fallbay13 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Hi there, yes we,ve decided to do it and up grade to a coach built motorhome around the 2003 - 2006 year, just one problem we don,t want to spend more than £ 20,000 and we're after a 6 berth with bunk beds. I've trawlled the internet and seem to come up with the same motorhome which is of the CI range so looking for some advice, ie things to look out for, or should we look at other ranges.Suppose i've opened a can of worms here but all advice is much appreciated. Cheers Pete *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birder Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I believe Rapido did a 6 berth R/H Drive model. Date around 2003/4, These would now be within your price bracket & Don Armotts near Derby certainly stocked them as new; this is where I saw it. Sorry can't come up with more info. i.e. model numberetc. but hopefully someone else on the forum may be able to help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallbay13 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Thanks for your reply I'll do some research on that. Cheers Pete. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Owner Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 You don't tell us which part of the country you live in, Fallbay13, but how about something like this? http://www.westcountrymotorhomes.co.uk/21/used-vehicles/prod/761/2005-fiat-elnagh-clipper-20 6 berths (with bunks) and 6 travel seats, all for under 20,000 -- can't be too bad! Cheers,good hunting! Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallbay13 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 Nice one Colin checked it out looks like a cracker could well be worth a trip to view it as we live in Gower South Wales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 If you want a 6 berth van, with 6 belted seats (not guaranteed, manufacturers work in mysterious ways! :-)), and you want to be able to transport 6 people, even if four are children, with all their toys and clutter, check very, very, carefully what payload is actually being offered, and how it is being calculated. There are, IMO, no realistically workable 6 berth vans made on a 3,500kg chassis, but there are quite a few 6 berth vans offered for sale on 3,500kg chassis. Simply put, 6 berths into 3,500kg does not go! A 3,850kg chassis should be workable, 4,000kg even better, but you cannot drive these on a standard car licence, so check what yours covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 I agree with Brian's post. There are also a couple of recent threads with additional information that would be worth browsing through. One also contains a list of possible Motorhomes (by Brian) that could be suitable. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=27217&posts=15 http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=26471&posts=17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallbay13 Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Cheers guys (Colin & Brian) for the advice my head continues to spin spent all yesterday searching and came across a Swift Kontiki which did not have bunks but an end lounge suitable to also sleep our two boys and enough payload to carry bikes surfboards ect ect. The only problem it was out of our price range £27000 as we don't want to go past 2003 or high mileage if possible so we keep coming back to original budget range motorhomes eg CI and Rollerteam or do you think older models of a better class would be the better option ? Cheers Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 fallbay13 - 2012-05-06 8:43 AMCheers guys (Colin & Brian) ... came across a Swift Kontiki which did not have bunks but an end lounge suitable to also sleep our two boys and enough payload to carry bikes surfboards ... If you see another Swift you like lie down in a dark place until the feeling goes away. Research Swift build quality. fallbay13 - 2012-05-06 8:43 AMeg CI and Rollerteam or do you think older models of a better class would be the better option ?Cheers Pete Not necessarily but it's the option I'd take. Older, better quality well looked after 'vans are out there and are probably going to be better value for money and hold their (already low) price better. I seem to recall some Weinsbergs and maybe Kentucky Camps of the era in question would suit. Maybe also a Knaus Traveller 708 6 berth but no bunks. Such 'vans were pretty solid and are capable of many years of dependable service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manwiththepsychoGPS Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Pete, I've got a 2003 Roller Team autoroller 3, with a high mileage, 90000! It is professionally serviced and if something needs doing I get the professionals to do it. It runs beautifully and goes wherever any higher end 'van can go and places they can't. We use it 12 months of the year, from Norway to the Baltics and back. The coldest night we've had in it was -15C. We were warm and comfortable. Hot showers every morning in a spacious enough wash room, excellent meals, though the grill is useless, on the 4 ring hob. I'm not small, 6ft and too many kg but we find the overcab bed roomy and I always get a good nights sleep. It's small and light enough to go places, over wooden bridges and up tracks, other larger vans won't go. We've managed up to 5 nights without services with the help of the 100 litre inboard water tank. Of course it's a compromise, e.g. there is no big lounge to hang out in if the weather is poor. However we are a family and we make do. Lots of payload means we can take all the kit we want, it's just a case of managing the space. Sometimes we have to move stuff around and use the over cab and bunks for day time storage. It's no problem for me. We like to explore off the beaten track, so being under 3500kg is important. Go for it . Good luck Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Many experienced Campingcaristes have vehicles that are considerably older than 2003 mine ,for instance is 1993! Because the base vehicle is built to survive perhaps 250000miles the average Leisure use is unlikely to reach such a figure, We see lots of advertising and advice that we should all be running round in environmentally friendly Euro V etc but at the end of the day it is more 'green' to keep an older vehicle on the road than to build a new one. I have for a long time questioned whether there has been any real improvement in either construction or liveability in the past 20 years and if you look at my van in the gallery perhaps you may be persuaded to this point of view. OK so you will not be able to enter the LEZ but who wants to? For £20000 you can buy a top end camper with all that means in build quality, it will be lighter than recent offerings and in my case will offer 5 berths ,4 with seat belts facing forward, and all under 6m long and 3500Kg and 500kg load allowance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallbay13 Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Hi there to all that replied many thanks for the advice, today vivsited motorhome showrooms in Crosshands Southwales but i feel the service was poor when we mentioned used family based motorhomes in our price range, however our search continues and looks like we'll be dragging the kids around 3 Counties showground next weekend to further the headache but i was very taken by the CI Miraz model with bunkbeds which are impossible to locate so the salesman tells me(looks like we're going back to bunk beds and avoid Swift that dark room worked wounders 8-) ) Cheers Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Why so new? I'm just playing Devil' Advocate here, but what do you feel is wrong with Motorhomes that might be 15 or 20 years old as opposed to ones that are (say) 6 years old? Ours is 1992. Utterly bulletproof, and simple, engine and mechanicals. No ECU computer thingy to go wrong. No catalytic converter to get stolen, or need replacing after "x" years for a small fortune. Easy to self-service. Spares are plentiful and cheap. We bought it with only 87,000kms on the clock...........these things were designed to do starship mileages.....we've got it up to 140,000 kms in 3 years thus far. Maybe consider buying older, thus saving a vast amount of money, that can be put to better use actually enjoying travelling in it.......as you get a LOT more "bangs-per-buck" on older MH's. I reckon they are MUCH better value for money. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Whilst not disagreeing with BGD's post regarding "older" Motorhomes, the problem I think you may find is that few will have sufficient Seat belts, (i.e. belts for all travel seats) For an example of how payload could be a problem, have a look at:- http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Motorhomes/Features/Editorial/National-Motorhome-Show-2012-seminars/_ch1_ft780_pg1 & scroll down to the link for Barry Norris's presentation. For a bit more than your budget http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/used-motorhomes/hymer/classic/2006/at8ab5b63435e7b867013645c888004ae7/hymer-classic-684-c-class-diesel For a bit less than your budget http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/used-motorhomes/hymer/camp-622/1999/at8a6a918836fce485013712945d12777d/hymer-camp-644-diesel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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