BobMo Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Hello, Mo and I are new here so hello all...... I found this forum when looking for info re buying our first motorhome. We currently have a Swift Challenger 470se caravan and Nissan X Trail, which we are thinking of selling towards buying a MH. Having looked at local secondhand ones and a few new too, Mo really liked the new Roller Team 590 2014 model, not cheap but looks great and has the interior that would suit us. Does anyone have experience of this range of motorhomes?..... thanks for reading this and any help would be greatly appreciated! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antony1969 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Bob&Mo - 2013-09-05 9:08 PM Hello, Mo and I are new here so hello all...... I found this forum when looking for info re buying our first motorhome. We currently have a Swift Challenger 470se caravan and Nissan X Trail, which we are thinking of selling towards buying a MH. Having looked at local secondhand ones and a few new too, Mo really liked the new Roller Team 590 2014 model, not cheap but looks great and has the interior that would suit us. Does anyone have experience of this range of motorhomes?..... thanks for reading this and any help would be greatly appreciated! :-) Hello Bob and Mo welcome to the warm , loving MM . Hopefully some kind soul on here will be able to view your post , say hello and assist you with your question . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Welcome!:-D Sorry cant help with the van as I dont buy UK overpriced/overweight rubbish..preferring european manufacturers products...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Hi Bob&Mo.. Personally I'd say save yourself quite a lot of dosh and buy a well cared for, fully serviced used vehicle...That way, all the niggles would've been sorted(and there WILL be "niggles" *-)) and there's a good chance that the previous owner may've added some *useful(expensive?) extras.. (* Having said that, we've seem vans on dealer forecourts that have been ruined by botched up DIY "add-on" shelves, cup hooks, coat racks etc.. *-) )..and if it's on a used X250 base( '07-09ish?), make sure that it can reverse up a gradient smoothly. Some buy new from abroad(ie Judgemental/Eddie) and it seems they save quite a bit... ;-) ...BUT what ever you look at, make sure that you check the usable payloads and axle weights..a good many MHs are trundled around over their legal weights/axle loadings(don't rely on what the salesman/brochure tells you..it needs weighing!. Take your time (especially when it comes to choosing the layout)and do plenty of research and DON'T just rely on what the salesman tells you.. ;-) ..and if you do visit some MH shows, initially don't take any cards or cheque book with you.. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 47 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 JudgeMental - 2013-09-06 8:25 AM Welcome!:-D Sorry cant help with the van as I dont buy UK overpriced/overweight rubbish..preferring european manufacturers products...... I think you'll find that Roller Team is Italian! ;-) And to the original poster - I don't have any recent experience of their vans but our first motorhome was a Roller and we were very pleased with it. Solidly-built and with a better than average payload, we had it for seven years and only got rid of it because we wanted a fixed bed. Happy days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docted Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Hello Bob&Mo welcome to the madhouse :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 John 47 - 2013-09-06 11:27 AM JudgeMental - 2013-09-06 8:25 AM Welcome!:-D Sorry cant help with the van as I dont buy UK overpriced/overweight rubbish..preferring european manufacturers products...... I think you'll find that Roller Team is Italian! ;-) And to the original poster - I don't have any recent experience of their vans but our first motorhome was a Roller and we were very pleased with it. Solidly-built and with a better than average payload, we had it for seven years and only got rid of it because we wanted a fixed bed. Happy days! I know but still not my cup of tea , roller, elnagh, granduca, joint etc..budget vans and not really up with the better manufacturers...autotrails also owned bi italians aren't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 47 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 JudgeMental - 2013-09-06 12:25 PM John 47 - 2013-09-06 11:27 AM JudgeMental - 2013-09-06 8:25 AM Welcome!:-D Sorry cant help with the van as I dont buy UK overpriced/overweight rubbish..preferring european manufacturers products...... I think you'll find that Roller Team is Italian! ;-) And to the original poster - I don't have any recent experience of their vans but our first motorhome was a Roller and we were very pleased with it. Solidly-built and with a better than average payload, we had it for seven years and only got rid of it because we wanted a fixed bed. Happy days! I know but still not my cup of tea , roller, elnagh, granduca, joint etc..budget vans and not really up with the better manufacturers...autotrails also owned bi italians aren't they? Each to their own but we have had two "budget" Italian vans - a Roller and a McLouis - and were very satisfied with both of them. Our current Hymer is more expensive and better constructed but I wouldn't dismiss the Italian vans out of hand. PS I don't know about Autotrails - never had one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 As a tow vehicle the x trail is hard to better. However, welcome and do not make snap decisions. You will already have noticed that there are various opinions on this forum. Mostly they are given for the right reasons but at the end of the day are the opinions of individuals. We had an x trail with a caravan and were very happy with it but felt we wanted to try the world of motorhoming. There are pluses and minus's for both. With the van we had a car to tour around in but with the motorhome we had the advantage of having our home where ever we were. In France motorhomes are the best thing since sliced bread with Aires in almost every village. To try and answer your question, look at lots, make a list of your wish list then start looking for what fits that bill. You have already been advised not to take you cards/cheque book to motorhome shows, do not believe salesmen and you will get something with lots of toys in the second hand market but make sure the base vehicle provides what you have put on your wish list. The country of manufacture is not that important, there is no problem that cannot be rectified in a motorhome. Do a search on this forum to see the major problems identified by others like the reverse gear shudder (on certain years) There was a fix and if appropriate, check it has been done. New? for the first one I would hesitate as whatever you put on your wish list will change after a few trips in your acquisition. Once you are totally happy then look to new if that rocks your boat but remember, most people have niggles with new vehicles whether motorhomes or cars. Best of luck with your choice but whatever that is I know you will enjoy the experience. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pampam Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Half the fun in getting your van is looking for the right one. Am sure you'll have some idea what you'd like with you having a caravan .we thought we'd found our "the one " but ended up changing after 4months,we are on our 4th in 2 years ,but are happy with the one we have now I don't know the particular model you are referring too but if its Italian then am sure it will be grande. Pp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pampam Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Oh yes and hello and welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Hi Bob and Mo, welcome to the forum, a mixture of madness, rudeness, humour (not always recognised or appreciated), helpfulness and friendliness! I know that I'm up on my soapbox again, but I would recommend a look at Adria's range of vans and motorhomes. We are on our third, and have not had a single problem with any of them. For those of you with long memories, I'm not counting the Fiat reverse gear saga, you can't blame Adria for that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Bob&Mo - 2013-09-05 9:08 PM Hello, Mo and I are new here so hello all...... I found this forum when looking for info re buying our first motorhome. We currently have a Swift Challenger 470se caravan and Nissan X Trail, which we are thinking of selling towards buying a MH. Having looked at local secondhand ones and a few new too, Mo really liked the new Roller Team 590 2014 model, not cheap but looks great and has the interior that would suit us. Does anyone have experience of this range of motorhomes?..... thanks for reading this and any help would be greatly appreciated! :-) As a general point, what will suit you will largely depend on how you will use it, and how often. You are the best judges of that, but the critical aspect of motorhoming that is different to caravaning is the greater mobility. The former tends to be pitched, and the owners tour around from that spot. With a motorhome, folk tend to tour as they go, so stops are shorter, and visits and shopping etc are taken in en-route. This is not always immediately apparent, and tends to alter one's perspective on what one will do, as the possibilities and relative simplicity of this mode of travel come into focus. So, to some extent you are about to start on a learning curve, and may find that what at first you think will suit, possibly based on caravanning experience, ultimately does not. A motorhome is not quite a caravan with an engine! This can be an expensive realisation, at motorhome prices, so some research may be valuable. On that score, you could do a lot worse that get a copy of this book, http://tinyurl.com/8973u2p It is written by, and for, motorhomers, and is a fund of useful information that may avert the most expensive types of mistakes. A very worthwhile publication, IMO. You will encounter many conflicting opinions about makes and models of motorhomes, the desirability and practicality of almost every layout available, and on the merits of the various base vehicles. Whereas some folk will have owned a number of different motorhomes, most will not, and their views will tend to be rooted in what they know. Even those who have owned several will not have owned and used them all at the same time, so will be comparing the products of differing years, sometimes differing decades. So, truly objective comparisons are difficult, and one has to rely to a great extent on one's own judgement. Because of this, it can be instructive to hire a van for even a week or so to see how you get on with it. It can be a mind changing experience! I would say get the book, and make sure the fundamentals are appreciated. Then have a good look around, probably going to one of the large shows (NEC?) to see as many as possible and collect the brochures (including the technical brochures) but not to buy. Try to go for two days. You'll get total indigestion on the first day, so just retreat and go over the brochures, then regroup and go back a second day with a shortlist and concentrate in detail on those. Make a final selection of possibles, based on that second day, and try to find something with a similar layout to hire, and see how it pans out. If necessary, revise the shortlist and sift again. Even hiring out of season isn't exactly cheap, but it is far, far, cheaper than changing vans! Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Bob&Mo - 2013-09-05 9:08 PM Hello, Mo and I are new here so hello all...... I found this forum when looking for info re buying our first motorhome. We currently have a Swift Challenger 470se caravan and Nissan X Trail, which we are thinking of selling towards buying a MH. Having looked at local secondhand ones and a few new too, Mo really liked the new Roller Team 590 2014 model, not cheap but looks great and has the interior that would suit us. Does anyone have experience of this range of motorhomes?..... thanks for reading this and any help would be greatly appreciated! :-) Hi, and welcome to the forum As has been said , do look around, and remember a MH is not a caravan. Living down in the south, we don't have as many dealers (IMO) as others living in the midlands and north of the country, so do go to shows, also as you caravan, don't be afraid to ask any M Homer on site questions, we don't bite! We changed from a boat to a motor home 7 years ago. We are now thinking of a caravan, as transport from sites would be more advantagiuos to us now, having done all the travelling about that the Motorhome affords us. We are now happy to stay put more, so I would say think long and hard as to wether a MH would be to your liking, remember that they are not so easy to park as a car, when visiting towns, and you have the added extra cost of engine maintianance, road tax and MOT and insurance, and also maybe can't carry as much load, as you do in car/caravan set up, also if nearing 70 licence restrictions Wish you well in your search, PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobMo Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 Thanks so much for your comments :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobMo Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 A really helpful and thought provoking comments , thank you! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Hello Bob and Mo, Welcome to the forum :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashpark Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Like Bob & Mo, we have been looking at changing to Motorhoming but in our case it’s from over 40 years of camping around Britain. Over the last year we have spent a day at a large MH show, trailed round the dealers (that doesn’t take long in Scotland), scanned the manufacturers websites and worked our way around this (and many other MH forums). Many thanks to all who have taken the time to offer helpful advice on this, and other, threads. It is useful to get some insight into how you (well, at least some of you :-) ) experienced folk motorhome and to hear what issues you think a newbie should consider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.