Buying our First Motorhome

[macavan]

Hi, we intend to buy our first Motorhome within the next 6 months to 1 year.

I'd appreciate other users advice & experience to help us narrow down the choice & make the right decison

We are looking at a 2 berth Van or small Coachbuilt.

We intend to travel extensively across the UK for months at a time & would do our fair share of wild camping.

We would then have an intention to do the same around Europe.

We want something small enough to get us everywhere, but big enough to live in comfortably.

We are looking at a budget of between 35k - 45k & would consider nearly new as well as new.

We have some experience with Motorhomes & have started visiting shows & dealers to see what's out there. Thanks

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

Really not enough information about yourselves, what sort of van you want, what sort of layout etc... etc..To get any real useful advice.

 

I will kick things of though all below LHD :-D

 

CB:

 

Adria compact, either SL (twin single beds over garage) or SP (slightly shorter, transverse bed) from approx £40K

 

or Adria Sport, various models from approx £35K

 

PVC - panel van :

 

Globecar 632 (twin single beds) 2010 models from £30,000 LHD

 

La Strada Avanti C. A top quality panel van. the new renault ones from about £42k. but I like the Avanti, its higher with loads of storage and really the finish is top class. The only van that is fully winterised with double floor..it just oozes quality. The one linked below approx £45K (2012 euro 5)

 

http://tinyurl.com/6noe4hm

[Guest Tracker]

Two sides to this coin!!

 

You get a lot more coachbuilt for your money than you do panel van and there is a lot more living and storage space in a coachbuilt.

 

The panel van is a bit smaller in width but not always in length or height and is allegedly easier to drive and park - but that is debatable.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Debatable? Oh come of it! mine is like car to drive, previous coachbuilt, sluggish and unwieldy in comparison..more like sailing then driving.

[Guest Tracker]

Be aware that some folks are very much lovers of panel vans and some are very much lovers of coachbuilts and don't let the preferences of either camp sway you in making your choice of what suits you the best as there is no one size that fits all!!

[hallii]

I have owned both, the coachbuilt (Low Profile) is the best compromise in my opinion.

 

I have owned 3 PVCs and they have a lot of plus points, but they can be cramped and cold in the winter, (Depends on the converter I suppose).

 

H

[Guest JudgeMental]

AND why I posted both, long wheel base panel vans (2) and coachbuilts (2)

 

Tracker you should try and control your prejudices...... they are terminally boring *-)

 

[Travelling Tyke]

Hello,

You have stated that you have some previous experience with motorhomes. This should be a good guide as to what you consider relevant. So start from there. Make a list in order of importance to you, this will makes it easier for forum members to help as well as clarify your own choices.

 

My main advice is to make sure that whatever you chose you will have the payload to do want you want to do.

 

Happy hunting.

[sshortcircuit]

JudgeMental - 2012-06-15 1:02 PM

 

AND why I posted both, long wheel base panel vans (2) and coachbuilts (2)

 

Tracker you should try and control your prejudices...... they are terminally boring *-)

 

I thought Trackers postings were very fair and unbiased.

[sshortcircuit]

This French beer is doing my head in, another double posting. Will log out now.

[Mike B.]

Please-let's answer the guys questions objectively and not get into yet another slanging match.

 

Macavan

 

I suggest you have a look round as many shows & dealers as you possibly can, make notes and then do a 'pros and cons' list of the shortlist. Once you have done this, think about what you are left with, what you want to do/where to go and then your budget-you should come up with something that then suits YOU!

Rememember any answers on here will be subjective

Mike

[Guest Tracker]

sshortcircuit - 2012-06-15 7:33 PM

 

JudgeMental - 2012-06-15 1:02 PM

 

AND why I posted both, long wheel base panel vans (2) and coachbuilts (2)

 

Tracker you should try and control your prejudices...... they are terminally boring *-)

 

I thought Trackers postings were very fair and unbiased.

 

Thanks Hamish - usual fee on it's way to you!

 

I thought I was being unbiased too but perhaps Eddie's piles are playing up again as his usual jovial approach seems to be missing today!

 

Keep applying Clive's special cream Eddie and soon your troublesome behind should be behind you!

[Derek Uzzell]

macavan - 2012-06-15 11:02 AM

 

Hi, we intend to buy our first Motorhome within the next 6 months to 1 year.

I'd appreciate other users advice & experience to help us narrow down the choice & make the right decison

We are looking at a 2 berth Van or small Coachbuilt.

We intend to travel extensively across the UK for months at a time & would do our fair share of wild camping.

We would then have an intention to do the same around Europe.

We want something small enough to get us everywhere, but big enough to live in comfortably.

We are looking at a budget of between 35k - 45k & would consider nearly new as well as new.

We have some experience with Motorhomes & have started visiting shows & dealers to see what's out there. Thanks

 

I suggest you begin by obtaining this publication

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Information/your-first-motorhome

 

Your £35k-£45k budget will cover a very wide range of potential motorhome candidates - in fact, the range is so wide that (Dare I say it?) until you've firmed up further on what type of vehicle is most likely to suit your plans, you won't get much benefit from asking for general advice from motorhome forums.

 

As you (presumably there are just two of you?) plan to spend a lot of time in your motorhome, the vehicle's interior living-space and layout will be particularly important, espcially as you wish to restrict length to below 6.5m. At this stage you can largely ignore vehicle make, chassis, motor, or which wheels do the driving - you do not want to end up with a motorhome with Ferrari MOTORing characteristics that offers a prison-like experience when it's being used as a HOME.

 

Each month MMM magazine publishes a Buyers Guide that summarises the various motorhome layouts available and lists current models by type, layout and specification. If you use the listings to exclude vehicles that are too long (or clearly too short), that have a layout unsuitable for the number of people you'll be carrying, or are outside your budget, that should allow you to obtain some sort of manageable initial shopping list.

[Brian Kirby]

Tracker - 2012-06-15 12:42 PM

 

Two sides to this coin!!

 

You get a lot more coachbuilt for your money than you do panel van and there is a lot more living and storage space in a coachbuilt.

 

The panel van is a bit smaller in width but not always in length or height and is allegedly easier to drive and park - but that is debatable.

I agree with this in general. We have a small coachbuilt (6.0 metres long, 2.07 metres wide, and 2.7 metres high) that is little larger than the current Ducato/Boxer vans. Its advantage is that it retains its full width from floor to ceiling, so that high-level cupboards have greater depth than is possible in PVCs and so are more useful. Since you intend spending extended periods with your van, you will undoubtedly want to get your van reasonably close to places of interest to you, especially if visiting in bad weather. Smaller vehicles make this much easier. Ours has a transverse bed at the rear, above a so-called garage. This is fairly common across most of the "Van" type layouts, although there are also variations with lower set beds resulting in less garage space, and with twin longitudinal single beds which however result in a van nearer 6.75 metres long. IMO, this extra 750mm length should not be too much of a problem in practise. The advantage would be accessibility of the rest of the van by either partner without the need for one to climb over the other to get out of bed, especially is one is unwell. The downside is that most of these have fairly extensive rear overhangs which aid manoeuvrability but can be prone to grounding. The layout also tends to result on most habitation load falling onto the rear axle, with the front remaining relatively light. This exacerbates the grounding risk but also reduces traction at the front, making slippery conditions that bit more difficult to deal with. Offerings from Hymer, Dethleffs, Hobby, Knaus, Adria and others, although most of the others have the cabin body at 2.3 metres wide, which I think negates most of the advantage of these more compact vehicles. The Knaus Van TI is the only one to offer a layout with a forward sited kitchen block which makes the front dinette a bit less attractive but, IMO, makes the kitchen a whole bunch more practical.

[kelly58]

We have an Autosleeper Nuevo II EK which for us ticks all the boxes Peugeot powered so better than a Fiat !!  " Thats just my opinion ) having had problems with a previous Fiat , comfortable size easy to handle exellent build quality good payload with plenty of storage space a good allrounder.