What should I go for??

[Brock]

I'm on my third A-class in 18 years. The benefits of these models are quite easy to see. The downsides include the blind spot on the front nearside which can catch you out when manoeuvring in tight spots and the difficulty of access to the engine bay which results in some garages wanting an extra hour for servicing or just refusing to do the work - no local garage would replace my cambelt this year, neither would the nearest Fiat Professional outfit. Travelworld, Hymer dealers and Fiat Professional, did the work without blinking. As you are working, a trip to the dealer or garage may take up several days of your annual holidays.

 

Drop down beds are good space savers. They are not to everyone's liking because someone is pressed up close to the windscreen, you either need to be a monkey or climb a ladder to get in, and they have a weight limit - mine is 200kg.

 

You will also need an insurer who will cover the replacement cost of an A-class windscreen if damaged. My Hymer screen costs £2,800 - I'm covered for £3,000.

 

Given a free choice, I would not have an A-class. My wife won't drive the A-classes because she is short and finds it difficult to judge given the distance from dash to front end difficult to judge. She's driven our cab-coachbuilts and fancies a Merc cab next. The Exsis is a decent lightweight van. Hymer have trimmed the weight so the build quality is not as good as in the more robust days although the design is better.

 

There are, though, some great benefits in an A-Class especially wafting down the road with great views.

[BruceM]

We went through a similar process to yourself a year and a half ago. After a great deal of online research I knew just what I wanted (drop down bed to maximise living space, rear kitchen, ideally ‘A’ class, LHD) and consequently started monitoring used Hymers on EBay. That’s how we ended up with our 2003 Dethleffs with a healthy 70,000 miles on the clock. It was the first van we saw in the flesh and I bought it on the spot, a bird in the hand etc and I’m not averse to risk. It’s turned out be a superb van.

 

I think that the key thing if you’re getting an older vehicle is to factor in additional spending to bring it up to spec. I factored in £2k but spent about half that. Also, remember that in the same way as an MOT certificate is no guarantee that a vehicle is reliable or long term road worthy; a complete service record tells you little about how well it’s been driven or how well it’s been maintained. I have mechanical knowledge so was comfortable listening to the engine, crawling under the vehicle and checking it (brake discs, chassis, oil leaks etc) but your idea of an AA style inspection is a good one.

 

When it comes to deciding if motor homing is for you, then I’d also suggest that unless your plan is to stick to the UK, then after a couple of UK trips get over to continental Europe. Our experience of UK motor homing has been average. Campsites tend to be a pricey, roads are busy and off grid stops are seldom salubrious (in our part of the world). Motor homing around continental Europe with it’s extensive network of Aires and high quality campsites is a spectacular experience though.

 

[pepe63xnotuse]

Brock - 2018-11-13 2:39 PM

 

You will also need an insurer who will cover the replacement cost of an A-class windscreen if damaged. My Hymer screen costs £2,800 - I'm covered for £3,000.

 

 

That's a very good point, not only the cost of a replacement A-class screen but as importantly, the ease(or not) at which one could be obtained, would concern me.

 

 

 

[mel wood]

BruceM - 2018-11-13 2:48 PM

Motor homing around continental Europe with it’s extensive network of Aires and high quality campsites is a spectacular experience though.

Age 1964 - please do not believe that all continental Europe campsites are "high quality".

Some are …...and some definitely are not!