Want to get started

[Andy1723]

I'm retiring soon and always fancied a motorhome , I don't know a good one from a bad one but would really like some help from experienced owners. Should I rent one and try it first ?

[Guest Joe90]

Personally I'd take out a subscription to this very magazine MMM, and over the autumn and winter reading the contents would help you a great deal. We all have different perspectives, and what is right for one can be totally wrong for someone else, and although renting one for a short period may be a good idea, it's not I suspect what the majority do as a first step, I certainly didn't, just jumped in with two feet, and got it wrong...........three or was it four times. :D

 

But conversely had I rented the first one I bought, I probably would have stuck with package holidays, or bought a tent, good luck whatever route you take. ;-)

[Wasnt Me]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

You will get lots of helpful advice here.

 

A good place to start is to complete as much research as you can about what options are available. This can be done on the internet, by visiting dealers or at a mhome show.

 

Then make a list of what you believe to be important to you.

 

Then start looking for a van to suit your requirements.

 

Things you will need to consider may be:

 

Budget

 

Layout

 

Size

 

Driving licence requirements to drive

 

Weight and payloads to allow you to use it as you wish

 

Storage/parking

 

Although this May sound simplistic, it really can be that easy. On this forum you will often read posts about people taking 2 years look for the perfect Mhome. Which I think doesn't actually exist as there will always be a compromise somewhere.

 

It is also often stated the many people get it wrong with their first choice also.

 

Finally when you do find the layout you like, hiring one is not a bad idea if you can.

 

Good luck finding your first mhome it will change your lifestyle.

 

Hope this helps

[sshortcircuit]

Rent, Rent, Rent. Please do not commit yourself to something that may not be for you until you have tried.

[Guest pelmetman]

Alternatively buy a older van (10 years +) in the winter, with layout that you think you'll like..............

 

Try it for 18 months then sell it in the summer and get your money back..... you may even sell it for more than you paid for it ;-) .....

 

Autosleepers and Hymers seem to hold their prices well :-> ....

 

 

[Brock]

Andy, I never bothered renting before I bought simply because it would tell us whether we could survive or even enjoy a week or so away in a motorhome but would give us very little insight into the long term ownership issues.

 

'Wasn't me' has given you a good starting point for looking at what you might want. Joe's right when he says reading MMM will be a great help. Don't overlook Which Motorhome magazine from the same stable as it deals with buying motorhomes. Have a read of the guides produced on the Out&About webs site.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Motorhomes/Buyers-Guide/Motorhomes/_vt13

 

Warners have a motorhome show in Lincoln next month. It's always been a good show so if you can get there for a day, you'll find it a useful experience.

 

It is easy to get it wrong when buying a motorhome as people say yet it is not that difficult to get it right if you do the legwork first.

 

A good motorhome usually comes from a good dealer. Dealers can make or break your love of motorhoming.

 

 

[Andy1723]

some great tips here and I will get the mags and maybe a trip to Lincoln next month to have a look around, ive actually got next year to decide what to do. I'm trying not to jump in with both feet, which is usually my style to be honest. But this is going to be a huge investment and I want it to be something we can enjoy for years to come.

 

Just another question I only have a Car driving lisence, I did have an HGV Class 1, but didn't use it for years so I let it go, will this limit what I can buy? We are only looking at single axle 4 berth.

 

Or and one last thing can you guys give me your views on engine size, I see a lot of 130BHP motorhomes for sale, I'm getting the feeling they might be gutless and hence the amount of nearll new with small miles for sale and last but not least which make, Merc etc

 

Andy *-) :-)

[malc d]

Andy1723 - 2015-08-20 10:21 AM

 

 

 

Or and one last thing can you guys give me your views on engine size, I see a lot of 130BHP motorhomes for sale, I'm getting the feeling they might be gutless and hence the amount of nearll new with small miles for sale and last but not least which make, Merc etc

 

Andy *-) :-)

 

 

I've always assumed that there are a lot of low mileage / hardly used vans on sale because people got their first choice wrong.

 

As said by others, visit a show ( or two ) where you will see a much bigger range than you will at a local dealers.

 

Take your time and good luck.

 

 

;-)

 

p.s. -Some vans have permanent beds made up - if not, check how easy it is to make the bed up - and consider how you would feel about making the bed up every night.

 

[Brian Kirby]

I agree with the above, and would also recommend getting Go Motorhoming and Campervanning, here: http://tinyurl.com/pvxmruf

 

It is a mine of information, was written and is published by motorhomers, and will give you an excellent understanding of many of the pros and cons of choosing a motorhome, and will also answer most, if not all, of your questions, Including a few you haven't thought of.

 

The contradiction above over whether or not to rent, probably relates mainly to timing. If you rented now, it would be likely not to tell you much, but if you do the spadework and get down to a shortlist of potentially satisfactory vans, and then rent one, or one that is closely similar, I think it would be a much more valuable experience.

 

One other factor is where you intend travelling. If you are considering touring abroad, consider also whether to go for right hand drive or left hand drive vans. There is some advantage to having LHD abroad, although it is not so pronounced as with a car as you sit higher and have a better forward view. However, opting for LHD offers you a useful cost saving, as the vans are cheaper than RHD whether bought in UK or on the continent, so you get better potential value from your budget. Continental and UK vans are similar mechanically and in most other respects, but UK built vans tend to go for larger kitchens with ovens, which are rare in continental vans, and the continentals tend to go for permanent beds, while the UK preference is more for convertible sofas.

 

But, first narrow down your search to a manageable shortlist, then, IMO, hire and reappraise, and only then consider RHD vs LHD.

[Brock]

You will need a C1 licence to drive vans weighing between 3,500 and 7,500kgs. If you passed your driving test before 01.01.97, you should already have one. So check your licence. I'm assuming you are under 70.

 

It is claimed that 70% of motorhomes are built on Fiats. Some of the bigger ones up to 7 ton are built on Ivecos. Fiat have the Fiat Professional chain of garages, some of which are experienced in motohomes which do a low annual mileage compared to commercial vehicles. Peugeots, Mercs, and Fords are less common.

 

The 130bhp Fiat is OK for a 3,500kg motorhome depending on the type of motorhoming you do. The Fiat Camper website allows you to identify the engine best suited to your needs. I suspect that you'll probably want the 150! I have the 130 and its is fine although it does wheeze a bit on steep hills.

 

https://www.fiatcamper.com/en/home

[timabob]

We bought our first motorhome this year (although we have plenty of caravanning experience) and I think renting is a good idea, more than anything else to try out your preferred bed layout.

 

Fixed beds come as double (either front to back) or transverse, two singles or french. Depending on your age and nightime habits you need to be aware that for a transferse double or to a lesser extent french, one of you will need to climb over the other to get out for the loo or if one of you is an early riser.

 

The same problem exists with overcab beds, both of the A Class pull down variety or the non integrated variety.

 

Finally there is the making the bed up everynight from the sofas.

 

We liked the over cab pulldown A Class idea, because it gave a bigger lounge (like a caravan) but we rented one and quickly decided that although it would be OK for a holiday, if we were travelling for months in Europe, it would not really work. On that basis we also dismissed transverse doubles and french. Our experience with Caravans told us that making the bed up everynight was not something we wanted to be doing on a long trip. Therefore the one rental essentially narrowed our choices down to twin singles or front to back double.

 

Without the rental I am pretty sure we would have bought an overcab A Class and had to sell it before very long.

 

Therefore if you have no experience, narrow down you preferences and then rent to test your decisions.

[Andy1723]

Once again thanks all for these tips, I'm already getting a better understanding of the Pros n Cons around buying my first motor home.

 

My list already consists of the tips you guys have given me, so if you can think of any more, flag them in i will add them to my list of Pros n Cons.

 

Cheers All

 

Andy ( East Yorkshire)

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Joe90]

Ask yourself this question, at the end of perhaps a tiring day at home, would you relish the idea of facing bedtime every night by first shuffling around cushions in the hope that they may resemble a bed, especially if they have knee rolls that end up in all the wrong places, then have to get all your bedding out..................then pack it all away the next morning, then more cushion shuffling to put them all back, then repeat ad-infinitum.

 

.or would you just go out and buy a proper bed. ;-)

 

 

[Don636]

I think the last point about bed making is slightly unfair as at home you are not living in a space of as little as 10m2 so don't have to make this choice.

 

Any motorhome is a compromise of some sort. Unless you get a large motorhome that has a fixed double bed and some settees to lounge on you are going to have to choose between settees that convert to a bed or a fixed bed with a relatively cramped dinette, which probably means a continental van, which will no doubt have very little kitchen space either.

 

Personally I think the continental style layout in a fairly compact motorhome means that everything is compromised in order to have a permanent bed and a permanent dining area. In a relatively compact motorhome I think it is better to have a layout that is more flexible, such as my rear U-shaped lounge layout. I have a spacious lounge for feet up relaxing, a spacious dining area and the option of two single or one very large and comfortable double bed, plus a really good sized kitchen with lots of worktop - all in a 6.4m panel van.

 

In order to have this flexibility I need to convert lounge to bed and back again and this takes all of 3 minutes, max. I also need to take out a table leg and top, say 30 seconds.

 

I can't understand this fixation with bed making being a hassle, as it takes hardly any time to do and certainly less time than it takes to wash the dishes, or wash myself or empty the s**t tank or do any other job that has to be done so what is the problem?

 

Each to their own of course but let's hear it for the U- shaped lounge/bed.

 

 

[flicka]

Other points to bear in mind taking consideration of the No. of folks that get it wrong 1st time around.

 

Think about Used market as you will loose a shed load of money if you buy new only to find later that Motorhomes are not for you

OR

Your initial choice of layout is unsuitable.

 

Financial losses will be minimised going via the Used market 1st time & you then find you need to sell off or change for a more suitable layout.

Even those of us who do get it right 1st time find circumstances change with time, which necessitates a model / layout change.

 

[Muswell]

I think the first question is how do you expect to use the van? We move around a lot and value ease of parking and manoeuvrability over ease of bed making.... and we don't expect to cook roast dinners. So our van is what some would consider to be ridiculously cramped. But it has a toilet cubicle, we use it as a second car and we often use it in preference because the view is better, we have the toilet and we can eat lunch in it.

 

We go away for 3 week holidays but we wouldn't spend 3 weeks if the weather was bad because it is too cramped for that. On the other hand we can go almost anywhere. In July we came down a road in France where each hairpin bend ran into the next and you couldn't have done that in a coachbuilt without being seriously worried about getting stuck.

[mel wood]

Joe90 - 2015-08-20 8:45 PM

 

Ask yourself this question, at the end of perhaps a tiring day at home, would you relish the idea of facing bedtime every night by first shuffling around cushions in the hope that they may resemble a bed, especially if they have knee rolls that end up in all the wrong places, then have to get all your bedding out..................then pack it all away the next morning, then more cushion shuffling to put them all back, then repeat ad-infinitum.

 

.or would you just go out and buy a proper bed. ;-)

 

 

In our van it takes less than 5 minutes each time!

Our van is a panel van and we can go almost anywhere in it, have comfortable lounging facilities, a fully equipped kitchen, shower with washbasin and loo, 4 travel seats if we need them, an average of 35 mpg and have been away in it for 12 weeks at one stretch. This suits us but it is not a holiday cottage on wheels, more like luxurious camping.

[Guest Joe90]

Don't be so defensive you PVC folk, we had one as well, an IH Savannah Tio, great in almost every aspect, but for us the nightly ritual of cushion shuffling became a chore that we decided we could do without, especially as we usually do 7 week trips, and perhaps for someone asking advice and "wanting to get started" it's worth flagging up, that's all.

[timabob]

I've just thought of one other important consideration and that is headroom. Depending on your height you might want to make sure you have plenty of headroom to stand up straight. We sold our caravan primarily because I could not stand up, straight, which led to back problems whenever I was in the caravan for long.

 

Most motorhomes seem to have more head clearance, but it may be something to watch out for. It's not fun stooping slightly for long periods of time.

[malc d]

Joe90 - 2015-08-21 9:37 AM

 

Don't be so defensive you PVC folk, we had one as well, an IH Savannah Tio, great in almost every aspect, but for us the nightly ritual of cushion shuffling became a chore that we decided we could do without,

 

 

 

You should have bought a PVC in which you didn't have to " shuffle cushions "

 

 

;-)

[Muswell]

Another point. 140bhp in 2.8T PVC and you can get moving and mix it with the courier vans on country roads :-D

[Guest Joe90]

malc d - 2015-08-21 9:58 AM

 

Joe90 - 2015-08-21 9:37 AM

 

Don't be so defensive you PVC folk, we had one as well, an IH Savannah Tio, great in almost every aspect, but for us the nightly ritual of cushion shuffling became a chore that we decided we could do without,

 

 

 

You should have bought a PVC in which you didn't have to " shuffle cushions "

 

 

;-)

 

No we didn't in the end want a PVC of any description, we wanted a proper bed, with a proper mattress, and something that did not have a thumping great sliding door, or steel back doors, is that OK with you ?

[Geeco]

This year we took delivery of our first motorhome. We did purchase a new vehicle and after 8 months & 17,000 odd klms we both feel very comfortable with our selection. I agree that it is important to consider how you will use the MH and as importantly where you plan to use it as the weather does impact on the layout selection. If you planning to use it mainly in UK with indifferent weather conditions the popular choice of a u shape read lounge makes sense as you will spend more time indoors. If in you retirement you travel towards the warmer areas you will spend more time out of the MH not in so then there is an argument for a fixed bed. You indicated that you want a 4 berth so a bed in the Luton may also avoid the bed making every night for the other two.

We considered hiring a MH before we purchased however in the country the rentals are very utilitarian with little in the way of creature comforts thus potentially giving you a bad impression. Our vehicle is a Fiat Ducato 150 hp that is more than adequate power wise. 

To avoid a decision you may regret in the future I agree with the earlier contributors it is very important to consider all the various aspects that may impact on you planned use. As part of that process for us we did purchase the the English publications mentioned earlier and they did prove worthwhile. As it has been said that the journey is as much as the destination we found that the process rather than being a chore was I fact for us a stimulating process. Good luck with your choice if you have as much fun as we have had this year you will be very happy.

Cheers Gary.

[malc d]

Joe90 - 2015-08-21 10:25 AM

 

malc d - 2015-08-21 9:58 AM

 

Joe90 - 2015-08-21 9:37 AM

 

Don't be so defensive you PVC folk, we had one as well, an IH Savannah Tio, great in almost every aspect, but for us the nightly ritual of cushion shuffling became a chore that we decided we could do without,

 

 

 

You should have bought a PVC in which you didn't have to " shuffle cushions "

 

 

;-)

 

No we didn't in the end want a PVC of any description, we wanted a proper bed, with a proper mattress, and something that did not have a thumping great sliding door, or steel back doors, is that OK with you ?

 

 

 

You said your PVC was " great in almost every aspect " but you were fed up shuffling cushions.

 

My point was that PVCs are available that do not involve " shuffling cushions ".

 

;-)

 

 

[Guest Joe90]

malc d - 2015-08-21 11:03 AM

 

Joe90 - 2015-08-21 10:25 AM

 

malc d - 2015-08-21 9:58 AM

 

Joe90 - 2015-08-21 9:37 AM

 

Don't be so defensive you PVC folk, we had one as well, an IH Savannah Tio, great in almost every aspect, but for us the nightly ritual of cushion shuffling became a chore that we decided we could do without,

 

 

 

You should have bought a PVC in which you didn't have to " shuffle cushions "

 

 

;-)

 

No we didn't in the end want a PVC of any description, we wanted a proper bed, with a proper mattress, and something that did not have a thumping great sliding door, or steel back doors, is that OK with you ?

 

 

 

You said your PVC was " great in almost every aspect " but you were fed up shuffling cushions.

 

My point was that PVCs are available that do not involve " shuffling cushions ".

 

;-)

 

 

We looked at an Adria Twin, but didn't want "van" rear doors, and there may be others, but as you so rightly quoted I said "great in almost every aspect" our Rapido with a fixed bed, spacious front lounge, huge shower, and fully winterised is great in a few more respects that was any other PVCs we looked at, the OP will make up his own mind, and no doubt discover what's important to him be it a PVC or a coach built, which is exactly what we did in light of our experiences of owning two PVCs.