scud24 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Hi all, Iam still looking into buying a motorhome(approx £15000) Iam still reading about the practical side of owning one but might be starting to be put off with buying one.Should i be?. The main concern i have is that i didnt know about the habitation certicate,Do you have to have one? and how much do they cost?and what happens if you dont have one. And in comparison to a say a family car how much more are the running costs per year?cost of thinking road tax,fuel comsumption and new parts(sorry if its a stupid question)i just dont want to be in a situation where i buy one then cant afford to run it! :$ Thanks for your time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Never had one..............wouldn't know what one looked like...............or what it was for 8-) Sounds dodgy to me :D............... who told you that you needed one? As for running costs not much different to a car except most people have their caravan part serviced once a year :D ...............I'm not one of them ;-) Can't remember the cost of having the caravan part serviced :-S .......perhaps Dave Newell will be along in a minute to remind me as he did it last :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Hi,I think the Habitation Certificate that you have been told to ask for is the Annual one, most Motorhomes still under warranty have to have for the warranty, some folk still have it done out of Warranty for peace of mind of no water ingress, If your spending around the £15,000 mark I wouldnt expect many Motorhomes of that price to have one on hand, You could always ask the seller to have one done prior to you purchasing it , But dont expect a rosy reply, take a damp meter with you when you go to view a Motorhome and use it ,in tops of cupboards,under lockers, etc, and any where you see mis-colouring of internal wall boards, if buying from a dealer you can certainly ask that they carry out a habitation check but you may be charged for it, lots of Luck, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 scud24 - 2011-06-24 4:27 PM Hi all, Iam still looking into buying a motorhome(approx £15000) Iam still reading about the practical side of owning one but might be starting to be put off with buying one.Should i be?. The main concern i have is that i didnt know about the habitation certicate,Do you have to have one? and how much do they cost?and what happens if you dont have one. And in comparison to a say a family car how much more are the running costs per year?cost of thinking road tax,fuel comsumption and new parts(sorry if its a stupid question)i just dont want to be in a situation where i buy one then cant afford to run it! :$ Thanks for your time Forget about the "habitation certificate"- it's most unlikely to be relevant in your case. Vehicle Excise Duty is currently £215 per annum and there will be the cost of an annual MOT (£50). Estimate fuel consumption at 30mpg. (Obviously the further you drive the more fuel you'll use.) Servicing costs will depend on whether you can DIY the work, or whether you'll get someone else to do it. Also whether you restrict servicing to the base-vehicle, or have habitation-related servicing done too. Generally speaking, motorhome base-vehicle spare parts should be no dearer than equivalent parts for a big car, though major habitation appliances (fridge, heater, etc) can be very expensive to replace. If you treat the potential motorhome purchase as if you were buying a not too new, technically complex, fairly uneconomical, large-engined car for £15000 and find that the idea of running such a vehicle worries you, then you should really think twice about doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Vehicle servicing costs are in line with cars although you will probably spend more on parts for a £15k van than you would for a £15k parts simple because the van will be a lot older. Most people have a habitation service every year. The costs vary but you could pay £250. Benefit is peace of mind on the services, especially the gas and electricity system. Faulty appliances, mechanics or tyres can kill. You could probably get away without a habitation service every year but you might worry about whether your gas system is safe as you drift off to sleep with a headache. Road tax is usually £205 from memory - sorry van outside and it is raining! You may want to investigate whether the age of your vehicle bestows some benefits. Insurance is slightly less than for a car but not significantly so. Depreciation will be low on a £15k van in percentage terms but can still hurt and you won't get much for it when you sell if you make full use of it for several years. In 5 years time your van may be worthless but still priceless to you. Labour rates for mechanics at a small garage or habitation service can be £40 per hour and so you can quickly rack up a bill if additional work required. Parts are expensive for the habitation part because there is no mass supply like for the base vehicle. There are breakers yards that can supply parts to help keep the cost down. Best thing to do is look at your van and search for a few parts on the net e.g. a replacement water pump. This will give you a picture. Have a look at CAK Tanks as they have lots of new parts. Depending on the van, diesel consumption could be as low as 22mpg with few managing more than 30mpg. Tyres age and crack rather than lose their tread and replacements can be up to £140 each but cheaper ones exist. For me this year on a 6 year old van, insurance £300, servicing for habitation and for mechanical £520, fuel for 6,000 miles £1400, depreciation a killing £3,500 pa, new tyres this year £600, site fees likely to top £500 [i don't wild camp]. A better question might be, how can I run a motorhome on my annual budget of £X. It is sensible to ask because a motorhome needs to be used and to do that, you need quite a bit of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 If cost is an issue maybe buying an older van would be a better bet. I can do the same in my old camper which is probably worth less than 8k as someone with a 50k camper :D ..................and as for running cost's they have been a bit steep this year £250 quid..... for a full service, MOT, and a waterpump :D ........................I've spent more than that this year but thats been on mods like a refillable gas bottle B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 As has been said, no such thing as a Habitation Certificate, when your van is new you need to have a habitation check conducted every year, for the length of the warranty, to ensure the warranty remains valid. The habitation check will ensure that you have no damp problems and will also check your electrical and gas installations to ensure they remain safe. After the warranty has lapsed the choice of whether you have a habitation check conducted is yours and yours alone. The cost is what often puts people off and if you are technically proficient you may consider that you can carry out such checks yourself (Electrical & Gas). As for the costs of owning/running a Motorhome. Perhaps you should consider looking at it from a different perspective. How many holidays do you currently take, what type and at what cost e.g. a two week package cost to Spain may will also include travel to/from Airport (Car, Train, Bus, Taxi) and if in your own car then Car Parking Charges. You have to allow for the time you have to arrive (1-2 hours prior to flight) and then costs whilst at the Airport (Drinks Snacks), Time In-Flight and time at arrival airport going through Immigartion, waiting for baggage, travel time to hotel and then time to check-in at hotel. What other holidays would you normally take and the time/expense comparison. Once you have made the initial outlay for your Motorhome, where will you keep it (at home if allowed or in storage where you may have to pay a fee). Obviously cost of Insurance, Tax, MOT, Annual Service, Fuel and Camping Fees (unless you intend to Wildcamp). If you want to take it across the channel then add on ferry prices, additional European Breakdown Cover (If not included in your insurance package), road tolls and/or Vignettes if you use Motorways in France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Italy. With a Motorhome, especially if you keep it stored at your house, you can pack it quickly on a Friday evening and escape for the weekend as well as having your longer holidays. It is no good spending £15K and then only using it once a year, it becomes an expensive door wedge. Fuel costs will be dependent on lots of things, size of engine, weight of vehicle, how much you put in it, your driving style. It is hard to give MPG figures because it depends on the above but I think it is a reasonable estimate to plan between 25-30mpg. How many of your current type of holidays could you take on £15K ? A good Motorhome can last you years and certainly will take you to many more places than the average package holiday ever will and so perhaps a good long term investment. In my opinion, once you have made the initial outlay to purchase the motorhome, the cost of holidays is not so much the issue as you would have spent money on a holiday somewhere anyway. It is all about where you can go with it, Coast, Lakes, Rivers, Dales, Moors, Forests, Alps, Cities, Towns, Villages, Rural hideaways. It becomes a lifestyle rather than a mode of conveyance (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Big Momma - 2011-06-24 6:52 PM It becomes a lifestyle rather than a mode of conveyance (lol) Ditto :D .....................BUT BEWARE it can become addictive 8-) ...................and in the later stages of the disease you can give up a lovely house and comfortable income to spend time as a gypo (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 pelmetman - 2011-06-24 7:32 PM Big Momma - 2011-06-24 6:52 PM It becomes a lifestyle rather than a mode of conveyance (lol) Ditto :D .....................BUT BEWARE it can become addictive 8-) ...................and in the later stages of the disease you can give up a lovely house and comfortable income to spend time as a gypo (lol) (lol) But to prevent yourself from having such a label attached you can always go and spend a few weeks with your MIL :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art338 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 scud, Its more than a little difficult to work out who you are, what age, and why you are looking into Motorhomes. Is it just a whim that you like the idea having seen others driving about or do you have firm ideas on where you might go and WHY. Are you single, married, how many children etc, got any animals, got any hobbies to consider when its chilly outside. Have you or anyone in the family considered living in a small space like a 'traveller' for a while, at 25 it may be fun but at 65 it can be doubtful. Are you a walker, a cyclist or motocyclist, horse rider, bird watcher, painter, metal detector, potential botanist or geologist? Perhaps you already go to these types of events, if you do then you will love spending time at them and staying over into the next day. If you've no interest in anything 'outdoors' it may be hard to justify even thinking about it. If you have a family are they prepared to take part in your ventures? If you have a lady partner is she prepared to live in a confined space for several days. It could be a week of rain? Having tried to put you off, some people just sit and read all day, why, just because its different and that's what life is about, seeking and learning new experiences. Write down all the wants and not wants, likes and dislikes, only then can you form a constructive decision on whether to begin look at vehicles. art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birder Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Hi Scud, Some sound advice from Big Momma as usual. Then some replies, again as usual, start to go off into their own little world (!) Look at your inbox for a PM (Personal Message) sent earlier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scud24 Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Thank you all for your thoughts and advise.Just for the record iam 41 and a Postman, single and like Birdwatching and being out doors and iam looking for a 2/3 berth van but with a bit of comfort in it for all year round use. Thanks again and sorry about some of the grammer and spellings on the message i posted iwas in a hurry for work :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 art338 - 2011-06-24 9:13 PM scud, Its more than a little difficult to work out who you are, what age, and why you are looking into Motorhomes... Who can it be who initially replied to scud's earlier posting? ;-) ;-) ;-) HTTP://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=24032&posts=6 (Art, you don't own a Rapido 9-Series by any chance?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art338 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Scud, Spelling is not that important, I take each 'top' posting as a new field hence my double comments. I reckon you will have a great time in what ever Motorhome you choose, no one to argue with and lots of free time. I can only comment on the VW which I found almost faultless, its not large but OK for one person. If I were going down the same route as you I would definitely go to the next largest van, more height and more general space and more commercial regarding servicing and spares. For 15k I reckon there must be many available. As asked, our present van is the 2006 Rapido 987M, a bit costly but the next space I'm likely to occupy will be made of wood with no wheels! art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hi Scud and welcome to the mad house! :-D scud24 - 2011-06-24 11:37 PM Thank you all for your thoughts and advise.Just for the record iam 41 and a Postman, single and like Birdwatching and being out doors and iam looking for a 2/3 berth van but with a bit of comfort in it for all year round use. From what you say, I would think a good van conversion or one of the narrower coachbuilts might fit the bill (no pun intended! :D ). It will get you to places for your birdwatching that some larger (wider) vans might struggle with so could be used as 'hide'. As you like being out doors, I would imagine a usable shower would be required, as would an easily made up bed (or a fixed one). If you look at van conversions, make sure they have an onboard water tank and good heating, plus proper double glazed acrylie/perspex windows, not just single glazed glass like some vans have. I would suggest a hightop, rather than a pop-top, as this again will be better for winter comfort/use. There are lots of types of vans out there so it might be easier to decide on the type of layout/facilities you definitely want, size etc, and that will help you narrow it down and you will then be able to look for vans with that layout and discount others. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hi Scud, If you're so worried about not being able to afford to run a 'van after buying it then why not drop your budget to, say, £12,000 and keep the remainder for any 'eventuality'. You should still be able to get a very good 'van for that money and then would not have to worry if or when any expense came along. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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