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We recently hired a motorhome and did Aviemore,Cairngorm, Great Glens, Loch Lomand over new year. Amazing time, amazing weather and a really great family adventure. We have two children aged 15 and 10 and loved it so much are thinking this may be the way forward for future holidays.
We have started to look at MH's but overwhelmed with the choice and mixed messages some people telling us to buy used and others say new for the warranty etc.
We more or less know what layout we want as in fixed bed, high bed at front either in bubble or drop down and room for conversion in dinette but apart from this are open to advice and tips from the pro's
When thinking about your 'new' vehicle it is necessary to be aware of the restrictions on driving over 3500 kg. You may have the appropriate qualifications already.
With two grown children another matter to concern you is the payload available. Children like to take bikes, canoes, etc and their weight must be counted.
It has been calculated that the minimum equipment weighs approx 250 kg, without the weight of the children; their bedding & clothes; bikes, etc; dogs ?. An awning of some sort will also be additional weight.
If you plan for this at the start, then you will be able to choose wisely. A second-hand van will have had any niggles sorted (we hope) and already suffered drastic depreciation.
The other advice I offer is to read, read and read about M/Hs, especially from the on-line forums. Also visit as many dealers as possible to get a physical perspective on different models.
Hi Gaynor,
Welcome, glad that you enjoyed your experience I bet it was Windy though where you were parked.
The only advise that I can give you really is what suits your Budget, like most things in life you really have to match your budget with the circumstance.
There are lots of really good second hand Bargains to be had in the Spring people tend to change their vans at the start of the season. This is what I have found, beware of Scams also on E bay by the way, never buy without seeing, and always buy from the sellers home if buying used.
Buy new is every motor homers dream though in reality lots do buy second hand, some Manufacturers let you try out their product first.
I found that the Motorhome monthlies do help.Practical Motorhome, M.M.M. Which Motorhome, do extensive articles on what you may be looking for both new and used, in short do not buy in haste, take your time, and do not rule out A class some of these are really excellent for families.
Clive
welcom most people go for one that is a few months old .then somebody else has sorted out all the teething problems .another suggestion is go to the show at event city near the trafford centre on19/22 january there are motorhomes on display any other queries pm us and we will try to help you out as we are also in bolton
Don't rush into buying, most people are not happy until they have bought their third van!
We hired all sorts of vans over 15 years or so before finally buying on retirement, knowing just what we wanted. If all you have is a few weeks holiday a year hiring may well be cheaper than buying, and the kids may not always be happy to come with you.
It is also cheaper to hire in Germany and Portugal, well it used to be, than the UK so you can travel abroad easily too.
There is such a vast choice out there depending on your budget etc., but you've started off the right way by enquiring on what's possibly the friendliest forum around and I'm sure you'll end up with plenty of advice and owner's experiences.
If I may add, get your whole family into as many motorhomes as possible and try them for size.
If the over head cab or drop down beds are for the kids, get the kids in them together and imagine them being in there for hours at a time, not just checking whether there's room for them to lie alongside each other, perfectly still.
We have 13 and 9 year old girls, but both are tall for their ages; and they are a royal pain when it comes to sharing a bed.
We did what Jetski has suggested and bought a van that was 3 or 4 months old, where someone else had taken the biggest part of the depreciation hit and all of the minor niggles had been sorted.
Don't rush into buying, most people are not happy until they have bought their third van!
P&L
Fully agree not to rush things, but if you do your homework and with a bit of luck, you might just get it right first time.
We are still very happy with our first choice close to 3 years in and will probably keep it now until we 'down-size and up-quality' when the kids stop coming away with us.
Another supporter of the 'don't rush' brigade.
A few thoughts...
Will it fit (park) in the place where you live?
Are you a sociable person and like to have a group sitting inside your van for a chat?
Alternately would you rather sit round a table outside (need awning, if in France and Spain outside may be cooler)
(My favourite) If you drop the soap in the shower, can you pick it up?
Do you need to carry bikes? Perhaps a garage for large items would be good.
Cooking... is there a draining board?
Is there somewhere for saucepans?
Please go to the largest Motorhome show you can find (Peterborough, Newbury, Shepton Mallet etc) where you will be able to see almost every variation, combination, price etc, to give you a better understanding of what suites you best, that is available.
Good Luck!
Moderation in all things. By all means don't go out and buy the first you see, but take a few weeks looking around dealers at different layouts, deciding what matters most to you...lounging space, fixed beds, storage space etc...compromise is the key word.
But don't end up like many do, dithering for months/years about which model to buy. Those months/years are months/years that you won't have in your van. You may well buy the wrong one and subsequently discover another layout suits you better. So what, so long as you can live with it until it comes time to change it? You're a long time dead, but not a long time alive....get on with it I say.
My main piece of advice would be, regardless of possibly forgoing saving a few quid, buy from a local dealer, especilly for youor first van. Things will go wrong, and if you can take it five or ten miles up the road to get them resolved, it's far easier than having to drive hundreds of miles. And don't think that the motorhome world is like that of cars...if you buy at a distance, your local dealer may do any warranty work, but they could equally say "sorry mate". You're well positioned on this aspect : Todds, Campbells, Marquis & Stewart Longton are all just up the road at Preston/Chorley.
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Germany
hello mum
