A DRIVER who bought a campervan for only £180 claims it may have broken the record for the highest mileage ever – but it has never broken down.
Named Cecil, the VW motor has driven the equivalent of 14 times around the globe.
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Steve believes that Cecil’s mileage might be a world record.
Cecil, built in 1972, was used as a shuttle bus for airport transfers between Canberra and Sydney.
Before being purchased by the former mechanic, the van had already done 500,000 miles and was in rough shape.
Steve bought it for £180 and then spent six months restoring it in a workshop when off-duty as a mechanic.
Planning on selling Cecil at auction when he left Australia, Steve became so attached to the vehicle that he decided to drive him home from Sydney.
They managed to get a visa for India and Russia, but according to Steve, China said no. “So we put him on a ship back home and haven’t parted since.”
He said to Cornwall Live: “I grew up watching Herbie – I believe cars can have a spirit of their own.
“It is mad the things Cecil has seemed to survive.
“He’s approaching 14 times round the clock, which is about 900,000 miles (1.4m km) which as far as I can find out, is the highest mileage one of these in the world.”
“He’s never needed a tow and I have breakdown I’ve never had to use – I always have a laugh with the insurance company every year, which is actually really cheap and now covered by Footman James as a donation.”
Since coming to the UK Cecil has been modified; originally converted to diesel upon arriving, the campervan now runs on recycled waste chip fat oil.
The vehicle has also been updated with a crane, a winch and a tow hook at the front in order to pick up ‘ghost’ gear (waste fishing equipment).
Cecil is part of Clean Ocean Sailing, a Cornish organisation that aims to clean plastic boats from beaches. The Annette, a boat working alongside Cecil, is over 100 years old. Steve says he wants to keep the car going for at least another 50.
A spokesperson for Volkswagen campervans, Christian Schlueter, told the BBC there were a number of other high mileage campervans and so Cecil’s record could not be confirmed.
But he said of Cecil, the van was a “little bit Mad Max” and “really impressive”.
How do you keep your campervan running for longer?
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“Actually, it’s quite simple” said Schlueter, “think of the van as family member and take care of it when it needs care.
“So, take the car for preventative care, and, if you do so, it will stay for your whole life.”
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