G’day from Australia. 🇦🇺 My husband (Aussie) and I (British passport) plan to come to UK in Feb. We want to buy a motorhome and travel around UK and Europe then send motorhome to Australia. (must own for 12 months in order to import to Aus) We have family to stay with too. I’ve researched for weeks now and have tried to find a list of RHD European motorhomes available in UK that have habitation doors on the passenger side. Other things that are required in order for us to import to Aus, it must have seat belts to same amount of berths. Even though my husband has the corresponding licence in Aus, UK law states he can’t drive more than 3500 kgs whilst in UK. Whilst I am more than happy to buy British made, I want to keep options open as I realise I won’t have the choice that was available pre Covid. Does anyone know if a list exists? Or know for sure which European motorhomes definitely do doors on the correct side for us. On our must have list - Not more than 4 years old and under 30,000 miles. 6 - 7.5 meters or so, 1st choice would be fixed bed then FB or drop down, but not overhead cab, large fridge, seperate shower and toilet ie not a wet room. Would ideally like at least 400 kg of payload. I must admit I do love the look of Autotrail LB or RB, but concerned about payload. Have looked on Autotrader and many other sites, but none will allow you to choose where habitation door is. I’d like to be able to get down to a smaller list. Open to your suggestions, I realise won’t be inexpensive. Any other comments on our plan more than welcome too. Thanks for reading.
Welcome to UKCS. We met someone in Canada driving a PVC from east to west coast having shipped from UK, heading to Australia.
As far as I know, European makes have the hab door on their pavement side, but someone will correct me if I’m wrong.
The other thing is that you will probably pay more than pre Covid because everyone wanted to staycation. Much discussion about how people are selling their MHs for more than they paid for them several years ago. (One exactly like one we part exchanged for £6K in 2018 is now for sale at £15K.) With waiting lists for a new one now stretching to almost a year, second hand ones sell quickly.
All British manufactured motorhomes have the habitation door, we have owned MHs manufactured by Swift, Bessecar (Swift Group), Tribute (Autotrail Group) and Bailey, all have had the hab door on the LHS.
It might be worth Googling British MH manufacturers then doing an image search against that manufacturers products.
Our previous MH would appear to fit your criteria, it was a Bailey Autograph Approach 745, under 7.5m, under 3500kg, fixed bed (French style), hab door on the passenger side.
Hi, have you had a look at this website - moho layouts
This shows where the hab door is and inside layout.
You say it needs to be same belts to berths, which with some UK made vans you won't get - our Autotrail FB is a 4 berth with just the 2 front seats and a side washroom, which would suit you. Elddis will have what they call Aguti seats under the front benches that can be used for extra passengers.
I think you'd need a 4 berth if you are planning on living and touring in it for 12 month, a 2 berth would be too small IMO.
Most motorhomes that are 3.5tonnes gross weight with very low payload can be weight upgraded with no modification so once you have vehicle in Oz it could be upgraded to carry a higher payload.
So you would be ok to buy a UK built motorhome with near side door 3.5tonnes gross which you could legally drive in UK & then upgrade it once you got it home. You would need to do a bit of research the spec of the European built but UK spec base vehicle compared with same makes sold in Oz.
This is NOT a definitive list of ALL MHs, but more a catalogue of some on the market, but it's a start in the right direction for your needs like habitation door side.
Use some of the other search/filtering options to explore the market place.
As others have said, your timing to purchase is about as bad as it could be, demand is outstripping supply of just about everything camping related in UK, so prices are 'artificially' high (and selling well at those inflated prices!). Most of us could sell our units for the same or more than we paid for them several years ago! Were now coming to end of UK camping season, but it never really stops completely, and prices over next few months are likely to be as low as they get, come early spring and an upsurge in interest and prices will no doubt rise again as is the usually seasonal trend.
Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 28/9/2022
Welcome to UKCS. We met someone in Canada driving a PVC from east to west coast having shipped from UK, heading to Australia.
As far as I know, European makes have the hab door on their pavement side, but someone will correct me if I’m wrong.
The other thing is that you will probably pay more than pre Covid because everyone wanted to staycation. Much discussion about how people are selling their MHs for more than they paid for them several years ago. (One exactly like one we part exchanged for £6K in 2018 is now for sale at £15K.) With waiting lists for a new one now stretching to almost a year, second hand ones sell quickly.
Thanks Fiona. I thought I had seen the odd continental MH that had the door on the passenger side but maybe I’m wrong. I have looked at sooo many. Things are same here re overpriced and long wait to buy new ones.
Quote: Originally posted by MrWez on 28/9/2022
All British manufactured motorhomes have the habitation door, we have owned MHs manufactured by Swift, Bessecar (Swift Group), Tribute (Autotrail Group) and Bailey, all have had the hab door on the LHS.
It might be worth Googling British MH manufacturers then doing an image search against that manufacturers products.
Our previous MH would appear to fit your criteria, it was a Bailey Autograph Approach 745, under 7.5m, under 3500kg, fixed bed (French style), hab door on the passenger side.
Thankyou MrWez, I’ve googled and YouTubed till my eyes are cross eyed. I’m trying to get a list of suitable motorhomes when I arrive, as I know iI mightn’t get my first choice. I have looked at a few of the Bailey’s. In that 745 model only 371 kg payload. But I will put on my short list. I really liked the Autograph 79-4I but over my weight allowance.
This is NOT a definitive list of ALL MHs, but more a catalogue of some on the market, but it's a start in the right direction for your needs like habitation door side.
Use some of the other search/filtering options to explore the market place.
As others have said, your timing to purchase is about as bad as it could be, demand is outstripping supply of just about everything camping related in UK, so prices are 'artificially' high (and selling well at those inflated prices!). Most of us could sell our units for the same or more than we paid for them several years ago! Were now coming to end of UK camping season, but it never really stops completely, and prices over next few months are likely to be as low as they get, come early spring and an upsurge in interest and prices will no doubt rise again as is the usually seasonal trend.
Good luck.
Thanks Monty, great website. Yes agree prices are high but we are prepared for that. No way around it unfortunately. I was thinking things surely have to start getting more back to “normal” soon. What with the way the economy is (everywhere in the world) and petrol prices so high, maybe it will make people consider selling up and others thinking twice about buying, hence hoping prices will be more stable by the time we are ready in late Jan/early Feb.
Quote: Originally posted by billy on 28/9/2022
Most motorhomes that are 3.5tonnes gross weight with very low payload can be weight upgraded with no modification so once you have vehicle in Oz it could be upgraded to carry a higher payload.
So you would be ok to buy a UK built motorhome with near side door 3.5tonnes gross which you could legally drive in UK & then upgrade it once you got it home. You would need to do a bit of research the spec of the European built but UK spec base vehicle compared with same makes sold in Oz.
Thanks Billy. We tow a large heavy caravan in Aust and we have trouble keeping to the 3500 kgs total as it has a slide out and hubby is a gadget fiend so it is upgraded to the max. We’ve even added a dishwasher and a fireplace in it. So I know we’ll need every kilo we can get. Hence why it would have been good to be able to drive straight away with the upgrade. I think I would get it upgraded in UK right before shipping it to Aus.
Quote: Originally posted by George-Mildred on 28/9/2022
Hi, have you had a look at this website - moho layouts
This shows where the hab door is and inside layout.
You say it needs to be same belts to berths, which with some UK made vans you won't get - our Autotrail FB is a 4 berth with just the 2 front seats and a side washroom, which would suit you. Elddis will have what they call Aguti seats under the front benches that can be used for extra passengers.
I think you'd need a 4 berth if you are planning on living and touring in it for 12 month, a 2 berth would be too small IMO.
Yes great website, thankyou George-Mildred. We definitely like the Auto-trail. Just unsure about the narrowness of the French Bed at the end. Do you find it a problem? It will just depend on what is available at the time when I get there. I’d prefer not to muck around and have go to 10 different dealers. Which is why I want to narrow it down to a very few and take the best I can get out of those.
We are used to the bed, neither of is overly tall or wide and we fit in ok (even room for the dog at times!) whoever is nearest the window can easily shuffle out the bottom of the bed if they need to get up in the night.
Making them with sheets and duvet can be a bit of a faff compared to an island bed as it's fiddly trying to lift the mattress to tuck in a duvet down the window side, but you cant have everything.
Just make sure anything you look at has all the relevant servicing history and hab checks for the dreaded damp.
Quote: Just unsure about the narrowness of the French Bed at the end. Do you find it a problem?
Our previous Bailey had a French bed, I'm 6ft, the Wonderful Mrs Wez is 5ft 2in, it wasn't a problem for sleeping as I slept on the long side and she on the short, it was however, a problem if I had to get up in the night to answer a call of nature. No matter how careful I tried to be, I inevitably woke the Wonderful Mrs Wez up as I cambered over her.
For that reason, our current MH has an island bed.
Quote: Just unsure about the narrowness of the French Bed at the end. Do you find it a problem?
Our previous Bailey had a French bed, I'm 6ft, the Wonderful Mrs Wez is 5ft 2in, it wasn't a problem for sleeping as I slept on the long side and she on the short, it was however, a problem if I had to get up in the night to answer a call of nature. No matter how careful I tried to be, I inevitably woke the Wonderful Mrs Wez up as I cambered over her.
For that reason, our current MH has an island bed.
Apart from legs hanging over the bed, that’s exactly why we have concerns about climbing over each other. I’m a light sleeper as it is, and if hubby has to get up I for sure will wake up. 🤨. But when the time comes to buy, we might’t have much choice.
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Topic: habitation doors on passenger side?
via mobile 28/9/2022 at 1:46am
