Looking for advice for our first Motorhome

[ddavies193]

Hi all.

I’m a newbie and am looking for some advice. My wife and I are looking to buy our first Motorhome for our family (3 kids). We do not have c licences so are limited to the 3.5t limit.

We would need at least a 5 berth and have a budget of about 15k. We have drove to Spain in our car for the last two years and are looking at enjoying a more scenic and leisurely experience.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated and also some clarification about payload of what we could take to ensure we don’t go over the 3.5t would help.

 

Thanks in advance

[stevec176]

Have you actually lived in a motorhome yet if not then suggest you hire a van first. Buying a van is quite a personal choice so recommend you visit some dealers and write up a list of what you need, what you want and what you'd like in your van. Good hunting, took me over a year to find what I wanted.

[StuartO]

It's sometimes said that it's not until your third motorhome that you have bought the one you really want and certainly that was true in our case. The third one we have kept for 13 years and we are still happy with it.

 

If you have three children and therefore need five belted seats as well as 5 berth, you are going to struggle to find a suitable MH under 3,500 Kg because the lightweight ones, designed for the 3,500 kg limit, were really only developed in recent years and will be outside your budget.

 

Perhaps you should consider getting a C1 licence because that will open up your options considerably.

[ColinM50]

As a motorhome nut, and having come from caravans, if you've got young kids, under say 12/13, then I really think that a caravan is a better option. There's more space, esp if you have an awning and the bikes can be kept there and you can set up home better.

 

Kids don't really like going somewhere new every day, they want to be based at a beach or lake or somewhere with interesting stuff for them to do, not a castle today, move to a palace tomorrow then on to another town for the art culture the day after. And that continual upheaval is not really good for a caravan.

 

|IMHO, get a caravan, you'll get a decent 3 or 4 year old one for your budget whereas for that money a motorhome will have to be c10 years old with all the attendant maintenance issues

[Don636]

I would tend to agree with the suggestion to try a caravan, especially if you already have a car than would be able to tow. We have done caravanning and now motorhoming. We had a caravan when our daughter was young for the reasons noted above. It was more relaxing to just drive to a site by the beach and stay put for a fortnight. Even going out for a day trip was sometimes a drag if it involved too much sitting in the car. Now that it just the two of us we really enjoy touring and moving on every day or two so a PVC is just perfect.

[StuartO]

Don636 - 2019-09-02 2:41 PM

 

I would tend to agree with the suggestion to try a caravan.....

 

The OP is presumably going to have to take a test to tow a caravan too.

[stevec176]

Dont believe a test is required to tow a caravan

[Billggski]

If you passed your test after 1997 you get a double whammy, you can't tow a trailer over 750kg or drive a motorhome over 3500kg without paying for training and another test.

So an older motorhome under 3500kg is your best option.

Your budget is tight, but an x240 Fiat around the year 2000 might fit. If it's been well looked after the main points to look for are any damp on the inside, rust underneath, and any habitation checks/ service history that exists. You need to find a fastidious owner who is moving on.

I'd suggest a six berth for room, with six seatbelts. Ideally with bunks so the kids don't have to share. Overcab beds are useful to allow separate bedtimes, but a big tent will extend your options.

Under is 3500kg is difficult to manage, and many of us drive overweight, some without knowing it.

Good luck with your search, just don't get carried away but look at a lot, go to shows and talk to owners. (Who always recommend the brand they've got)

 

 

[Bulletguy]

 

As you've not owned one before i'd definitely go for hiring a van first as Steve suggested. A weeks hire isn't cheap in high season.....but a damn sight cheaper than buying, only to find it's not for you, and believe me that often happens. The previous owners of my van had barely used it, one owned it for four days and the guy i bought from had owned it a year.....bought on a whim, only to stand unused in their drive for a year as they spent more time at their villa.

[AndyLou]

We love our Motorhome now that the children have grown up but I agree with the others that a caravan may suit you best. Have a look at how much a C1 license is going to cost.

I think you can get a caravan for about £6000 that would be about the same standard as a 2000 motorhome.

 

Caravans don't depreciate a lot so if you try it and are still convinced that you want a motorhome you can sell it without too much of a loss.

 

There is the inconvenience of having to go to sites rather than just pitching up but with children I would recommend a site based holiday anyway.

 

Hope this helps

[witzend]

Don't forget that when working out payload all passengers are included so you need to look care fully at whats left to carry most 3.5 vans don't have much to start with

[Billggski]

I was not totally correct in saying that you need to take a test to tow a caravan, but you are limited to 3500kg total weight.

 

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/driving-advice/towing-a-caravan/

 

But having towed one before I wouldn't want to try it again. Motorhomes are much more stable.

[ddavies193]

Thank you all so much for your help and advice. One of the reasons of going down the Motorhome route, instead of a caravan, is that the travelling in the cars is a little too stressful for our family (2 autistic children). We are planning a trial run in Easter where we hire a Motorhome for a few days but we are slightly concerned about the weight and payload of the vehicles we could legally use. Is there a list anywhere which shows the the max weight and payload of Motorhomes so we can plan what we and our belongings would potentially weigh.

[Billggski]

Unfortunately very few dealers give a figure for payload, as it can vary according to what is fitted.

The manufacturers' specification can sometimes give a figure using water, fuel and driver, but they use different ways of arriving at a figure. An older motorhome may have extras such as awning, spare wheel, bike rack added which further clouds the data.

The only way is to find something that ticks your boxes, then ask if you can take it to a weighbridge!

My local haulier charges £7 for both axles and total weight.

Which is why I run my six berth at 3850kg although it is just OK at 3500kg, the rest is wine on the return from France. ( until we get limited after Brexit)

[Brian Kirby]

ddavies193 - 2019-09-03 5:45 AM

 

Thank you all so much for your help and advice. One of the reasons of going down the Motorhome route, instead of a caravan, is that the travelling in the cars is a little too stressful for our family (2 autistic children). We are planning a trial run in Easter where we hire a Motorhome for a few days but we are slightly concerned about the weight and payload of the vehicles we could legally use. Is there a list anywhere which shows the the max weight and payload of Motorhomes so we can plan what we and our belongings would potentially weigh.

Do bear in mind that the basis for all motorhomes is a commercial vehicle, most commonly a Fiat Ducato van. These vehicle are designed for a relative short, brutish, life, during which they will cover hundreds of thousands of miles. They are not particularly suited to standing unused for prolonged periods of time, so unless you can store it under cover, or can use it on a fairly frequent basis (ideally, at least drive it about 20 miles once per month), it isn't going to "enjoy" the experience. They "need" to be driven.

 

On this basis I, too, am inclined to suggest that a trailer caravan (which after all is no more than an enclosed, furnished, trailer, with minimal mechanical parts, and is designed to stand for longer than it is moved), might be a better solution. I can't comment on the stress of car journeys with two autistic children, but might there be ways of reducing that stress level by looking at alternative vehicles to do the towing - for example the VW Transporter Shuttle, or similar?

 

They are, unfortunately, costly, but might the additional space help? Caravans are cheap relative to motorhomes (though not that cheap :-(), you have, and would presumably keep, a car of some sort. The Transporter is usually praised for its car-like driving characteristics, and many find them a practical every-day vehicle. At least you would then avoid two lots of vehicle insurance, plus VED and servicing costs. They also seem to make very good tow vehicles. Any help? :-)