Changing over
Hello everyone, tomorrow will be a sad day as we are saying goodbye to our lovely caravan we have had for 3 years. Reason is we are buying a Motorhome. Never owned one before and what a task it is to find the right one for us. We need a fourth berth with fixed bed if possible ,or a separate lounge area that we can curtain off to make the bed and a small seating area. Well the last week has been spent on the Internet we have visited a couple of Dealers but to be honest would rather buy Private. Ebay have some nice ones but Scammers are rife on there . We are sensible so no money will be passed over till we know all is good. We can travel up to 100 miles for the right one . So if anyone has one for sale or knows someone who is selling one please post on here .. Looking forward to Winter in My new Motorhome ( thats if i see the right one for us ). Any help or advise would be great .thanks everyone.
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I would have a good look around at dealers to get an idea of layouts, quality of fittings, what will suit you, and then search for something to match via a private sale. Do a good bit of reading up about pro's and cons of certain engines as well, as MH are
a bit different from cars, haul a lot of weight about, often spend prolonged periods doing nothing, etc....We avoided main rip off dealers with ours, but luckily found a very good small MH sales dealership, specializing in quality second hand sales. We had a good test drive, were shown all the fixtures and fittings, full service log book and the MH was fully
valeted and checked over both in terms of mechanics and habitation to ensure everything was fine. We also got six months warranty on mechanics and habitation after buying. We had no problems at all in twelve months and only blip we did have was with an alarm
system retro fitted, which took a bit of sorting but is now fine. Given the money you will be spending, check absolutely everything out carefully before committing. Personally, we would have felt more apprehensive buying from a big dealer, even if new, as
there are some real horror stories, as with vans, and the after sales can be utterly horrendous. Good luck finding what you want, but take your time, get it right and you will never look back!
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Hey Arriverkids, I know it's more than 100miles from yours but I can recommend Downtide just outside Cromer in Norfolk. We used to store our van with them and had them sell our van for us. Great service and a good family firm.
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Dont assume all dealers are trying to empty your wallet. The reputable ones will provide good warranty packages and general advice none of which comes buying private. However as others have suggested you need to spend time looking at different layouts, chassis
options until you are comfortable with the shortlist. Do not be rushed, its your money and there is ALWAYS another. And dont be put off ebay, as with any purchase it is simply a case of being dilligent and if it sounds too good to be true then it usuall is.....0 -
two most important things.....
layout
weight
weight
weight, etc...
what license do you hold, over 3.5t then should be ok
under 3.5t and you need to look carefully if you are travelling with multiple passengers.....and their kit...
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It is a mistake to asume all dealers are out to rip people off. Buying from a dealer has a number of advantages, not least that you get a guarantee on used vans and you have a comeback under the law if something isn't right. Buying privately is much more
of a lottery as you have no recourse in law whatsoever. E Bay is often usd by scammers. I don't know how much you are planning to spend but even a 15 year old motorhome is quite an investment so make sure you don't get conned0 -
We bought our first MH early this year, it took us nearly a year to find the right one and like you wanted to buy privately which we managed to do, we used this company(mycarcheck.com) to check for outstanding finance, if it's the rightful owner etc etc
we did it on line and cost under £20 We went for a A Class Hymer which has the double floor so great for winter use, all down to personal taste but we love it. As we all know there are con artists out there and I have infact seen our MH for sale in a paper
called Loot same pictures as previous owner had taken but at a silly price we made the paper aware but it was still there last time I looked. Hope you find what you are looking for and don't be tempted to buy the one advertised in Loot because it's not there
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Make sure your chosen MH has sufficient seatbelts in the back to match the number of berths: they can't be fitted retrospectivley. If you're planning to tour in winter, it might be best to look at 'continental' 'vans with in-board tanks and insulated floor. Outdoor lady's Hymer will be TUV tested for habitation down to -15C for example.
Rather than look for dealers or a private purchase, you could have a look for 'motorhome brokers' locally. They sell 'vans on behalf of owners, but offering warranties and servicing.
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