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Melvyn

Hi all, I am (almost) new to this game and am looking for some hints/ advice. I Have been using a Conway trailer tent up to now and am looking to going abroad (to southern Italy & back) during most of August. Having used a TT for over 10 years we are fairly hardy to camping/ touring.

A motor home looks ideal for our tour. I am married with two children (aged 15 and 12), so a reasonable sized 4 berth is required. Does anyone know of some reputable dealers in Surrey/ Sussex where I can start viewing ?

Are there any types of MH to avoid ? Ideally we want something that includes an overhead bed (for me and the missus) and either two single bunks or a double for the kids (assume most will be seating area conversions for th lower bit?)

Really want to spend about 6-7000 on our first MH. Am I mad spending this little on something to take abroad ?

What is the reliability like of 15+ year old MH's ? I assume this is is a bit like buying a car of similar age where lots of bits need constant replacement ?

Where do I start ?

Any help would be gratefully received.

Regards,

Melvyn.

andy

Hiya Melvin and welcome Very Happy

I'm pretty new to this myself so I should really leave this to the more experienced here.

HOWEVER... I will say that I would consider going for a six berth rather than a "reasonable sized 4 berth". I say this because we borrowed my wife's mum's motorhome a couple of years ago to spend a week in Cornwall. It was a six berth and it had an overhead bed, two bunks for the kids and the other two berths were made up by converting the dining table into another double bed. Needless to say, we didn't use the converted dining table (well... we did once but it was terribly uncomfortable).

Still... let's wait to see what t'other say Wink

andy

autostratus · Moderator

Hi Melvyn and welcome.

First thought to come to mind was whether 2 teenagers could sleep in a double in southern Italy in August. I will leave you with that thought.

FWIW. My advice is to go down to a large dealer with a large stock of pre-owned (someone like Brownhills) and wander around with a notepad crossing off those you see as not acceptable. Don't worry about the price at this stage as layout is the most important and layouts tend to be repeated year on year.

Having got some layouts in mind return at a later date with the 2 youngsters and get the sales staff to make up the beds so that your family can try them. I know it seems odd but a six foot bed in a brochure is sometimes five foot eleven and a half! If you or your children don't like the sleeping arrangements then forget it. They won't get better!

Two important points.
Check the maximum permitted weight and the on the road unladen weight with driver as the difference has to accomodate all your passengers together with everything else you need for a trip including gas bottles. Sometime the difference is quite small and almost impossible to live within for a family. Authorities are becoming more aware of overloading. Take care.

Secondly. The ideal place to carry the third and fourth passengers is in a dinette area immediately behind the driver/passenger as there is better contact during a journey; you can talk to each other.
With seating at the rear of the mh there is the greater distance from the cab plus the fact that rear seat belts either cannot be fitted or are restricted to lap belts.
While, I believe seat belts are not compulsory for passengers in the rear of a motorhome if you do want them they are more likely to be 3 point type in a dinette with forward facing seats.

That has given you a few things to think about. These will no doubt be added to by other members of this group.

Regards and good luck in your search.

twooks

Good morning Melvyn and welcome to the site and the bewildering world of optins in mhomes.
Gillian had done her usual very thorough response, and Andy's point about 4 berth as a minimum is very valid.
The mhome reliability angle tends to be a little different to cars because in general they do a lot less mileage, particularly the bigger ones which may only get used about 4 - 6 weeks a year. Average mileages around 5k can be quite common, so you need to bear in mind that many 'bits' have a limited time based lifespan as well as mileage based.
Mhomes also tend to hold their value better than cars, I would guess that at the price you are looking then any depreciation is done. Just make sure that you can get it covered or breakdown - some firms are ageist!
Good luck with the hunt, the only dealer I know near you is Bilbo at Godstone, the staff are generally knowledgeable and they may have some 2nd hand big vans in sales. You could at least get some pointers before travelling further afield.

Cool

peejay · Campsite DB Admin

Hi there Melvyn and welcome,

You're certainly in the right place for all your questions.
All the previous posters have given sound advice, the only other thing that springs to mind at the moment is to make sure that whatever van you eventually choose, you have it damp tested as this problem is not always visible and is very costly to repair. If you buy from a dealer check the warranty covers this and ask for proof of a check being carried out. The same, and probably more important with a private sale, proof the van has no damp.

The only dealer in sussex that i can think of is marquis.

pete.

adnil

Hi Melvyn, try these web sites as they have lots of internal photos of layouts of all types of vans and price ranges.
Happy viewing.

MandyandDave

Hi Mel, having had two teenage kids ourselves, and combining them with M/Homes, you need 6 berth space +awning and pup tent! are they same sex kids? Height of summer in an overhead is a little 'uncomfortable' to say the least for the both of you, and I'm sure other forumites, who have travelled to hotter climates in their 'vans will back me up on that!
My suggestion to yourselves is to buy a MH as big as you possibly can (budget allowing), a lot of folks fall into the " start small and move up" scenario, (personal experience) it just doesn't work!! where kids are involved.
Rolling Eyes

Been there done that got the tee-shirt!
Regards Dave.

Melvyn

Thank you all for your quick, considerate and very useful replies.

They certainly have given me plenty to think about and a good start.

Also thank you for your time ! I'll certainly recommend this site to others..

Regards, Melvyn.

PS any other replies will also be gladly received...

musicbus

Melvin

LHD vs RHD is also worth considering depending on what your planned usage is. Its always a good discussion starter. Life on roundabouts is always interesting depending on your choice. If you plan to spend most of your time on the continent LHD makes sense.