Jetsetter31 Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Hi there, I am looking to buy my first MH & am looking for good advice for which would be the best Motorhomes to consider for my budget .. A maximum of £22,000. It is very important for it to meet my needs as much as possible as it will be used to travel and live in long term with the choice to live as off grid as is possible.. If anybody has experience of similar living/lifestyle and suggestions of motorhome models to look at that cater for the following requirements ... Thanks in advance for your time:) My requirements are ... 3.5 tonne (due to category B licence) ... and i do not wish to drive anything larger than this. Ideal layout would be a low profile- fixed bed over a Large garage (to store extra items e.g. all-weather clothing, 2 bikes, extra water, spare battery, aslo would like atleast 1solar panel... not sure if 1 or 2 will be required to run a laptop? - daily usage possibly up to 4 hrs. and usual lights & fridge. im not a regular tv watcher. No children so 2 belted seats are ok - although any extras may be an advantage at some stage. Will need all the usual living- mod cons- large fridge would be ideal although im aware not many offer these... Also a large & bright enough living space up front with comfortable length sofa to enjoy the scenery through the windows... it needs to be light as i will be writing & drawing in this space. The space will be used by myself and partner and small to medium dog. Also ive longed for captain swivel seats as they create much more of a dynamic space! I am considering the Autocruise Starblazer 3.4 t - Thanks to anyone who has any info on the payload that this will give me or if it can be up-plated to give me extra - Is this even possible? Basically if anyone has knowledge of a similar layout with really good payload for a 3.5t license within my budget ... Please get in touch! Thankyouuu:) ...If there's anything else that ive missed i'll add an update ... Anything you feel would be valuable to share is much appreciated. Thanks:-) Jetsetter31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Hi Jetsetter, You can edit a post for 30 minutes after posting using the 'Edit' button in the bottom RH corner. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Jet setter - welcome to the forum. Tall order advising anyone which motorhome they should be going for, especially to get it right first time. We have been motor homing for 20 years and in that time owned an American RV (which we lived in before buying the house), coachbuilts and panel van conversions but now have a low profile with twin sofas and rear bathroom that meets our needs perfectly. My advice to people in the past has been to view as many different types as possible - visiting motorhome shows such as the one at Lincoln in September is a good way of seeing hundreds in one place. At the same time make a list of things you think you would like and rank them in order of 'Must Have' perhaps fixed bed or garage - 'Should Have' maybe this would include things such as gas and electric water/space heater and 'Could Have' with things like a roll out awning. This will help you to eliminate many models and help to focus on those you believe will meet your needs. Once you find a vehicle that does tick your boxes - try EVERYTHING. You think you like the bed but is it long enough? Wide enough? Do you mind clambering over your partner in the night to get to the loo if it is a transverse bed? Bathroom looks good but stand in it, close the door and go through the motions of washing/showering. That lovely modern fixed tap in the centre of the basin just might give you a nasty crack on the forehead when you bend over it to rinse your face! If it's a dinette layout sit at the seats for a while and get a feel for how comfy or otherwise they may be for maybe 3 or 4 hours on a wet afternoon. Stand in the kitchen and go through the motions of preparing, cooking and serving a meal - believe me, not all kitchens in Motorhomes are made equal. Try to imagine if the storage available will be sufficient for all those things you think you can't live without. As you mention garage, bikes and weights, make sure the payload is sufficient. You will be surprised just how heavy things like a fridge full of food or a tank full of water weighs - 1 litre of water = 1kg so a 120 water tank uses 120 kgs of your available payload and if you are thinking of living off grid for long periods it's likely you will more often need to keep the tank topped up. Your payload will be finite and split between front and rear axles which have their own limits that cannot be exceeded. So, every extra (such as solar panels, extra batteries etc) eats into that payload but can be difficult to manage with a rear garage as that, naturally, leads to a temptation to pack many heavy camping accessories in a space sitting behind the rear axle and often overloading it. I hope this doesn't put you off - but helps you to actually enjoy finding the right layout for you. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 There are two Starblazers, standard and XL. The XL will be over your weight limit, the standard one might not have as much payload as you would want, this will apply to a lot of larger MH's which you might consider suitable for long term use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicepix Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 Everything is a compromise. For example; you want a low profile bed over a garage. The two don't necessarily go together as the height of the bed affects the available height for the garage. List your priorities in order of importance to you first and then look at a few layouts of vans for sale to see which you can discard as a choice and which you could work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 David Lloyd has highlighted many good points to consider but I am of the impression that you will be far over weight before you even leave your driveway. A large fridge and a garage mean only one thing ... that you intend to fill them to capacity, a long sofa and captain seats mean more weight. Does your companion have the space for their own interests, it sounds like your occupation needs a lot. I used a laptop from the standard 12v supply. Living off grid you will accumulate waste that can be heavy. M/H builders supply vehicles that the user has to adapt to, my impression (that we all have) is that we can dictate what we want ... which is why many start from an empty shell adding their own extras, and remember 2 bodies at 75 kilos reduce your carrying capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicepix Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 I don't follow the logic of large garage necessarily means more weight carried. We have a good sized garage which I have fitted with a lightweight wooden double decker rack that holds two chairs and 2 tables and the rest is fully utilised with plastic boxes on the top rack holding light weight stuff like a rucksack, rain clothes, dog stuff and cushions, spare towels, etc. In the lower part behind the table and chairs are plastic boxes holding heavier or bulky things like water and wine bottles, BBQ trays, etc. The rack is about 40cm deep and leaves a 60cm wide void that makes it easy to access what I need from the rack. Effectively I am only using 60% of the available space yet carrying all that we need which is no more than I would take if we had two or three smaller lockers. However, if we were travelling down to Spain or the south-west of France for instance I could travel with both bikes inside and then put them on the bike rack if and when security wasn't an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 Nicepix - 2019-09-13 4:01 PM I don't follow the logic of large garage necessarily means more weight carried. We have a good sized garage which I have fitted with a lightweight wooden double decker rack that holds two chairs and 2 tables and the rest is fully utilised with plastic boxes on the top rack holding light weight stuff like a rucksack, rain clothes, dog stuff and cushions, spare towels, etc. In the lower part behind the table and chairs are plastic boxes holding heavier or bulky things like water and wine bottles, BBQ trays, etc. The rack is about 40cm deep and leaves a 60cm wide void that makes it easy to access what I need from the rack. Effectively I am only using 60% of the available space yet carrying all that we need which is no more than I would take if we had two or three smaller lockers. However, if we were travelling down to Spain or the south-west of France for instance I could travel with both bikes inside and then put them on the bike rack if and when security wasn't an issue. I don't think Will is saying that having a large garage automatically means being overweight but, without doubt, it is a much easier way of overloading the rear axle especially with lots of camping gear/bikes, liquids like wine/beer etc. You have probably gone through the experience of having your M/H and axles weighed in full touring trim including the bikes in the garage or on the rack (both methods may give different rear axle weights) and have found a formula that accommodates what you need within the restrictions and that is something many a) don't think about at the very beginning and b) is much harder to rectify once the M/H is bought and then you find its overweight. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicepix Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 david lloyd - 2019-09-14 9:55 AM Nicepix - 2019-09-13 4:01 PM I don't follow the logic of large garage necessarily means more weight carried. We have a good sized garage which I have fitted with a lightweight wooden double decker rack that holds two chairs and 2 tables and the rest is fully utilised with plastic boxes on the top rack holding light weight stuff like a rucksack, rain clothes, dog stuff and cushions, spare towels, etc. In the lower part behind the table and chairs are plastic boxes holding heavier or bulky things like water and wine bottles, BBQ trays, etc. The rack is about 40cm deep and leaves a 60cm wide void that makes it easy to access what I need from the rack. Effectively I am only using 60% of the available space yet carrying all that we need which is no more than I would take if we had two or three smaller lockers. However, if we were travelling down to Spain or the south-west of France for instance I could travel with both bikes inside and then put them on the bike rack if and when security wasn't an issue. I don't think Will is saying that having a large garage automatically means being overweight but, without doubt, it is a much easier way of overloading the rear axle especially with lots of camping gear/bikes, liquids like wine/beer etc. You have probably gone through the experience of having your M/H and axles weighed in full touring trim including the bikes in the garage or on the rack (both methods may give different rear axle weights) and have found a formula that accommodates what you need within the restrictions and that is something many a) don't think about at the very beginning and b) is much harder to rectify once the M/H is bought and then you find its overweight. David What he said was: " A large fridge and a garage mean only one thing ... that you intend to fill them to capacity,....." It is the intent part that I disagree with. Around half the space in my garage is fresh air but it enables me to easily get to the stored items. I do agree with you wholeheartedly that these issues need to be examined and resolved before making any purchase of vehicle or accessories. Not doing so can involve expensive wastage in removing fitted accessories, leaving things behind that you would rather take with you or running overweight. I wonder how many people buy a MH 'off plan' and add extra batteries, solar panels, underfloor heating, awnings, sat' dishes and the like without questioning how much extra they will reduce the available payload by. As far as I am aware the weights of these accessories aren't easily found in manufacturer's brochures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 I'm sure we would all like to know what Jetsetters plans are after the replies so we can move forward and assist further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 Keep in mind most mhomes have a lot of common third party items fitted, IE fridge, hot water , heating, vents Windows. Fiat / Merc / Ford etc So replacement bits / servicing should be fairly easy to come by. Then research your local mhome dealer for customer service reviews, if they are ok, it would seem a wiser choice to make friends nearby rather than 100s of miles away, that you have to travel to, for repairs. Obviously read up on your choices, there do seem to be a number of manufacturers who offer inbuilt damp as a feature. I would suggest that layout, be the first consideration, then visit local'ish dealers to get a feel of what is on offer , then take a look at secondhand / pre loved bargains. There are bargains about, but DO TAKE care, if a deal feels dodgy , it probably is. If you buy secondhand, research your local dealers for support , little joy in buying a mhome, only to find support 400 miles away. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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