Newbie to motorhome
Hi, everyone, as a retired couple we are thinking of entering into the motorhome owners, after many years of package and camping holidays, we now require a more sedate way of life and think a motorhome is the way to go, so after a day at the NEC for the caravan & motorhome show we are more confused about where to start, should we "bite the bullett" and invest in a new motorhome, or purchase a good pre owned one, we would like a coachbuilt overcab version, although there will only be two of us the extra space would be handy, can any members offer good sound advice on where to start, be it either purchase, new, second hand, or hire one to see if we would enjoy the experience.
Are there any members out there selling a good version that may be interesting to us???
we have seen a 2008 Eldis autoquest 100 for about 9k, is that good ???
What can you advise
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Hi popty
‘be careful.
i have just had a look and 2008 Autoquests appear to range between £20 - £25 K so either you have read it incorrectly or there is something not quite right.
Due to personal circumstances we went from caravanning to motorhoming about 18 months ago and have never looked back.
We originally, like you, wanted space so we bought a dirty great Burstner 747 which was lovey, but...... (7 berth with overhead bed)
This time last year, we traded that in for a Bolero - only two berth but suits us. We have put a 500 litre fiammma box on the back for ‘storage’ but I have to admit I miss the ‘garage’ we had with the Burstner.
I don’t want to state the obvious but non of us are getting any younger. Do you intend to sleep above the cab or just use it for storage? If just for storage then why not go for something with a ‘garage’ rather than the overhead cab? I suppose the main reason we chipped in the Burstner was that my husbands health deteriorated and he just couldn’t get up to the bed anymore, nor could he climb into it very easily.
The Bolero is low profile and just right. It isn’t new (2013) but like most, has very low mileage and should last a long time.
Do you want to go for new when a used one could be so much better value?
Good luck and do keep us posted on what you decide.
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If you are not sure if you would like the life style, definitely hire one first. There some dealers who will give you a hefty discount if you hire from them and then buy from them. I would not like to advise you what to buy but mostly the first one is never what is really required so if I had the choice as a first time buyer I would buy second hand from a reputable dealer. That way if you are not happy with the model you would not lose too much when/if you decide to change.
Good luck
peedee
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You’ve been given good advice, Popty. Buying new is definitely going to hit your pocket hard and many people find they make a mistake with their first purchase.
I always advise people to buy as small a van as they feel they can be comfortable in as a large van can be a pain in the rear to drive and park when you’re out and about.
Check that your driving licences allow you to drive the van of your choice. The club has advice here -
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/advice-and-training/advice-for-beginners/driving-licences/
You may well find other items of interest in the Advice & Training Tab at the year of the page.
The caravanfinder site may give you ideas of what’s around and the prices asked.
http://www.caravanfinder.co.uk/motorhomes.html
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Hi all, many thanks for your replies & we will take all your advice on board, as yet we are still looking at the pre owned market, we both know that the life style would suit us as we have had a static van for several years on the Essex coast, which we have since sold, as we very much like the idea of being able to travel around the UK & Europe, size is not a factor (no pun intended) as both wifey & I were coach drivers when we were working, so driving & parking are not an issue & our drive would accommodate a motorhome up to 30 foot long, as well as our car.
We are now looking to hire one firstly, & we will check out all the options before we take the plunge & spend some of the kids inheritance.
The Autoquest 100 @ 9k was on this site for sale by a member, but as yet we have had no reply from the message I sent, so we will keep looking, once again many thanks for your help & if an when we buy I will update the post
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Hi Popty 51,
Firstly welcome to Club Together.
It might be worth having a look at our Guide to buying and hiring a vehicle. The Club also offer a 'Try Before you Buy' motorhome hire experience to help people with making the right decision and getting a feel for a motorhome. One of our member's recently trialled this for us and you can read about it here. It's also worth noting if you are a member of the Club you will receive 15% off motorhome hire through Experience Freedom and Swift Go, more info here: Motorhome Hire
If you haven't purchased your motorhome by the Spring, it might also be worth visiting one of the Outdoor Motorhome Shows as they have lots of motohome dealers and an opportunity to look around the motorhomes. The Club has offers on tickets for some of these shows and these will be available at a later date so keep an eye out on the Club website What's On section.
I hope this helps and wishing you the best of luck finding your new motorhome. Keep us updated on how you get on and let us know if you have any questions.
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Hi all, thanks for the advice, however we are now very disappointed, as we chased 2 listings for pre owned motorhomes on the classified section only to find out that they were scams, the last scam was reported today, as a 2003 Peugeot Boxer motorhome for £3495, listed as in "Thames Valley", & with a contact of emilymad81@gmail.com, when further checks done she said she was in Inverness & wanted me to pay via ebay, on contacting ebay they had no record of Emily Maddison, and they would not offer any security of my funds if I was to proceed,
Very nervous about investing any of our hard earned pension
see advert as below and photo, so beware
Peugeot Boxer, 4 Berth, (2003) Excellent Motorhomes for sale Beautiful condition inside and out. 4 seatbelts. Manual, Diesel, 2.0l. Bathroom, kitchen with Full size oven. Mot till 03/2019. 28000 miles. Toilet, sink, hob, fridge, oven. I am selling on ...
Price:£ 3,495
in: Motorhomes for sale0 -
Hi popty51
we took the plunge a few weeks ago and bought our first motorhome a 2 berth end lounge autocruise and are thoroughly enjoying it all.i did quite a bit of research and visited the bath and west show ground caravan and motorhome show and chatted to a few people there to pickup on there advice. I have done a bit of caravaning a few years ago so had a good idea on the layout I wanted.
All I can advise is speak to some seasoned motorhomers and think about what you will actually use the vehicle for (weekend trips or long tours) it’s a lot of money to splash out so be patient and the right vehicle will come up.
Good luck 🚍
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Hi Popty 51 and welcome to CT.
I personally don’t think hiring is the way to go ,I would buy a nice pre-owned one ,there are many about,spend some time thinking about the layout cos that is personal to you and no one can really help you decide that.Yes as for storage space I think a garage is much more practical than an overcab bed.The weight is a big issue ,remember if over 3500kg you cannot drive on a car licence.But just take your time choosing ,which is part of the fun ,and you’ll be fine.we have been motorhoming for about 22yrs and are still learning.
Brian & Jo
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My thoughts exactly, Brian and Jo. I believe hiring might make you decide it's not for you but hiring a ready-prepared van from a rental firm is not going to tell you about the long term implications of owning a motorhome such as servicing & maintenance, watching your van depreciate, parking restrictions etc.
When we look for a new van, we start by eliminating those we can't buy. How much we can afford, length and possibly width for parking, driving licence restrictions, and the type of motorhoming you expect to do. Think about these issues and a whole raft of motorhomes will be excluded leaving you to sharpen your focus on those you can have.
There are comprehensive guides on buying a motorhome, books and magazines. The best one for buying second hand is on the AutoTrader site.
Remember your schooldays! Keep notes, revise them, and see buying the van as the exam.
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Hi all, thanks for all the advice given, we are getting colser to purchasing our first motorhome, we have found 2 that would suit our needs & would like any members comments about either of them, they are as follows
Fiat Ducato 2.3 JTD, 2003 Bessacarr E425 4 berth, 32,000 miles
Fiat Ducato 2.8 JTD, 2005 Swift Lifestyle 630L 6 berth, 26,000 miles
Both of these are within our budget & would suit us, (& occasionaly some of the grandchildren), we have suitable parking so could accomodate either, & our driving licences would allow wifey or i to drive them (both ex coach drivers)
Can anyone offer any good/bad points for either of them, as the dealers that have them for sale both say they are "brilliant & in good order"
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damp may be the primary issue with older vans.
specifically on Swift/Bessacarr check the 'wooden' floor area immediately behind the rear wheels. a poke with a screwdriver will soon tell you of any issues.
often no rear mud flaps and even when fitted, road spray onto the often unprotected floor area caused rotting.
floors may have had a black 'protective paint' covering which was all but ineffective.
both our Boleros succumbed to this known issue....
check the gearboxes carefully, again IIRC older Fiats had issues with top gear....not to be confused with the reversing issues of 2006 onward vans.
just for perspective, many, many Fiat/Swifts of this vintage are going strong, but check for service history and get a comprehensive inspection if you're not confident/competant to do this yourself.
good luck.
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The majority of pre owened motor caravans are low mileage for their years, as they tend not to get driven very often, but does not mean that the mechanics are in good order (because of lack of use) I would be carefull of buying from the tinernet,and go to a recomended dealer if there is one in your area, as you will have some recompense if there is a problem,but with any LV buyer beware
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I agree going to a reputable dealer (is there such a thing
) especially after the couple of scams you have already come across. You would get some warranty against damp (prevalent in SWIFT's as BB says and we had 2 caravans that leaked) as well as some mechanical cover. Make sure you get an in dependant engineer to look it over and give a full damp report and ensure dealer does full habitation service as well as any mechanical service that is due. Look for full history for service, MOT and habitation service (not just stamps in a book that anyone can do)/ You may pay a bit more but as JVB says you would have some recompense and peace of mind should issues occur!!!!
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Both vans are Swift conversions but, as far as the base vehicle goes, my instinct would be to go for the 2.8 Fiat JTD.
It was a very different animal from the later X250/290 series and by 2005, which was near the end of the JTD production run, it's thought most of the issues with them had been sorted. Then they started all over again with the X250s in late 2006 and a whole host of new problems materialised.😀
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A few weeks ago I posted about cheap motorhome hire, from UHire Motorhomes in Knaresborough. They have a special offer during November and December, of £50 per night for all their motorhomes. Friends took advantage and hired one for four days. They were seriously considering buying a £53,000 motorhome, but hired one of a similar size, with a similar layout.
They decided it was the best £200 they'd spent, and saved them approximately £52,800! They decided motorhomes are not for them - having previously had a Lunar caravan. They thought it was too cramped, too noisy in travel, everything rattled, the shower and toilet were too small, they found parking difficult............... etc., etc. And those were just the maor niggles - there were lots of others! They stayed on a site near Beamish which cost them £33 per night, and had to pay extra for showers as they felt the shower compartment was too small.
So, they think hiring is definitely the best thing they've ever done!0 -
While things like rattles can be overcome and a wiser choice of sites can be made, that does prove the worth of hiring, Val.
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Valda not knocking your friends choice but in general the shower compartments on a MH are same as a caravan as is the toilet, fridge etc. One thing difference is that about 1-1.5m is taken up by the engine so you have to make better use of space and the UK models do not always do that. Maybe the layout was not right for them and a different one may suit better, but as you say trying before buying helped them.
On a similar note we used the tunnel for the first time this month instead of ferry, on the outward journey we were not impressed at all, it was a total faff compared to ferry and would hate to think what it was like when it was busy in the summer, park up till called, stop start, security checks (do not mind them), delays, smelly tunnel with fumes and dust. Compare to ferry where you go thru border control, drive to checking where a person sorts your booking, drive to lane and wait to board, then have a wander, coffee or whatever.
However on return it was even quieter and a much better experience, went straight through, not much waiting to board etc. so moral of story for us was to give it a chance, we may even book again if the cost is not so high as its always over £300 versus £130-150 for ferry so that equates to £150-£170 for 40 minutes longer crossing
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if agree with Michael in that most of the appliances are the same across MH and caravans but the main difference is that caravan accommodation can be used right upto the front windows...
other than sleeping in an A class drop down bed (which swings forward towards the windscreen) there will be a chunk of the vehicle that can't be used.....other than for the important function of propulsion.....
so, the inside of a similarly sized MH will seem a bit cramped by comparison...But it is a MH not a caravan.....and doesn't need that expensive tow car to get about...
so a 6 m caravan will equate to (say) a 7.5m MH.....for a caravan, not large, but for a MH its starting to get towards the larger end....
in the 'friends' case, hiring certainly helped...but I would suggest that even preliminary browsing of the MH market would highlight the obvious differences....
parking a MH might be trickier than parking a car.....
space in a (similar sized) MH might seem a little more tight.....
there are layouts which have the equivalent 'across the rear' washrooms in the same way as many caravans do....
perhaps they hired the wrong van?
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Val
It was clearly a good idea that your chums hired a motorhome as they were not as convinced it was for them and the hire perhaps confirmed those doubts. Some of us start out from a different position in that we really do want to change from a caravan to a motorhome. So therefore unless we can hire the motorhome we actually end up buying there is not a lot of point. Many facets of motorhoming are very similar to caravanning but there are a few quite major differences which you have to get used to. If the perceived advantages of a motorhome don't outweigh the disadvantages its probably best to stick with the caravan. Its nearly six years since we made the change and we are still glad that we did. No going back for us, in fact we are seriously thinking about changing to a slightly smaller model.
David
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I agree - and they had 'browsed' lots of motorhomes, and narrowed the choices down............ but even so they found there was nothing like living in it for a few days to show up the drawbacks.
They had a caravan with a full width 'proper' bathroom at the back, then a fixed bed, so I suppose they were spoilt really, but they are so glad that they hired. Other friends (also previous caravanners) bought a motorhome two and a half years ago, and quite quickly realised it wasn't the right layout for them, but they've now decided on a Burstner, and got a good deal for their old Swift, and a good price on the new (ex-hire with only just over 1000 miles) one. Compared with some of the previous deals they've been offered they think they've made a very good choice - and so far are loving the new model.
It is a big expenditure for most people - and I can't help but think that hiring for a short time might focus thinking for those who still haven't quite made their minds up.0 -
yes, I can see that if someone needs that final confirmation/reassurance that hiring would perhaps give that.
for those more used to the open spaces of caravans, and yet something that's easy to drive and park, there are a number of small (but big inside) MHs that can perhaps make the move more 'familiar'...remember, most caravans have their lounges at the front and their washrooms at the rear (no garages)....
so, a non fixed bed, front lounge van with an across the rear washroom are available at just 6m long from Roller Team, Pilote, Burstner etc....
Itineo (Rapido sub brand) have a model that even grafts a garage on to the back which is only 6.5m long and MMM described as one of the vans of the year...
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Hi all
Thanks for all your advice & information, today we have purchased a pre owned Swift Sundance 590RL, from a reputable dealer, & inside our budget, so we are looking forward to taking delivery in a couple of weeks time, & the start of next year when we can get out there,
We will be joining the club in the new year
Can anyone offer advice on purchasing a safari room th go with the fitted Fiamm awning as fitted to the motorhome, or has anyone got one to sell ???
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Think twice about getting a safari room. The advantage of a motorhome is the simplicity of touring. Safari rooms are hard work. I would spend some time touring and reflecting on whether you realy want to go down that route. A free standing awning might be a better option or you maight decide you don't want either.
peedee
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I'd add that it's better not to go out and purchase lots of "extras" till you've been out with the van a few times in different weathers. You'll need to check how much storage is practical and the weight. You'll find you don't need some things at all and some that are more essential.
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agree with Peedee and Brue...
these things are very bulky and very heavy, we had one that came with our first van and we sold it straight away...
like the 590rl, our van was short of decent storage for outside kit (a trait of rear lounge vans) and we (and you) would have had to store a possibly wet 'room' inside on the floor of the van....not nice IMHO....
large mucky items like mats, levellers, BBQ, leads, boots, water containers, tools etc will need to find a home along with the larger stuff that won't fit under the seats....outside chairs, tables etc.....and then there are bikes if used....
and remember, if you sit about outside a lot, these a world of difference, comfort wise, between a decent folding chair and a 'camping' chair that fits in a bag.....
for folk new to MHing, it's easy to overlook what kit you might need, let alone working out where it might go...we tend to just sit in the van, try the lounge and decide if this is how we want to relax in it....
have a really good think about how you might organise all the above equipment and ensure there are some decent sized external opening lockers or you'll have to cart everything in through the van....
good luck.
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I reckon the advise above is spot on. Most of us, even the most restrained of spenders 😉, have a shelf, cupboard or shed with items purchased but not needed 😂😂.
With regard to a safari room, we have one, it came with our Sundance when we bought it. IT IS HEAVY so weight could be a big issue. We have had our motorhome 11 years and love it. The safari room came out twice, we couldn't get it up properly not even with the help of camping friends. Life's too short to stuff a mushroom springs to mind 😂😂. Of course once it's in place you can't move until it's dismantled. It lives in our shed 😉
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I also agree with the above posts, we have recently gone back to a caravan from owning a MH for 6 years. We had the rear lounge type and loved it, we had no outside storage lockers so everything had to come in through the habitation door. Its not a problem once you work out where everything is going. Loungers went on the floor at the rear, ramps went on the floor just inside the door. Everything else went under the seats. As to a safari room I personally wouldn't bother with one. We purchased a set of 'Lillypad windblockers' which we found of much more use and so much lighter to carry, all 3 screens fitted into a top locker with room to spare. If you really 'must' have an awning then consider a lightweight driveaway one.
Hope you have many happy years with your new van.
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