We have been looking around at motorhomes - they are obviously more expensive from the likes of dealers and so have been looking on ebay - whats the does and donts and has anyone bought one from ebay and apart from obviously viewing it how do you ensure the purchase is safe. I would be gettign a hpi check done but other than that where can you go wrong? Also i saw one on ebay we were intending on going to view this week but other hals has just pointed out to me that depsite lookig tidy the awning is on the wrong side - whats that all about then?
Awning on the wrong side probably means it's a leftie.
This ,of it's self is not a problem unless you stop on the roadside in UK and want to use the habitation door.
Ours is a Hymer leftie and we have enjoyed the van for over five years now and the 'wrong handedness' hasn't been a problem. A leftie will be cheaper to buy and ours has posed no problems with spares etc. Almost all German vans are based on the Ducato in 1.9 to 2.8td engines and these vans are thick on the ground as Fiat, Citroen and Pugeot.
The one thing I would look for, having just changed it on ours, is the condition of the front crossmember under the radiator on any Ducato type van. About £60 for the part and three hours to change, so not bad and you could use it as a bargaining point if you see corrosion.
If you're spending a lot of money then you must check hpi and the like and a recent van should have habitation test paperwork for gas safety, damp ingress and the like.
Happy hunting!
Harold & Roseann Windle
------------- The smile you send out is returned a thousand times...
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No, it's not a left-hand drive one, but it clearly DOES have the habitation door on the left hand side.
We've had those for quite a few years now and no problem with it at all. We use it in the UK and abroad.
One thing I would say, which I always do, is: CHECK PAYLOAD!! No mention is made in the advert of what the unladen weight or maximum payload is, which is very important.
Do a search on Google for the vehicle, and you'll probably find a few links for it, including what the payload is.
Ours also has left hand side habitation door but is right hand drive - never caused us any problems. As Ina says payload is important as ours is classes as 5/6 berth but you would not be able to carry items needed for this mumber. We've been looking to change our MH but have not found anything with the amount of storage we have in the present one without having a fixed bed.
One of the main checks you need is water ingress as this can be a very costly repair if needed.
------------- Jean
Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
ooo i never considered payload, i thought his was only about towing vehicles. There would only ever be 4 of us, clothes 4 bikes etc.. luxurious recliners lol. We hired last year and the guy never sasid anyhting about what we could load it to the hilt with.
Well, that just proves the point, a lot of dealers don't mention anything about payload, indeed, when we have been looking for a new van and queried what the payload is, a lot of them didn't even know!! An overloaded vehicle can become a very dangerous one. A lot of people think they can just throw anything in the van without a problem.
There are only 2 of us, and the stuff we take when we go away for a fortnight, such as 2 bikes, clothes, food, books, not to mention things you take for granted like pans, cutlery, plates, kettle, soon add up to a lot more than you imagine. For 4 people of course, ie the 4 bikes you mention, plus 4 people's worth of clothes, food etc, would add up to even more.
And don't forget that the weight of passengers is not included in the basic unladen weight of any motorhome, only the driver's weight, so you need to add the weight of the other 3 before you even start on the other items.
It is a real minefield, but one to be aware of, as you don't want to find all this out after you've spent your hard-earned cash.
really? surely it must take some oveloading to take such an outfit over .... best get weighing my undergarments - lucky we are a slim built family!
Mishy..it really IS easy to overload a motorhome chassis..!
I know when I first switched to Mhs,I used to think "..but these things were built to lug loads of sand and paving slabs about..?!.."
...but you've got to bear in mind that,even with just an "empty" MH body, most are not that far short of their GVW anyway...
..and it's not just the "over all" weight you need to consider but also the axle loadings because even if the vehicle is within its "gross weight",it's not unusual for one of the axles to be overloaded(usually the rear!).
A good many(but not all) MHs that that you'll see trundling around,with their long rear overhangs and with bikes,storage boxes or maybe a scooter lashed to the back,have never been near a weighbridge...
Our current van (4 berth,low profile)had been re-plated to 3850kg GVW(originally sold as 3500kg) and when loaded in "going away mod",with food,clothes,lightweight porch awning(but no bikes or scooter etc)we weigh-in at well over 3600kg and that's just with two of us!..
Also remember accessories like windout awnings or rear towbars/bumpers etc although very handy,can play havoc with a payload...
Edit:Sorry Mishy,only just checked out your link.On the face of it,if it all checks out(clean history,HPI,habitaion & damp checks etc),that looks a pretty good price for a van of that age..
(..I've seen dealers asking a lot more that that,for some right,moldy old '80s tat!)
We loaded ours with all the essentials for a weeks holiday including full tank of fuel, bikes, food, outdoor chairs and table, personal belongings and, of course us, and had it weighed at a weighbridge. We also had the front and rear axles weighed separately too.
------------- Jean
Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
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: Buying advice definitive list,,,,,,
) MHs that that you'll see trundling around,with their long rear overhangs and with bikes,storage boxes or maybe a scooter lashed to the back,have never been near a weighbridge...
