New buyer help needed

[Motorhome newbie]

Hi, I've decided to buy a motohome, wanting to buy a cheepish one to start to see how me and kids like it, have spent weeks searching eBay but seams to be all the same ones coming through, have stumbled upon a 1992 J Reg EURA MOBIL ACTIVA 2500 cc priced at £6.995 I was wondering if any thinks this is a good price? Only has 3months MOT, this is my biggest concern as being a J reg I thought it may need lots of work come MOT date, any advice on buying a first motorhome would be greatfull, as I have 3 children, I would prefer one with 5 belted seats which I know the above has, I'm not so sure on kids sitting sideways with no belts :-(

Look forward to hearing replies :)

 

Lou

[snitrats]

Hi, it may be worth your while to look on www.motorhomefun.co.uk.on the riight hand side of the home page is an advert for an e-book Motorhome buyers guide may be worth the£7.99.By the way I have no links with that site.

[PJay]

Hi Welcome to the forum

 

I would say that you MUST have (not prefer) 5 belted seats, and that side seats are a definite NO.No

You will probably need a largish van, so make sure that your licence allows you to drive it. (Depends when you passed your test, i believe), as I am sure you are not over 70. You see lots of older vans on the road, so as long as it has been looked after should not be a problem. I would try to get a years MOT. Have you looked at dealers?

One thing just thought of, do you need child booster seats ? As some vans may not have room for fitting these side by side.(would be difficult in our van)

Wish you luck in your quest, just take time looking, maybe wait until later in year when the season is over, and some bargains may appear

PJay

[Motorhome newbie]

Thanks guys, would only need 1 car seat so that shud be ok, others don't need boosters, guess I'm just looking for one quickly as wanted to get away these holidays and if we like it look into a more expensive one after, this one is from a dealer thats closing down so won't put a new mot onto it and has reduced the price, it's a fair way from me so would b along way to go to look then bak to collect :( so I would have to decide I def wanted it b4 looking to have it ready to be collected.

[sshortcircuit]

Invest in a damp meter and do a check throiughout including the floor. Nothing worse than having to repair something you could have avoided.

 

I would also suggest you slow down as you appear to be rushing into this purchased from a dealer that will soon no longer be in business so you will have no recourse

[Brian Kirby]

Motorhome newbie - 2012-07-29 10:21 AM

 

Thanks guys, would only need 1 car seat so that shud be ok, others don't need boosters, guess I'm just looking for one quickly as wanted to get away these holidays and if we like it look into a more expensive one after, this one is from a dealer thats closing down so won't put a new mot onto it and has reduced the price, it's a fair way from me so would b along way to go to look then bak to collect :( so I would have to decide I def wanted it b4 looking to have it ready to be collected.

I think a better solution for you may be to hire a van. Buying, and selling again, will probably cost nearly as much as a hire charge. You will learn as much about how you all get on with motorhoming, and what kind of van you like, from a hire as you would by owning, with none of the long term liabilities. Far quicker to arrange, too! :-)

[Cliffy]

I bought a van advertised privately in the local paper and it was the best thing I have done, as after more than two years I still see the same model and year advertised in dealers at much more than I paid for it and they don't have the add ons that came with it.  

The advantage is if you don't like the life style you won't loose the dealer mark up when you sell it again. If you do like the life style you can trade it in for a better or different layout model.

Obviously you need to do all the necessary checks on the base vehicle, habitation and HPI but the best check is how you feel about the seller. How long have they owned it, what have they used it for, why are they selling it and how have they looked after it.

One big advantage is; if they are giving up motorhoming because of their age/ability or as my seller was, going to live in France. You will probably get hundreds of pounds of extras thrown in. You would not believe the amount of equipment you need that does not come with most dealer sold motorhomes so keep this in mind when you are working out your finances.

I am sure you will soon get addicted to the lifestyle. Good Luck with your search.

[colin]

A 20y.o. motorhome might be ok or might be a complete dog, no one knows untill you've given it a good look over and a few outings, the dealer not wanting to put a new MOT on it doesn't sound promising but they may think it will sell anyway.

One thing you haven't mentioned is (I think) it's LHD.

[Mel B]

Hi Lou, welcome to the mad house! :-D

 

I think the first thing to say is just STOP and THINK about the commitment you are about to make. What you are proposing can be a very costly exercise, the cost of the van is just one part, then there's the insurance, tax, MOT, breakdown/recovery, and that's before you have any repairs to do to it and with a van that age it is more than likely there'll be something ... new tyres ... exhaust system ... some things will be included as part of an MOT, but there's a heck of a lot of things with a motorhome that won't be.

 

It is very dangerous for someone new to motorhoming to go out and buy a van because it's cheap and appears to meet their criteria just from browsing on Ebay - you really, really need to go out and do your research by visiting dealers and just having a good mooch round their vans, that way you'll get a good feel for what you really want/need in your motorhome. Read the MH mags, reviews of any vans you're interested in, make sure you know what to look/check for when looking at a motorhome - eg where the damp is likely to be lurking, what 'tricks' to look out for, problem areas etc. You need to find someone who is experienced and willing to go with you/check out for you, any motorhome you're seriously interested in.

 

Apologies if I've got the wrong end of the stick, but you appear to be well and truly jumping in feet first and following your 'heart' rather than thinking clearly and carefully with your head. :-S

[Mel B]

Motorhome newbie - 2012-07-29 10:21 AM

this one is from a dealer thats closing down so won't put a new mot onto it and has reduced the price

 

I don't like the sound of this at all ... a MOT wouldn't cost a lot and if it would get him a sale I can't see why he wouldn't do it ... perhaps he's concerned as to what may be found and not want to pay for it to be sorted? Maybe I'm just being too wary but .... :-|

[Derek Uzzell]

Warners produces an inexpensive Buyers' Guide

 

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

 

that can (apparently) be downloaded.

 

This is most probably the motorhome in question

 

http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/used-motorhomes/eura-mobil/activa/1992-eura-mobil-activa-fiat-2-5-diesel-diesel-herne-bay-mfpa-8ab19d2a38107be7013815165b8a1beb

 

Given its age, visually it looks in pretty good condition with plenty of accessories, but (as has already been said) there could be big problems lurking under the skin. Adjusting to driving a large LHD vehicle may be more challenging than anticipated, as can selling-on a left-hooker in the UK. If built on a 3500kg chassis, the motorhome may be tight on usable payload with 2 adults and 3 childeren on board.

 

A short MOT, possibly no warranty and a distant dealership that's ceasing trading - this would be a real bungee-jump purchase. However, if the budget is to be restricted to around £7000, there may be nothing suitable that's superior to this vehicle, either now or in the future.

[flicka]

Hi Lou

I don't want to rain on your parade & the excitement levels have obviously risen significantly, but like others I would urge caution.

You could be buying a bucket load of trouble & expense, combined with comming to terms with a much larger LHD vehicle,whilst having an excited family distracting you.

Ask yourself why is the Dealer closing down, Why won't he give it a new MOT, What will I do if anything goes wrong next week, What if it has damp/water ingress issues, etc., etc.

 

Hiring a Family size Motorhome with full 3 point seatbelts is the sensible option IMO and will enable you to get a try workings of a Motorhome for much less financial outlay.

 

Spending £7k then finding the family may not want to continue, could easily prove the more expensive option. Consider if you need to sell but are unable to explain / demonstrate the Motorhome to any prospective buyer in a limited market (due to age, LHD, size, etc..)

 

Edit - Do you know which engine it has ?

1.9 Diesel or Petrol both lacked power, 2.5 a little better, 2.5 turbo better still, but none comparable with the modern engines and IORC all are less than 100bhp.(when new)