We are looking to buy our first motorhome and there are so many models can anyone please help. We would like a seperate shower cubicle and two or four berth. I think maybe a lounge at one end that converts to a bed. We will be taking our medium sized dog and thought we may need an external type of enclosed awning for him to sleep in. We are looking to spend between £20k to £30k for either used or new. We will probably use the van a fair amount as we have retired early. I know this may be asking a lot but you will all have more experience than us. Thankyou.
Hi and welcome. The best thing to do is visit a showroom and have a good look at the different layouts, take a note of what makes and models you prefer then research spec and prices on the net, grab a many brochures as you can too.. It will take time but its a big commitment so don't rush your decision Good luck !
Good advice from Tiggarsmum,take your time and visit some dealership,or keep going back to visit the same dealers and spend time sitting in a few Motorhomes.
Have a look at some fixed bed layouts too,making a bed up every night does not suit everyone and some(like us) end up changing to a Motorhome with a fixed bed!
Look at what storage space is available in any Motorhome you are looking at,you do tend to cart a fair amount of gear around with you,especially in summer (loungers,tables,BBQ,beer,wine!).
Think about where you will store it,if you are keeping it at home think about what available space you have.
Buy some Motorhome magazines,MMM and Practical Motorhome and get a feel for what Motorhoming is about and what to expect when you finally buy a Motorhome.
Always ask lots of questions,people on here will be pleased to give you advice and help!
Basically do as much homework as you can and think about what layout would suit you and take it from there.
Hi and welcome to ukcs the best forum on the net for anything on camping, a good sorce of information for motorhomes is the MMM magazine .all the dealers are listed in there, from any good newsagents or wh smiths. hope you find what suits you, enloy youselves and take your time before you choose one ,
I thinkwith 20-30k you have a good budget to get what your after.
If there is only two of you then the following might be usefull.
A low profile with a fixed end bedroom and a seperate diner with swivel front seats where the dog can sleep.
Low prfofile means more MPG.
If your getting one get at least a 2.3 engine. preferably a 2.8 will giveyou more power.
The problem with the money you have will be that you have plenty of different sorts available.
Think about what you want to do with it? Do you want to tour europe, spend just weekends away? This will effect what you need in the way of storage space. Do you want a coachbuilt or an a class? this will effect how far your money goes.
Also think about payload, and extras you can get. A wind out awning is always useful for those summer nights. You may fancy a bit of sat tv to keep watching corrie whilst away. How are you gonna get around when parked? will you have a bike rack? or do you intend on towing a car? scooter?
I thnk teh problem with a first motorhome is that you spend all your time wishing you would of had this and that in it when you brought it.
Good luck what ever you buy, and I am sure others will be around with what I forgot.
One further bit of advice if you are confident is that as delroy says go to a dealer, look at what he has, find one you want and then look for one with all that you wish for privately and you can save your self shedloads.
We have just spent a year looking around dealers ,going to shows, read every magazine from cover to cover and are still none the wiser although we have just purchased our first van privately, which we collect in feb.
We also have a dog and are early retirers our initial forays lead us to the autotrail cheyanne 635 seemed like the best thing since sliced bread great for lounging but no garage nor fixed bed, what do you do with ben after a muddy wet walk also when i sit in driving seat of a low profile i have restricted front vision due to my height 6.0ft
So we decided that a garage was a must for storage and dog after a walk which meant fixed bed above, it must have a decent payload ,we decided that dinette wasnt for us to regimented plus we wanted swivel seats that revolved without obstruction for your legs(get in the van and try to get comfy)its not always sunny,can you watch the tv without neckache.Iget in some vans and am immediately comfy and relaxed others no way .
Its true you willl never know what suits you until you try it which is why i suggest buying used and if you have made a mistake or then know what suits you trade in then at least you wont loose so much depreciation
we have owned different types of motorhomes for over 20yrs now.
hit is very hard work looking and choosing witch van to buy .
we have just spent over a month looking nearly every day . making our mind up is the worst ,
i never take with me my bank card or cheque book and please don't sign any type of contract .ie subject to ..
this way you go back and back again and get a better deal .keep asking for more off .you should also get a starting discount if no px ..could get say 10% .we have just got a cracking deal on a new 08 .extras +discount. cant Waite for march to come...
------------- do it to day it might be too late tomorow
We live just up the road from you in Washington. The places we visited were Tyne Valley Motorhomes, Burnopfield, near to the Metro Centre. Brownhills, Birtley. Harringtons, formally Tyneside Caravans at Birtley have a limited stock in at the moment, I think that the dealers at Darlington on the A68 just off the A1 is also part of Harringtons and another dealer next to Teeside Airport, but I can't remember the name. We also visited York Show and viewed numerous new and second hand models.
It took almost 12mths to pluck up the courage and part with a large, to me anyway, sum of money. In the end we bought new from Brownhills at a price well within your budget and at £1000 less than an identical second hand one at the York Show.
Regardless of all the doom and gloom stories that you will read, Brownhills have been good to deal with to date. It is also based on a Peugeot Boxer which did have water getting on to the engine but took it to Robins & Day, Peugeot Dealer at Gateshead, and they rectified the problem straight away. I have had better service from them than the main dealer of any other new vehicle that I have owned.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Help on buying first motorhome
Good luck !
