New to this - how much?

[meekatsmimm]

we want to buy a motorhome for family holidays

 

we'd like a 5/6 berth, new or nearly new

 

a/c, automatic diesel (petrol if needs be), left hand drive as we plan to holiday in europe all year round

 

we'd love a full size fixed double bed and as many home comforts as possible

 

i know you lot are far more clued up than me so i'd really appreciate your imput on this.

 

what price do you think we should be paying and how hard is this going to be to fulfill as a wants list?

 

Thanks xx

[Randonneur]

Sorry to have to say this but how long is a piece of string?

 

You need to visit a few motorhome dealers and see what is available. If money is no object then the world's your oyster.

 

If its a 5/6 berth you are definitely after then it will, more than likely, have to be a bunkbed model. There are so many layouts out there that there will be one that is suitable for your needs. If you haven't already done so, buy the motorhome mags, there is a wealth of information in them and one the forums.

 

We have an automatic diesel and they are not easy to come by unless you order from new.

 

Make the most of going round the dealers, its fun, and good luck in your search.

[meekatsmimm]

hi randonneur,

 

thanks for your response.

 

i know we are asking for a lot - and of course we want it for nothing - £35k is our top budget.

 

we had considered swift escape 664, but it doesn't have air con or auto gearbox, not even cruise control. My husband has bad joints so really need at least cruise for comfort while driving.

 

it also is not a fixed double bed - converts from seating area. We really liked the value for money aspect of it, although the local dealer we visited was still looking £34,500 for it which we thought was a little expensive.

 

looked at that many we've totally confused ourselves.

 

we really do need a full size double bed - not trimmed at the bottom for space issues as my husband and I are both tall so we need the space. we also need forward facing rear seats with seatbelts - a young child with a car seat which we'd prefer to place in the back rather than the front!

 

i know i'm rambling a little - as i said just so confused!

 

thanks again xx

[Randonneur]

Our fixed rear bed has a slight cutoff at the end but our previous one was not as wide so it made the cutoff seem more pronouced.

 

As far as the cruise control is concerned you can always have it fitted after from someone like Dave Newell - he is a Forum Member that has his own business and is very well thought of.

 

Have you looked at any vans that have a sideways rear bed, it would be, obviously, the width of the motorhome. The other solution, which I know a lot of people favour is a dropdown bed at the front, fixed rear bed so that you both have the space you need, these usually come with either a double dinette or a half dinette, depending on the length of the van.

[rupert123]

If you like the Swift it is a great buy and has won awards this year. Swift have cleaned up their act in last couple of years and have one of the best aftersales teams around. All new m/h will have some sort of problem and it is good to know you can sort it out. I would try and get a discounted price on one, phone a few dealers for quotes, and fit cruise as an aftermarket kit, not to expensive. I am sure you could also get aircon fitted but many manage fine without.

[BGD]

A search on ebay will give you a good feel for what you might pay for differing makes/models/ages.

 

It may also help to refine in your own mind the shortlist of vehicle types/layouts that you might be interested in.

[Rayjsj]

If size isn't a problem, then an American RV would fit your wants, they are mostly all automatics, fixed double beds, you even get 'Slide Outs' for extra space, handy if you are living in the van for extended periods,

and they are far cheaper (and better Equipped) than similar European Vans.

I personally wouldn't have one because of their size, but then I wouldn't have a large european 'A' class for the same reason,

Afraid until someone invents a 'Tardis' like, bigger inside than out.

Van. We are stuck with compromise. :D

[david lloyd]

meekatsmimm - 2009-08-02 12:05 PM

 

...............a/c, automatic diesel (petrol if needs be), left hand drive as we plan to holiday in europe all year round.......................

 

Thanks xx

 

Hi

 

You have probably done quite a bit of research on the whole idea of motorhomes but just a word of caution (as some things aren't always obvious....) you will need to consider how you will tax/insure and MOT the van each year bearing in mind that a vehicle can only be temporarily imported into another EU country fopr a maximum of six months.

 

David

[meekatsmimm]

thanks everyone for your responses.

 

david i think you got me wrong - i'd love to be able to afford a year long holiday - i actually meant we'd probably go for a few weeks at a time all year round - so off-peak. we're an anti-social bunch and as much as we've a toddler just don't like the idea of any other kids screaming - one's enough! :-D >:-)

 

like the idea of a 'tardis' on wheels - i'll have one of those when they come on the market.

 

we're going to hold off buying and attend the show at lincoln to have a good nosey!

 

there really is so much to think about - we didn't dither half as much when we were buying our house.

 

thanks xx

[Clive]

Try Malvern first, nice show, same sellers.

 

The choice of vans is quire large for that amount of cash, do you have any constraints on space to park it?

 

A 6 or so year old big Hymer, Niesmann, Concorde or Cathargo with all mod cons and space might fit your bill. Or some much younger Rapido or Defflefs perhaps. If you want LHD then look at the Belgium dealers for a direct purchase.

 

C.

 

[libby]

Take your time, remember 5-6 of you in a small space needs some understanding if the weather is grim outside.

 

Its like wallpaper the more you look the more complicated and difficult it becomes. Go to an outdoor show or similar and walk around the parking area, see one you like and knock on the door, people are friendly so tell them exactly what you have in mind and you will surely get some answers.

 

I did this some time ago and the lady said, well you're too tall for a start, we are short and only just fit. If possible find one bigger than you want, because like anything that's 'just right' will be too small next month when you take armfulls of extras with you.

 

I'll not comment on price or safety but if you are over 70 different driving rules apply according to age and vehicle weights. Remember also 5-6 people also weigh a considerable amount which may put you over the maximum permitted weight for that vehicle even before you start adding food and toys.

 

Its not a quick decision job at all, its taken some of us years to decide which is the right vehicle. I think you will be lucky to find the right one this side of December.

 

You don't say if you've been caravaning or are used to L/H drive, or even driven a larger vehicle, its all common sense but are you just jumping at the idea because it sounds a good one?

 

You will get lots of thoughts on here and if you jump and make a mistake you'll get some flack as well. Many are seasoned at the game and will offer good advise, accept it and learn.

 

Don't be shy at offering us a name check, and don't be upset at the comments you may receive, its mostly said for the better and many other contributors are ladies too!

 

PS. Houses are around us every day and they don't wear out quickly,

Motorhomes only pass by occasionaly and become old much sooner.

 

Bill

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

All of the above, plus follow this link, buy this book, and read it from cover to cover:  http://tinyurl.com/lyudcw

It will help dispel much of your present confusion, though it may pose a load more questions in your minds!  However, it will almost certainly save you a lot of money in helping you to avoid the many traps awaiting first time buyers.

Be especially attentive to the section on payloads, because you will need a van that gives comfortably in excess of 500Kg of payload.  Do not, under any circumstances, just take a salesman's word on the available payload - not because they are rogues (though some may be!), but because so few of them properly understand this aspect (and some will say many others!) of the product they sell.

I would just add that since your children can be expected to grow, and thus get heavier - and on the assumption you do not want to change vans every couple of years - you will need payload to spare, so a tight fit will be a bad buy.

For a van of the type and size you are contemplating you will need more than a 3.5 tonne chassis, so make sure your driving licence/s will allow you to drive one.  If it does not, you will need to factor in an additional test, or change tack.

[roger20]

If you want a 5/6 berth, your biggest problem is likely to be payload, particularly if the van is 3500kg or less.

 

I found that the Tardis effect with motorhomes is the most difficult to understand and it is so easy to buy a motorhome and then find the layout is wrong or there is insufficient payload, or its too long etc etc.

 

Many spend a year or more doing research to avoid this and having found to my cost that I could not tow a motorbike with an Autotrail Cheyenne because of insufficient payload (and rear axle load limits) there is simply no substitute for research. This and other forums are as good a place as any to start because there is a huge wealth of experience you can tap into.

 

If you are new to motorhoming it might pay dividends to hire for a week or more so that you can see what works for you and where you have to make compromises.

 

Buying a motorhome is a major committment and if you are unsure about getting it right first time, some might advocate buying an older van at the right price so that you could try it out for a year or so without paying too big a hit in depreciation .

 

I would also recommend buying the latest edition of John Wickersham's book "The Motorcaravan Manual" because there is a wealth of good advice in there.

 

 

[Rapido-lass]

Some very good advice already given. Take your time as rushing in costs you if you get it wrong!

 

If you are not use to motorhoming/caravaning or camping, you will not necessarily appreciate how limited space is and it's not until you are on site with bad weather and you're tripping over everything you realise opps we've chosen the wrong one. Try and get a feel by hiring one. Sometimes you have to compromise, but there are somethings that you can't compromise on.

 

Talk to as many people you can at shows by walking around the site - most people are more than willing to tell you of their experiences and about their motorhomes. Even take a pen and pad and jot down what's said although remember it's their opinion, but it may be valid to you to.

 

We started off on a very old motorhome which the OH had to gut out and rebuild as it was rotten. This was brilliant as it made us think exactly what we wanted as we could, to a point redesign. We then progressed on to the next secondhand motorhome putting all we had learned about layout - and the motorhome served us well until we saw and fell for our first new motorhome we followed our list of "must have's" and "would likes". In fact we got everything and only had to compromise on 1 thing and that was length. It meant that we had to shuffle van and cars around, but then again if you have a car on the drive and one in the garage, you have to shuffle that too so we accepted that compromise and have not regretted it one little bit.

 

One of the major reasons people change motorhomes after such a short time is the wrong layout.

 

Good luck in your search!

[tonyishuk]

Doom Doom ;-))

 

I think your main problem will be finding a vehicle with enough (properly fitted) seat belts !!

 

Rgds

[Porky]

You will have to compromise until you find a vehicle which meets your essential needs. Payload has to be one of those, but don`t be immediately put off if the payload quoted is insufficient. Check to see if the permitted axle loads, front + back when added together exceed the quoted gross permitted weight. If so you may be able to get it replated up to the axle loads. A company called sv tech will advise you when you have the vehicle details. We replated our Autotrail Tracker EKS from 3500Kgs to 3850Kgs a very significant and useful increase.

 

Roy Fuller

[mikeyb]

LHD might severely restrict your options if buying in this country, although they are around. We have found that RHD is rarely a problem whilst "sur le Continent". Because we are both on holiday together, my co-driver wife is always able to "see" for me, or, because of our greater than car height, we can often see over them.( not trucks, granted) But, consider this....you are more likely to be driving alone in the UK, ( taking van for MOT, filling with fuel, trips to buy tyres etc ) when LHD could be a handicap. Also could restrict your market when re-selling? Just food for thought. Mike.

[meekatsmimm]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thanks so much for all your indepth replies. I feel from some of your responses that I have mislead you a little with my desired specifications, so I will explain in a bit more detail.

 

Hubby will be doing the driving, I dont as yet have a Licence (!) - He is allowed to drive up to 7.5T on his Licence as he got his test pre-97 (I think that was when the rules changed - he done his in 95). When I pass my test, which I was planning to do in an auto (another reason for an auto van!) I will have an issue if we went for a bigger van.

 

The 5-6 berth size requirements is a desire, incase granny comes along. Having read plenty of specs and viewed a few vans, we think a 4 berth might be a bit tight for space if we all travelled. In saying that, most holidays will be just myself, hubby and junior (and no plans for any more bambinos for a while yet!).

 

Hubby has no problem with LHD, driven everything from a Picasso to a large American SUV over extended periods. Granted, not in the UK, so agree it could be an issue if just 1 onboard. Our thoughts for LHD was in terms of price, it seems we can get so much more for our money. An example of this was a New LHD Bessacar we spotted at a local dealer at the weekend - there was a £10k price difference between it and the RHD model beside it, plus it also appeared to be a higher spec with leather instead of cloth.

 

Re-sale would be a consideration obviously, dont want to save £5k at purchase to loose £10k at sale by buying LHD. Is it normal for that to happen, or do dealers (even in Europe) buy good stock in at sensible levels? Or are we likely to have to take a huge hit on a LHD van regardless of where we sell it?

 

Not sure about American RV's. Some A-classes look amazing, but further down the market they start to look very cheap, although thats only my opinion. Also we had a C-class (is that correct?) based on a Ford truck while in Canada and it was such a poor quality rental (from a huge and well known Canadian company) that it nearly landed my hubby in jail overnight due to unroadworthyness!!

 

So bad was it we ended up finding a pitch after 2 days driving, and used it as a caravan for the rest of the week, hiring a car to see Nova Scotia instead!

 

What it did do was introduce us to Motorhome life and we liked stopping those first couple of days, making a bite of lunch by a lake, and generally just taking our time driving and enjoying our surroundings.

 

At the moment there seems to be so much choice and great discounts available on new vans. We have seen a RHD Dethleffs based on a Master Van with an autobox with around £15k off new prices. Only issue its a 4 berth with twin beds, which is no good for me and hubby!

 

MMM this month had the Chausson Allegro 97, which looked brilliant value for money, the only issue was it being a 3 berth. But the big bed in the rear looked fantastic.

 

Thanks for all your sound advice and we have no intentions of rushing into this as it such a huge purchase.

 

xx