Which motorhome?

[BillW]

Seeking guidance/feedback for any types and brands of motorhomes that meet the following criteria in order of importance to us. At the moment I am thinking of a well-kept pre-loved unit. We will, virtually, be living in this motorhome. Therefore it has to be homely, warm (and cool), capable of independent living for a week or more at a time. We have a distinct preference for the rear lounge layout. We are just a couple.

 

- Winterised. No frozen pipes; copes with snow, sleet and wind confidently.

 

- Problem free, uncomplicated engineering. Had a Transit base, expensive repairs of needlessly exotic componentry.

 

- Secure. Deters and as secure as possible against intrusion.

 

Of course other things are important but these are fundamental. We tend to avoid the crowds so we do off-season and remote travelling, mainly UK and Ireland.

 

Bill

[lennyhb]

For a fully winterised van that means buying German, which means rear lounges are scarce. Insulation levels also better in German vans keeps you warm in the winter & cool in the summer.

 

Worth noting Hymer use the Pual construction system no timber, steel framing & PU foam in the body.

 

No van is very secure easy to force/break plastic windows. German or any other European van will not have deadlocks on the cab doors, only standard where the base vehicle is UK sourced.

 

Even with the current exchange rate still worth looking abroad to purchase take a look here:

 

http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/search.html?scopeId=MH&lang=en

 

 

[art338]

As Lenny says a German M/H would be a good buy.

 

Mercedes are pretty faultless regarding the base and engine arrangements.

 

I'm British thro-and-thro but have two German vehicles, a VW and the Merc and for me I would choose no other maker. My days are long past when I was prepared to take second best.

 

We've not wintered in it due to our ageing years as we are past camping for fun but it is designed for winter use.

 

You suggest rear lounge, that means making up beds every night. Blow that for fun, we have two double beds, one fixed and one pull down. You want it homely then go for a fixed bed !!

 

We've lived in it solid for three months, not a problem.

 

Security ............ there is none.

 

If you want security get a tracker system fitted and choose a type that is not popular for stealing, and finally put a picture of an ugly dog in the window.

[Brian Kirby]

One thing you've missed from your list, though it is implied in your question, is that it must be durable enough to live in.

You say, to call a spade a spade, second hand, so it will already have had some use and lost some life.  So, we're left with well insulated, durable, simple engineering, and secure.

Secure has been dealt with above: the best you can ever get is nominal security.

Well insulated is dealt with above: German, though any van will freeze up if left in low temperatures with the heating off.

Rear lounge is dealt with above: unlikely.

I would say, simply because they are so popular - meaning there are a lot to choose from - you should look for a Hymer A class to suit your budget.  You should get a comfortable front lounge with a drop down bed, and that will, IMO, be the closest available compromise for what you want.

Will you get that simple engineering?  Yes, if you buy an old one.  It will be well used, so well past its prime, it will be slow, it will be noisy, and it will drink! 

Otherwise, once you get into the more modern, electronically injected, turbo diesels, you gain complexity, but also power, speed, economy, and smoothness.  Whether you pay a premium for a Merc, or accept one of the previous version Fiat, bases, preferably a 2.8JTD, is up to you.  Both are pretty well sorted, tough, little trucks.  However, I'd avoid anything X2/50 based at present, if you want to get something as trouble free as possible, because of the as yet not fully resolved reversing problem.

[rupert123]

Not sure why you would want a fully winterised van if to be used in the UK. The only time their is really a need is if you intend to spend periods in the alps in the winter. Ours is not winterised and just by having a heater in the fresh water tank and taking sensible measures have never frozen up. It keeps us warm certainly down to pretty low temperatures, you will pay a large premium for fully winterised. However if you want this as others have said it will have to be europeon. No van is secure or trouble free but UK ones are likely to have best security as standard. Forget German is best, they used to be, as with cars, but these days the makers in the UK, Italy, France and a few others have caught them up and in the design area passed them.

[Brock]

You will have to compromise. For example, a Hymer A-class will be good for your first point - whether dual floored or not - and some of your second needs. However, access to the engine on A-classes is limited and thus the mechanical repair bills can involve more labour time.

 

My Hymer 544 has a bench seat and L-shaped seat in the lounge, a small kitchen (common on many German makes) and a good sized washroom. As a compromise, its pretty close to your needs.

 

In the UK, an ordinary motorhome with an in built fresh water and an insulated external waste should suffice most, if not all, the time. The more recent Swift Kontikis seem to cope better than some other UK brands in the winter.

 

For security, there is no other answer than getting a big dog. A good alarm, which enables you to switch off internal sensors but keep the external sensors working would help. Look at the quality of the door hinges. You can improve locks. Windows are marginally harder to break into if they are framed rather than just hinged on the body.

[Colin Leake]

If you want to avoid the inherent problems of an A Class such as poor engine access and expensive and difficult to replace windscreens try looking at the Frankia range. They do some lowline and overcab models that are very highly insulated.