plople Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Hi all, ok we have pretty much set our hearts on getting a motorhome, we have been avid campers and love it and im in the saving up stage ready for the big plunge. we have been ask have we rented to see if we like it first. ive been sent a groupon off of rental for £249 medium MH for 3 nights and was wondering would you rent before buying? or would you save the cash towards the MH? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 IMO renting is no bad thing if you are considering buying new, not everyone finds motorhoming quite what they thought it would be, and many find their choice of layout doesn't work as well as they thought it would the loss on a new van can be high. For buying secondhand the losses if getting it wrong are not so high. Take us, we rented several vans when on a round the world trip and knew what we wanted on return to UK, this van (a VW) served us well for many years until we decided to get one bigger, we decided that a Adria Twin would suit us, our VW had a catastrophic engine failure and we where in middle of a house build so rented the similar WildAx Aurora, what a disaster, one of the worst weeks holidays we've ever had with gf's claustrophobia kicking in big time when in the transverse bed, we now have a van just 40cm longer and longitudinal beds which suits us great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firedecisions Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I would only rent one, if you could rent the type you are going to buy. We didn't rent before buying having camped and caravan first. We love our Motorhome that we brought (despite a brand new motorhome with loads of faults) But we hired a motorhome on a recent trip to Australia, didn't like the layout, it felt cramped etc. i think if we had hired this one before we purchased it might have put us off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I would decide what layout you THINK you would like, for the type of use you would have. Then hire one of that layout before you buy. Depending on what use you would have, week ends or 3 months plus , as a lot of us retirees do, That should determine what layout suits your life style. As seasoned campers you know that the weather is not always perfect, so have you enough space for wet days? What size can you park (if looking to keep on drive) Also if looking for a large van , does your licence cover you to drive? Good luck on your search, and don 't be afraid to ask on here, about any worries you may have If you give more detail as to what you like, model price, new secondhand etc, others will be able to help PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 All sound advice above. Renting is not a "golden bullet", but it is a good way to evaluate a layout "in anger" before you commit to buying. Yes, if buying new a poor choice can be expensive to change, but even with used vans it will still cost you appreciably more to change vans than to rent for a week or so. You need to plan a tour around, visiting a number of places as you go, so that you gain experience of driving the van, as well as living in it, but also of how easy it is to set-up on arrival, and pack away ready for travel when you move. Be prepared for your minds to be changed, both on layout, and on where you think you may go once you get a van. Or, conversely, you may decide you hate the whole business, in which case you'll only have spent the hire charge, rather than committing a stack of cash to something you don't really like - which will cost you a fair bit to convert back to cash! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We rented in the US twice. Its the easiest route to finding likes and dislikes. We then had firm ideas and bought what was the best for us. My only suggestion is choose as large as you can afford and drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 Hi David & welcome to this great forum. Three years ago we decided to buy a MH. The first sales guy we spoke to gave us fantastic advice, initially spend most of your time considering what layout sits your needs best. Then review where you are going to use it. If UK RH drive is right, if you may be spending most of your touring time in Europe then you might consider LH drive. Once you have that sorted then view ALL the MH's that fit your criteria. Short list two then if they are available to hire try both. IMHO hiring any old hire company MH to see if you like the concept can be a total turnoff. Often the fleet hire vehicles are more utilitarian than you would like and can give a false impression. I have seen it written that it is rare to make the right choice first time, however armed with the excellent advice we were given by the first sales location we visited we in fact are delighted with our layout choice. Do not rush in and do your homework and I am sure you will not be disappointed. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bop Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 We did investigate the option of renting a MH before buying a new van but I have to be honest and say that I was absolutely terrified to rent in case I damaged the thing after reading the T&Cs. That being said we've fallen into the trap as explained by Gary and Brian above, i.e. Our first van was not the right one and we will now lose money. Regard, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Nobody has yet mentioned payload. After finding the layout that suits you then enough payload is equally as important, if not more so. The most perfect layout will be useless if you haven't enough payload for your needs. For a couple I think that that a spare payload of 400kg is the very minimum you should consider. This is after all fuel, water, gas, etc, has been allowed for. Please don't take dealers advise on this as they, and manufacturers, have their own magic formula on this to deceive you - weigh it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Renting will probably indicate whether you will dislike motorhoming and so save you wasting money on buying. I doubt whether a week or so away will be enough to show that motorhoming and the layout is right for you. Two weeks on a campsite in glorious sunshine in a specially prepared hire vehicle is not the same as being in a farmer's field in the middle of nowhere with the wind and rain howling on a cold night when the gas runs out. Nor does hiring give you an insight into the ownership of a motorhome, the fights with dealers who are not all top class at customer service, the unreliability of some motorhomes, the need to take time off for repairs and maintenance [if you work], looking out of your window at the motorhome on your drive depreciating in front of your eyes, etc. I love motorhoming and I don't want to put you off. I just think the reality of motorhoming is not the same as a couple of weeks renting one. Do your research, be very clear in your own mind what you want to do with the van, clarify your parameters, and then commit to making the decision work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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