Helpful advise purchasing a motorhome for the first time

[scud24]

Hi,Iam thinking about buying a camper/motorhome for the first time and hoping that people on this forum can just give me some tips and advise that would help me navigate me through some of the issues.

Iam single person so would not want a van more than two/three berths,my budget would be up to £15000(at a push,cheaper would be better),on that budget could i get a decent van kitted out with a toilet, grill etc.Iam 40 so not retiring yet :'( so the use for it would be weekends and afew weeks away a year)any recomendations on type and make?

 

Are there any makes that i should stay well clear of because of know engine design issues or other problems?and does high millage matter?

Also is the insurance cost for motorhomes on par with car insurance or more expensive.

And when looking around a used motorhome are there particular things that i should look for indicating potential issues apart from the obvious(rust).

 

Thanks for your time.

 

[art338]

Hi Scud,

 

Welcome to the forum, there are many well seasoned owners on here who should be able to offer plenty of advise. They are a pretty plain speaking lot with good sound comments, some have covered many thousands of miles and driven many different types.

 

I'm perhaps fortunate in never having owned a second hand van. V W Transporters were my first and I've managed to own about 14 of those from the rounded windscreen type of a simple empty van to an executive Caravelle and more.

 

The most difficult VW was the rear engined water cooled type (I think) where the fuel choke system was in the exhaust somewhere and automatically operated itself whenever I stopped for 15 minutes, never releasing again what ever I did until the next day.

 

art

[Guest pelmetman]

There are loads of vehicles in that price range, don't be put off by age.... only condition, if its been well looked after you should have no problems :D

 

As for base vehicle Transits parts are easy and cheap to find even for my 21 yeat old van ;-)

 

If your not to good at checking out vehicles there are people who will for a fee carry out a full written inspection of the vehicle and camper part...........useful for peace of mind, as 15k is a fair old bit of dosh to waste on a dog of a van ;-)

[Travelling Tyke]

Hello,

 

One point that is often overlooked by "buyers" (and not mention by any seller) is the payload that a van can carry. There is a "Max Weight" that the van must not exceed along with Max Weights for each axel!

 

Get the van checked on a weighbridge before parting with any cash. Subtract this from the Max weight and what you have left is for you and your travelling posessions. It may be far less than you think.

 

Happy travelling.

[josie gibblebucket]

Hi, you don't say whether you are looking for a coachbuilt or a panel van conversion, but you should certainly be able to find one that is kitted out with a toilet, grill etc with that kind of budget.

 

Autosleepers are renowned for their good build quality, and there are plenty around at that kind of price, or many for less. I only suggest these because if you decide that campervanning/motorhoming is not for you after all, you probably wouldn't have a problem selling it on.

 

As long as there is no sign of damp or rust, I don't think age matters too much, ours is 16 years old and still going strong. Motorhomes tend to have been better looked after than cars of a similar age and will hold their value to a certain extent. Insurance is cheaper for ours than it is for the car too.

 

I'm sure that once you've found a van you like, you will get bitten by the bug the same as the rest of us, and will enjoy it no matter what kind you buy. Happy hunting. :-)

[scud24]

Thankyou all for your helpful advise.I expect when i get one i will be on this forum often asking advise. :-D