johnhelen Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Hi there.We intend to visit Europe and the UK in early 2013, staying 10mths (Feb-Nov) travelling around in a 2hd motorhome.If we purchase a 10-20yr old MHome, in say London, how long does your MOT (vehicle road worthiness certificate) last?Can you get a MOT renewed say 3mths after it was last inspected?Whats the cost of a MOT?What happens if the UK registered MHome runs out of MOT while your in, say Germany?Can someone please explain what the V5 is all about?The only decent MHome 4sale website Ive seen is http://www.caravans4u.co.uk/used-motorhomes-for-sale.php?pageNum=0&totalRows=101&area=&keywords=&ob=price+ASC Surely there are others? Ebay.uk has an annoying popup, I was hoping for something more user friendly. Now, if your looking to do the same in NZ, look at these websites.http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/caravans-motorhomes/motorhomes and a NZ motorhome, online community here...http://www.nzmotorhome.co.nz/NZMotorhomeForum/ Regards.............John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattR Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 A MOT lasts for 12 months and costs approx. £50 although many garages offer discounted rates of around £30. You can do a MOT every day of they year if you wish - no need to wait until it runs out. Therefore, make sure that the vehicle you buy comes with a 12 month MOT - if a seller is not willing to get it done, they might be hiding something. Try not to let the MOT run out when you are overseas otherwise you will have to have the vehicle tested immediately on your return - you will invalidate your insurance if you drive without it unless you are on your way to an approved testing station to get your vehicle tested (you will need to have an appointment booked). Remember that the MOT is a test to check whether the vehicle is road legal at the time of the test. It is not a indicator of how the good the vehicle is - it could blow up the second you drive away from the garage or it could fail a MOT if taken to another testing station on the same day if the tester is stricter or less flexible with the requirements. My car has rust on its sill - if the tester sees it when it is worse, it will fail the MOT. If I cover it with plastic trim, it will pass as the tester only tests what he / she sees and cannot remove anything for a closer look. Others can advise on the other questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 john&helen - 2011-08-20 12:09 AMHi there.We intend to visit Europe and the UK in early 2013, staying 10mths (Feb-Nov) travelling around in a 2hd motorhome.If we purchase a 10-20yr old MHome, in say London, how long does your MOT (vehicle road worthiness certificate) last?Can you get a MOT renewed say 3mths after it was last inspected?Whats the cost of a MOT?What happens if the UK registered MHome runs out of MOT while your in, say Germany?Can someone please explain what the V5 is all about?The only decent MHome 4sale website Ive seen is http://www.caravans4u.co.uk/used-motorhomes-for-sale.php?pageNum=0&totalRows=101&area=&keywords=&ob=price+ASC Surely there are others? Ebay.uk has an annoying popup, I was hoping for something more user friendly.Now, if your looking to do the same in NZ, look at these websites.http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/caravans-motorhomes/motorhomesand a NZ motorhome, online community here...http://www.nzmotorhome.co.nz/NZMotorhomeForum/Regards.............John.You May find it better to buy a newer camper, and get an agreement to buy back from the supplier.You are more likely to get a diesel engine in a newer model. I am sure someone on this site will come up with some ideas for youWe have met a couple from OZ who where doing this. (B uy and sell back)Good luck with your planning, and hope you find what you are looking for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klyne Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 If you contact Lionel at this website http://www.caravanning-oz.com/ a couple of years ago he came to the UK and France for a few months and was able to buy a motorhome on a buy back scheme. I am sure he would be happy to give you details. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Klyne - 2011-08-20 9:13 AM If you contact Lionel at this website http://www.caravanning-oz.com/ a couple of years ago he came to the UK and France for a few months and was able to buy a motorhome on a buy back scheme. I am sure he would be happy to give you details. David Buy the van in Germany, they are cheaper and then you dont have to come back here for test. I am sure it would be far easier to negotiate a "buy back deal" from a German dealer as well. and they are LHD which has to be better if staying for so long...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalobs Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 From the experience of Australian friends you will find vehicle insurance an expensive minefield if you do not have British passports, driving licences and permanent UK adress. Eventually were covered by Downunder insurance at a hefty £1750 per annum!! They are currently trying to obtain medical and vehicle recovery insurance for Europe and have found English organisations do not appear to offer more than four months. On a recent posting on this site it was suggested to try ADAC which is the equivalent of the English AA/RAC. I have yet to hear the result but it shows you are right to start the research early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 MattR - 2011-08-20 12:34 AM...........................Try not to let the MOT run out when you are overseas otherwise you will have to have the vehicle tested immediately on your return - you will invalidate your insurance if you drive without it unless you are on your way to an approved testing station to get your vehicle tested (you will need to have an appointment booked)........................... I think this should be reinforced somewhat, to say "do not let the MoT run out while out of UK". Make sure the van has a new MOT when you buy it, as it will last 12 months, and you intend travelling for 10 months, so it will still have two months validity when you return. The point is that a UK registered vehicle is only legal outside the UK if it is fully compliant with UK tax, insurance, and test, requirements. If it is on the road anywhere without a valid test certificate, with the sole exception of a journey to a pre-arranged test (which cannot start outside the UK and must be reasonable - you can't legally drive from the north of Scotland for a test on the south coast, for example!) it will also almost certainly also be uninsured. Your vehicle must also have a UK road tax (now vehicle excise duty) disc valid for the entire duration of your travels. The tax cannot be renewed from outside UK, because the DVLA will not post discs to non UK addresses. You may be able to find ways around this if you have UK resident relatives. The V5 is the vehicle registration document, or log book. It must be completed with your details when you buy the van. I don't know whether a non UK address will be accepted for vehicle registration. Try contacting DVLA for advice on this if no-one else can say how it works. Most folk who do as you propose fall back on UK resident relatives, and use their address for registration, tax, and if they are very lucky, insurance. If you intend buying blind, then the best advice I can give is to seek guidance on totally reliable dealers, and buy from one of these. There are a few firms who have good reputations for honest dealing, and because vans are costly in UK, and the climate is generally damp, so water damage quite common on older vans, there is a huge incentive for the unscrupulous to take advantage of the unsuspecting. Private sales can be a very good source of value, but they can also be a total nightmare. It is not common, but neither is it unknown, for a seller to spy out an empty house, pose as the owner of both house and van, take you money, leave you with a total lemon, and disappear. You will want to begin your travels as soon as you have your van, so will not want to spend time and money getting defects fixed before you set off. Get what is good, from a reputable, reliable, source, make sure it is demonstrated all working when you buy, take it straight to the nearest campsite to the dealer you can find, check everything, spend at least two nights in it, put it through its paces - including giving the battery a good work-out, take it straight back if anything isn't working, be prepared to spend a little time getting anything that is not right fixed, add nothing to it, and then get underway. Oh yes, and don't buy anything with damage to the bodywork against a promise to get it fixed quickly. Spares for coachbuilt motorhome bodywork take months to be delivered, and not infrequently turn out to be incorrect post delivery. Sorry to present so pessimistic a picture but, sadly, there are rogues aplenty in UK, and being cautiously aware is the best defence against the dream becoming a nightmare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairweather camper Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Just a thought, have you considered a swop, that is if you have a motorhome of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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