Make sure even if you are buying private or from a dealership that it has a full habitation check before you buy. The mechanics, engine, gearbox etc same checks as you would do if buying a car. Also there is nearly always someone local that will have had a motorhome for a few years who would probably go with you to check it out. Motorhomers tend to be a friendly bunch.
As with most things, a maintenance record (both the vehicle and importantly the habitation area) will demonstrate it has been looked after.
the major issue for motorhomes is water ingress (damp) but repairs can be carried out - so the habitation check is a 'must', for either a private or commercial purchase.
dont be too put off by horror stories, there are horror stories from washing machines to motorhomes - you only ever hear the bad side, very rarely the good side of things. so long as you do your homework and have all the relative checks AND have paperwork to back it all up then you should be ok.
in terms of everything else, it comes down to layout, layout and layout !!! you might not get it right first time around but dont panic, if you have bought well, you should be able to sell well !!
Check they own it, so many scammers about.
Damp, damp and damp again!
Make sure you can sit on the toilet and stand in the shower comfortably..
We had a fixed bed, our MH was 7.5 metres.
Go for a ride in it.
Use your nose for any unusual smells.
When we bought ours, the guy made us tea in it and put the TV and heating on
He then left us in it for half an hour and we had a good old nosey round, under beds, in cupboards and wardrobes looking for the dreaded damp.
We laid on the bed to make sure that was comfy, it wasn't, but we did buy own own custom made sprung mattress as we lived and toured the country in ours for a year.
The guy had soooooo much paperwork for it.
He was really genuine.
Mechanically OH checked it out....
The owner had a hab test done, and a gas safe check done on it. We had an on board water tank and a grey waste tank, plus LPG, loads cheaper than gas bottles.
Plus it was extremely well insulated as we found out when we got caught up in Cornwall the other year in the beast from the east.
hi mark thanks for that the motorhomes ive seen are a lot of money to what we have in our caravan baily brinini 2018 fix bed to get a goood motorhome with a fix bed your talking £40.ooo to 50.00o that is a lot of money cheers .tom
we have recently bought a Bailey autograph 2015 for well under 40k - so you dont need to spend as much as you think !!
as i mentioned previously, its all down to layout, layout and layout.
some older motorhomes are bit less 'posh' than newer ones, but they often have very similar layouts and its not difficult to spot the ones that have been well looked after - you could pick up a fixed bed 2004-2008 ish for around 20k (poss even less) as with all things leisure, the prices will start to rise now and then fall again after the summer.
Quote: Originally posted by MITIE1 on 05/3/2020
hi thanks for that ive had a caravan for 22 years not the same one but i fancy a change im comming up to 76 years young cheers .tom
Hi..
As you're an experienced caravanner(and motorist), you'll be well aware of checking things like service records for base vehicle, habitation services, and checking for damp etc..
So I'd just say make really sure that actually using a motorhome will be for you(over using a caravan)and that a lack of a car on site would not be an issue? (we tended to use 'sites that were walkable or bus-able)from where we wanted to visit).
Also probably best try not to directly compare MHs and caravans on a like-for-like basis..because they are "different" (and you would probably need a huge motorhome to equal what a caravan will give you).
Depending on what you're used to lugging about, it would be worth checking up what the usable payload is, as a good many coach-built MHs risk being overloaded (or their rear axle exceeds it's limit) when fully loaded with going away clobber.
So worth checking even if you think you travel fairly light.
("extras" like wind-out canopies, tow-bars/bumpers,roof air con/sat dishes etc will all have to be deducted from any "brochure" payload figures that a salesman quotes from..)
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: motorhome do`s and don`ts
via mobile 05/3/2020 at 5:07pm
