rowlie Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 As the subject heading says I know I am asking a question that could have a thousand answers but still here goes. Having been a caravnner for may years I have had many wonderful trips. Now I am on my own I am considering moving over to a motorhome. (My late wife did not like them). With a limited budget (£5000) I know I will not be able to meet everything I woiuld like but I am realistic. As I said its just me at 6ft 2 tall plus two dogs so a two berth is probably be ideal but do I go for coachbuilt, campervan or what ( I know how lomg is the string) Which chassis is the most relaible and economic. What would be an average fuel consumption Are any of the makers better than others. Any comments would be appreciated Yhanks in anticipation Rowlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Hi Rowlie & welcome to the forum. With a budget of £5k your choice will be restricted to older vans & therefore condition of any model will be more appropriate than which convertor (some of who will no longer be in business) or base vehicle. I think your choice, although I suspect a campervan may be more suitable, will also depend a lot on the size (length) of the bed & the internal height to accommodate your 6'2" The choice between a coachbuilt or campervan will largely depend on your intended use & what you usually take on your travels. (i.e a bike can be accommodated on a rear rack) but generally speaking a coachbuild offers more storage. Although generally at a higher price (for vans of same age) a VW campervan or similar, could double as a daily use transport, possibly eliminating the need for a 2nd vehicle & give additional funds to increase your budget. ? You may have more choice in the Private sales market, so if unsure regarding mechanicals & bodywork it would be wise to take someone who is with you when viewing. As a previous caravan owner you will be familiar with many of the habitation equipment. With your caravan experience, can I suggest making a list of "must have's", "would like" & "don't want" to help with your search. Depending on your current knowledge & although the NEC show (mid October) will display new vans, it would give you broad range of what is available on the Motorhome market. Good luck with your search & don't rush into the 1st vehicle you view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Hi Rowlie and welcome to the forum, I think Flicka has summed up the basics pretty well but try reading these two recent forum threads, the first on fuel consumption and the second on eBay scams (your budget is exactly the area they are targeting, offering a bargain that is 'too good to be true')... http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Ci-Cipro/45150/ http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/EBay-Motorhome-Scams/45282/ Any other questions then just come back and ask. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowlie Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 Thank you for your input. I feel confident re condition and can accept some thing others may dismiss. I did read the scam post but have already experienced an attempt to con me when I sold our last caravan. The usual thing can I send money to the company collecting but having heard of similar I avoided being caught. With caravns I always felt comfortable with Lunar and Bailey but do not know their record in the M/home market. No doubt local dealers will probably get fed up with me turning up but not buying but as some other posts have said 'do the homework' I am realistic as to what my budget will get me but would be happier with an older unit if the condition was good. I look forward to the homework and getting out on the road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Hi rowlie Regarding Lunar & Bailey in the motorhome market. Bailey are a relatively new entrant, (maybe 5 or 6 years) so their models, all coachbuilt, will be well in excess of your budget. Lunar have re-entered the motorhome market, after stepping out at the recession in 2008/9. So their newer models will again be in excess of your budget as their PVC (Panel Van Conversions, i.e.campervans) are on the more expensive Mercedes Sprinter & I think that they are now also importing their coachbuilt models. They did introduce a small campervan, based on the Nissan NV200, which is smaller than a VW, so maybe restrictive in bed length. But again I think will still be too high priced. E.g. http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/used-motorhomes/lunar/vacanza/2014-lunar-vacanza-diesel-warminster-mfpa-2c929a7a56c3c5f30156c7608d4b598f/makemodel/make/lunar Previous to them dropping out of the market they did import some smaller coachbuilt models from Belgium (pre-2008) with other coachbuilt models produced by themselves in the UK. ( Roadstar, Telstar, Xstar & Champ model names come to mind.) From memory the imported models were sold under the Homecar badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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