lainey567 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Can all you experienced motorhomers out there give me some advice. My husband and I (plus two children) are curently in the process of buying our first motorhome. Can you give me some positive and negative aspects of the motorhome process. We have decided on a def layout. I am desperate to buy one but am scared of the price and worried that in a years time might regret it and think it was a waste of money. I am worried about extra cost once we start travelling. We are both teachers so get lots of holidays to go travelling - we are both very excited!!!! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Welcome to the forum!:-D what is the "def layout" you have decided on? maybe knowing that we can advise accordingly........ Mine is a good layout for 4, with 2 large and permanent beds that dont hinder the kitchen area or the living/lounging space....Fully winterised with double floor and only 6.6 metres long. It also offers a load of storage. and is on the Ford chassis which is a safer better then a Fiat at the moment. Euramobil link: http://tiny.cc/8J6Go Have you experience of camping? this should give you an idea if motorhoming is right for you? if you have a few camping trips which the kids will love as it offers so much freedom for them...... I would think it unlikely that you would regret this move...... Martyn, they are teachers with 12 weeks approx of paid leave...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Welcome, whatever you do please don't fall into the trap that some have in the past thinking that van ownership will give you loads of hols. What do I mean? Well the amount of times I've read and heard about folk flogging vans as "they weren't getting enough use out of them" is incredible. As I always want to say to them, what did you think the van was going to do? Give you an extra 3 months hols from work or the like? Based on my personal discovery, my advice is to get your hands dirty, buy something, (or hire), and find out if it really is for you rather than like some do and spend X number of years just talking about it, believe me there's bags of them on here. Slightly different for you having children though, things for you to consider are rear seat belts for the kids and an adequate payload. Will you camp all year? Think how it might be for you 4 cramped together in a scratty little van whilst it piddles down in November... Using it from May to September? Good luck, but it'd break my heart (and wallet) having it stuck there doing nowt. We love it and have never looked back, we started motorhoming 10 years ago at the grand old combined age of 65 and got some funny looks from some of the old brigade, especially when we'd roll up in our new van. God how we chuckled at them, at least we didn't wait untill retirement, ha ha. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the game Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 You sound as if you can't wait to get going, we bought ours in April 2006 and within 3 weeks were heading off to Sicily the start of a 6 month holiday. Three years on we are still enjoying our motorhome hols, it gets better and better. Its a way of life full of adventure. A bit of advice, someone on the forum suggested to us 3 yrs ago buy the biggest van you can as there was 3 of us. We didn't take that advice and bought a 20ft Hymer assuming it would be big enough. Last year we got the chance to rectify that and bought a 25ft Hymer best decision we made much more room for all of us and having just come back from Portugal and France weve had no problems parking etc. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lainey567 Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 brilliant - thanks for all the advice. We have devided on bunk beds at the back, middle dining and double bed over cab (6 berth) - it is a ford chassis too (???) - we have camped and loved it - especially the children. Will prob go in it every school hols including winter (poss not christmas??). Interesting about advice on buy the biggest - thats what we think however have been advised to go smaller in case it doesn`t suit us - however we fell we have found a bargin van and can`t find anything that compares to it so sticking with larger van. Another question - how do campsite chargers compare - From what I have researched is it fair to say averaging £10-20 per night? Which is the best caravan club to join? thanks again x -- this brilliant I love this forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 sites are not that cheap! remember there are 4 of you so a pitch charge and then a per person one as well plus electricity............ there is a good "search" facility on this site so a lot of info if you look. If you want the best sites with all the facilities in best spots be prepared for 40-60 euro per night. Aires @ approx 8 euro and municipal sites @ approx 15-30 euro. Inland obviously cheaper then the coast etc..... we use Aires and municipals when travelling, then for main holiday we use the best....By example the site we visit in lake Garda is £55 per night and worth every penny.....Poor exchange rate don't help but that seems to be getting better. another example, we had a week in the Loire half term between Aires (some free) and Municipals probably spent £50 for the week. it all depends on what you want out of a holiday....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Regarding clubs: I'd recommend you join both the Camping and Caravanning Club and the Caravan Club. Although they have some sites in similar locations there are also various parts of the country where one club has more sites than the other and vice versa. On most CCC sites you can usually choose whether you want to pay extra for a pitch with electricity. Most CC sites have fees which include electricity. The CCC does 'Members' family deals' during high season (basically school holidays) for which the 2nd child's place is almost free (certainly under 50p per night). In low season CC fees are often cheaper than CCC fees including electricity. CC sanitary blocks are usually excellent and well heated. CCC sanitary blocks are usually very good but not quite as 'swish' and the heating is not always as effective. Late night noise is not usually a problem at Club sites but CCC have a policy of quietness between 2300 and 0700 - entrance barriers are also locked between these times. Beware when pre-booking (which you will usually need to do for high seasson and many weekends). The CC does not charge a deposit - consequently some sites are soon fully booked for weekends for most of the year. The CCC charges a £25 deposit - if you cancel you will not get your deposit unless there are 'extenuating circumstances' - mainly accident, illness or death. Both clubs offer excellent continental travel/personal insurance. The CCC offers a 'passport' scheme which can provide free nights camping ( only 1 free night to be claimed on any one stay). The CC provides a 'Great Days' Out' book which gives many 2 for1 offers at various attractions and gives you an opportunity at certain times of year to stay on a Haven holiday park free of charge for 3 nights, subject to an administration fee of £5. Use of the swimming pool/ entetainment complex is included. Both clubs have many certificated sites or locations exclusivley for members which take up tp 5 motorhomes/caravans and offer very good value (although some will not have loos/showers.) Both clubs provide good members' handbooks/site guides. The CCC free Big Sites Guide is an excellent publication, including details of commercial sites . CCC members get discounted camping at Forest Holiday Sites (Forestry Commission) On CC sites you will normally be invited to choose your own pitch. On CCC sites you will be taken to a pitch and told exactly where and how to pitch. (This can be a little frustrating and tedious.) Both clubs have good free monthly magazines. All in all we think that the cost of membership of both clubs is well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Christmas in the van? It's absolutely fab. That's if you can get a pitch anywhere, you'll be hard pressed to book some of the popular sites for 2010, never mind this year, it's that popular. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the game Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 It might be worth getting the ACSI book from vicarious books as we have have used these in Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, Italy, Corsica and France. Even though their is 3 of us some of the sites dont charge for the third person if they want the business or only add 2-3 euro. Also they still do the discounts in August, but I always ask for the site price to compare anyway. The discounts vary from 11euro,13euro and 15euro per night, we also use the municipals in France they are very reasonable. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelling Tyke Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 The info above is very good. There is one point, however, I feel should be stressed. The payload! Make sure that your "chosen one" will take all of you and your minimum requirements. The payload stated will not include "bodies" other than the driver, a 3/4 full fuel tank and not much else! Happy motorhoming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Travelling Tyke - 2009-06-27 6:19 PM The info above is very good. There is one point, however, I feel should be stressed. The payload! Make sure that your "chosen one" will take all of you and your minimum requirements. The payload stated will not include "bodies" other than the driver, a 3/4 full fuel tank and not much else! Happy motorhoming! Yep very important! and its hard to stay within 3500kg (if that what your license dictates) if there are 4 of you and all your stuff. You should be looking at a van with at least 450 kg payload. a good quality German van should achieve this, other poorly constructed vans probably not. Remember all fitted extras REDUCE the payload *-) awning/extra battery/bike rack/a/c unit/tow bar/heki roof light/ sat dish/tv aerial.... the list goes on :-| Best to make weight part of purchase agreement, all this means is a visit to a weigh bridge for the dealer and you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 First of all don't forget that old saying:- "What is one mans meat is another mans poison". My meat is rear wheel drive, Ford transit or merc, never front wheel drive. Avoid coach built bodies alli sheets on wooden frames, go for monocoque GRP with no joints to leak, all nice and rounded at the corners so nice and steamlined to slip through the air with minimum drag so better MPG, and very little effect from side winds. Quieter on rainy nights, and clean up quite easy. Find a layout that you can all live with in comfort, you can not change the layout once you have got it. Make sure you have plenty of low down storage space within the wheel base. Best of luck, I'm sure you will enjoy looking for it, so take your time, try and get it right first time. Don't forget sales people are just trying to sell you a Motorhome, not trying to help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 First, I would say get rid of the desperation and the excitement, since neither assists objectivity! Your concern that you may spend a lot, and then find you have the wrong van, or don't like motorhomes at all, is well placed. You have not given the ages of your children, but do remember little ones may grow into individuals larger than either of you in a relatively few years, and older ones may prefer to be in their own accommodation rather than sharing yours (and so may you!!). If you have camping experience with tents it won't help you much, other than you will be familiar with campsites. If you have experience with a caravan you will find you need a different mindset to get the best from a motorhome. Caravans, on the whole, are sited and left while the touring and shopping are done via the car. With a motorhome, you don't have the car, so have to use the one vehicle for transport as well as accommodation. This tends to influence use and stays tend to be shorter with much sightseeing and shopping being incorporated into moves from site to site. This can make the larger vans difficult, in that car parks won't so readily accommodate them. Some solve this problem by towing a car, some by carrying a motor scooter/bike, some by carrying cycles. All these strategies impose additional requirements on the motorhome, either extra weight and extra length at the rear, or extra rolling weight. Both need careful evaluation before buying, since the van that won't/can't deal with the chosen remedy will turn out to be a big disappointment. Your choice will also have implications for the van's load carrying capability. The more you add in this way, the less payload is left for you and yours.Assuming you have no experience of caravans, as seems the case, I would suggest you hire a family sized van for your first trip, and maybe more, while you work out where you want to go and how you will use the van. It is a general fact that what you think you will do once you have a van - or even what you think you won't do - will be liable to change once you actually do have one, and this alone accounts for a quite hight "churn" rate among newcomers' vans.Finally, remember that motorhomes are, first and foremost, commercial vehicles that are built to be driven and not to stand around. You will need to "take it for walks" at least monthly, especially during the winter, or it's brakes and moving bits will deteriorate. Again, this may mitigate against a large van. What van size will suit you will greatly depend on how you will use it. If you just blitz off to the nearest beach and sit in the sun for the duration, I'd seriously suggest you may be better off with a caravan, which will be liable to work out cheaper, at least until your children are (more or less) independent. On the other hand, if you want to try extended touring in Europe, taking in "off the beaten track" places, then the easier mobility of a motorhome may well suit you better. However, the really off the beaten track places may prove quite a challenge with a big van, so the size issue arises again.Big vans are inevitably heavier than small ones. However, many people are limited to driving 3.5 tonnes maximum, unless they take a supplementary driving test. You will know the limitations of your own licences. Big, family, vans and 3.5 tonne max weights do not mix. A large family van will need more than a 3.5 tonne maximum weight to provide a realistic payload. Salesmen may well say otherwise: believe them at your own expense!So, hire first to assess what you enjoy and what you don't, and to let your mindsets shift as you evaluate the possibilities the motorhome opens up. In the meantime, "Google" Vicarious Books, and look for a book entitled "Go Motorhoming Europe". Buy this, and read it from cover to cover. If your eagerness has the better of your judgement, and you really, really, can't face the prospect of hiring before you buy, absolutely get that book and read it before you place any deposits on any vans. It will almost certainly prevent you from making any number of potentially very expensive mistakes!Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Great post Brian - very well put. I have often thought that, as this topic arises quite often, maybe it should be a permanent thread at the top of the page? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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