. But it's not just the woodwork, the carpets have been replaced with vinyl (tiles?) , the upholstery replaced with black vinyl or leather and all the walls of the washroom painted. Sorry to say in my opinion, it's been ruined.

Think I'll go and look at it.  If it looks like the interior can be salvaged, is mechanically sound and it drives ok I'll take it home.  I'm reasonably good with my hands so should make a passable job if there is something good to work with.  The fact that it might not be a gatcombe doesn't bother me as much as what it actually might be instead.  I paid considerably less than the asking price, so hopefully if it's sound I should manage to turn it round to see it pay its way.

B181 wrote:Think I'll go and look at it.  If it looks like the interior can be salvaged, is mechanically sound and it drives ok I'll take it home.  I'm reasonably good with my hands so should make a passable job if there is something good to work with.  The fact that it might not be a gatcombe doesn't bother me as much as what it actually might be instead.  I paid considerably less than the asking price, so hopefully if it's sound I should manage to turn it round to see it pay its way.

Good luck. Professional upholstery will set you back £2k, carpet cheap enough. If you can sort the rest you could have a good van.

Thanks for your advice Paul, much welcome and appreciated.

I'm hoping everything pans out with this.  If not I will still be around as I'm looking to stick to my AS theme, preferably in a monocoque.

Hello and welcome to this most friendly and informative forum. Knowledgeable advice thus far. Jeeze, hope all goes well for you. 

Well, the truism goes, if it seems to good to be true then it is.

I travelled over from North Antrim in Northern Ireland this morning and was prepared to pick up the AS and drive it home this evening via Scotland.

Within 30 secs I knew I wouldn't pay any money for it.  If I wanted a doer upper I could have stayed at home and picked one up.

So I'm on train to Birmingham and will stay overnight, flying back home tomorrow with my bank balance slightly poorer for the travel but healthy enough to look for a pre loved example.

Thanks for advice to date and I'll pop back in when I have more luck.

Thanks Micky, I'm now in the boozer in Birmingham.  £300 for a night out .