Motorhome suggestions for around £20000

[stevebrookman]

Evening all,

 

After looking at a Ford Autosleeper Legend (many thanks for the advice) we have decided to up the budget to get a more modern motorhome.

We want a 2 berth and low profile-had a look on line at a few Autocruise models which seem to meet the criteria of having benches either side which can be used to sleep on-don't want to go pulling beds out.

 

Wife likes the autocruise range-I'm not sure of build quality.

 

 

Any suggestions or advice for this make or others, as always, greatly appreciated.

 

 

Regards

 

Steve

 

[Tracker]

In my experience which is admittedly several years old we always felt that the pre Swift era Autocruise vans were better made than the later ones and in many cases almost as solid as an Auto Sleeper of that era, plus as I see it, no vans are as well made as they used to be.

 

That said how solid does it need to be unless you or your family is heavy handed and prone to breaking fittings almost any van will be up to the job if handled correctly and carefully.

 

That said there is something nice about cupboards and doors which feel good and open and shut properly regardless of age, so maybe the answer is to look carefully at the individual van for signs of excess wear or abuse and choose one that feels as if it has had careful users.

[gp1]

Does low profile mean not the bulbous bit at the front? Ive noticed newer vans dont have this. I like the (percieved?) soundproofing of this bit of the van. What does pvc stand for?

[Wasnt Me]

My advice is to look at European options and not just British vans.

 

We bought a Chausson and got a lot newer than we could have done if we had gone British.

 

 

Hope this helps

[Wasnt Me]

Sorry I could have answered your questions.

 

PCV =panel van conversion.

 

Low profile means no over cab bed at the front. Many now have dropdown beds over the table and chairs.

 

Hope this helps.

[phalange]

to me it doesn't matter on the age of the van but on the quality of the van. You can spend 20k on a 15 year old van that is in better condition and has been looked after more than a 5 year old van. Don't be a number plate snob. Older Hymers were built better then the newer ones. British vans are not as well built as german ones.

[gp1]

When we went camping last time i was quite surprised how many different styles of motorhome there were at the campsite. Everything from little bongos to rvs. Old and new. I think everyone was happy just to be out near the sea. The bongo man was happy cos he hadnt spent 20,000 - only 5. The rv man was happy cos he had a satnav that told him not to go down country lanes. The lady with the older van was happy cos she had something with character. I dont think anyone was sat there thinking they had bought the wrong van.

[StuartO]

gp1 - 2018-06-26 11:45 PMWhen we went camping last time i was quite surprised how many different styles of motorhome there were at the campsite. Everything from little bongos to rvs. Old and new. I think everyone was happy just to be out near the sea. The bongo man was happy cos he hadnt spent 20,000 - only 5. The rv man was happy cos he had a satnav that told him not to go down country lanes. The lady with the older van was happy cos she had something with character. I dont think anyone was sat there thinking they had bought the wrong van.

Exactly right, each to his own - but if your budget is £20,000 you are going to be buying a used MH, possibly quite an old one.  The pathway to happiness therefore lies, above all, in checking the mechanical servicability of the vehicle and the damp-proofness of the living accommodation rather than just going for the suitable layout and the pretty colours!

[Alanf1]

I agree with Stuart_O above, but equally if you get the wrong layout for what you need you will be frustrated every time you use the van.

 

If the layouts right but the van is not in good fettle, not mechanically sound or damp then move on to the next one. It's a big investment so you want it to be right, so be prepared to wait for the right van to come along. I think for our last van we waited over 6 months for the 'right' van to be available, and we're glad we didn't jump at some of the earlier vans we saw. Oh and don't limit yourself to one or two different makes. Keep an open mind. A good place to look and get ideas is ebay classified ads. A lot of dealers will advertise there.