Citroen C15 Van

[rhgb46-35]

Thanks very much - obvious really - I just didn't look hard enough!

[wilruf]

Thanks very much - obvious really - I just didn't look hard enough!

Hi there, I’ve just joined this forum to ask almost exactly what OP asked the group, then came across their post! I’m really keen to get a C15 and have been keeping an eye on ones for sale but there’s been hardly anything recently. May I ask if you can ended selling your C15? I am rather interested if not!

Thanks,
Will

[Stucp]

Hi there,
Anybody know the correct gearbox code for a citroen c15 1.9 diesel dw8 2005?
Many thanks

[Reckless Rat]

Bonjour everyone. Now we've got Christmas out of the way I need a little advice. My 95 C15 van is leaking water into the cabin and I'm sure it's coming in via the bulkhead air intake. The drain appears to be working but before I start taking the thing apart can anyone tell me whether there is an access panel behind the insulation where the jack & wheelbrace fit? If not it's looking like I'm going to have to set to and get my angle grinder out to create one. Putting a hose pipe into the scuttle top vent, there is plenty of water coming out of the drain hose but then I start to see drips coming into the cabin after a minute or so as though the drain isn't doing it's job hard enough.

I'm reluctant to start hacking away at it but I can't see any other way of getting in to where it needs to be sealed. It will be 30 years old day after tomorrow and it still runs like a good 'un.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

I have temporarily taped off the grille with duct tape to keep the rain out...

Bruce

[Reckless Rat]

[CitroJim]

That's a lovely setup you have there Bruce Loving the trailer

I keep on having a desire for a C15 Camper Van...

[Reckless Rat]

Eureka!

Today, after the excesses of Christmas & Boxing day I ventured under the bonnet of the Van. I removed the jack & wheelbrace and then the supporting brackets (4 x M6 bolts) with the intention of pulling off the sound insulation and cutting a hole in the front of the bilkhead. However, when I took the 4 bolts off I discovered that the sound insulation was actually stuck on to an inspection cover! The problem was what looked like a rats nest of mud, leaves and pine needles that were blocking the drain hole. Once I cleared it all ouit the drain was washed out with a watering can and all is good. I replaced the cover with some vaseline on the sealing rubber and put it all bazck together. What a birthday present for its 390th birthday tomorrow. Cushty!

The trailer was the result of a second van purchase in 2019 - all I wanted was a steering rack but I got the whole van (a 2002) for 100€ and broke it for spares. During Covid I saved the back half and made the trailer. I have all the other bits stored for whenever, apârt from the engine and a knackered gearbox which I sold for 100€ cash to a passing UPS courier.

Here's a copy of the bulkhead drain access:



and this was the pile of crud that was blocking it:



Well. Happy Vanning everyone!

[mickthemaverick]

Nicely done!! Always good when you get a nice surprise having anticipated a nightmare!!

[Reckless Rat]

Well I've spent most of today clearing out the interior and drying out the carpets. Fortunately here in the south of France when the sun shines it's reasonably warm so you can air-dry things. The felt is still a bit damp, but if I can get the rear section sorted I can replace the back carpet and the seats. However, before anything goes back in I'm going to give it all a good coat of Waxoyl.

I've been out of the UK for over 23 years. Where we live the C15 was the "go to" vehicle for tradesmen and hunters and there were thousands of them about. They are beginning to get rare, but not so as you'd really notice. If I drive from here to Alès and back (about a 20 miles round trip) I can usually bank on seeing four or five going the other way.

Within about a 200 metre radius of our house there are three of them, all still runners, and no, they're not for sale! Second hand values are creeping up and you can't get a good one (a late 1.9 "First") for under 5000€ these days and they'll only get more valued as the bangers drop off the radar. The thing is though, if you look after them they just go on for ever. The climate here is predominantly sunny and dry and we don't salt the roads in winter either, which helps.

What will kill them is collapsed rear suspension arm bearings - I replaced mine about 5 years ago. Scrap yard used parts are becoming rare. One of the reasons I bought one and broke it for spares. All the French ones of course have side windows behind the front seats, which the UK versions didn't have for tax reasons. They do make driving visibity a lot easier.

The 2CV spares outlet in Cassis (near Marseille) now has a subsidiary that sells parts for the Visa and C15 range. Just beware of customs duties post Brexit.

[Richard_C]

I always liked the idea of a C15 - spiritual successor to the Acadiane - but my wife disssuaded me from having a van which we really didn't need**. We did have a Visa 1.7RD which was a gem, massive torque for the weight of the vehicle and surprisingly fast and comfortable. I've had a few cars with XUD engines, probabaly done over 300,000 miles all told, including 110,000 in the first BX, and never had a serious problem with any of them. The Romahomes always looked a bit unweildy but the set up Bruce has is excellent - you can leave the bits you don't need at home/on the camp site or whatever. If I recall the C15 was advertised as the first small van that could take a 1m pallet but nor sure about that. Citroen marketing in the UK, perhaps having a sense of fun back then, brought out a special edition, available in red or white and with a "vin rouge" or "vin blanc" logo - a joke that only works in the English language.

I guess XUD engined cars will be slowly killed off by the variuos ULEZ regulations in many cities if they go there regularly - £8 a day in Birmingham for example.

** it went a bit like this: it would be dead handy to get stuff from the garden centre and builders merchants, and when we go away for walking weekends we can sleep in the van....but we can get stuff delivered and we can easily afford B&B .... but we can sleep in the van ....and we can afford hotels as long as theyre not too fancy .... but vans are fun we can have a camping stiove and make tea and eat cake .... etc.

[CitroJim]

** it went a bit like this: it would be dead handy to get stuff from the garden centre and builders merchants, and when we go away for walking weekends we can sleep in the van....but we can get stuff delivered and we can easily afford B&B .... but we can sleep in the van ....and we can afford hotels as long as theyre not too fancy .... but vans are fun we can have a camping stiove and make tea and eat cake .... etc.

I like that

That's basically what my C3 Picasso is... A posh van I never have but would be fine to sleep in...

[Reckless Rat]

I did have an idea of making a sleeping pod out of my C15 trailer, but I'm a bit too tall for it. I could of course take the bulkhead out of the van proper, but I just couldn't be arsed. It was my plan to use it to go to Barcelona to watch the F1 but after dragging the trailer round here I reckon it's just a tad on the heavy side. It'll be easier just to buy a cheap tent from Decathlon and just go in the van. I might one day cobble up some kind of fold-out camp kitchen, if they get a stock of "round to its" at the DIY shoppe.

Currently going through the process of obtaining French "Véhicule de Collection" status for it, which gets unlimited access to French ULEZ zones. and an MOT every 5 years. The van was 30 years old a couple of days ago.

[CitroJim]

Currently going through the process of obtaining French "Véhicule de Collection" status for it, which gets unlimited access to French ULEZ zones. and an MOT every 5 years. The van was 30 years old a couple of days ago.

Excellent! You're lucky - we here in old Blighty have to wait until our vehicles are over 40. Then no MoT or VED ever again...

That's for now... Lots of rumours it may all change... I must say a 5-yrarly MoT is good though...

[Reckless Rat]

Update on progress. I got the attestation from the FFVE in a couple of weeks after application (Certificate of Authenticity), and today I took the van for its "Contrôle Technique" MOT which is necessary in order to change the log book over to Historic status. It passed no bother, albeit with a few nit picking advisoriers, but that's it now for 5 years. The application is in, and once I've got the new Carte Grise I can buy a set of silver on black number plates to complete the conversion.

This is the van during testing:

[CitroJim]

Excellent news