ChrissyG Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Hiya, Where do I start ???? We have NEVER caravaned, camped or driven a motorhome before. We are a couple in our 50"s and have been seriously thinking about investing in a Tribute 615 2 berth motorhome. We are going to test drive one for a weekend with the view to buying an new one around September. Do you have any advice that would help us in this. We love the look of it, and it has everything that we think we will need to drive around Scotland and the rest of the UK. Due to the fact that we are total motorhome virgins what is the best advice that you can give us with regards to doing the right thing in campsites and not appearing on Youtube as two eejits that really havent a clue !!!! Are there any good books for advice re all the technical things that have to be done, how to deal with the loo, water supplies, batteries etc and everything else that will bamboozle us. Be extremely grateful for advice please. :-D (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teflon2 Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The best advise I can give is find someone who knows about motorhomes and take them with you, you can get carried away and the salesman is not likely to tell you any disadvantages. Welcome to the forum and motorhoming is great fun. John :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Welcome to the forum I would suggest that you hire one for a week or two to see if you like the life, especially as you never even camped before. ( It will be a very expensive mistake if you get it wrong ! ) ... and take your time buying - visit a few shows - not just the local dealer. Good book to get is "The Motorcaravan Manual " by John Wickersham - will give you a good idea of what it's all about. If you like it you could join one of the clubs - if you are over 55 you will get lower pitch fees in low season with the Camping and Caravanning Club. Eventually you may find you will like to camp " off site " ( so called 'wild camping ' ) - but I would get used to it all on sites first if I were you. Good luck. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Save your self a fortune and buy an old camper in the layout that you "THINK" you want ;-)...............then try the lifestyle for several trips..................and then buy the camper you "KNOW" you want :D............although beware that what ever you buy............it will always be a compromise ;-)............the art is knowing what you can't live with.........and what you can put up with :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Hi Chrissy & welcome to the forum. You have a big learning curve in front of you, especially as you have no previous experience. Firstly - TAKE YOUR TIME & don't rush your decision, read as many magazines as you can, go to some of the shows to see what the different layouts look like in the actual world. Once you have a layout in mind, draw up a check list of must haves, would like & don't want. Then start searching for potential Motorhomes that "appear" to meet most of your check list. When you have reduced the field of potentials. search for one to hire for a long weekend. that will give you an indication if Motorhomes are for you. If you take to life on the road hire again for a week s you can get familiar with all the equipment. If you proceed from there, Pelmetman's advise should then be considered. A high majority of "new" Motorhomers who buy a new van, soon find that it is not as suitable as they first thought it would be & end up looking for a replacement at high cost. So better to minimise your initial outlay, get use to Motorhomes & then change if you need to. Either a new van as initially selected or change of layout. This way buying 2nd hand you will not lose so much at the change. (although Motorhomes hold their value, they still lose a lot of money in the first 3 years) Also a used van will (should) have any fault rectified, whereas a new van will not be fully "sorted" Best of luck with you research & enjoy the journey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Three days is a very tight schedule for a newbie hiring a van, so if you can hire one for a week you'll learn a lot more. As above you might find that layout works for you, or like us you might want something different, and once again a week will give you a better understanding as to what works for you. To answer part of your other thread as well. Most campsites we go to have limited hardstandings, so in wet weather you must be prepared to say "no thanks looks like I'll get stuck, I'll park on the roadway" or similier. Leveling is by ramps and is easier with two people, one driving the other stopping you going right over the top of ramp. For toilets we if possible use the on site ones, and use onboard for nightime no1's, If using for no2's there seems to be considerable differances, from 'paper lining' to use of brush after each visit, as the flushing uses very little water compared to your household toilet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Chrissy If you are used to emptying Bed Pans, then the cassette on a Motor Home will be a doddle, but heavier. we like to empty ours , when it is easy , but usually at least every two/days, depending on use!! You are doing the right thing to "Try before you Buy" But would consider buying a second hand one to start with, as you have never camped before, then you won't make a costly mistake if you get the lay out wrong.As has been said, I think a full holiday would be better than 3 days, to really get the feel for camping You hopefully will get good weather, so don't forget, it is not always DRY, and room to move around inside , if wet should always IMO be considered Good luck on your trial run PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs T Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Size is important, if its wet and dismal can you bear siting cramped with another person for maybe a long spell, remember its not all sun and sweet scenery. Do you like to have your own space cos a M/H is mainly a one space vehicle unless you choose a large one. When its good outside its very good, but when its wet and grotty it can be grim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Can only reiterate the advice given so far, many folk buy a van only to realise they have not quite got it right, although nothing is perfect, although what suits one doesnt suit someone else, but coming back to it after a break of some years, we had 4 vans in as many years. I can only recommend this book as an invaluable resource ( don't be put of by the ( in Europe ) bit in the title, it really covers almost everything you could wish to know, and some of the pitfalls to avoid, whatever you do enjoy it, and welcome to the world of M/home travel. Go Motorhoming and Campervanning: Motorhome and Camper Van Guide (In Europe) available direct from Vicarious books, or Amazon etc. Look here........... https://www.vicarious-shop.com/Go-Motorhoming-and-Campervanning-9780956678119.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-07-21 4:18 AM...................Go Motorhoming and Campervanning: Motorhome and Camper Van Guide (In Europe) available direct from Vicarious books, or Amazon etc. Look here........... https://www.vicarious-shop.com/Go-Motorhoming-and-Campervanning-9780956678119.html Seconded! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 ChrissyG - 2013-07-20 7:43 PM We are going to test drive one for a weekend with the view to buying an new one around September. Hi ChrissyG, the advice given so far is excellent, and I would only add one thing (which others may not agree with). I wonder if buying in September/October is really the best time? If motorhomeing is so new to you , I doubt if you will be heading for Spain or Greece within weeks of shelling out all that money? Having a brand new van sat on your drive until spring doesn't make a lot of sense. I also agree that a nearly new van would be a better first buy (I hesitate to use "investment"). It's also a balance between the capital you spend on a van, and the budget you have for each trip, (unless funds are not a consideration? As for enabling you to have the sort of holidays you had before life changed, I think you are clearly looking further than the UK? so choosing a van that will do 6 weeks in Spain in winter may not be the van that will do 2 weeks in Scotland in spring. Good luck alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissyG Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 Its all so new to us and you are right about buying in September its probably not the best time. We would'nt be travelling abroad for a couple of years. We aim to see the UK first and get to all the places we've never been to. With regard to buying a new or older van we are now unsure about this. We initially thought that buying new would be best as we are not buying someone elses problems then. We thought that new would be problem free (after reading posts about snagging problems - not the case obviously). Not knowing a thing about Motorhomes, and having a husband who is not mechanically minded we thought it best as we wouldn't know where to look for problems when we went to buy it. No friends who motorhome either. We have looked into dozens of vans both in and out of our price range to get feel of what we like. Each time we keep coming back to the Ford Tribute 2 berth 615. We dont like the permanent bed in the back like some of the vans and we are pretty tidy minimalist people who hate clutter "a place for everything and everything in its place" I defer to you really experienced people to give advice here. Our max budget is £35,000 and are we being naive in thinking that this van will be with us for a long time if we buy from new. We wont have the finances to buy another one as only one of us will be working. I guess our logic is why buy second hand at at £25-30k when brand new is £35 k We plan to use it for weekends away and a total of 5 weeks away. Max at one time would be 2 weeks. I know any new or old motorhome will have problems with water ingress over the coming years but we just dont want to buy a used motorhome that already has hidden problems that we know nothing about. Oh my its all so complicated isn't it. Its a huge purchase for us and we are not going into it on a whim, but we need to get it right hopefully first time. Also thought I'd say the biggest vehicle we've ever driven is a Honda Civic so we want something "compact" and its only for the two of us Can anyone give me a rough idea of what a years average costs are with regard to maintenance/insurance etc. Thanks a lot for all your valuable posts and emails Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Chrissy, just a thought.5 weeks away a year and a few weekends (depending on the weather) is not a great return on a £35k outlay. Add in running costs, insurance 200-200 including breakdown cover, £225 road tax, £400 service and habitation checks, fuel at 25 to the gallon........... And...............you might not even like it. Why not try a cheap(ish) caravan, keep your car (only one vehicle to finance) and try this camping thing out for a year. If you like it and want to upgrade to a MH then great, if it's not for you then sell the caravan at a small loss, you still have your car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Hi Chrissy How did the trial go on the MH at the weekend? Have to agree with Bolero that a caravan may be the answer to start with, less cost both in purchase and in running cost, A Mh needs service , Insurance and Road tax. Think about when it RAINS on holiday, as it does in UK, hence that is why a lot of us go over the channel, you need space to move around,We have a 5 berth 6 mtr van, for two of us, and spend up to 12 weeks at a time in it Have to agree that a fixed bed is a waste of space IMO, does not take long to make bed(s) up, sleeping bags will do. You have not said where abouts you live? Maybe some on here live near to you, and would help you.Most (if not all) are very helpful people and very knowledgeable ? on here. Would also sugest you may want to join a club Caravan Club or Camping and Caravan club, look on the web sites PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Ditto the caravan suggestion ;-).................having 35k tied up in a van just to use it for 5 weeks a year is an expensive holiday 8-)............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissyG Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 We havent got MH trial until Aug 16th. We live in Ayrshire, Scotland. My parents had static caravan when I was a kid and I loved it but through a childs eyes obviously. We dont want to tow a caravan and my wee Fiat 500 would be up-ended ha ha. Can you just try and picture that one !!!!!! The other thing we had to think about was storing the MH. Our drive would just fit it in. We regularly go weekends away or midweek depending on my shifts at the hospital. My OH is being redundant so it will allow us to go away on a whim and get to see the Scottish islands, Ireland and down south. We have driven a car in Italy, Spain and Canada and that was scary !...........well Italy more so. Our first driving abroad experience was picking up a hire car from Rome airport and negotiating the traffic, mad Italian drivers and scooterists !! That was not a trip for the feignt hearted but we did it. We toured down through the Rockies this year to Vancouver and the gigantic RV's on the road towing a decent sized family car was a sight to behold. They certainly know how to do it in style ! We enjoy our holidays abroad, but we love Scotland too (even with the crap weather and midgies). We'd love to wildcamp in some of the remote ares we've been too and just to chill and enjoy the area. We're ramblers (in more ways than one !) and dont want fancy campsites with entertainment and pubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Apart from a self-build day van/"camping van" I put together when the kids were little, I still consider ourselves relative "newbies", having only switched from tents some 6-7( ? ) years ago... But one thing that has always struck me and that is just how talk(on forums!) of spending figures like 35K-45K+ very quickly starts to sound..well... "normal"!... 8-) When to the average, normal household/ family, these are huge amounts of money! ...sure you'll get those who've been fortunate enough to retire early/renting the house(s) out, spending months at a time "abroad" etc..but not everyone with a MH is in that position. If you're really new to any form of "camping"...I'd agree, try hiring a MH for a week or two(long enough to get on each other's nerves! (lol) ) first....and/or maybe look down the cheap caravan route... Oops! sorry ChrissyG, I crossed your post :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissyG Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 You are so right about the money......it is a huge amount of money to us. We are ordinary people who work hard, and value our breaks away whether it be a few days in York or a week in Italy. We'd been thinking about it for a while and it was only when I started my research that I found out the costs involved. initally we had been looking at a VW T5 conversion which we thought to be very expensive for 30,000 on the clock and £29,000. We had initially thought about £18,000 max. Dont get me wrong it was fab inside and all fitments were brand new. We then had a look around various dealers and discovered that a brand new Elddis was £35,000 with shower etc and in our minds there was no comparisson. I know the T5 is cheaper to run/manouver etc but then the whole comfort thing evolved and before we knew where we were we have now become obsessed with the excitement of a MH. We wont rush into it, and we will hire a few different ones before hopefully getting something. Maybe around March would be a better time. Decisions decisions ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Hi Chrissy As you don't have a car suitable to tow with, then a caravan is not an option, then. I would still not buy new, but get one a few years old, less depriciation than a new one, and the niggles should have been sorted by the first owner, if there where any !. we do not keep our Mh at home, so we store it on a storage site, about 15/20 mins away. Not ideal but we manage , and can leave the car in it,s space if needs be.We can put van on drive, but we only do so if we need to work on it, or when going away, just to load it As has been stated try before you buy, and remember that on a longer trip, you may need space from each other Best of luck in your search, and keep looking at all makes and lay outs, before you spend (hubbies redundancy?) PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 You can get a brilliant used motorhome for £10,000 to £15,000. Why pay more when you won't really know what you want until you've lived with your first one for a year or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 ChrissyG.. Beware of "Shiney Van Syndrome" ;-) .. Unfortunately, as "smart" as something may look, the reality is spending 35K on a new coachbuilt van in the UK ,is probably only really going to be getting you something in the "entry level" model ranges.... (..no offence intended to anyone owning such a vehicle.. :$ ) If/when you do take the plunge, as others have said far better to spend 20-25K on a well cared for ,decent quality used (private sale) model(that'll probably still be worth the best part of what you paid for it a few years down the line),as opposed to spending 35k on a brand new one, which will lose a shed load of money, just by driving it of the forecourt... In the first 3 or so years, we went from an '03 Duetto(van conversion), to a Compass 120(small,"budget" coachbuilt), to our current 7mtr/fixed bed low profile... ..and ironical, we are now also running an old Toyota Hiace as a "camping van" again(..which for our current usage,we are finding great fun!).. I think the trap that a lot of us tend to fall into is thinking, "...What's the biggest and most I can get for my money..?"..rather than, "..What's the least I need to spend in order to acquire the most appropriate vehicle for my actual needs..?" ;-) ....and you only have to read this forum, to see how many end up "down sizing" again anyway. Sorry Bruce, crossed your post. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I can only echo the above post, we bought our current IH PVC second hand, they are nearly 60k new now ( madness ) a good second hand one may well have some very expensive kit put on by the previous owner, so as above take your time, or as they say, act in haste and repent at leisure, apart from putting a bloody great dent in your wallet. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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