Colin1325 Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 Hi all after my last question re sunseeker 25 I should of asked some questions here first.... "........................IM on the lookout for a used motorhome and already I’ve uncovered a scammer or 2....but no motorhome ....I’ve found u can find mot history on gov. Site Question is can anyone hear tell me what I should be looking for any tips would be great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 Colin, Head to the National MH show at Peterborough next week and have a look at the vast array of new and S/H MH's on offer by dealers from around the country. You will genuinely be spoilt for choice! https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/shows/show/the-national-motorhome-campervan-show Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS20 Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 You can find some useful info on https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla as well to make sure the number plate fits the model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 I suggest you are very diligent when looking at a prospective purchase - and I speak from experience! On any van that might take your fancy, take a good look at the price of other or similar models - if any are on the market that is - that will give you a good point of reference. Do your homework, you will soon get a feel for what is legitimate. The problem you'll find with older vans is damp, particularly Elddis and Swift products of that era. Not sure what your budget actually is - but anything sub 20k I'd go on condition/build quality rather than age. There won't be many bargains around now the weather is improving, but good research and a willingness to travel for the right van can reap its reward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted April 15, 2019 Author Share Posted April 15, 2019 Hi thanx for the replies I don’t want to pay too much lol... I have 2 in mind. 1 is a symbol 2001 diesel 55000 miles clean tidy good points are easy to park I could keep it outside mot history is really good not too big to handle 11-12k 2nd auto trail 2002 12000 miles its bigger will need to park in compound near to me but only 360 a year so not too bad .. mots great no real probs yet 18k give or take so looks like a good one ? But it’s a lot of money to spend and get it wrong ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 I think you need to decide what sort of van you're really after - a van conversion and a coachbuilt are two different animals. You'll more likely use something parked outside for sure, an you won't need to worry about the potential damp problems with the Symbol. Like I said, research and effort will bring rewards.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 Colin1325 - 2019-04-15 10:52 PM Hi thanx for the replies I don’t want to pay too much lol... I have 2 in mind. 1 is a symbol 2001 diesel 55000 miles clean tidy good points are easy to park I could keep it outside mot history is really good not too big to handle 11-12k 2nd auto trail 2002 12000 miles its bigger will need to park in compound near to me but only 360 a year so not too bad .. mots great no real probs yet 18k give or take so looks like a good one ? But it’s a lot of money to spend and get it wrong ? The 2002 van has covered way to few miles - only an average of 700 miles a year! Check for a full service history to explain what has been happening, or at least a feasible explanation of why so little travel. It may have had the speedo replaced, it may have been "clocked", or it may have spent years trying to grow roots! Even the 2001 van has only done just over 3,000 miles per year, which suggests it, too, has spent a lot of time standing around - which is not good for the mechanical bits. If your budget restricts you to vans nearing 20 years old, make sure that you get a comprehensive, independent, damp check carried out, and make sure that includes the underfloor areas, especially around the rear wheel arches and under the washroom. Vans of that vintage were usually built on a timber frame, and had the underfloor sheathed in ply. Rot is not uncommon, and repairing extensive rot is a vary time consuming, so expensive, undertaking. If the rot repairs where to be carried out commercially (and they are difficult to estimate until the full extent of the trouble is revealed), one quickly approaches the point at which paying more for a newer van would have proved better value, and in extreme cases, where the full cost of repair exceeds the market value of the van. Keep a good wodge of cash in reserve, as old vans, even good ones, inevitably develop faults, just due to the age of the components. I'm not trying to put you off, but old vans, with a few exceptions, are high-risk ventures on a tight budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 I could wait a few years to get a new one I’m 65 now so I reckon about 14 15 years should do it lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 globebuster - 2019-04-16 10:10 AM I think you need to decide what sort of van you're really after - a van conversion and a coachbuilt are two different animals. You'll more likely use something parked outside for sure, an you won't need to worry about the potential damp problems with the Symbol. Like I said, research and effort will bring rewards.... hi thanx for your reply I know nothing about the symbol so is there a reason I should not worry about damp in it cheers colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 Brian Kirby - 2019-04-16 6:19 PM Colin1325 - 2019-04-15 10:52 PM Hi thanx for the replies I don’t want to pay too much lol... I have 2 in mind. 1 is a symbol 2001 diesel 55000 miles clean tidy good points are easy to park I could keep it outside mot history is really good not too big to handle 11-12k 2nd auto trail 2002 12000 miles its bigger will need to park in compound near to me but only 360 a year so not too bad .. mots great no real probs yet 18k give or take so looks like a good one ? But it’s a lot of money to spend and get it wrong ? The 2002 van has covered way to few miles - only an average of 700 miles a year! Check for a full service history to explain what has been happening, or at least a feasible explanation of why so little travel. It may have had the speedo replaced, it may have been "clocked", or it may have spent years trying to grow roots! Even the 2001 van has only done just over 3,000 miles per year, which suggests it, too, has spent a lot of time standing around - which is not good for the mechanical bits. If your budget restricts you to vans nearing 20 years old, make sure that you get a comprehensive, independent, damp check carried out, and make sure that includes the underfloor areas, especially around the rear wheel arches and under the washroom. Vans of that vintage were usually built on a timber frame, and had the underfloor sheathed in ply. Rot is not uncommon, and repairing extensive rot is a vary time consuming, so expensive, undertaking. If the rot repairs where to be carried out commercially (and they are difficult to estimate until the full extent of the trouble is revealed), one quickly approaches the point at which paying more for a newer van would have proved better value, and in extreme cases, where the full cost of repair exceeds the market value of the van. Keep a good wodge of cash in reserve, as old vans, even good ones, inevitably develop faults, just due to the age of the components. I'm not trying to put you off, but old vans, with a few exceptions, are high-risk ventures on a tight budget. hi how many miles do u consider to be adaquate for a van to travel. In a year ? I’ve checked the mot status on both van the auto trail was in th hands of the first owner for most of its life and was only doing a few hundred a year I had an hip check on this vehicle ...the past 2 years it’s done a couple of 1000 miles it did fail 2 mots on windscreen wipers and tail light ..so although a bit worrying low mileage it does appear to be ok... the symbol is not 2 bad our Picasso from new has done 6500 miles in 19 months ?.?? So how many miles do u have to do to make it ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin1325 Posted April 16, 2019 Author Share Posted April 16, 2019 Found one at last 118000 miles year 2000 More fails and advisories than I’ve had hot dinners And it’s 2000 cheaper That’s 6500 miles a year ....is that enough miles per year though. I’ll keep looking. Lol just. Jokin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted April 16, 2019 Share Posted April 16, 2019 The Symbol is a van conversion - Autosleeper, so far less likely to have damp issues like a coachbuilt. Low mileage seems the norm, and whilst inactivity is not ideal just go on condition, and a caring owner. I'll say it just once more - do your homework. If you know nothing about the Symbol [and Autosleeper as a brand] then find out, and make your own conclusions. Google is your friend..........but you have do the searching I wouldn't discourage anybody from getting into camper ownership, whether it's a 2k banger or a 50k coachbuilt. Snobbery abounds [not necessarily on this forum :-D ] I am often corrected for using the loose term 'camper van' instead of motorhome - normally by people I meet on ferry crossings.......for some reason. My first van was a hand-painted Bedford CF, swapped for a boat trailer - we had just as much fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 Colin1325 - 2019-04-16 8:33 PM Brian Kirby - 2019-04-16 6:19 PM ...............The 2002 van has covered way to few miles - only an average of 700 miles a year! Check for a full service history to explain what has been happening, or at least a feasible explanation of why so little travel. It may have had the speedo replaced, it may have been "clocked", or it may have spent years trying to grow roots! Even the 2001 van has only done just over 3,000 miles per year, which suggests it, too, has spent a lot of time standing around - which is not good for the mechanical bits. If your budget restricts you to vans nearing 20 years old, make sure that you get a comprehensive, independent, damp check carried out, and make sure that includes the underfloor areas, especially around the rear wheel arches and under the washroom. Vans of that vintage were usually built on a timber frame, and had the underfloor sheathed in ply. Rot is not uncommon, and repairing extensive rot is a vary time consuming, so expensive, undertaking. If the rot repairs where to be carried out commercially (and they are difficult to estimate until the full extent of the trouble is revealed), one quickly approaches the point at which paying more for a newer van would have proved better value, and in extreme cases, where the full cost of repair exceeds the market value of the van. Keep a good wodge of cash in reserve, as old vans, even good ones, inevitably develop faults, just due to the age of the components. I'm not trying to put you off, but old vans, with a few exceptions, are high-risk ventures on a tight budget. hi how many miles do u consider to be adaquate for a van to travel. In a year ? I’ve checked the mot status on both van the auto trail was in th hands of the first owner for most of its life and was only doing a few hundred a year I had an hip check on this vehicle ...the past 2 years it’s done a couple of 1000 miles it did fail 2 mots on windscreen wipers and tail light ..so although a bit worrying low mileage it does appear to be ok... the symbol is not 2 bad our Picasso from new has done 6500 miles in 19 months ?.?? So how many miles do u have to do to make it ok What I am trying to say to you, is that very low mileage vans should put on amber lights. It is not just the mileage on the clock, it is also the pattern of use. Someone who lives in Scotland and buys a van but uses it infrequently, perhaps only for one winter trip to Spain and back, may well cover over 3,500 miles per year but, if that is all they do, the van will have stood idle (apart from service trips) for perhaps nine or more months in Scotland. On the other hand, someone who lives in central England and regularly uses their van for weekend trips within the UK, staying relatively local, plus the odd one or two longer holiday trips also in UK, may well cover a similar mileage to their Scottish counterpart, but will have had their van in regular use. All other things being equal, the second van would in most cases be the better buy - simply because it has not been left standing for extended periods of time. The mechanical components deteriorate more rapidly when left standing than when in regular use, things rust and seize, oil and fuel pick up condensation, brake fluid picks up atmospheric moisture, batteries go flat and deteriorate, water systems become contaminated with algae, etc. etc. People suffer illnesses, but cling to their vans in the hope of recovery, and they are left neglected, so vans that have covered higher mileages when new, can become low mileage vans by the time they are put up for sale. So, what I am saying is look vary carefully at anything that has an abnormally low mileage, and don't just assume that the low mileage will prove an advantage that is worth paying a premium to acquire. It may, but it is not guaranteed. Dig into the background, especially if the seller is a dealer, and is reluctant to let you see the V5C and/or supply details of the previous owner. Motorhomes are great vehicles, but they can be very expensive to fix when things go wrong, and that cost can make the initial purchase price look very poor value in retrospect. If you can find vans that have had regular use and appear on the evidence to have been regularly maintained, with bills to prove it, and look well looked after, don't smell musty when you enter, and you get them damp checked before buying, then you have probably found a good van. My only other comment is not to assume that a van conversion will be leak free simply because it is a van conversion. Van conversions have holes cut in them - for windows, rooflights, water filler points, electric connection points, boiler flues, drain points, and possibly satellite dishes and or solar panels. All those holes have seals around them to keep water out, and seals tend to become less effective over time because the gaskets or sealants used all deteriorate with age. A said by others above, proceed with caution whatever is on offer. Mileage? 3,000 miles a year or less would be a cause for concern, around 6,000 would be encouraging, and more than 6,000 should not put you off. But, you need to try to find out how it has been used, and how regularly. Even so, the older the van, the greater the likelihood that something will go wrong soon after you buy it. Hence my comment about keeping back a wodge of your cash just in case. Then, if it proves itself a good 'un, you can put the cash into more exotic trips, or booze! :-D It's your money! 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Colin1325 Posted April 17, 2019 Author Share Posted April 17, 2019 Hi Brian I’ve found one 2000 that has done 9000 a year around 178000 only £1500 sounds good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 I'm going to re-iterate what others have repeated - DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Go to motorhome shows, go around loads of dealerships, look up and ask advice on forums such as this. Then (and only then) start looking for the model/layout you are after. If you are on a limited budget (as we were) all that patience and forethought should pay dividends. Saying that, even then, on older vans you could easily end up spending several hundred pounds a year on repair bills, so budget for it when working out how much you can afford. For instance in the nearly 4 years we've had our 2003 Elddis Autoquest 200 it has had electrical problems that took 6 months to really get to the bottom of, various small internal fittings have broken and had to be replaced, one of the cooker knobs broke, the kitchen tap needed replacing, as did the radio and aerial, the rear window fell out (due to a badly-fitted replacement) and it will need a new sill under the drivers door in the next 12 months. I also need to fix a small area of de-laminating floor by the cooker at some point. Our van used to be called "Lyra", but we recently re-christened it "Money Pit" as all these bills will have ended up costing us about £2,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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