Radiator Nightmare!

The Coaster looks an interesting vehicle, made up to 2016 I think.

I've no idea about NZ van supply but a good base van in the UK is the Peugeot Boxer / Citroen / Fiat Ducato series, as it's as small as it can be but a medium high, medium or long wheel base with 16" wheel chassis is the perfect size.

Unlike the rusty and expensive Sprinters these have enough width for a width-wise bed, full standing room and good supply of seat swivels etc.

The maths is always a bit tricky for campers, one either pays on the interest (buy a new one with good resale with a loan and sell it on for a similar amount in a few years) or the depreciation on a DIY conversion. DIY only really works IMO if you design and finish it very well, else the cost of the van + bits is not recouped when sold.

It would make a nice change to have a very standard popular van however, with lots of spares and accessories available but without having to buy the dreadfully unreliable VW T6 van!

My neighbour is having one built on a VW chassis by a reputable firm here, I hope he isn't plagued with the issues I've heard of with VW's.
Unfortunately there isn't really anything new here for under $100k which is so far above our range that a Lotto win would be the only possibility .......
Fiat is a possibility, we've both had Fiat cars and loved them although I surely hope they've done something about the rust problem that they were notorious for.

Anyway update: the radiator arrived, but with slight courier damage due to inadequate packaging. One of the hose attachment fittings has been partly crushed; the mechanic is going to try to push it back as close to circular as possible but I'm concerned that it will no longer have the strength when the hose clamp is tightened and may deform again allowing leakage. He'll let me know if he thinks it will be successful in a day or two when he gets a chance to look at it. Seems anyone else can get things with no problems but for us something always goes wrong.

I've had this before, a perfect headlamp not packed properly at the end and the lug smashed off, such a waste.
If you mechanic warms it a little as he reshapes and uses a new hose it may be fine.

Good luck!

He thinks he may have a tool which will help to reshape it so we'll see. If only they'd put a bit of polystyrene foam around that coupling before they wrapped it all in plastic film all would have been well, but that part protruded from the parcel and doubtless sat on the courier van floor, with other parcels being placed on top of it (or dropped, of course!).

I said to Carole over dinner tonight that no doubt she'll sell the van to someone who will have zero problems with it as we'll have fixed everything!