Buying a first Motorhome - drive & ride advice
Hello everyone. I joined the club at this Feb NEC show hoping to get help & advice as I buy my first motorhome.
I plan a year's tour of the UK with my partner and our (large) dog. Me and the dog aim to be on the road 365 days but partner still works so will join us intermittently. However we are based in greater London so we need a recent model with a Euro6 engine due to the LEZ. This also means visiting dealers isn't quick & easy as the closest is 1.5 hour drive away.
Looking at our plans we've assumed we will need a vehicle with payload of c.500kg so have been looking at A class solutions and have test driven a 2016 Hymer PL and were surprised at the 'squidgy' ride and amount of rolling experienced in a seats behind the front two. We also learnt we need a different layout without fixed beds to the dog can lie down comfortably. So we are now looking at drop down bed solutions with a lounge but...
.. does anyone know or can anyone advise on which Motorhomes (A Class or Coachbuilt) offer the most stable ride and best drive or maybe which ones to avoid?
With advance thanks
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Over the years we've had a 2007 4.25t Fiat Ducato based Bessacarr coach built, a 2011 3.5t Merc Sprinter based AuoSleeper coach built and a 2017 3.5t Peugeot Boxer based AutoSleeper PVC. None of them have given us any concern about the quality of the ride although, without doubt, the Sprinter was the smoothest and best in many ways.
Be aware that with an A class obtaining a replacement windscreen can prove difficult as they are not generally stock items unlike those for base vehicles with coach built habitation units. I know you want space but do consider the problems you might encounter driving and parking a large MH in some places.
Hope you find what you want and enjoy your year of touring.
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I have had two motorhomes so not a wide experience but on my first motorhome which was on a Mercedes Sprinter base, I found the suspension too soft. It rolled quite a bit on the roundabouts and the back end sagged when I fitted a tow bar on it. I cured all these problems by fitting Airideas to the rear axle. You can adjust the air pressure in these to effect the ride to suit your requirements. So there is a solution to whatever you buy should you think you need it.
peedee
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I've never had an A class, but have had 2 coach built MHs on the Alko chassis and once the tyre pressures were correct I was very happy with the ride.
Payload is something to think about as those MH's with a 3500kg load limit only allow 70kg for the driver and minimum fresh water (not a full tank) and 3/4 full fuel tank. A recent development is for manufacturers to replace the heavy spare wheel with a fix and go kit (which many MH owners think is useless) to increase payload, but this needs to be considered if buy a spare, your eating into your payload and you have not yet popped your partner and large dog in let alone your food and other kit.
You could have your motorhome uprated but this brings some advantages and disadvantages - see other threads.
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Sorry about the typo in my above note, it should have read "Airide" not "Airideas" Airide is one brand name, Firestone's I think,. another is "Air Cushion". If you Google either you should find a supplier. I found >this one<. Costs for a basic system are £500 to £600 and you can buy a kit to fit yourself if you feel you can DIY. It is not a big job and I did mine but I was none too happy about getting under a jacked up rear end of a motorhome and banging away to remove the existing bump stops.
peedee
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firstly, will you be running the van at over 3.5t? if not, then your choice of A class vans will be a lot smaller, although i can suggest some that meet your open aspect (large lounge, drop down bed, rear washroom) layout requirements...
Roller Team i590, Pilote G600L
if youre going heavier then, IMHO, there are two great options...
Hymer B544 SL (now discontinued but made until 2015 ish) and the Frankia i640 (a top quality van available used)
good luck.
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Thanks to everyone, this is so helpful and much appreciated. You've now given me an idea.
I wonder if the fact that I'm test driving empty vans has a bearing on the ride, ie I imagine the van would sit down more when laden... Wouldn't this make the cabin ride more stable?
With ongoing appreciation
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I haven't noticed any difference in any of ours whether empty or laden but they never wallowed anyway. Personally, I don't think running it up to the max laden weight would make much difference as the payload is a relatively small % of the MGW.
I suggest test driving a few more and bear in mind that tyres and their pressures can make a huge difference to the ride.
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our previous van was plated at 4250kg yet weighed around 3000kg unladen...so with 1250kg spare thats almost 30%....
although i choose to run ours at 3500kg, my current van is available on a 4250kg chassis and the unladen weight is 2650kg, so a potential 1600kg or 37%...
so some vans can and do have significant payloads...
hence my question about which MTPLM the OP is looking to run at.
if anything id say a van might run smoother with a reasonable load but will feel heavier in corners...
i agree that correct tyre pressures are very important and these should be based on 'fully loaded touring trim' axle weights.
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Thanks for all this wisdom folks.
I'm looking out for the vehicles you've suggested and will see how a few more test drives influence my experience & expectations of 'lolling around' on the road.
If I continue to struggle I'll keep in mind the 'air ride' suggestion as a possible cure.
With thanks and appreciation
John
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