First Motor Home - New or Used

[Scubadude59]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

 

[Tony50]

I agree .

Less worry about doing mods to an older van

And if you buy old enough they no longer depreciate they gain

An amusing post. How many on here I wonder had the luxury of that particular conundrum for their 1st camper….

My first real one was a 1978 Bedford CF pop top with a 2.3 Vauxhall Victor slant block (with the death rattle..) bought for £400 in 1994.

Our first motorhome was a Bedford CF too, took it in as company owed us money,sold it for a profit

 

[Smokaijo]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

If we had had the money we would have bought new and had it converted the way that would suit us HOWEVER we bought second hand and love our van is it perfect no but it’s converted and I can manage it in my chair and that’s a big plus in my book.

 

[VXman]

I bought my first one new and it lasted a year as I didn't know enough about layout etc. Your first one is never the one you settle on for any length of time in my experience.

Not so sure about that. Bought our first one brand new 2 years ago and we were pretty sure what we needed. Fixed rear single beds and a large garage for bikes. Quite simple really.

2 and a bit years/22000 miles of travelling and we're very happy. No intention to change it

Only took 2 months from first looking and taking delivery aswell. My only regret is buying brand new. Had a lot of issues that needed fixing . 2nd hand might have been a better route.

 

[Tombola]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

used, let everyone else do the snagging

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[Roby2008]

"Much rather buy new and know what I'm getting."

It is just that missing £150K that is the problem.

£150K? Why would you need 2 vans?

 

[Dutch 68]

It was first pushed back to October, Feb probably better than October as we have decided although we like to get away from the UK winter weather we think now we prefer to escape in April when Spain & Portugal are warmer and less crowded. The only problem is Feb is often too cold for fixing solar panels.

Surely you can you use the select premises to fit the solar panels in comfort whilst they are topping up your Gin glass and provide you with lunch and afternoon tea?

 

[Krysia]

My first and current MH was second hand, couldn’t be happier with it but if I had oodles of spare cash sitting around I probably would have bought new and spec’ed the living daylights out of it. I guess a lot comes down to each person’s particular circumstances.

Second hand for sure and partly because of what you see in

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

A good second hand one definitely and partly because of what you see in Jo662’s profile photo! Warm wood! We chose our 10 year old Elddis Sunseeker last year mainly because it’s so warm and inviting. Our previous van was a 2005 Romahome Hylo (with wood trims inside) could have bought a new one at the time (2013) but it was like being inside a white and grey fridge! We went to the NEC in Birmingham a couple of years ago to see if there was anything better for us (eg with a toilet and shower) but got depressed looking in SO many grey vans with grey trimmings and grey furnishings! Give me old fashioned cosiness any day!

 

[Gromett]

Not so sure about that. Bought our first one brand new 2 years ago and we were pretty sure what we needed. Fixed rear single beds and a large garage for bikes. Quite simple really.

2 and a bit years/22000 miles of travelling and we're very happy. No intention to change it

Only took 2 months from first looking and taking delivery aswell. My only regret is buying brand new. Had a lot of issues that needed fixing . 2nd hand might have been a better route.

You may have got lucky or really are better than the rest of us. It is common for people to discover things in their first one that makes it unsuitable that were not obvious prior to purchase but with hindsight would have been.
It is a common story on here that you get the perfect one only on your 2nd or 3rd one.

 

[Suenliam]

We didn't know anything about campervans, MHs etc. other than my Dad had a Bedford van he converted when I was young and we had many a lovely holiday in that. In 1991 we got a chance to get a Renault Holdsworth pop top panel van conversion when the Renault 25 car died. We thought "why not". After 4 years of loving it, it got too expensive on repairs so we got a similar Renault but hi-top. That only lasted 4 years until it became an MOT drastic failure. Then we went posh and got a new MH - Elldis wildwind from Brownhills bought at the Glasgow show with a big discount. Served us very well. 4 years later we got an Adria Coral with a fixed bed - bliss. Now downsized to a pvc.
Layout was only significant with the purchase of our Adria and our pvc as we wanted a fixed bed. All our purchases have been driven by what we could afford at the time, however we have loved every minute of the lifestyle.
Sue

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[mondo]

My first motorhome was second hand..but only a year old..Elddis Autoquest 140..ideal for the 2 of us..had that 12 months..then bought a brand spanking new Autocruise Startrail..fixed bed forward lounge..lovely van..BUT lots of niggly problems..trim peeling of the kitchen..(super glued back) problem with the shower..back to dealers..sorted..then the charging unit packed up..had to wait 8 weeks for a replacement..
I actually took it back to the dealers after 3 months and told them..fix the list of faults or a full refund...sale of goods act 1979 not fit for purpose..they sorted ALL the faults in 2 weeks..after that all was good with the van..
Possibly these were isolated incidents..lot of them but once sorted no faults..I actually sold it back to them 12 months later to finance a move to Tenerife..they paid me slightly above market price as a sweetener..still looking for another van now..a PVC so I can use it as a daily run about...whatever you decide enjoy and above all have fun

 

[DoroDormobile]

We started our journey to buying a motorhome by hiring one in Ireland - prices there dropped to offseason rates at the beginning of October in 2021 at least. We thought that if we liked being in a motorhome in Ireland in October we should be ok to think about buying one. There is a big difference in looking at motorhomes and living with a motorhome - I didn't find most of the reviews in motorhome magazines that helpful. Our hire was a German Weinsberg and I wasn't that impressed with build quality - a shelf in the wardrobe kept falling down because the fixings were inadequate. Then it was a hire vehicle and it had had a hard life. When we were being shown the vehicle one of the outside locks came away on the key - they just pushed it back in and said it would be fine. We enjoyed the experience and it helped us decide some of what we thought we wanted - a bed you didn't have to make up, a garage big enough for bikes and good captain's chairs up front. It was a manual Fiat base and although the gearbox is a little agricultural it was fine. We decided to look for a left-hand drive as we planned to use it mainly in Europe.

A couple of months later we saw a 2015 Carthago Compactline on AutoTrader and went to have a look. It had everything we wanted - LHD, twin singles over a large garage, good swivel seats. That's when the indefinable 'feel' came into play. Maybe it was the dark wood, maybe the thick pillars and their position relative to the mirrors, but it didn't jump out and say buy me. We dithered and someone else snapped it up. That weekend we went to Choose Leisure a big motorhome dealer in Canterbury and they kindly left us to mooch around their stock which was a great opportunity to see around a range of different makes and layouts. We found that more useful that the NEC show where everything was just too pristine with lighting to perfection etc. We got a stash of motorhome magazines from someone who was throwing them out and watched quite a bit of motorhomeman on youtube which was good fun and down-to-earth. A few weeks later there was another low mileage LHD Carthago C-Tourer at a dealer's in the SouthWest. Again was given plenty of time to look at the vehicle and had a good offer with a new second leisure battery and no real pressure to buy. There was also the opportunity to compare directly with a similar age RHD Compactline which was very useful. It still didn't jump out and say buy me but I expect we would have been happy with it had we bought it as we later discovered that whatever you buy there will be compromises. I had seen a Hymer private sale on AutoTrader and contacted them but missed out. Then a few days later got a text asking if we were still interested as sale had fallen through. Went and had a look (160 miles away) and we liked it - may just have been the light wood that swung it. Got taken for a drive in it, made an offer and have been very happy with it for the last 18 months. It is a manual but now very used to it. Borrowed a motorhome with the Fiat Comfortmatic gearbox earlier this year and didn't like it at all - that's without any of the issues you can read about on here. It always seemed to change up too late and don too soon.

A motorhome is a house on wheels travelling around at speed with things just waiting to go wrong and lots of little foibles to learn about eg where is the switch to drain the boiler. Our seller was very helpful and happy to answer our emails but we probably paid close to dealer price as market was very good at the time. We had issues with the airbag ecu and with the headlamp wiring looms which you can read about on here. If things do go wrong check on this forum first as almost inevitably someone else will have had the problem and found a solution that will be cheaper than the standard dealer response of offering to fit a new one at an astronomical price and then find it wasn't the problem in the first place eg replacing entire headlight units when the problem is only in the loom. Most people are happy with their motorhomes most of the time as it suits them and how they use their motorhome. If you only use is it occasionally you may not find it essential to upgrade certain systems which you would if you are going to live in it for extended periods - check out Lenny's Modding the new Gin Palace Thread detailing mods to my current van! I wish!!!! We have a lower spec version without the double floor but lack the basic skills to do most of what Lenny has done. However, we currently don't need to as we don't get to travel as much as we would like to but good to know how we could improve things if they become essential rather than desirable eg fridge fans to improve cooling.

So that's our journey to date, we are happy and can live with the compromises and have no plans to change for the foreseeable future. My view would be Carthago = Mercedes; Hymer = Volkswagen/Audi; Knaus = Skoda/Volkswagen. Currently Knaus seem the most innovative and I like the fact they build on Volkswagen Crafter/MAN base vehicle which would probably be my base vehicle of choice. If you decide on a model you would like you may be able to find a private hire that allows you to really 'try before you buy'. Good luck with your journey and enjoy your motorhome whatever you buy.

 

[VXman]

or really are better than the rest of us.

What can I say ¯\(ツ)/¯

Seriously though, there were things that I wish it had straight off (extra batteries/Solar, bigger payload) but we bought off the forecourt so couldn't be that fussy. These things were easily added and much cheaper to do than chop it in for another one.

The basics (layout essentially) aren't really that difficult.

 

[Roby2008]

Has to be new for us, if we had S/H then the cost of new beds, toilet seat and cassette, and whatever else herself didn't like the feel of would have to be added on, for some reason the rental M/H we had was ok
After 1 hire we had new and were very happy, now in the middle of a change after 9 years because: For her its a layout change with DD bed and rear bathroom ( better for wheelchair) and for me it´s Euro 6 and all the goodies like solar etc.

 

[daventess]

We bought second hand, though it was only just 2 years old.

We were going to buy new, and take more time doing it, but then this one just showed up and we fell in love with it. We were also concerned about the waiting times for new (Fiat) vans.

It was the size and layout we thought we wanted, and so far we've absolutely loved it.

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[Mikeyv60]

And there the VAT

Unless your a business when you buy the price is what it is , just because you buy secondhand the price isnt 20% lower

 

[Davecrawf]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

We were very lucky, and after about two years searching, we found an ex demo Autosleeper Broadway EK on a 3 ltr Ducato.
Had it for over ten years now and still love it.

 

[jacobjohn]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

New or used is your preference, but I would strongly recommend you hire one first. A MH in a dealers is totally different to when you live/travel in it.

 

[tonyysue]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

Bought ours at 5 years old in 2000 - still have it and have had no problems at all - as long as unmarked when viewing it and providing comes with full service records, then 2nd hand all the way!

 

[Roby2008]

There are a few new ones coming up on Mobile.de here with slight hail damage, otherwise new ......

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[Mike Rivers]

Depends on whether you know the layout you want. We spent about a year or so looking plus NEC shows and similar. After a while we could poke our nose inside a motorhome and say yes or no.
Some people recommend hiring a van to start with to see how you get on with a particular layout (we didn’t do this). As for new or old then just see what you can get for your budget. Bear in mind that many used motorhomes will have considerably less mileage than similar age cars as they’re mainly used for holidays.
We bought new and yes, there are a few teething problems, but buying used doesn’t mean that all problems have been ironed out. Such is life with a motorhome that ongoing niggly issues are almost to be expected, but shouldn’t dissuade you from buying either way.
Motorhoming is a fantastic hobby which you just have to experience to understand why so hurry up and join the fun!!

 

[Tonks]

Definitely seems to be a trend with 3rd van being the ideal one
Oh well, looks like we've the one more to go then

Me too - but I've 'coped' with this one for nearly 9 years so it can't be too bad!

 

[Adeydub]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

Not read the whole thread so apologies if repeating, rent one (or two) to find out the layout that suits you. Have fun

 

[Elsie2010]

Me too - but I've 'coped' with this one for nearly 9 years so it can't be too bad!

We do like the T5's.
Hope you're OK from your window fiasco...did you get to the bottom of it?

 

[Nomad.]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

Interesting post.We bought ours from a young family that lost dad early.I wasn’t very keen as he was a lot younger than us.Anyway it was blessed with low mileage,little use and there lies the problem.Had a habitation survey and then an mot at my expense and a pre sale favour to the family.It passed all.Off to Europe in September for the third holiday.The motor blew up last September on a motorway in Spain,Turbo actuator failure.41,000 miles.and full service history.

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[TonyEmm]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

I’d buy 2nd hand first! Chances are it won’t suit you ideally so you’ll change it…. I think it was Jim that said you should buy your third Motorhome first! Or words to that effect …

 

[Hymercedes]

I’d buy 2nd hand first! Chances are it won’t suit you ideally so you’ll change it…. I think it was Jim that said you should buy your third Motorhome first! Or words to that effect …

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

 

[Folkranger]

Buy something used but good in a layout you think you like. After the first season you will know whether it suits you or not. Change it and you won't lose too much. I took me to my third van befor we found what we liked.

 

[Hymercedes]

Would you buy a New Motor Home or buy a used one, this will be our first Motor Home

Looking on the lines of a Autotrail Tracker FB - will be touring all Europe

Going to the NEC show in October - so any advice really appreciated

We must be one of the lucky few who appear to have been pleased with our first and only Motorhome.
Spent over a year attending shows and reading many magazine articles and deciding / agreeing on what we didn’t like.
Then drew up a wish list of the “ideals.”
I think aesthetics and “extras” are just as important as layout which we decided fairly early on in the decision process.

Buy for yourselves. Don’t buy something with beds all over the place, and lounge space for dozens, if it’s just two of you. (Grandchildren will want to camp in their own tent outside).

One very important factor whether it’s new or secondhand is the reputation of the dealer, if applicable.
I think MMM produced 2 tables in 2017/ 2018 listing in order of merit the dealers of new and secondhand vehicles. Becks of Great Yarmouth came out near the top in both. Unfortunately they collapsed during Covid.
However we were very lucky and bought a “show offer” through them with a huge discount on a new 2017 vehicle that they had had for a year. It had all the bells and whistles and gives us a lot of pleasure, and has purred over most of Europe in 5 years. Recently changed a grey water valve but otherwise it has been trouble free. We love driving it. Now having to take 3 yearly medicals because it’s 4.25 tonnes but will keep it as long as we can.
Good luck !

 

[Tony50]

Remember new probably get problems .
Buy secondhand was it sold because of faults, damp did a wheel come off twisting the body ,? , I had a caravan ,a wheel came off , after that the same shower wall cracked twice on the same area, we always buy new, and suffer the niggles, just been back to Auto- Sleepers factory adjoined to Service / Garage in Willersey, really good service know what they are doing, thank the Lord, and they can nip across road to factory for spares

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[Tonks]

We do like the T5's.
Hope you're OK from your window fiasco...did you get to the bottom of it?

Thank you! I've not really got to the bottom of it, but it's been replaced. Happily local converters CustomHaus had a window in stock which would fit, and were able to fit it in time for me to keep my planned arrangements for the end of that week.