Which Motorhome / Campervan?

[Sapper520]

Hello, I'm a new member to the forum.

 

My wife and I are considering our first ever van purchase. We thought we'd narrowed it down to max length 6 metres (due to parking restrictions), fixed rear bed, 3500kgs etc until I started looking into this strange road tax situation. I'm not thick (well I don't think I am) but it appears we'd be better off buying bigger (heavier) as we're looking to buy new. Even newish secondhand vehicles will be far more expensive to tax for a number of years, or am I reading that wrong?

 

I've read that there will be a lot of vehicles registered early, by dealers, to beat the tax increase but I haven't seen much evidence of that.

 

We'll be using the van for touring both here and abroad. We have plenty of experience travelling around Europe having lived there, toured using a towed caravan (when the kids were young) and for a good chunk of years motorcycles.

 

I understand the initial outlay is expensive (as with all vehicles), but having looked into the running costs we're starting to have second thoughts.

 

Could anyone recommend a vehicle that falls into the cheaper tax bracket but remains in the 6 metres in length group? Licence considerations are not a problem as I hold LGV groups up to the old HGV1.

 

Regards

Phil

 

:-D :-D

[Billggski]

Most 3500kg motorhomes can also be registered at a higher weight to fall into the heavier category and avoid any extra road tax. My 3500kg Dethleffs is registered at 3850kg, 1850 front and 2000 rear is standard.

As long as you have a C1 licence there is no problem in driving a smaller moho with a higher weight registration.

[Sapper520]

Thanks Billggski, I suppose I'd best start researching how to do this.

 

I'm assuming I'd have to get the vehicle replated with the new weight and a new V5 etc? This doesn't appear to be making life easy.

 

Licence type isn't an issue as I hold LGV groups.

 

 

[Deneb]

Whilst there appears to be a lot of conflicting information in circulation, and bearing in mind that I have yet to hear or see any reports of a new motorhome having been purchased since 1st September and subject to emissions related vehicle tax, I have seen two reports from different sources which suggest that the DVLA may be intending to place all M1SP vehicles with Euro 6D engines and final stage CO2 figures into the appropriate emissions related tax class, irrespective of MPW.

 

I am aware that the emissions related tax classes Diesel Car and Petrol Car apply to motor cars, which by definition do not exceed 3500kgs MPW, but the PLG and PHGV tax classes used up to now are also by definition only intended for vehicles first registered before March 2001. It was an HMG/DVLA policy decision to continue placing newer motorhomes into those categories, due to the absence of a final stage CO2 figure which prevented them being taxed under the then current bands, so it could just as easily be their intention to place all diesel powered motorhomes (for instance) meeting the WLTP criteria into the Diesel Car tax class irrespective of their MPW also.

 

I know no more than anyone else, but I would suggest caution to anyone thinking that buying (or up-plating) a new motorhome with a MPW in excess of 3500kgs will definitely avoid the higher tax rate, until the situation becomes clearer.

[david lloyd]

Phil, rather than repeat a great deal of information there are some good threads to read that may help you decide. If you do a search for 'advice on best motorhome' and insert 'Jetsetter31' in the author search box you will find at least one with some good advice on your search.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Asking-for-experience-advice-on-best-MH-options-to-buy-/53103/

 

A second search for 'Tax increase' will bring up several on the new VED rates for 2020 Motorhomes - if you put 'brom' in the author search box this gives a good run down on the new tax bands.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Huge-tax-increase-for-new-motorhomes-/52889/

 

Sorry, I would have posted links to these relevant threads but I'm not sure how!

 

David

 

(I’ve added the links for you - Derek Uzzell)

[Sapper520]

Thanks again for the help.

 

I’ve searched on various forums / government sites etc and the advice isn’t exactly conflicting but some contradict each other. I very rarely believe what any dealer tells me (that goes for car and motorcycle dealers as well) as they’re only interested in a sale, so will always go for the route of least resistance.

 

Thanks for the search tips David, Always happy to do research. :-D

[Sapper520]

I’ve gone through the attached links, many thanks.

 

Firstly, we’re fine with the choice of layout, type of van etc although not made a final model choice. We’ve done our lists and know what compromises we’re happy with.

 

It’s the tax issue that is the sticking point. As I understand it, on top the the purchase price with vat, there will be a heavy first road tax plus tax for paying more than £40,000 for the vehicle. Then from year 2, over £400 road fund licence plus over £300 luxury tax.

 

I’ve got a 4 year old 1.6 diesel Peugeot 3008, a 1000cc and 600cc petrol motorcycles, I’ll be able to tax and insure all three for less than one motorhome tax bill.......see my point?

[Keithl]

Phil,

 

If you are concerned over the cost of tax and running a new MH then why not buy a second hand MH with a GVW over 3,500 kg and then your tax will only be £165 and you can save money on servicing costs.

 

I run a fifteen year old Sprinter based MH and do all my own servicing and repairs so only pay for the cost of materials! Sorry but there is no way I would want to pay the cost of running a new MH nowadays!

 

Keith.

[Sapper520]

Thanks Keith.

 

We’re going to try to get to the MH show in Malvern this weekend and take a look at what’s available. 2nd hand, of a certain age, may be the route we go. I’ve been keeping an eye on the usual websites, luckily we’re in no rush.

 

I can do a fair bit of day to day maintenance and I’ll certainly be doing my own habitation checks / servicing. I’ll find a local company to do the gas checks.

 

:-D

[david lloyd]

Another advantage of buying say a one or two year old motorhome is that the first owner will have paid (and lost) the VAT element plus ironed out any first year warranty issues. They may even have added valuable extras such as sat to Towbars bike rack etc. It's surprising how many people do change a new van in the first or second year and they are usually as new with very little mileage. Of course you don't get to pick things like the upholstery and the base vehicle spec but there's a really good chance of finding one you do,like and has what you want.

 

David

[Sapper520]

Back again, I've been lurking and reading but not participating.

 

We're still looking and was going to take a look at a Used Sunlight Cliff. However, having contacted one of the few dealers that are listed as selling them, they will no longer be stocking / ordering these vans.

 

I cant find much evidence of them selling well in the UK, so I'm starting to think they're either not up to much or people don't like the layout.

 

I don't want a 5 hour round trip and be disappointed.

 

 

;-)

[Derek Uzzell]

For the 2020 model-year Sunlight offers eight panel-van conversions (PVCs) - four using the “Cliff” name and the other four named “Cliff XV”.

 

I don’t think there is anything particularly novel about the layouts (2019 review of Cliff 600 here)

 

https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/reviews/motorhomes/details/motorhome-review-sunlight-cliff-600-campervan/987840

 

but the PVC market is very competitive and the Sunlight brand is not that well known in the UK.

 

Apparently “Cliffs” are built in the Laika factory in Italy and there’s no obvious reason to think their build-quality might be inferior - in fact the review says “...they’re well-finished and robust”

 

It may well be, though, that historically sales of “Cliffs” in the UK have been disappointing and that future UK sales are not anticipated to be large enough to make building right-hand-drive “Cliffs” worthwhile.

[Sapper520]

Hello Derek,

 

We’ve done lots of homework on a lot a Campervans. We viewed many of them at the NEC, but once we’d added the ‘extras’, which are standard on some of the most basic cars, we were topping £50,000.....too heavy for us. Hence looking for a used vehicle with as many extras already fitted.

 

I had a reply from the dealership that stopped selling new Sunlights. In fact he told me they have stopped selling any new vehicles to concentrate on the used market (Viscount Leisure, Southampton).

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

A couple of secondhand Globecar Campscout PVCs in this advert

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/motorhomes/used-motorhomes/globecar/campscout

 

The Model Year 2019 vehicle still has an over-£50K asking-price but does not have the latest motor, while the £40K version is 2015-registered and is built on the ‘old’ Ducato X250 chassis.

 

Unfortunately (unlike with cars) age tends not to wither the asking-price of motorhomes, which is good news for the seller but not for the buyer.

[Sapper520]

Thanks Derek, but all over 6m long...…..that .36 of a metre makes all the difference. (lol)

 

We knew it was going to be a long search. I trawl the internet/magazines/local papers, forward any possibilities to my wife, who decides if we take a look or bin them. ;-)