Clarkies Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 Hi, we're new to this site and to motor homes! Very excited about acquiring our first. We have two children - aged 3 and 4 - and are looking for fixed bunks for them and overcab bed for us. Budget up to £40k (to include all extras - entertainment, alarm etc). The Mooveo C637 looks like a good buy to we novices. Does anyone have any experience of these or any tips or alternatives, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 Have you tried sleeping in an overcab? Not every adult copes with it. Best make sure you have a double in the van just to be sure. Kids love overcabs for a while - ours were 8 when we decided to separate them because they started annoying each other! Ensure the van has secure netting if your kids are sleeping high. Consider the need for a 5th berth if your children bed wet or similar. Bunks are great for giving them their own space. I always advise people to find a good, convenient dealer before deciding on the model. New motorhomes are prone to faults which whilst rarely serious, can be inconvenient; especially if you are working full time. Do not underestimate the need for ease of use and maintenance. Also make sure the seatbelts allow for the safety of the children. Some vans have been criticised for the difficulty in using the seatbelts for children - presume at 3 they have to have child seats. You may get a better van second hand. Faults sorted and the initial depreciation has gone. We had a great time with the kids. Carry on doing your research and you'll get the right van for many years of happy motorhoming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWO Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 hi there the Clarkies if you read some of the other treads on this forum, the last thing that you should do is buy anything based on a new Fiat at this present time. As I am very grey and wrinkly I am not sure of the market for M/Hs with bunks etc for the little ones, but I am sure that out there will be something based on a Ford or Renault, or even the old Fiat that can reverse without the gearbox falling to bits and not end up with the engine full of water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 And on that note may I recommend a EuraMobil Profila hight top, based on new Ford transit. They have large airy overcabs, biggest in the class according to them... my tennagers sleep up there and its an enormous space, bigger then a king size bed. I bought mine from Belgium and saved a packet, dealers brilliant and less then 1.5 hours from Calais......... http://www.euramobil.de/index_d.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Motorhomes certainly suit many including us but suggest for first timers that having targetteed what looks like the ideal van that you aproach the dealership and hire one for a week end minimum or a week if you can with the proviso that if you decide to purchase that the hire cost be waived. Many will agree to this. Take care - but take it! C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkies Posted August 25, 2008 Author Share Posted August 25, 2008 Really glad we found this forum. Thanks to those who've posted as useful advice received from all. You've certainly given us loads more to think about and the site has definitely alerted us to avoiding Fiats at all costs. Hiring first has to be a good idea and I hadn't thought of doing a deal with the dealership for a possible refund of the hire costs, Clive, so thanks for that. I love the idea of buying in Belgium but as we live in the West Midlands its a bit too far to go back if anything goes wrong. One more question to which you may know the answer ..... are there peak times of year to broker a better deal, for instance do dealers try to shift the 2008 models when the 2009 come in or cut prices in Jan/Feb when sales are possibly quieter? (Having said that Brock has me wondering about buying second hand as an alternative - still same may apply as dealers must need to shift them to make space) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 We have just traded in a 1998 Rapido on a Fiat for a 2002 Laika Ecovip on a Fiat and I can honestly say that both vehicles are tremendous. The newer one is an automatic which is unusual. I think that the Sevel problem is only on 2007/8 models and if this is correct then avoid those years. I would not advise anyone who has not caravanned or motorhomed at all to invest in a brand new van as most people will tell you that the first one you buy does not always suit. The ideal thing, as has been said, is to 'try before you buy'. There are a lot of secondhand vans out there that people have bought new and found they were not for them for one reason or another. Good luck in your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 Clarkies - 2008-08-25 6:43 PM I love the idea of buying in Belgium but as we live in the West Midlands its a bit too far to go back if anything goes wrong. QUOTE] Importing only really works if you holiday in Europe and dont mind a LHD. We have had some minor problems. So we wait till we have a few and combine visit to dealer with a holiday. I saved well over £12.000 on my van...... worth a little inconvenience I believe. But if you plan properly its not at all inconvenient.....:-D I use the tunnel, but there is a cheap service from Harwich to ostende which is 30 miutes from dealer... thinking of changing van and considering a Hymer. last week quoted a price £10.000 cheaper then UK dealer - and thats with current exchange rates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 25, 2008 Share Posted August 25, 2008 On best times, you are probably right. Dealers are willing to do good deals on 'last year's model' when the new models come in. This improves as the winter progresses. I've tended to buy mine between December and March. Try and get to the MH show in Pickering next month. If you want to go motorhoming throughout the winter, you need one that is winterised. We used to take the kids in all sorts of weather but some nights it was really cold so you do need to consider whether you are an all year motorhomer or just a March - October motohomer. If using the van for day trips in the winter, consider heating the van before you go out and give the kids a warm travel blanket. Otherwise get a van with a heater that you can use on the move. A generalisation is that German vans are better winterised. Motorhomes can get very cold for children if the van is not well insulated, Have a look at Eurormobil or Hymer of you get a chance. Don't think the dealers are near to you though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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