Motorhoming - why?
I purchased my first motorhome a few months ago with notions of touring parts of the country and coast never visited before and without the need to book restrictive hotel accommodation, especially in times of Covid. The idea was to spend an equivalent per annum on the motorhome as we usually spend going abroad for a few weeks each year in a four-star hotel.
Since then, I have spent far more time carrying out a variety of maintenance on the infernal vehicle than actually using it. Most of the mileage covered since purchase has been between storage and home in order to carry out work that requires undertaking.
There always seems to be another little job that needs fixing or sorting out. Indeed, so far it has only been used for two-and-a-half day’s worth of day trips. I could readily have accomplished the day trips by car so taking the motorhome was a bit of overkill, especially when running costs, taking into account depreciation, fuel, insurance etc., are costing just over £15.00 per mile whereas my other van comes in at around £1.30 per mile.
Instead of being a means to an end, it has now become an end in itself, soaking up my leisure time. There have been a couple of days when I could have gone out but ended up staying at home to carry out further maintenance.
I now find that after 2-3 weeks in storage the vehicle will barely start. It needs to go back to the dealer at some point anyway because the air con isn’t working correctly and the grey water tank leaks, so that will be another day wasted.
In a few months’ time, it will require winterizing and then more effort expending upon it to ensure I obtain the best price on sale. When I read through the problems other motorhomers are experiencing on this site and others, I perceive yet more problems ahead. For me, I can no longer see the attractions of owning one. I wonder if I am missing out on the innate fun to be had from the extra burden of work and worry owning such a contraption entails.
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There's no doubt MHs have their quirks but yours sounds so bad I think I’d have been having strong words with the dealer. Did you buy it new?
I think your estimate of running costs per mile was based on very low mileage so will reduce per mile as you put more miles on the clock. Tbh, it’s not something I ever consider and we regularly use ours for days out as we find, especially in these times, that having all our own facilities with us is a huge bonus.
Keeping a MH in storage isn’t something I’d want to do because it does need regular charging (either solar or EHU) to prevent the flat battery problem. Also, I’m a big believer in keeping it moving as it's a vehicle with mechanical parts that benefit from getting the oil sloshed around regularly.
Good luck for the future.
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Crashman, not sure if you have bought new or second hand. First thing that springs to mind is how much experience do you have in terms of what to look for when buying, and secondly, is it not possible to keep it at home?
They do need using on a fairly regular basis, even if it’s just a day out somewhere local. (Having said that, ours has stood up to three months without turning a wheel, and we have had no problems.)I would have a good look around it (ok, a bit late now but it’s get on with it, or get rid), make a list of jobs, essential/desirable, get it home and commit to sorting it out. If it’s new, then it goes back to dealer. If it’s second hand, then hopefully you got some kind of warranty. If it was bought private, then sorry but you need to just get on with it. Non working air con and a slightly leaking tank won’t prevent you from touring, certainly not in this country. Carry a bucket for under the leak.
It will be worth it once you get the essential bits sorted, after that you can start to enjoy things.
Finally, touring life doesn’t end in Winter. With a few extra precautions, Winter touring, at less busy times can be lovely.
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I’ve motorhomed for some thirty years and never experienced this. Mind you my vehicles have sat mainly on my drive when not in use and we use them 4 seasons. I’ve had friends with caravans who have cursed the constant to and fro to the suppliers. It’s about experience and making the right choice and having an element of luck to boot with all purchases! Oh and half the fun for me are those small mods and repairs I incur using them! These keeps cost to a minimum and very satisfying..
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Thanks for all the comments.
MH was purchased second-hand from a dealer. Eight years old Peugeot Boxer chassis and nice enough to drive 2.2 litre engine with turbo so no slouch uphill on the motorway either.
Tinwheeler - yes, running costs are based on a low mileage, most of it between storage and home so that's why the price per mile is so high and with plenty of mileage that will come down but as time is taken up with the various jobs on it, albeit relatively minor, that isn't about to change soon.
It's kept in storage because it would be impracticable to store on our drive with two other vehicles. Even if we did have room, I'd be reluctant to store it there because now I notice caravans and motorhomes in the neighbourhood more often than I did before, when they are driven away it's all too obvious the home is unoccupied and a ripe target for burglary. Fortunately, insurance on the MH did come cheaper as a result of having it in secure storage so that offset some of the cost.
That said, I take the point about charging the batteries. There is no EHU at the storage to do so and that means bringing it home regularly as it came without solar panels either. Yes, I could splash out and invest in some (although the roof is cluttered with the air con unit and rooflight so where they would fit I don't know) but I can't see the point when usage is going to be so light and we are well into the summer already.
Takethedogalong - I take your point about experience of what to look for when buying. The answer simply is none. That said, I did give it a good going over as far as I was able from a mechanical point of view - tyres, engine, steering etc. and found nothing untoward. I've been working through a list of odd jobs and it is those that have sapped up all my spare time when I'd rather be doing something else. There is a warranty on it (although many car warranties aren't worth the paper they're written on) and I do intend to take matters up with the dealer over the air con and hopefully they will sort it without quibble. Otherwise all the bits and bobs I've tackled aren't really the sort of things that would be covered by any warranty.
mickysf - You obviously get a lot of enjoyment from the mods and repairs you do and that's fine - I might do too if I had the time. Unfortunately, being in full-time work my spare time is somewhat restricted so I don't wish to be undertaking more cleaning and repairs around the house or MH. I want to be able to get away for a few days and enjoy the great outdoors which I usually do with my car.
I can now see that I have made a huge and costly mistake obtaining the motorhome I've wanted for years. Ah well, such is life - you live and learn!
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It’s more satisfaction than enjoyment, Crashman and, like you, I’ve had little spare time during my working life. Modding and repairing has actually saved me time going to and from the suppliers. Leisure time is all about compromise and adjustment and you have to weigh that up whatever pastime you take on, after all, they all bite into the ‘life’ time you can offer. That’s up to the individual mind to ‘work’ out! It’s not for all I get that!
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Thanks for responding crashman. I hope that you manage to get things sorted out and do get to enjoy your purchase, I think sadly that you have just had a bit of a raw deal, and it’s difficult when you are working when all you want to do is enjoy things. All the best, hope you take to touring, it can be very nice and relaxing.👍
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You'll work through this one way or another, Crashman, and then you can relax and hopefully enjoy motorhoming.
Many of us get it wrong with our first vans but live to camp another day.
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I often think it’s like owning a boat although not as expensive. It’s a hobby and can be high maintenance. We have used our motorhome for about 15 weeks over four years and it has probably lost £20k plus in value and is now riddled with damp although fortunately under warranty.
Some people keep their vans for many years and it can be good value but our experience is that after three years or so things start falling off and failing so we will be trading in for a new one. Although we intersperse motorhoming with other holidays (under normal circumstances) there is nothing quite like the freedom of travelling with your own accommodation as the fancy takes you.0 -
You have not stated, Crashman, what these jobs you are having to do actually consist off, so I can't comment on them being "normal" or not. I wonder whether they are of the "rearranging the curtains" type or at the other end of the scale of rebuilding the wardrobe and cupboard units?
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We have now had our Bailey for coming up for six years and apart from some niggles when First purchased nothing to stop us using it, all sorted on annual service,
Fingers crossed it is now settled down, and with the use it gets normally (last year no included) it has been the best van we have had among the many we have had, it is on a par with the Autocruise M/C we had,
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The comment by JVB above got me thinking that I also have had my Bailey for six years, and in that time I've added and modified a lot of things. The failures however have amounted to an electric element in the 'fridge, and many of the cupboard handles breaking.
Former is perhaps fair wear and tear, while the handles were just too weak for the magnitic catches used. Replacement element from e-Bay for a few pounds, and a bulk purchase of metal handles fixed all that.
Useage has been a couple of months each year, plus innumerable weekends, and has actually increased during the Covid years as parts of the family are kept apart.
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Hi guys and thanks for all the comments
Navigateur and brue – not an exhaustive list by far but the following may give you an indication of what’s been done so far. Some of it is base vehicle related and some habitation, some cosmetic others necessary.
- Although it was cleaned by the selling dealership, it became evident that a thorough clean-down was required inside and out and then again after storage to remove accumulated dirt on the outside.
- In carrying out the above discovered that the backing to the carpets were breaking up and causing mess – removed them all and resealed with a latex solution.
- Freed off the spare wheel which is attached to the underside by steel wire, greased up and made ready for use.
- Sterilised the fresh water system and topped up with fresh.
- Charged the batteries several times.
- Attempted to fix a leak on the grey water tank.
- Attempted to determine what the problem is with the air con unit but to no avail.
- Spent time cutting wood to level up the MH (our drive is on a slope) to ensure cooker, fridge etc work.
- Fiddled around trying to get TV reception – TV works but very patchy reception (not watchable) both at home and at the top of a hill where reception ought to be fine. Adjusted fixings to stop it dropping down when vehicle in motion
- Lubricating the swivel seats to get them moving better.
- At least now the Thetford is working I can flush more cash down the pan.
After 2-3 weeks in storage the vehicle struggles to start. This is only likely to worsen once winter arrives and I suspect the battery is on its way out. When an opportunity arises I will need to check the voltage.
As Tinwheeler pointed out above, vehicles require using regularly to keep them in operable condition. There are a number of possible solutions for the battery:
- Disconnect it when in storage – the handbook states: ‘If the battery has been disconnected for some time… some of the settings are cleared and must be reprogrammed , consult a Peugeot dealer.’ Booking it in for a reset every time I reconnect the battery isn’t an option I wish to pursue.
- Tootle around aimlessly in the MH for half an hour every fortnight to keep the battery charge topped up. Not being a fan of wasting fuel and polluting the planet this isn’t an option I’m keen on either.
- Return MH home and plug into the mains. Most favoured option at present but we all know what repeated short journeys do for diesel engines, their dpfs and egr valves…
- Replace battery with new. At around the £100 mark plus fitting – see remark above about Thetford. I usually fit batteries myself but as this comes with a stack of electronics on top of the battery and I don’t know what I’m doing here, best left alone.
I come back to my original proposition that spending time on all of the above, plus the myriad of other problems likely to crop up as other members report and motorhoming simply isn’t worth it for me. I think any new entrant needs to very carefully weigh up the amount of time they will need to spend on maintaining the infernal contraptions against the actual use they will get from it for its intended purpose before committing to purchase.
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To be perfectly honest, Crashman, most of the issues you list aren't problems but come under the heading of routine maintenance. Some tasks you have done won't need repeating, others will and several are common to both MHs and caravans.
I hate to say this but I'm not sure having a MH, or caravan, is really for you.😢
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Cut your losses and sell it. It's taking too much time and is deprciating while it's sitting there. And to make things worse it's stopping you wandering around New Zealand or Sri Lanka as soon as the world reopens. Set yourself free.
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That list does look like maintainance items.
The battery discharge can be solved with a small solar panel. Been mentioned on this forum many times.
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Yes I would hate to say anything further....the answers aren't going to be of much use, especially regarding the TV reception?!.......haven't got an emoji that represents my thoughts...but obviously the op has some knowledge of van systems already?
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I think the other 'van' is a small van-van as opposed to a MH-van, Brue. See profile.
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I'm increasingly drawn towards this solution as the most sensible although I've never wanted to wander around New Zealand or Sri Lanka.
Tinwheeler - "I hate to say this but I'm not sure having a MH, or caravan, is really for you.😢"
Don't be afraid to say it, I think you've hit the nail on the head.
To you all - if you're getting enjoyment from your MH, enjoy it!
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All the best, Crashman.
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To paraphrase TW, the best solution perhaps is ". . . I'm not sure having a MH, or caravan, is really for you", but rental may be!
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I have posted before about some Hired Motor caravans that pitched up near us on a club site last month, and three of the four all non members were impressed with the (part open) facilities and were going to join this club
One big point they made was , as they are still working the initial cost of a M/Cof the age of the hired vehicles (three years) could not be cost effective,so they would hire when needed ,,,which would negate having to Tax,,Insure and service such a vehicle for what times they would use it per year
Two couple said they would also need to store one the size they hired adit would be too big to store at home
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Same here, we are now in year 14 with our present caravan, and have not found one we would rather have.
Yes, things do go wrong sometimes, and things wear out. Personally, I would not have a caravan or MH if I was not reasonably good at DIY!
We had only a few things fixed under the 6 year warranty......a cupboard had to be fixed back in place....an external locker door replaced....several windows replaced.
Since then I have had to fix a leak on the Alde heating system, a broken fitting in the water system, the TV aerial connection, smooth out the water system, fit a new water pump and accumulator, replace the fridge 230v element, replace the toilet PCB and pump, replace the holding tank, replace the water inlet, fit a new door lock, have a new PCB fitted on the Alde, and replace quite a few screws. Nothing lasts forever.
Otherwise I initially fitted a radio and aerial, some additional 12v and 230v sockets, additional lights, and shock absorbers, and changed the 2x7 pin connections to a 13 pin one.
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We caravanned for 30 odd years before changing to a motorhome in 2013. We are now on our second one. Luckily we have been able to buy new in both cases. For all sorts of reasons a motorhome can be a steep learning curve. The same things happens with a car and caravan but because they are two different units you think differently about any associated problems. I am no expert on motorhomes but I know a lot more about them than I did in 2013. In a strange way it's been quite interesting coming to terms with what motorhoming entails. Perhaps with a motorhome you do have to have a more practical nature in order to understand and overcome any difficulties you come up against. There is a vast amount of practical information out there just waiting to be found. The OP seems not to have had much time to appreciate the advantages of a motorhome and had events been kinder to us all over the last couple of years maybe things would have been different?
David
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hi crashman, and welcome to our world! The big giveaway in your original post is four-star hotels, I think you may have to lower your expectations there, although once sorted I'm sure your motorhome will start to feel more like a home-from-home and less like a mobile DIY nightmare. To be honest I rather enjoy the satisfaction of fixing our ageing caravan, but if that's not your cuppa it would be worth a chat with your storage people as most of them know a tame mobile-mechanic who will fix things on-site for a reasonable fee. Hang in there mate, it will be worth all the hassle eventually and you won't want to return to those boring old 4-star hotels - honest!
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Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, four-star hotels and package holidays, especially all inclusive, in general are usually just great - throw a few things in a suitcase the night before and off you go. Thereafter pretty much everything else is taken care of - accommodation, food and travel. No getting up in the morning to deal with the cassette and its contents.
I appreciate a MH may be 'roughing it' in comparison, and I'm prepared for that, touring around the UK in one is always something I've wanted to do if only I could find the time to actually use it instead of doing jobs on it - I just didn't realise how much was involved. As mentioned above, next chance I get will be looking closer at the battery issue.
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I think that if you own a motorhome or caravan you tend to ignore the small jobs that come up all the time. Haven’t used our motorhome for a year but this morning a wall press stud pulled out. Go to tools, sort out a tiny wall plug, tap in with a hammer, cut off excess and screw the wall stud back in. About 10 minutes I guess but if you don’t have a box of about thirty different sized wall plugs and assorted tools you can’t do it. I stick by my comment about things falling off!
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