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hi people
im currently looking for advice on buying a motorhome. ive camped for many years and feel its time to upgrade. not sure what to buy so any advice welcome.
just seen a merc for 23k at webbs of reading , quite interested any thoughts?
looking for good size as im 6feet 5
look forward to speaking to you all
tom
Hello new person. Excellent idea to get a motorhome.
We get quite a lot of similar requests to yours. Mostly the answer as to what to buy rather depends upon you:
* will you be alone, with someone, or sometimes travel with family or friends? ie how many berths / seats with seatbelts will you need?
* do you want something relatively compact (<6m) which is quite easy to park, or do you want something bigger?
* what other things do you want to carry? how much storage? what kind of cooking? what time of year will you go?
Best to look at quite a lot of models before you decide. The wonderful bargain or model which you find will come up again, so never feel time pressured.
It's quite good to go to a show to see and feel different layouts. But don't get carried away at a show- which is easy to do.
You have seen a motorhome on a Merc chassis. To get any advice people will need to know the manufacturer of the habitation bit that sits on the chassis. Also the age, engine, gearbox etc. would be useful.
This could be a Chausson, Rapido, Swift, Burstner, Dethleffs or many others, all of which are very different.
Also what sort of a motorhome is it? Is it a panel van conversion or a coachbuilt?
For what its worth now is a good time to buy as dealers are keen to sell and are offering good discounts, will throw extra equipment in and should offer a lengthy warranty as they are desperate to sell in the quiet winter period. Be tough with whoever you buy from and drive a good deal.
Check on ebay for similar vehicles to get an idea of what they go for with what miles and equipment. You'll soon get an idea of which manufacturers are top end, which middle and which are entry level.
Not saying you should buy from ebay but the more research you do, the better off you will be.
If you don't know much about motorhomes you should take someone that does if you can when you think you've found the one for you. They should be able to help check things out. Look for signs of damp or damage to the outside as that may lead to water ingress (this is a bad thing).
Make sure everything works, especially if its a foreign manufacturer as spares can take an age (our italian electrical control panel took two months) for spares to arrive. If it's a dealer get them to demonstrate the gas and electric parts as these could be a pain later in not working.
Do you want a fixed bed or will you make it every night. We prefer fixed after years assembling the bed in our old VW camper. Much easier. This might have an affect on available space if you have kids though.
Check out the load you can carry in the vehicle. If you aren't careful you can end up with a veichle that you take the family away in but have no spare load capacity for anything else. Plenty of threads on here about that. If you have the load capacity a garage under a fixed bed provides good storage to keep things out from under foot.
If you do buy insist on a thorough run through everything when you collect it. You should be told/shown how everything works. Many dealers will try to give you the keys and get you off the premises ASAP via the shop.
Any more information you can post on this vehicle will help others give you more detailed advice.
If you do get one keep it tidy as it makes life living in it much easier. Find a home for everything and put stuff away.
Sounds like I'm lecturing, sorry about that.
Whatever you buy, enjoy it.
______________________________________________________________ Amusing signature to follow if we ever think of one.
Hi Tom
Im 6'4 and just shy of 18 stome so fully understand your reference to size! Folk don;t understand what its like cracking your head on everything and feeling claustrophobic.
My solution was a Bessecarf E495. Big beasty. Big sofas in the back I can stretch out on. Seperate dining area, big overcab bed.
For me the buying decision , without a doubt was the sizeable U shaped lounge in the rear - its where you will spend most of your time. We have friends who have to sit at a dining table watching tv in the evening (seventh circle of hell for me) whereas we both stretch out and have 360 degree windows. (And anothe table if we want it)
I like to slob of an evening with a drink- Im on my feet all day at work.
23 k will get you a goodun at this time of year just make sure the floor is dry though as with all Swifts of this era (Swift do fix them for free though).
we will use it for trip around uk at first,
me wife and two girls 11 and 15 , oh and a 3 year old springer spaniel,
moving up from tents and camping as i now suffer with arthritis and find pitching canvas tents a chore, the wife and i love the outdoors , walking etc and love to sit out of an evening watching the world go by in peace and quiet of a remote field, i know we are simple folk!
we are in no hurry to buy but im keen to get out there as i only went camping once last year and in short i miss it.
plan is to buy a cheaper truck £17-£20k run it for 5 years then upgrade/downsize maybe when children grown up and visit family and friens in europe, spain prtugal and bulgaria
thanks for
advice
tom
Im guessing £17-£20k will get me a good reliable truck?
It may do is the answer but you need to be careful as it will also buy you a pile of rubbish.
Ask questions on here, research, maybe hire/borrow one first.
Payload is very important.
Although this time of year is the best to buy in my opinion don't let the money burn a hole in your pocket, whatever you view there will always be another one come along.
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Italy
new guy looking to buy
