Another newbie

[rooftop]

hi all , we have just sold the caravan and are now viewing motorhomes. Oh what fun. We had the caravan from new 2018.
its all a bit daunting , were viewing various models based on the Fiat chassis cab which seems to be the commonest base vehicle,.
lots dont seem to have done any milage or very little but have had afew owners is this normal , were looking at 2008 onwards , any advice is welcome
thanks Andrew.
And happy travels.

 

[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[David and Sally]

 

[ambulancekidd]

 

[scousebird]

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[gus-lopez]

 

[Go_buddy_go_]

 

[Spriddler]

Welcome.
Several owners and low mileage isn't unusual.
Even though you've had a caravan you might find this useful..........

The Motorhome Buyer's Guide

Download our Free Motorhome Buyer's Guide packed with essential tips, checklists, and expert advice. Distilled wisdom from 60,000 members

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[DBK]

Low mileage is typical, the average MH in the UK probably only does a thousand miles or so a year. Most stay in the UK, only a minority cross the Channel and rack up the miles driving to say Spain or even beyond.

But as a generality, high mileage but newer is better than low mileage and older.

Somewhere on here is a guide to buying a MH which will be well worth reading. Edit: thanks Spriddler

And welcome!

 

[Lee Fryer]

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PlacidoD]

Andrew,

A good time to buy! I have only superficial knowledge of the Ducato Chassis and engines. So I will stick to what I do know! The Mk 7 Ford Transit is a decent chassis and engine. That was current from late 2006 to (from memory) 2014 ish (I am enjoying the sun in Southport atm but can post a link when home tomorrow)

Engine is pretty much bomb proof. The Mk 8 is Euro 6 but has a reputation for problems (Failing injectors and wet belts) So unless buying new and thus with a long warranty I would stick with the Mk 7. Mine is a 5 speed box and has bags of torque. Ford moved to a 6 speed box about 2010/2011.

The Transit has a much softer car like ride than the Ducato. Spares and repairers are plentiful. I get the impression that accredited repairers is becoming problematic for the Ducato in some areas but others will know better than me.

Annual mileage can be quite low compared to cars and several owners might spell trouble but might just be that people changed their mind about layout and so traded in and moved on or maybe just did not like the life and sold up!

Moving on from a caravan you probably have a pretty good idea about preferred layout!

Hope that helps just a little?

 

[cliffanger]

And

As others have said, low mileage and high change of ownership is nothing out of the ordinary.

Our first Hymer was 5 years old, hardly run in but we were its third owners.

Happy searching!

 

[fishplug]

Hi Andrew and welcome.

Can't really offer much advice as I'm more of a builder than a buyer (starting my third PVC at the moment) but what I've found very helpful are motorhome shows such as the big one at the NEC (I think Feb time?).

Gives you a good chance to go and have a nose around the different layouts and features that you might want, and to speak to various vendors about accessories etc.

I've been to a few over the years as there's always something new, or an upgrade to something or vendors you'd not heard of before....

My best advice is to get yourself into as many different motorhomes as you can before you part with your money, get a good feel for the living space and be honest with yourself about how you're going to want to prioritise your inevitable compromises.

For example, my last van conversion had a fixed double bed because we don't want to make the bed up before going to sleep.

However, that really restricted the available seating space. The new van sacrifices overhead storage (where we ended up putting junk just because there was space for junk) so that the bed lowers down from the ceiling onto what are two bench seats at the back.

Well, it will once I build it!

Having nowhere to sit, or having to lounge on the bed on a wet day was just miserable.

 

[Mohawk Mo]

 

[AliciaBN]

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PlacidoD]

As promised - a bit of a trip down memory lane - this will give you a quick visual on a Mk 7 and Mk 8 Ford Transit:

Ford Transit Van History

50+ Years of The Ford Transit Van: A Look at Every Model From the Mk1 to the current Mk8 (with Pictures)

van-glass.co.uk

and a bit of a review of a Mk 7 van:

Ford Transit 2.2TDCi 140hp Cab-in-Van - What Van?

When times are tough everybody needs to save cash. So why run a family car and a van as well when you don’t need to? What you can do instead is get rid of them both and acquire just one vehicle with a second row of seats and a cargo area at the back. That way, you can transport your family about...

www.whatvan.co.uk

 

[Brize]

Hi Andrew, welcome.

It's a buyer's market at the moment, so take your time and drive a bargain. Three main reasons - a lot of people who normally went on package holidays bought motorhomes after covid, and those vehicles are being sold off as people now return to package holidays. Secondly, because of this increased demand after covid manufacturers increased production, so there is now a glut as demand has dropped, and thirdly economic uncertainty after the general election. All of this has also trickled down into the secondhand market.

The advice you will hear a lot is, decide first the layout you want. After that, decide how you want to use it - like a caravan staying at one place for longer (maybe a larger moho), or one to nip about and take out for the day (smaller moho).

A lot of people will tell you that it takes to your third motorhome to get it right!

Take your time, be careful of scams, look at guarantees and warranties, and ask if you need any help.

Good luck.