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Myself and my wife have decided after much pondering to take the plunge and buy a motorhome, it will have to be used because of our budget, after much searching we have seen an advert for one that we really like (by the photo's anyway).
It is a Chausson Welcome 85, 2003 on a Fiat base, 21,000 miles
It is being advertised by Jones Motorhomes in Weston Super Mare for £17,750.
I wouldn't have any problem buying a used car, but this is a whole new ball game for me
This is where all you folk come (hopefully)
Would you rrecommend this model and year
When I go to see it, what should I look for and what type of questions should I ask
Has anyone bought from this dealer before, would you rrecommendthem
I would really appreciate any help and advise you could send my way.
Can't comment on the model but check feedback on the dealer.
Check the service record of the vehicle and that habitation checks have been done and that they are recorded properly.
Find out what warranty you are getting with it, mostly insurance warranties are not all encompassing and it can be difficult to claim on them for various reasons. A dealer warranty is better if the dealer has a good reputation. A minimum length for a dealer warranty is six months in my opinion but a year is better.
Spend time in it to check that it suits your needs. Small shortcomings will grate on you in time.
Take the time to find out how everything works and make sure that everything works properly. That will mean they have to fill it with water and put a gas cylinder in.
Get them to do a damp check and give you a written report.
Don't be put off by minor faults as every van has a few.
I am sure there will be plenty more ideas along soon.
Thank you so much for your advice so far, we have been pondering for about a year now, but we decided to take the plunge a few months ago, I have been looking things up on the netand have just ordered a book called Go Motorhoming and Campervanning by Vicarious books, should be arriving soon.
Thank you so much for your advice so far, we have been pondering for about a year now, but we decided to take the plunge a few months ago, I have been looking things up on the netand have just ordered a book called Go Motorhoming and Campervanning by Vicarious books, should be arriving soon.
Thanks again
That's a good book with useful advice - I was given a copy for my birthday recently, I've been MH'ing for 6 years now and learnt a few things from it.
One of the things it recommends is hiring a MH first.
I'd advise the following:
1. Check you can fit in the sleeping spaces comfortably.
2. Make sure the cooking area is useable for you - we took a couple of our commonly used cooking pans with us too see if they worked out on the hob.
3. Don't know the type of MH you're looking at but make sure you've got enough room to get in/out of the bathroom/shower and make sure you can sit on the loo comfortably without crashing down onto it or having to grab all and sundry to get up.
4. Do make sure it has been damp checked - this is vital!
5. Don't rush! I know you've been thinking about it for a year but you're going to be spending a lot of money and you want to be sure.
6. If you can, visit as many dealers/shows to get an idea of which layout suits your needs best.
There was a guide on here somewhere about buying your first van but I cant find it. Can anyone provide a link?
Good advice already. Our budget for our first van was about the same and we saw quite a few vans that were just not right and quite a few of them from dealers. We bought private in the end.
One thing that catches people out is the available user payload. Again there is a guide on here somewhere but the payload is how much weight you can add to the van for your stuff before it becomes overweight and illegal to drive. Some vans have next to nothing!
The other thing to factor in is any extras you might need such as Satellite TV, Refillable Gas low system, bikes etc etc. This time of year I would be bargaining like mad with the dealer for a discount or some added extras.
The main thing as mentioned is don't be rushed. A proper going over and test of everything plus a good long drive should take at least two hour. If they rush you or are not obliging then walk away.
Oh and if you get it make sure they do a proper hand over and take notes or if you can video! Dont worry though, help is always available on here.
Good luck!
______________________________________________________________ Hank the Tank has a website. Follow our adventures at http://www.hankthetank.co.uk
I would advise visiting a large motorhome show so that you can look at all the various layouts to decide which suits you best. You can buy a damp meter in Maplin's - absolutely vital for any motorhome purchase.
. . . It is being advertised by Jones Motorhomes in Weston Super Mare D
Thats a fair distance from South Shields - if you go ahead & get it, check if any problems could be arranged to be sorted at a dealer near to your home . . you do not want to be running down several hundred miles to get anything fixed or serviced !
If it was me, I'd look at a few dealers vans locally to see what suits best & then search both private & dealer sales
Where are Jones motorhomes now? They are NOT where their websites says they are on Bridgwater Road. They used to be, but the site is now a commercial van sales site. Let me know and I will pop round.
I could only find details here World of motorhomesand when you click on the link to take you to Jones site you get
Oops! Google Chrome could not find www.jonesmotorhomes.co.uk
I know where they used to be and had been there some time. I know people who have bought from them.
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About to dip my toe into the Motorhome pool
