[123901]

Just saying hello to Forum members, my name is Steve (wife Chris) just over five years from full retirement. Not yet owners, former touring caravanners when the children were younger, now we are empty-nesters and wondering hard whether to invest in our long desired but never achieved MH. Hope to pick up some good tips here. Realise it is a steep learning curve. We would hope to have good holidays until full retirement, some with our five year old grandson (second grandson only months old - neither he nor us are quite ready for touring with him yet!). If we decide to take the plunge, I guess autumn/winter this year may be the time, hope to take advantage of this darned credit crunch to perhaps drive a hard bargain. Early days yet in making a choice, prefer a low top, something along the lines of the Adria Sport 574SP. Post retirement, health permitting, we would hope to have some 4-6 week tours of Western Europe. Very used to driving in France, perhaps Spain, Portugal, Italy to be discovered.
So Hello!
Steve

 

[teemyob]

Hello

Hello and Welcome.

Trev.

 

[carol]

Hi Steve and welcome to the site, you may find it worth actually paying your £10 subscription to gain full access to the site, but you will have 5 free posts first. All sorts of discounts to subscribers are available, but most are useful when you have your motorhome, like insurance, ferry fares and site etc., check them out for an idea.

You may also find it useful if you happen to be near one of the rally or meets, to arrange to pay a visit for the day, when you can chat to people and see perhaps their motorhomes, and find out what some like and dislike about them.

I did a rally when this forum started, and we had a couple who did that and it helped to decide what they wanted.

It also helped Dave who started this site, to decided he had purchased the wrong motorhome for what he wanted.

It is worth doing if you can arrange it.

Welcome anyway and enjoy your research. Whatever we chose is always a compromise and we think we get it right, but there is always something you find not quite as you expected when you actually come to use the motorhome.

Carol

 

[SidT]

Hi Steve. A hearty welcome from a fellow Wirralian. Wise words from Carol. Everybodies tastes are different so there is no motorhome that suits everyone. We thought we had it right with our first but although we enjoyed it, it turned out to be not quite ideal so you have a lot of research to do but you will enjoy it i am sure.
If I can help let me know on here and if you subscribe you can PM me.
Cheers Sid

 

[123901]

I registered for this forum (but not yet subscribed) as I attempt to climb the learning curve, in the hope of choosing the right MH first time (and I realise how difficult that will be), but I have scared myself witless that I may have chosen a model based around the Fiat with the 6 speed box. A purchase will be a massive investment to me (as I am sure it is to all owners) and I am now looking at models built around anything else. I realise this is a controversial issue which has polarised views - those who own the base model who want nothing of what they see as a campaign to drive the likes of me away, with the likely result of driving down residual values, and those who believe that all is fair in a war with Fiat to take ownership of the problem. I see it that everyone risks ending up as losers, and feel it may be safer not to become an owner.

That said, does anyone have any views on a Ford Transit base vehicle. I have seen advertisements for a Fendt K500 MH, a German built MH based on the Transit with a 2.2d 140PS engine with a 6 speed box. The price is probably just within budget, and I was wondering if it was worth a 130 mile round trip to see one. Apparently, they are made by Hobby.

 

[Jennifer]

Hi and welcome. I am sure that you will find a suitable model, but like most of us, it will not be the one that you stick with. Youmay have it for 1 year, you may only have it for 6 months, you may be lucky enough to find the perfect unit, first time around. Yes I had a 6 gear 2.3 tdi 130 bhp ford based vehicle, prior to my present MH. It was my first, and I loved it, and was very very pleased with the transit base. It was a Kentucky Estro 6 berth. Do not get alarmed by all what you read on this site, its like reading a manual, somethings are better left until such time as you need to query!!! Continue your search with an open mind and look at as many as possible before you part with your hard earned cash. Good hunting!!!!!

 

[bigfoot]

Hello Steve welcome. Did you know there is a Wirral Motorhome Club. They meet on the second Wednesday of each month.
They also have a wealth of knowledge.
e mail me for more details
[email protected]