rawhide Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Hi to all out there, I think i am loosing control in my seargh for a motorhome, my max is £30000 but really £25000, i have yet to stumble across a Hobby 750fml which to me is a 6ft bridgette bardot, then i think £30000 will depart my account, i am not as you can see abramovich, just a simple carpenter, seriously i love everthing about that hobby machine, but have been tempted with a 2004 mohican, i am new to this although i registered way back, spent a few hours learning and laughing at this great site, can anyone enlighten me , Hobby or Mohican, will appreciate any replies and best wishes to everyone, Regards to all Rawhide (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Stephen If you say what you want from a MH, ie no of berths etc. Some one on here may know of other models that are available within your budget, and may be suitable PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 That's what happens when you start looking, your budget is pushed well north of where you started........But£30,000 or a 10 year old CB? Have you considered importing. But as for an opinion on the vans, old fashioned, heavy, (does you license allow you to drive over 3500kg and are you prepared for the limitations and extra costs associated with heavier vans in Europe) If your sensible will need a specialist inspection for water ingress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Assuming you've never tried this hobby (Campervaning) before, why spend so much on a Hobby? :-S................buy a cheaper camper, try it for a year......then splash the cash...........as you'll have a better idea of what you really want......and not what you thought you wanted ;-)............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 A friend has a tag axle Hobby for sale 06 plate as I remember around 30 k I think,it has all the bells and whistles as I remember,could put you in touch if interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sss Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Do not get disheartened. Keep looking and do not rush into buying a heap of junk or the wrong van. It took us an years and after searching for coachbuilts we ended up with an 'A' class so completely different. It was even a Laika which we had never heard of before seeing it but was worth the wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Thanks mate, appreciated, take care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Thanks mate, appreciated, take care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Yes, you could forward details, i will speak to them, thank you, :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hi, And thanks for the reply, i had a mobilvetta euroyacht for 2 years ,we just went for it, toured France twice, then sold because wasnt being used, now retirement beckons and my plan is to winter away, so small tight space i couldnt live with, my time with the moby was fantastic, i could live in a motorhome with tavel the rest of my life, thats all i need, ps didnt understand pudding and cool camper etc, link at bottom missing. Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hi , Thanks reply, im a carpenter so can smell damp a mile off and all the signs of it, my licence is the old type so ok there, limitations and extra costs in Europe, not sure on that one, Mohican im interested in is 2004 32000miles £23500, dry as abone only 1 joint on roof with cover strip, ive covered that one, importing, now that iinterests me , have you any pointers?. Thanks for the help Steve ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 If you haven't tried motorhoming before, I suggest you hire one for a week or so to see how you get on, before buying. The ones you have picked out are large, meaning they are also large outside. This can be restrictive when you want to get to somewhere off the beaten track - or even into a supermarket car park! They are also old vans that were originally in the luxury bracket, so very expensive, albeit of good general quality, so may not represent such good value at current prices. For your budget you could get a smaller van that is near new, which should be less problemmatic and carry less risk. Don't forget it will only get older, and nothing on vans is easy, or cheap, to repair, or replace. Do you have a copy of this book: "Go Motorhoming and Campervanning"? http://tinyurl.com/8973u2p If not, I suggest you get a copy and have a read. It is written and published by experienced motorhomers (no connection!) and contains a wealth of information that could well prevent you buying something you subsequently regret! Changing vans is costly, so it pays to get it right at the outset. Remember that under any motorhome is the chassis and running gear of a van. However they are dressed up, they aren't limousines! Almost all vans are made of the same materials, assembled in much the same way, and comprise closely similar components from the same small group of manufacturers. Under the skin, they are all very similar. It is the way they are assembled that marks one out as a better bet than another, not the superficial "bling" that first strikes one. Unfortunately, because the assembly quality is not readily apparent, it tends to be assumed to be similar one to another. Dangerous assumption! Remember also that they are all hand assembled, so even the most highly reputed manufacturer will have his duds! A disenchanted, rushed, or incompetent worker, or a genuine assembly error, can build in problems that may not be spotted before lasting (and expensive) damage results. Most things can be put right, but a badly designed (not uncommon!) or executed joint that results in water ingress can spell real trouble. That is why a thorough damp check before purchase is being suggested above. Even then, it may not pick all water ingress, because only parts of a van are usually checked. So, do your research and make haste very slowly. There are some real beauties around, but also some stinkers, and identifying which group any van falls into is not that straightforward. Buying in spring is probably wise, because if the van has stood in the open over the winter (especially this winter!) and it tests dry, you can be reasonably sure it doesn't leak! At the end of a good sumer they will almost all test dry, even if they do leak! One caveat though, get the floor checked from above and below for any sponginess or visible signs of wetting. The water that gets thrown up in driving can get into floor structures and the lower parts of walls to cause rot, but just standing in the rain on a drive or forecourt may well leave these areas reassuringly dry. I'm not trying to put you off, just to forewarn you to make sure you have your eyes wide open, especially if you go shopping for an older van. Good luck with whatever you decide on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 that seems a good price..lower then german one's even with an exchange rate of 1.21 there ar 5 for sale on here: http://tinyurl.com/orooswd from 33.000€ (£27K) would probably get for 25K. + import costs, speedo/headlights change, going to get it, one way flight/ferry crossing, but of fuel an extra £1500-£2000?.. so approx £27,000 on the road here. they do seem very dark inside :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hiya PJ 4 berth, i think a lot of mthomes have a cluttered look about them,its refreshing to find space, so as open as possible if thats possible, i owned mobilvetta euroyaght for 2 years, my only one, but learnt so much and loved the life, sold because of work but now retireing so want to winter away, i do like the look of the autocruise stardream but seen a Mohican which is a great comfortable layout, this may upset some owners, i have looked at many Hymers and can see the way there made being a carpenter, but why are they so industrial , i cant seem to find one model that has a good feel about it, the Mohican has it all i think, but i know ,were all different, Thanks PJay Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 rawhide - 2014-01-25 12:52 PM Hi, And thanks for the reply, i had a mobilvetta euroyacht for 2 years ,we just went for it, toured France twice, then sold because wasnt being used, now retirement beckons and my plan is to winter away, so small tight space i couldnt live with, my time with the moby was fantastic, i could live in a motorhome with tavel the rest of my life, thats all i need, ps didnt understand pudding and cool camper etc, link at bottom missing. Cheers Steve So not a newbie then.................... if you've got the dosh winter is the time to buy ;-) "Pudding Face" is a sobriquet given to me by my mate Frankie the Ego...... I believe he is much taken with good looks and intelligent conversation.......HE'll be along soon no doubt :D..... Cool camper etc.............is just another play on words.............I'm easily amused :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hello Brian, Thanks for tha advise,very helpful, i had mobilvetta euroyaght for 2 years but had to sell due to lack of use, we did get to France for 2x 5 week trips, this is the life for me for sure and now retireing soon so i want to tour europe and winter away before the rot sets in, i have been internet looking for months, then when i view the item for real, its walk away time, you do have to see the item not pictures, think im hard to please, i love the look of the low profiles but some are very cluttered even empty,like the stardream, mohican and the hobby 750fml. i know thats big but ive read you get 30mpg which is great,but they do seem to be like hens teeth, whats your opinion on 2004 mohican 32000 miles £23500 nice clean van with lots extras, Thanks for reply,take care Steve ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 I would imagine you'd be hard pushed to find something better than your old Euro Yacht. Lovely old buses................and real quality Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Yes, Was a stunning looker external, int very good and 30mpg, not bad eh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 rawhide - 2014-01-25 1:46 PM Hello Brian, Thanks for tha advise,very helpful, i had mobilvetta euroyaght for 2 years but had to sell due to lack of use, we did get to France for 2x 5 week trips, this is the life for me for sure and now retireing soon so i want to tour europe and winter away before the rot sets in, i have been internet looking for months, then when i view the item for real, its walk away time, you do have to see the item not pictures, think im hard to please, i love the look of the low profiles but some are very cluttered even empty,like the stardream, mohican and the hobby 750fml. i know thats big but ive read you get 30mpg which is great,but they do seem to be like hens teeth, whats your opinion on 2004 mohican 32000 miles £23500 nice clean van with lots extras, Thanks for reply,take care Steve ;-) Hi Steve. Sorry, you didn't mention previous experience, so I took it you were starting from scratch. Don't know Autotrails sufficiently to comment on them, but on fuel consumption I doubt you'd see much better than 25MPG from a tag axle on a 2.8JTD. Our first van was a 6 metre, low profile, 3.4 tonne, 2.8JTD Burstner. It never got close to 30MPG. Maybe, if you never exceed 50MPH, but driven normally? If you like a van, and it is in good condition and well maintained, buy it. But I'd still compromise wherever possible to buy as new as possible if you're intending keeping it. How long do you expect to keep motorhoming, and do you anticipate changing vans in that time? If 10 years, and the van you start with is 10 years old, it will be 20 years old when you finish if you keep it. That will be when you, too, are ten years older, and you may not find fixing its little problems quite so agreeable by then. The odds are against 20 year old, trouble free, vans. Some keep going, but most seem to be prone to leaks as they get older. That is all I'm suggesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhide Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Thanks again Brian, your a star, let you know when i get what i want, Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 (>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Brian Kirby - 2014-01-25 4:47 PM The odds are against 20 year old, trouble free, vans. Some keep going, but most seem to be prone to leaks as they get older. That is all I'm suggesting. How could you say such a thing Brian 8-)..................Strikes me if a van is still dry after 20 years, it was put together properly ;-)................I took a cover of recently to feed a cable for my reversing camera and was surprised how pliable and sticky the 24 year old gunk was B-)................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Very easily Dave. Yours is the exception that proves the rule. It lives in a shed when not in use, so stays dry and out of the sun and atmospheric pollution. Nevertheless, you recently had quite extensive body repairs to the cab due to rust. When you use it, you go south to warmer, dryer, climes, so it spends pretty much all its life free from stress. Most vans, it seems to me, spend the UK winter standing in the open, and the rest of the year also standing out, many never leaving the UK, so are continually exposed to wind, sun, rain, and pollution. Most, in the end, fail due to body rot due to leakage, or chassis rot due to rusting of critical members. If you read the Martin Watts pages in MMM you can see the time and effort that has to be put into maintaining vans a lot younger than 20 years. It is a hobbyist pursuit, and an expensive and very time consuming one that, as a starting point, requires a large enough shed to be able to strip and re-assemble vans, as necessary, in the dry. Novice motorhomers who lack the multiple skills to successfully maintain and re-build vans as necessary, or the money to be able to pay someone else to do it for them, or the ability to sort the wheat for the chaff when buying, are liable to end up a sobbing mass when they discover what they have just spent too much of their hard earned cash acquiring. For those who take it on with their eyes open, and who want the challenge of turning an old van back to something approaching its original glory, it is an absorbing and rewarding passtime. But, for those who just want a servicable van that they can use for travelling and exploring, to use as a means to an end and not an end in itself, I think the priority should be to get the newest van their money will buy. The proviso, that applies equally to any van of any age, is that it was made by a firm with a reputation for building durable vans. That does not necessarily just mean expensive vans: price is not a reliable guide to quality. Advising folk to buy old vans because they are cheap, without putting alongside a very big warning about the potential downsides, is, IMO, advising them to adopt a "penny wise, pound foolish" strategy that has the potential to let them down badly. Old is not necessarily good. It can be, but it can also be a heap of junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 There is a 2005 euroyacht in Belgium for 31,900€..would think a cash purchaser would get it under £25K http://tinyurl.com/nbjzwra "VEHICLE DESCRIPTION A very nice integrated motor home for four people, with fold-down bed in the front and rear high garagebed . With air conditioning on the roof , large fridge , TV, satellite, color camera , large skylight , etc etc. .. Comes with full inspection, lubrication , inspection , warranty and a free starter pack ! " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebiker Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 hi my advice is keep searching the right motorhome for you IS out there. please do not make the mistake i made and go for a cheaper option. mine cost me 11 grand which is cheap for an american rv but it has cost me a further 5 grand to put right all the problems i have had with it. (the dealer is subject to a small claims court case brought by me)so no names. it is at last in the condition it should have been in when i got it and i learned a valuble lesson. if the thing you are buying is cheap it's for a reason and not always a good one! pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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