Motorhomes - an education please.
Discussion
I've decided I want one.
I've got 2 kids (5 & 7) and want something nice, ideally 6 berth so I can bring friends/family occasionally.
I have no idea what is good/bad/ugly/vfm.
Budget prob £25-30k I just need to know the more revered models/makes.
Useage will be weekends away to countryside or occasional weekends to race meetings (kids are starting karting, so may be a future purchase for that if they like it) or the very occasional Euro trip to LeMans/Ring/South of France etc.
Looking for something relatively modern, not keen on 80's flock/dayglo upholstery.
Unfussed on mileage - buying on condition etc.
Spinning front seats a must. This is non-negotiable.
Decent appliances/tv/audio etc nice to have,
Is it right the depreciation curve is pretty slight - they don't seem to lose a lot of money?
Thanks all - any comments however stupid will be appreciated/rebutted with fairly good humour.
I've got 2 kids (5 & 7) and want something nice, ideally 6 berth so I can bring friends/family occasionally.
I have no idea what is good/bad/ugly/vfm.
Budget prob £25-30k I just need to know the more revered models/makes.
Useage will be weekends away to countryside or occasional weekends to race meetings (kids are starting karting, so may be a future purchase for that if they like it) or the very occasional Euro trip to LeMans/Ring/South of France etc.
Looking for something relatively modern, not keen on 80's flock/dayglo upholstery.
Unfussed on mileage - buying on condition etc.
Spinning front seats a must. This is non-negotiable.
Decent appliances/tv/audio etc nice to have,
Is it right the depreciation curve is pretty slight - they don't seem to lose a lot of money?
Thanks all - any comments however stupid will be appreciated/rebutted with fairly good humour.
GAjon said:
Go to the next big motorhome show at the NEC, even if your not in the market for new you’ll get to get a look and sit in most layouts and get a feel for what might suit you.
A agree 100% with this. You can browse ads / look at dealers all day, but looking around at a show such as the NEC allows you to get a really good idea of what you might want, you also get a feeling for the makes that have the quality you are looking for, but beware - the new shiny ones at the NEC are EXPENSIVE.TIGA84 said:
Useage will be weekends away to countryside or occasional weekends to race meetings (kids are starting karting, so may be a future purchase for that if they like it) or the very occasional Euro trip to LeMans/Ring/South of France etc.
Spinning front seats a must. This is non-negotiable.
Decent appliances/tv/audio etc nice to have,
If kids are taking up karting I you probably want to go for a motorhome with a "Garage". Those with double beds or twin rear singles *which can often be made into a double tend to have bigger garages. Whist many "bunk" models also have garages you will find that they don't have massive garages which may limit the equipment you can carrySpinning front seats a must. This is non-negotiable.
Decent appliances/tv/audio etc nice to have,
We have 2 kids and initially we decided that a "bunk" motorhome was our perfect solution, we purchased one, and whilst it was great we found that most of the bunk ones are pretty basic and we wanted a little more luxury, so after a couple of years we have now moved to a twin single A class. We lost a little on our old one but that was because I wanted to sell it quickly to allow us to buy our new one at a great price, If I wasn't in a rush to sell I reckon I could have got my money back on it.
A motorhome that has spinning seats will often be referred to as a "half dinette" - whereby the back half of the dinette is a fixed seat (often with 2 x setabelts) and the driver and passenger seats when turned become the other half of the dining area. Be aware that the "spinning plates" can be purchased for approx £90 each and take minutes to fit - don;t rule out a motorhome because it doesn't have them as standard, they can be added (if the rest of the layout allows)
Most motorhomes have relatively low mileage, an average of 7k per year would probably be seen as very high. Most will often cover 2-3000 per year.
Be aware that many continental built motorhomes historically never came with ovens, many of them now do, but if an oven is a requirement it may rule out some vans. They can be retrofitted but it can be expensive to do depending on whether there is space / how much gas / ventilation work is required. TV / Audio etc can all be added as they are effectively seen as "accessories"
Thanks - thats helpful!
I'd probably tow a trailer if the kids were karting with the kit, it would just be a base more than anything and the pleasure side would probably be the primary reason for having it.
Are there better makes than others - I seem to recall Hymer being well regarded, or is that just people with Hymers?
I'd probably tow a trailer if the kids were karting with the kit, it would just be a base more than anything and the pleasure side would probably be the primary reason for having it.
Are there better makes than others - I seem to recall Hymer being well regarded, or is that just people with Hymers?
I had a look round Brownhills on the outskirts of Newark at the weekend, and came away with a number of thoughts:
We'd want to use the van year round, but the Winter half of the year would be for day trips and an occasional overnight, much more time away in the better weather.
- The bunk models normally have the bunk across the back, and the garage is pretty small, although grows if you fold up the bottom bunk. This was not ideal, and would not allow us to keep the bikes indoors overnight, or very much else really.
- Fixed singles over the garage in looks like a much better option, although this eats into the length more. Care needed to make sure there is some kind of curtain so the adults can read whilst the kids are asleep would be needed.
- Bownhills do a lot of Ducato based Coachbuilts, including the exclusive Swift Champagne range, probably because they have a Fiat Service Centre onsite, and these are the sorts of things that sell well. They had about 4 A Classes.
- The Swift Champagne range is actually very good for headroom for a tall chap like me.
- I can't decide whether 6 berth, 6 belts might be a good idea so the wife can sit in the back with the kids and do colouring with them whilst I drive.
We'd want to use the van year round, but the Winter half of the year would be for day trips and an occasional overnight, much more time away in the better weather.
Something not mentioned yet is what licence do you have ?
Unless you have C1 (automatically there if you passed your test before I think 1997) then you’ll be restricted to a MH with a maximum gross weight of 3,500 kg .
With the specification you are looking for, this (1) might be hard and (2) if you can find such a van, the payload might be very small.
I suggest as a minimum you’ll be needing a 500kg payload, which would mean an empty weight of 3,000 or less. Many vans have (for example) a 100 litre fresh water tank, so running full of water will take 100kg, then theres the weight of passenger (payloads generally calculated with a 75kg driver only so any passenger weight over 75 kg will also eat payload) , and so on. Then there’s extras which eat payload, even metallic paint on my Hymer weighs an extra 30kg over the standard white. It can be a minefield!
There’s a wealth of information on another forum, https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/ which is well worth a look and asking questions there.
You’ll get 5 questions free there and then have to pay £15 for an annual subscription - but you can of course research the topic without joining, albeit you’ll not get access to all areas.
Good luck with the search!
Unless you have C1 (automatically there if you passed your test before I think 1997) then you’ll be restricted to a MH with a maximum gross weight of 3,500 kg .
With the specification you are looking for, this (1) might be hard and (2) if you can find such a van, the payload might be very small.
I suggest as a minimum you’ll be needing a 500kg payload, which would mean an empty weight of 3,000 or less. Many vans have (for example) a 100 litre fresh water tank, so running full of water will take 100kg, then theres the weight of passenger (payloads generally calculated with a 75kg driver only so any passenger weight over 75 kg will also eat payload) , and so on. Then there’s extras which eat payload, even metallic paint on my Hymer weighs an extra 30kg over the standard white. It can be a minefield!
There’s a wealth of information on another forum, https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/ which is well worth a look and asking questions there.
You’ll get 5 questions free there and then have to pay £15 for an annual subscription - but you can of course research the topic without joining, albeit you’ll not get access to all areas.
Good luck with the search!
The most important advice buying ANY second hand motorhome or caravan is:-
Check for the dreaded DAMP with a damp meter.
Mechanical stuff is relatively easy to fix, but damp problems in the floors/walls can run into thousands of pounds.
Check that the vehicle you are thinking of buying has had YEARLY habitation checks from new.
This can be a problem with motorhomes that are even a year or two old.
Any damp reading over 15% is cause for concern.
Do a Google search for this issue.
Check for the dreaded DAMP with a damp meter.
Mechanical stuff is relatively easy to fix, but damp problems in the floors/walls can run into thousands of pounds.
Check that the vehicle you are thinking of buying has had YEARLY habitation checks from new.
This can be a problem with motorhomes that are even a year or two old.
Any damp reading over 15% is cause for concern.
Do a Google search for this issue.
He was taking delivery the next week...TIGA84 said:
Thanks - thats helpful!
I'd probably tow a trailer if the kids were karting with the kit,
Just be careful about payload then, especially if travelling with family. Payloads can be really tight on many a camper or motorhome.I'd probably tow a trailer if the kids were karting with the kit,
One thing you can look into: the previous owners of our camper ( IH 630 RL) had it up-plated from 3500kgs to 3850 kgs. It was a paper exercise only, didn't cost much and the VED went down
. However if you're under 30 or something you may not have a licence to driver over 3500kgs.Get out and rent one.
While waiting to do that get out to as many local dealers and look at as many as possible, sit in them, ask questions.
I'm a dealer and good ones are happy to help even tho you may not be buying today or aby time soon.
Buying a Motorhome is a journey and everyone is at different stages of that, it should be an enjoyable process.
You have a good budget and depreciation of vans in that bracket is thankfully minimal.
Feel few to ping me a pm if you have any questions on anything you see anywhere or pop them up here.
While waiting to do that get out to as many local dealers and look at as many as possible, sit in them, ask questions.
I'm a dealer and good ones are happy to help even tho you may not be buying today or aby time soon.
Buying a Motorhome is a journey and everyone is at different stages of that, it should be an enjoyable process.
You have a good budget and depreciation of vans in that bracket is thankfully minimal.
Feel few to ping me a pm if you have any questions on anything you see anywhere or pop them up here.
Fat Wolfie said:
Something not mentioned yet is what licence do you have ?
Unless you have C1 (automatically there if you passed your test before I think 1997) then you’ll be restricted to a MH with a maximum gross weight of 3,500 kg .
With the specification you are looking for, this (1) might be hard and (2) if you can find such a van, the payload might be very small.
I suggest as a minimum you’ll be needing a 500kg payload, which would mean an empty weight of 3,000 or less. Many vans have (for example) a 100 litre fresh water tank, so running full of water will take 100kg, then theres the weight of passenger (payloads generally calculated with a 75kg driver only so any passenger weight over 75 kg will also eat payload) , and so on. Then there’s extras which eat payload, even metallic paint on my Hymer weighs an extra 30kg over the standard white. It can be a minefield!
There’s a wealth of information on another forum, https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/ which is well worth a look and asking questions there.
You’ll get 5 questions free there and then have to pay £15 for an annual subscription - but you can of course research the topic without joining, albeit you’ll not get access to all areas.
Good luck with the search!
Balls - April 1997 (Louie we must be of similar vintage) so no C1. Ah well - I've always wanted an HGV licence!Unless you have C1 (automatically there if you passed your test before I think 1997) then you’ll be restricted to a MH with a maximum gross weight of 3,500 kg .
With the specification you are looking for, this (1) might be hard and (2) if you can find such a van, the payload might be very small.
I suggest as a minimum you’ll be needing a 500kg payload, which would mean an empty weight of 3,000 or less. Many vans have (for example) a 100 litre fresh water tank, so running full of water will take 100kg, then theres the weight of passenger (payloads generally calculated with a 75kg driver only so any passenger weight over 75 kg will also eat payload) , and so on. Then there’s extras which eat payload, even metallic paint on my Hymer weighs an extra 30kg over the standard white. It can be a minefield!
There’s a wealth of information on another forum, https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/ which is well worth a look and asking questions there.
You’ll get 5 questions free there and then have to pay £15 for an annual subscription - but you can of course research the topic without joining, albeit you’ll not get access to all areas.
Good luck with the search!
nagsheadwarrior said:
Get out and rent one.
While waiting to do that get out to as many local dealers and look at as many as possible, sit in them, ask questions.
I'm a dealer and good ones are happy to help even tho you may not be buying today or aby time soon.
Buying a Motorhome is a journey and everyone is at different stages of that, it should be an enjoyable process.
You have a good budget and depreciation of vans in that bracket is thankfully minimal.
Feel few to ping me a pm if you have any questions on anything you see anywhere or pop them up here.
Quite (and @Glen previously, thanks!) I'm looking into it for a weekend, winter on the way so lower rentals I would imagine.While waiting to do that get out to as many local dealers and look at as many as possible, sit in them, ask questions.
I'm a dealer and good ones are happy to help even tho you may not be buying today or aby time soon.
Buying a Motorhome is a journey and everyone is at different stages of that, it should be an enjoyable process.
You have a good budget and depreciation of vans in that bracket is thankfully minimal.
Feel few to ping me a pm if you have any questions on anything you see anywhere or pop them up here.
I'll ping you with anything I find, much appreciated.
As a dealer though, what makes would you recommend - or conversely - which ones to avoid? I can tell you the paint code of a 911 from 50 yards but couldn't tell a Fiat from a Ford on Motorhomes!
Wacky Racer said:
The most important advice buying ANY second hand motorhome or caravan is:-
Check for the dreaded DAMP with a damp meter.
Mechanical stuff is relatively easy to fix, but damp problems in the floors/walls can run into thousands of pounds.
Check that the vehicle you are thinking of buying has had YEARLY habitation checks from new.
This can be a problem with motorhomes that are even a year or two old.
Any damp reading over 15% is cause for concern.
Do a Google search for this issue.
I know I'm multiple quoting but is damp really that prevalent?Check for the dreaded DAMP with a damp meter.
Mechanical stuff is relatively easy to fix, but damp problems in the floors/walls can run into thousands of pounds.
Check that the vehicle you are thinking of buying has had YEARLY habitation checks from new.
This can be a problem with motorhomes that are even a year or two old.
Any damp reading over 15% is cause for concern.
Do a Google search for this issue.
Is that through lack of care/cover/storage, or "they all do that sir."?
Ex karter here.
Forget a garage, it won't be big enough. Box trailer is the boy!
Also, if you are karting then you want less faff getting beds ready. come the morning, you'll be more concerned with scruiteneering and signing on than moving fiddly slats about and messing with cushions. Fixed bunk to rear was the most.convenient if the 3 vans we had.
Worst was the one where the kitchen table was involved in bed creation.
Forget a garage, it won't be big enough. Box trailer is the boy!
Also, if you are karting then you want less faff getting beds ready. come the morning, you'll be more concerned with scruiteneering and signing on than moving fiddly slats about and messing with cushions. Fixed bunk to rear was the most.convenient if the 3 vans we had.
Worst was the one where the kitchen table was involved in bed creation.
TIGA84 said:
Quite (and @Glen previously, thanks!) I'm looking into it for a weekend, winter on the way so lower rentals I would imagine.
I'll ping you with anything I find, much appreciated.
As a dealer though, what makes would you recommend - or conversely - which ones to avoid? I can tell you the paint code of a 911 from 50 yards but couldn't tell a Fiat from a Ford on Motorhomes!
In your budget as a blanket rule I would possibly dodge anything from a Southern European Converter so maybe avoid the Ci, Rollerteam,Mclouis, Elnagh, Benimar, Joints , Rimor etc of this world and look more at the French , German or UK converters for a better build.I'll ping you with anything I find, much appreciated.
As a dealer though, what makes would you recommend - or conversely - which ones to avoid? I can tell you the paint code of a 911 from 50 yards but couldn't tell a Fiat from a Ford on Motorhomes!
A.mint, damp free, well priced example from the above though shouldn't necessarily be thrown out without contemplation.
I have a friend who has a small rental company renting goodnused vans at very decent rates, don't know where you are but he is near Nottingham, if you want his details let me know, he's a petrolhead too
As above, RENT FIRST!
You may be 100% sure you want to buy, but I guarantee that without experiencing a few, you will buy the wrong one, and it'll be wrong for reasons you never even thought of. Everyone's needs are different, so there is no perfect advice from others given a simple budget, number of berths etc. There's just too much to learn about how you'll use them and how you'll all end up tripping over each other, or how you're just the wrong height to catch your head on the corner of that door/locker, or how you can't stay up late and have a glass of wine with the Mrs because the kids are asleep on the converted dining table, so you have to go to bed at the same time as them because you bought the rear double over garage layout....
It's a minefield, and only experience will help. Renting is not throwing money away. It will save you fortunes in the long run.
Have a few weekends away in as many different layouts as possible. You'll soon learn what works for you.
You may be 100% sure you want to buy, but I guarantee that without experiencing a few, you will buy the wrong one, and it'll be wrong for reasons you never even thought of. Everyone's needs are different, so there is no perfect advice from others given a simple budget, number of berths etc. There's just too much to learn about how you'll use them and how you'll all end up tripping over each other, or how you're just the wrong height to catch your head on the corner of that door/locker, or how you can't stay up late and have a glass of wine with the Mrs because the kids are asleep on the converted dining table, so you have to go to bed at the same time as them because you bought the rear double over garage layout....
It's a minefield, and only experience will help. Renting is not throwing money away. It will save you fortunes in the long run.
Have a few weekends away in as many different layouts as possible. You'll soon learn what works for you.
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