[Dibbles1]

I think I might be about to become a new motorhome owner
I am a disabled biker, courtesy of a drugged driver and I'm now a wheelchair user.
So we've decided (Al) the other half, to buy a motorhome cos we're a bit sick of not having had a holiday for 17 years.
Prior to my accident, we had bikes and used to love camping, climbing and walking.
Funny though, how I used to always end up with the most luggage on my bike
So Hi

 

[DTPCHEMICALS]

Hi Debbie, welcome to the forum
You will no doubt have lots of questions to ask.
You have come to th eright place for most answers

Dave p

 

[erneboy]

Hello and welcome, Alan.

 

[Dibbles1]

Thanks Dave
I have loads of questions!
I wanted to ask some advice about the vans we're looking at and what sort of discount to expect or hope for etc. Best dealers to go to etc.
Not sure which topic to ask them under tho'.
Newcomers or here or somewhere else entirely.

 

[cabby]

And a warm welcome from me too.

cabby

 

[Dibbles1]

Thanks Cabby (^_~)

 

[Dibbles1]

Hi
Thanks Alan

 

[rosalan]

Hi Dibbles

Welcome and welcome.
Perhaps the first bit of advice would be to join, so that you can get into conversations with the huge number of people available to encourage and offer advice if needed to your new hobby.
We visit a lot of shows and find that a great many motorhomers have some limitations in their mobility. So for sure you will not be the odd ones out in any shape nor form.
If you have a decent sized garage on your motorhome, you may be able to put a wheelchair, motorised or otherwise, into it without taking it to pieces or even have an electric lift that many motorhomes have had fitted for complete independence.
As bikers in the past, you may find that access to the really small roads can be limiting with the largest motorhomes but on the other hand you may be more limited with facilities in the smaller ones.
Please take your time finding a van that suites all of your needs (there is no such thing as a perfect van), do a lot of research both here and perhaps in MMM's magazine.
Finding a really good dealer who can offer the best advice and back it up with honest support is another hurdle, avoiding those who promise the moon but fail to back it up.
You have a couple of very reputable dealers in a reasonable distance with Premier Motors and St Johns Cross who have earned much praise on these threads. There are of course many others of equal standing I am sure, but the volume of praise has been noticeable for these two.
All being well, once more you should have the freedom of the road to enjoy when the world once more, can become your personal oyster.

Have fun!

Alan

 

[Dibbles1]

Thanks Alan

Everything you've said is very true.

I have just subscribed.('')

It'll take me a while and I may post in the wrong place now n then (TBI)

Please feel free to send me to the right area tho' ('')

Debs

 

[GROUNDHOG]

Welcome from us too, ask away, everyone here has an opinion and loves to express it so any questions you are bound to get an answer!!

We all had our first van ( exciting!) so don't worry if the questions are simple!

 

[rosalan]

I truly think your joining was a good decision, unfortunately it opens so many pathways of information that it can certainly get confusing, well it was (and can still be) for me.
Like many others we have had a motorhome for more than 20 years and have managed to to make every mistake going along the way. Based upon these experiences, it gives us pleasure to share and re-live some of these moments. If they are helpful to people who have not had a clutch pedal fall off or a wheel come undone, tyres burst or breakdown in the middle of the crossroads during rush hour in Reimes on a tramway, then we are only too happy to pass our experiences on.

I wish I was new!

Alan

 

[Dibbles1]

Hi Groundhog
Thank you

OK here goes

We've looked around for a long time.

First we looked at motorhomes thinking about getting the wheelchair inside.

Went through all the ones with a wider straight up the middle aisle, followed by the ones with the side french bed.

Then we looked at the Island beds with a view to getting in and out of bed easily. So Al doesn't have to climb over me. 8O

We totally didn't even think of a garage.

It's a long learning curve for ex bikers 8O

Then we went to NEC end of last year and checked all this out, even thought about a custom build. Found that way too expensive tho'. So we forgot about it and gave up for a while.

Not a lot of funds when one of you is disabled.

So after studying your forum and visiting a few dealers, we found that we could do this. New priority needed to be a garage, that would take my heavy powerchair with a ramp fitted.

We have now decided that it needs to be a shorter MH, as Al's not driven them before and would be better for newbies to get used to.

We whittled it down to a narrower integrated MH. Purely because of the possibility of getting me in and out of the cab. By way of wanting one of those coachlift seats from the US fitted when we can afford it.

So that's about where we are now.

We've realised I only need to get in and out of bed once a day. Hopefully :lol:

So we we're liking the Hymer i578 and the Dethleffs I4. But were a bit worried about length of 6.75 and 6.99 tho'. Due to newbie driver Al and where we want to go.

So we're now down to Dethleffs I5 and Hymer i504.

Even though they have higher less accessible beds, all the rest seems a better package for us.

Opinions and advice please?

 

[Kev1]

Hi Dibbles
welcome to the site
Over the years I have had alot to do with people who have a wide range of disabilities.
Although I have only had a camper for just over 2 years
have a nosey round this massively helpful site
and if you have any questions you think you want to bounce off me giz a shout.

Err!!!! Motorhoming is pretty awesome full stop

 

[Kev1]

Sorry Just read your post
Driving a longer Mh is no big deal
if you are a confident car driver it's a relatively stright forward experience
Do not invest in a camper that doesnt do what you want just because you are unsure of driving it. You will only end up wishing you had gone for the one you could afford and originally wanted. With a bit of practise and building up to the smaller roads you will do just fine
Kev

 

[Kev1]

Err its a bit like the first time you drove your electric chair
except you have to miss clunking things lol
Kev

 

[Dibbles1]

Thanks Kev

It's been a long learning curve just to realise that it is possible for us to do this.

I can still get in and out of a motorhome with steps with my crutches from my chair at the moment. With Al's help.

It took me ages to realise tho', that you're not moving around much in the motorhome so don't need the w'chair inside.

That realisation opened a door that I thought had been shut.

 

[nicholsong]

Debbie

Welcome and well done for subscribing - it will pay for itself a hundred times over.

Alan's advice is very sound.

He has recommended two dealers and has quite correctly stated they both have good press.

What you have not indicated is whether you are looking for new or secondhand. I would strongly urge you to consider secondhand as there are some good quality MHs to buy at 50% or less than new. Also if you do not choose the ideal one first time the loss on changing it will be less.

Also look at the private sale market. There are lots of experienced and honest sellers who will not sell at the prices dealers offer them and a private sale enables both buyer and seller to win.

Dealers will offer some sort of warranty but as many people have found out it is not worth paying the additional dealers' prices just for this, as a 5 grand difference in price could pay for a lot of repairs, which if you buy a good=quality MH will not be required anyway.

You do not state, and may not want to, how much mobility you have, but if you were willing to do so it may help with advice on what considerations you should take into account. For example, whether your wheelchair is a folding or rigid one, because a rigid may need a garage or a rack on the back of the MH. If rigid and it goes in a garage the double bed over the garage will have a step access. There may be other layout considerations.

Certainly visits to a few dealers with a range of MHs to dealers will answer some of these questions. When you see some features of various models write down the ones you want AND the ones you definitely do not want. This will help you draw up a specification. I did this and showed it to dealers and also used it to research the private market and ask relevant questions when not advertised. I found that when I showed them a written spec the dealers took me more seriously and it saved time on both sides because they did not try to show something that was inappropriate.

Two important points to get into your specification is whether you want to use the MH in winter, in which case you need tanks in a double floor which is heated - very few British MHs are.

Secondly, 'payload'( i.e. what weight you can legally carry) - do not believe catalogue figures, which may not include extras. ALWAYS insist the vehicle is weighed and check that against its permissible weight.

How you use the MH affects what you need to carry within the payload. You used to camp on the bikes so you may wish to camp in wild spots so need the water tank full. If you intend to use campsites you can save weight by arriving with an empty tank and fill up before parking, likewise empty fresh and dirty tanks before departure.

I do not want to make the whole process look daunting but setting some parameters early on will make your search easier.

Good luck and come back to any of us for more advice.

Geoff

 

[Ian_n_Suzy]

Hi,

Firstly, welcome to the forum.

I certainly wouldn't let the length of a Van worry you too much, as in my opinion all the 4 wheeled versions are "much of a muchness" to drive. I recall when we got our first Van this was something that concerned me greatly, but it really was all a fuss about nothing.

I would recommend fitting a reversing camera (and possibly parking sensors) as this helps a lot with confidence in the Van. Also, I would fit the reversing camera so that it can be viewed all the time (by the flick of a switch rather than the reverse switch), as this gives confidence on the motorway when overtaking traffic as it functions like a rear view mirror.

With regards to the Van, we are on our 4th one in less than 5 years. In our experience we try to tick as many of the boxes as possible for what suits us, but have thus far found it nie on impossible to tick every box. Thankfully, in our case there has been little or no depreciation (we have always bought secondhand) so it hasn't been an expensive transition between Vans. In fact we have enjoyed changing Vans (variety is the spice of life and all that).

Best of luck in your search, as I am sure you will love it when you get sorted. It's the best thing we ever did.

(as Geoff mentions above, Payload is one of the most important factors you need to get right).

 

[Dibbles1]

Thank you so much Geoff.

A lot of good advice and things we hadn't thought off.

I think it did all seem so daunting and against me before.

I'm going to see one of those dealers later today, that Alan recommended. I saw him last week, and he was extremely helpful. We looked at the longer two MH's last week. Going to look at the shorter one today to see whether it will be ok or not.

He said the same as Kev1 too, go for the one that's right for you. So I'm now realising the slighty longer MH might be right.

Made me realise it was all entirely possible.

I have a great big heavy 105kg Spectra xtr2 powerchair.

I can get about a tiny bit on crutches, but not for long or too often. Enough for in the MH when I want to move to one place from another tho', with Al's help.

 

[Dibbles1]

Thank you Ian & Suzy

The reversing camera and making it viewable all the time, is a brilliant idea. I think that would help Al's confidence a lot.

We've only just started to be able to combine payloads into our thinking!

oh there's so much to learn:?

Debs