Another Newbie, looking for Advice...

[QuantumX]

Hello..

My Name is Lee, and i'm a first time motorhome buyer

I've been looking around now for about 12 weeks to see what is out there and what i can get for my money, what i'm looking at from this post is just some general advice and people previous experience.

I've been looking at standard coach built, A Class and American RV's, my price range is about £17k to £25k, while i could afford slightly more I don't really want to bust the bank unless its really worth it.

After looking around visiting a few dealers and spending too much time on autotrader and ebay, i think i have set upon the following requirements.

• 4 to 6 birth mainly for just myself and wife but we like space.
• A rear lounge area that we can use and relax in when weather is not the best especially for winter use, or when we just want to chill. I think a rear lounge gives a little more comfort, for reading or some TV etc (in my head anyway)
• Not too bad on the fuel, less than 20 mpg is really not for me.
• Have either a garage or enough capacity to put a moped or small motorbike on the back as we are motor bikers as well.
• We are looking to use a lot at weekends mainly for Friday to Sunday type trips, all year round if possible, with longer trips in the better spring / summer months. UK Only really.
• Enough space for my one dog to move around. (Malamute so he ain't small)

What I have found based on the above:

• American RV gave me the space I need, but MPG is awful, and the wife ain't happy about learning to drive something that big. Even the smaller RV's tend to have better space than the largest euros in my price range.
• A Class, seem very nice but i cannot find a configuration that meets my needs. Love the big windows but from ones in my price range they don't have a suitable sitting area. Also many seem to come with a nice garage. Think if i could find one with a nice sitting area i would be sold.
• Coach built, seem to have the required lounge options, but space elsewhere in van can be cramped, lots of options so not sure what best makes are for used vans etc, thinking overhead cab would be good for extra sleeping space if going 6 birth.

For purchase I'm leaning toward a dealer for my first buy purely for some piece of mind as i'm not really comfortable with a private buy with that sort of money as there is not real protection against fraud etc.

So this is where I am atm, and was hoping to get advice and others prior experience, because atm my mind is boggled with choice and decisions...

Anyway thanks for taking the time to read...

 

[RedFrame]

We spent quite a bit of time considering both day and night time "footfall" and ensuring that our lifestyle when "away from home" would be accommodated by the layout, don't know if we got it right yet as we've only owned it for 3 weeks...

In our LIMITED experience the first thing to ask a dealer for (after poking around with your damp meter) is a recent weighbridge certificate, including individual axles, for the vehicle and for them to show you the V5, which will show you the current, permissible, weights for the vehicle...

We were lucky, our dealer (St Andrews Motorhomes) agreed to pickup the cost, but if your dealer isn't so cool and you needed a Rear AlCo Torsion bar replacement to carry your Scooter, you'd be looking at a lot of Groats to put right.

Cheers
Chris, Bannock and Red

 

[QuantumX]

Thanks RedFlame, I have my Damp Meter from amazon that when i tested on some samples around house, outside etc seems to be working well. Likely not super accurate but usable. used it around all the motorhomes i viewed last weekend. Felt like i was secret squirrel

Also I agree with thinking about day and night usage, as such we have slightly changed out outlook on layout to include fixed beds with nice comfy middle lounges, things like the Auto-Trail Cheyenne 840 etc, as well as the usual U Lounge, but these tend to be larger vehicles, but i do like this, married for 20 years we prize space over a lot of other things even for just two of us.

As for the weighbridge have to say have not been asking about that as not really struck up a negotiation on anything yet, usually just checking the weight badge under the bonnets at this stage, but definite good advice for when looking at something i want to buy.

For my motorbike i currently ride a Triumph ST 1050, which i have had for many years and traveled all over Europe on. So whatever i get it will be using a separate bike trailer, maybe a side loader one, or go whole hog and get a small box trailer

Anyway i shall continue to document my Journey here, ask my questions for you all and maybe in a few months this thread may help another newbie like myself.

 

[EX51SSS]

 

[ymfb]

We visited

• West Country Motorhomes (Swindon)
• Webbs at Warminster
• Dolphin Motorhomes (Christchurch)
• Three Counties Motorhomes (Poole)
• Marquis Poole

Marquis and Webb’s I’m sure you can see their stock on line but there’s nothing quite like a real visit. I think it’s just pot luck as to you finding THE ONE. But that’s half the FUN.

If you get far enough east South Down near Portsmouth usually have a large stock.

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[peterc10]

If you get far enough east South Down near Portsmouth usually have a large stock.

They do, but not much, if any, in the OP's price range I suspect.

 

[lawry]

Thanks RedFlame, I have my Damp Meter from amazon that when i tested on some samples around house, outside etc seems to be working well. Likely not super accurate but usable. used it around all the motorhomes i viewed last weekend. Felt like i was secret squirrel

Also I agree with thinking about day and night usage, as such we have slightly changed out outlook on layout to include fixed beds with nice comfy middle lounges, things like the Auto-Trail Cheyenne 840 etc, as well as the usual U Lounge, but these tend to be larger vehicles, but i do like this, married for 20 years we prize space over a lot of other things even for just two of us.

As for the weighbridge have to say have not been asking about that as not really struck up a negotiation on anything yet, usually just checking the weight badge under the bonnets at this stage, but definite good advice for when looking at something i want to buy.

For my motorbike i currently ride a Triumph ST 1050, which i have had for many years and traveled all over Europe on. So whatever i get it will be using a separate bike trailer, maybe a side loader one, or go whole hog and get a small box trailer

Anyway i shall continue to document my Journey here, ask my questions for you all and maybe in a few months this thread may help another newbie like myself.

We have the Cheyenne 840 2007 with centre single beds so if you decide on that model give us a shout We Love It !

 

[QuantumX]

Lawry, thanks for that atm this is one of the ones i really like, going to view them tomorrow (2007 ones as well), but @32k sticker price couple of k more than i want to pay but hopefully with a bit of negotiation

How do you find it to drive, with its length etc, we like it because it seems to have a nice comfy living area, plus fixed beds and nice bathroom, but at 8.5m long its a beast. Whats it like to live with? Whats your top say 5 things you like most and what annoys you about it?

 

[duffs]

Congratulations on your new baby, so exciting now go and enjoy x

 

[mitzimad]

checking the plate under the bonnet is not accurate as that is usually the manufacturers plate there is often another plate or sticker put on by the convertor in some cases this can be lower than the manufaturers plate in some higher

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[lawry]

Being twin axle the overhang is not too bad(no problem even with a tow car) however as with most MH,s take care We have 2 golden retrievers so having the space and a separate bedroom is a godsend And on a personal note no making up of beds when getting home from the pub so dont miss our previous u lounge swift
The drive is brilliant 21mpg-24mpg at best(24000 on clock) plenty of power if req
top likes
1.space
2.rear bathroom
3.even when full up cannot get above 4800(and i mean she takes everything)The cupboard space and lockers are plenty
4 so quiet at anything under 75mph(hasten to add dont normally go over 60 mph due to tow car in uk)We do not take tow car abroad
5.Large lounge
Dislikes
1.Used to do own repairs as I had an MOT garage but now all a bit too big now retired so have to pay out. Grrrrr
2.Although Class 4 MOT the size limits choice of stations big enough (took me a while locally to find a good one)
3.Standard entertainment system crap but dont use much
4.Lack of somewhere to put drinks etc in lounge if sitting up front end but got round by fitting boom table system £100
5.the manual states carries 2 x 13kg or 6kg gas bottles It will not take 2 x13 so have one of each

I know there are plenty of motorhomes out there and it took us a long time to find the right one for us personally. We love this one so much we moved house to get a drive large enough !

 

[QuantumX]

checking the plate under the bonnet is not accurate as that is usually the manufacturers plate there is often another plate or sticker put on by the convertor in some cases this can be lower than the manufaturers plate in some higher

Mitzimad, yea i have worked that out, all i have looked at so far have had at least two plates under the bonnet, one for the van one and one by the conversion company, plus a few i saw seemed to have a third where they had been uprated, if i'm reading them correctly. Using Jim Buyers Guide as my guide...

 

[QuantumX]

Being twin axle the overhang is not too bad(no problem even with a tow car) however as with most MH,s take care We have 2 golden retrievers so having the space and a separate bedroom is a godsend And on a personal note no making up of beds when getting home from the pub so dont miss our previous u lounge swift
The drive is brilliant 21mpg-24mpg at best(24000 on clock) plenty of power if req

Lawry, such a useful post and seems you have the same requirements as me, dog space (malamute) towing (though bike for me), space and comfy lounge.. Parking not really as issue for me as i have 4 acres of ground around the house (advantage of living on top of mountain on our own)

ATM i have to say its by far my favorite, i have found 2 for sale at the 32k mark but quite a way from me (btw i'm in Pontypool so not far from you ). If i do get one you may find me asking many questions

Anything i should look for when looking at the 840 to buy that you found needed work after buying...

 

[QuantumX]

So... got two Auto-Trail Cheyenne 840s to view this weekend.

And on that note just popped to a local dealer to have a look at a 2007 AutoCruise Starblazer 3.0 ltr 6 speed 29,000 miles, was a very clean Van and the wife likes the layout alot with the large comfy sofa area, and i was say smallish transverse double bed.. Damp meter checks seems all good, underneath all good, and all documents present and accounted for. Checked the V5 and it said unladen weigh is 3185, and the weight plate was 4005 max with front axle at 2100 and back at 2400. so should have plenty of weight for us and our crap. and with bike towed it would not be a problem.

Though funniest part was window sticker was 29995, website said 28995 and Ebay advert had it at 27995. this and the Cheyenne are def where i'm heading atm. Though pretty sure once i see the Cheyenne in the flesh so to speak I have a gut feeling i'm gonna like it cos its BIG LOL....

 

[RedFrame]

Just an idea, you can check the MOT history on the .GOV website, might give you a little bit more background info.

Cheers
Red.

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[QuantumX]

Just an idea, you can check the MOT history on the .GOV website, might give you a little bit more background info.

Cheers
Red.

Great Minds think alike... did that with the one i viewed today, got all the MOTS and locations and advisories.. on the Starblazer only ever one fail to sort break alignment, was fixed then passed MOT a few days later also mileage on MOTs checks up.. But yes such a useful tool. Gonna go check the Cheyennes now...

 

[gus-lopez]

 

[QuantumX]

So an update on my ongoing search...

As said earlier in these forums the more we look at the more our needs become refined, while originally i was set on a U lounge for winter evenings, i had found many larger motorhomes have nice center long seating areas with nice fixed beds. And the more we look the more the wife is liking the idea of some fixed bed/s. We looked at around 40 motorhomes last week =, and they all seem to be blending into one...

We really like the Auto-Trail Cheyenne 840 models (single beds or island bed) but not too may of them around in our price range and the two we went to see were not really to scratch, one at STJ in Reading which was dirty in a field and just not well presented so making me not want to buy from there. Then looked at one in Dolphin Motrohomes and this was really nice BUT above the hab door there was a leak, which they said they had noted on its part exchange and would be fixed but this really put me off... So the looking continues...

So this weekend or next week hoping to continue the search and online and to look at a couple of Burstner Elegance 821's and Maybe some Frankia A Classes older ones at 2004 to 2006 but i'm a little put off on the A Class as you seem to spend more on older versions plus things like Windscreen damage, though i know they are suppose to be very well built and therefore hold value better, so maybe just all in my head....

Oh and anybody used Motorhome Depot as brokers to buying here? Some vehicles on their website I would like to see but not sure about them...

 

[lawry]

Seen this but trade??????
Cant say with motorhome depot apart from that when i was looking I didnt like the set up Seems like probably purple bricks for houses

 

[peterc10]

So this weekend or next week hoping to continue the search and online and to look at a couple of Burstner Elegance 821's and Maybe some Frankia A Classes older ones at 2004 to 2006 but i'm a little put off on the A Class as you seem to spend more on older versions plus things like Windscreen damage, though i know they are suppose to be very well built and therefore hold value better, so maybe just all in my head....

Now this is just an opinion but I would opt for the A classes and widen your search to other makes as well. One of the advantages is the big windscreen; much better view of the road and scenery, compared with the letter box you get to look through with a C class. Much easier to manoeuvre the front in tight spaces when you know you have little or no bonnet to worry about. And any damage is covered on your insurance anyway, with no loss of no claims bonus. The only thing to just be careful with is the wing mirrors, especially the coach type drop down ones that the modern A classes have. They can cost a lot of money to replace, but the good news is that they are higher than car and white van man's mirrors so they do not usually clash.

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[QuantumX]

Seen this but trade??????
Cant say with motorhome depot apart from that when i was looking I didnt like the set up Seems like probably purple bricks for houses

Yea saw that one, might look more at it. Also a couple of dealers I went to have them coming in in Nov as part exchange...

Now this is just an opinion but I would opt for the A classes and widen your search to other makes as well. One of the advantages is the big windscreen; much better view of the road and scenery, compared the letter box you get to look through with a C class. Much easier to manoeuvre the front in tight spaces when you know you have little or no bonnet to worry about. And any damage is covered on your insurance anyway, with no loss of no claims bonus. The only thing to just be careful with is the wing mirrors, especially the coach type drop down ones that the modern A classes have. They can cost a lot of money to replace, but the good news is that they are higher than car and white van man's mirrors so they do not usually clash.

Thanks for that, it good info, perhaps i'm just a little paranoid.. But yea seen some nice A Class ones... Gonna have another weekend / week of looking around i think..

 

[QuantumX]

So, finally did it.. After going through loads of various layouts, choosing a layout then changing our minds again, we must have physically looked at 70+ vans and driven around 700+ miles the last few weeks. But yesterday we finally put a deposit on a van..

We bought a 2012 Bailey Approach 740SE in the end, while its 3500kg weight was a little worrying so payload was a little small the layout and the large sofas in the middle of coupled with a fixed bed and really nice washroom and separate shower really sold the boss and plenty of floor space for our Malamute to lie about, and an instant "I really like this" when the boss sat down inside at initial viewing..

So a test drive later and some negotiating using advice from Jim Buyers guide i managed to secure what i think was a good deal plus some extras so now pick up on the 16th Nov..

My plan is to use the Van as it for winter, and get it booked in early new year to get it uprated as it seems I can go to 3850 as paper exercise or maybe (4100 which would likely be far more than i need) with some physical changes according to SVTech, but they need more details to be certain. And the saving I made on sticker price will more than cover this.. Though still need to sort a tow hitch...

So now the boss is shopping for stuff to go in it and soon the adventures can begin... The advice here has been really useful and helped me loads.. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread..

I will update once i have the van cant wait!!!

 

[QuantumX]

Hello finally picking up own new Van in the morning. My wife has been buying all the bits and bobs to go in it so we can leave it ready to go

But one question atm I paid my deposit via debit card and have the pay balance tomorrow, should I ask them to pay some of the balance on my Credit Cars to get CC protection? If so how much would I need to pay and would a dealer usually be ok with this?

 

[peterc10]

Hello finally picking up own new Van in the morning. My wife has been buying all the bits and bobs to go in it so we can leave it ready to go

But one question atm I paid my deposit via debit card and have the pay balance tomorrow, should I ask them to pay some of the balance on my Credit Cars to get CC protection? If so how much would I need to pay and would a dealer usually be ok with this?

Protection under the Credit Act only applies if the total value of the sale is less than £30,000.

 

[QuantumX]

Oh well the cost is slightly over that... Learn something new everyday...

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[Peter and Julie]

Looks like a great van! Have a great first run and keep updating. Remember this isn't a cheap hobby when first starting as I have just started too.

 

[duffs]

Enjoy your new adventures