First time buy short list opinions please

MARZ4

MARZ4

Joined
Nov 5, 2023
Posts
27
Likes collected
74
Location
Wolverhampton, UK
Funster No
99,718
MH
Hymer B544 2002
Exp
since 2023
Hi all,
Well since our trial MH hire last autumn we've been looking and keeping an eye on the used MH market. Early part of the year I felt that used prices were far too high and MHs were not selling. Just recently noticed massive price drops. Do you feel there will be more price drops to come? Is this a market crash?
The aim is to pull the trigger and buy one of them within the next 2 weeks. Scary but exciting!! But if massive price drops are likely then is it best to wait until winter to buy ?

We like the drop down over cab double bed with ability to make up another bed.
We want 4 berths , low owners, good MOT and service history ( no signs of major corrosion) , don't mind left hand drive. Very wary of buying from private seller ( should I be so concerned about this?) . Under 6.5 m in lenghth

We've narrowed down our search to 2 categories , smaller A class's and coach built built. We currently have a shortlist of these MH that are currently for sale on auto trader.
Would really appreciate any pointers from your experience and knowledge. I realise you can't necessarily tell what the model variants are from this short lists below, but just looking for comments about build quality, reliability and common issues associated with these MOHOs.

A Class's:
Laika Ecovip 600 - 2004 £20k 48k miles 1 owner
Eura Mobil Integra 670HB - 2001 £20k 92k miles 2 owners
Frankia i650 Holiday class - 2003 £27k 71k miles 2 owners
Hymer B544 - 1999 £20k 63k miles 3 owners
Hymer B534 - 1998 £17k 78k miles 2 owners
Hymer B634 - 2003 £23k 31k miles 3 owners
Hymer B564 - 2003 £23k 72k miles 3 owners

Coach Built:
Bessacarr E465 - 2006 £19k 44k miles 6 owners
Bessacarr E425 - 2006 £25k 42k miles 7 owners
Bessacarr E435 - 2008 £28k 33k miles 5 owners
Swift Suntour 590 - 2007 £20k 60k miles 4 owners
Auto Sleepers Ascot - 2007 £28k 29k miles 3 owners
 
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You can't buy fun times in your MH..... When you are ready buy one without thinking of resale cost. A classic for me - well an American RV actually as we love the internal space!

Number one factor - LAYOUT.
Get that wrong and you will end up selling quickly.
 
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Something to be aware of in case you are not..
‘Motorhome Depot’ is not a dealer… they are brokers, therefore it just about the same as buying private

Andy
 
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Jev88 said:
You can't buy fun times in your MH..... When you are ready buy one without thinking of resale cost. A classic for me - well an American RV actually as we love the internal space!
Click to expand...
If only they'd start putting slides on European motorhomes!

Just sayin'!

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I'm curious about why you're wary buying from a private seller as opposed to a dealer? On the price range of vans you're looking at the dealer is likely to have simply bought the van from a private seller or taken in part exchange done nothing too it bar add a few grand and sell it sold as see or a basic warranty not worth the paper it's written on .


In other news I'll have a 1998 mobilvetta 4 berth small a class for sale in a couple of weeks time.

Fully off grid lithium and solar package , well specced , 75k miles ,lhd, rwd iveco turbo daily chassis , similar layout to the hymer b544 ...and will have a full years mot £15k
 
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Layout is key. As much previous history as possible will give you the chance to see how well it’s been looked after. 👍
 
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I found the van I wanted after doing extensive research and funnily enough, found that what I thought I wanted, was completely wrong and I had done a 180 degree turn around on my requirements.

I posted this back in 2013 and I still have the same van and it’s still perfect for me. Personally I’d look for a private sale in the future, save £1000’s and use the pennies for travelling.

Here’s my old post.

It's understandable that the dealer has overheads to cover, that a motorhome may stand for sometime before a sale occurs and that the chances are you'll pay top dollar. For that you should expect a first class service, an immaculately displayed model, a habitation check and mechanical service, plus a warranty too.

I was looking for an Autotrail Dakota SE and had £35K to spend. I found only 2 for sale within a reasonable distance, one at a dealer and one private. I visited the dealer first in Southampton as they were nearest and viewed the 2006 4 birth SE with just over 36000 miles on the clock. The dealer told me that I'd get a habitation and mechanical check, but that I'd need to change the cam belt "just to be safe". I asked the price and he said about £200 plus parts. When I enquired as to why they would sell me a motorhome for this price without maintenance that was required, they simply replied that they wouldn't cover this in the sale and it's for peace of mind only. The vans age said it needed doing, especially as it had been sitting for some time. There was also no microwave fitted and while it was an SE, there was no extras to talk of and looked tired and unloved. The dealer said that they'd prepare it before i collected it. Asking price £34,900. I info'd the dealer that I would be looking at a private sale the next day and get back to them. This turned out to be a big mistake as the dealer researched the vehicle details….more on this later.

When I visited the private sale, the vehicle was immaculate and was gleaming both inside and out. There was a box full of receipts, manuals and every single bit of history. It was a 6 birth on a 2006 plate, had covered only 11000 miles, had a microwave, a solar panel, fitted satellite and TV system, DVD player fitted in the dash, as well as numerous extras they would be leaving in her (levelling ramps, 2xpower cables and connectors, hose and fittings, bedding, etc), it was exactly what I was looking for and the cam belt had been done. The price was £34,000 and we shook on £31,000. I spent 3 hours at the sellers house, half of which was spent indoors drinking tea and making new friends. The lady then went on to mention that a dealer from Southampton had called her and mentioned that someone was coming to view the van and that he would buy her's there and then on the phone as he wanted to make a sale on the one he held and could she not sell it to me. She refused his offer and what an utter tw@t tactics to adopt.

After one phone call back to said dealer to "discuss" his tactics, I paid the lady and have now had a fabulous 13 years in my wonderful motorhome and I couldn't be happier.

I know that dealers need to make a living, but not at my expense and can see why some people don’t trust them. I'll now always look to buy private as the owners are usually proud to sell on their "homes" and display them in their full glory, it keeps the private sales trade alive and you usually save money in the process. You can also buy a warranty if needed for peace of mind.
 
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I owned a 4 series Bessacarr once, I forget which one, but it was around 2005/6. The storage was poor but the low and long rear overhang was the reason we off loaded it quickly.

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Jim should consider doing a TV show called Layout Layout Layout, taking new buyers around different MHs and finding the right one for them! :) (Small commission only Jim :) )

Seriously, it really is the layout that matters. You can change almost everything else but you can't change the layout.
 
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Re buying from a dealer or private sale it is far more comfortable purchasing from a dealer if you are a first time buyer - much easier to get a warranty (I very much doubt a private seller can offer one and that means that a major disaster on cost can likely be avoided). Also a good dealer will likely effect necessary repairs to present the van in good order. Mine certainly did. Next time I would be far more confident of a private purchase BUT I would then have a van to PX making a private purchase/sale more difficult!!!
Perhaps the ideal is a private purchase of a 1st van which has been given the once over by a knowledgeable van owner friend. That option was not available to me.
However what is most important is the right van with the right layout and a good service history. If that happens to be a private sale so be it. My Hobby T500 was the only van I viewed in the flesh (I had viewed loads of vans online and knew the layout I wanted). It was in pristine condition with a good service history. Given its age and mileage that was important to me. Fingers crossed I got it right. There will always be something needing attention down the line with an older van. The trick is to make sure they are minor problems!
 
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Northernraider said:
In other news I'll have a 1998 mobilvetta 4 berth small a class for sale in a couple of weeks time.

Fully off grid lithium and solar package , well specced , 75k miles ,lhd, rwd iveco turbo daily chassis , similar layout to the hymer b544 ...and will have a full years mot £15k
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Myself and the wife would be most interested in more information on that.

I'm less likely to buy from a private seller (or broker) as I don't know enough, and DIY skills related to MH's need improvement.

From trusted (apparently )people on here... Does not apply!

(Hey, everybody else, should I trust Northernraider ? 😜)
 
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Jon Stewart said:
Myself and the wife would be most interested in more information on that.

I'm less likely to buy from a private seller (or broker) as I don't know enough, and DIY skills related to MH's need improvement.

From trusted (apparently )people on here... Does not apply!

(Hey, everybody else, should I trust Northernraider ? 😜)
Click to expand...
Well every bit of work I've done on the van since having it has been fully documented and discussed on here in my travel thread , nowt to hide with it. It was a bit of a mess when I bought it but I've done lots too it with help from some skilled members on here , every window and skylight was removed and resealed , every body seam was resealed , there was a bit of water damage which was stripped out and repaired using better materials than original and then retrieved inside , all lights inside replaced , all electrics replaced and upgraded to lithium battery, victron and renogy chargers. 400watt solar so its fully self sufficient and doesn't require 240v hook up . And it's just completed a 10 country , 12000 mile 9 month tour of Europe Turkey and Georgia. It is 26 years old but its very reliable has lots of character and is quite an unusual model and layout. I'm currently doing a few upgrade jobs on it and getting it motd before I put it up for sale . I've put just over £5k in to it in the last 12 months as I had planned to keep it. But I got tempted by something a bit bigger and more expensive and I've bought that.
 
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Don't know if Tam's Moby is for you but if you read his thread you certainly won't be buying a pig in a poke. If anyone knows their van it's Tam and he is certainly not backward in coming forward with details of the good and bad points of Moby.
Sue
Seems Tam beet me to it ;)

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Northernraider said:
Well every bit of work I've done on the van since having it has been fully documented and discussed on here in my travel thread , nowt to hide with it. It was a bit of a mess when I bought it but I've done lots too it with help from some skilled members on here , every window and skylight was removed and resealed , every body seam was resealed , there was a bit of water damage which was stripped out and repaired using better materials than original and then retrieved inside , all lights inside replaced , all electrics replaced and upgraded to lithium battery, victron and renogy chargers. 400watt solar so its fully self sufficient and doesn't require 240v hook up . And it's just completed a 10 country , 12000 mile 9 month tour of Europe Turkey and Georgia. It is 26 years old but its very reliable has lots of character and is quite an unusual model and layout. I'm currently doing a few upgrade jobs on it and getting it motd before I put it up for sale . I've put just over £5k in to it in the last 12 months as I had planned to keep it. But I got tempted by something a bit bigger and more expensive and I've bought that.
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I hadn't got through very many of your travel threads yet, but the number of posts that I have read have given me a lot of confidence.

We'd have little reserve about buying it from you (only to give you room to park up the bigger one, you understand!), but I hope you'll not be upset if I/Us/The Daughter & Son and Law) come and have a look.

You're in Scotland, aren't you? (Unless my memory is bad!)

We're in Norn Irn, but daughter is in Stirling.
 
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Jon Stewart said:
I hadn't got through very many of your travel threads yet, but the number of posts that I have read have given me a lot of confidence.

We'd have little reserve about buying it from you (only to give you room to park up the bigger one, you understand!), but I hope you'll not be upset if I/Us/The Daughter & Son and Law) come and have a look.

You're in Scotland, aren't you? (Unless my memory is bad!)

We're in Norn Irn, but daughter is in Stirling.
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I'm from Scotland but I'm on the Sussex coast just now, will be in Cornwall for a few weeks and then moby will be in South Wales near Swansea when he's up for sale.
 
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That's not a problem, but I should probably ask about actual payload early on?

(The wife weighs more than two dogs!)
 
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Jon Stewart said:
That's not a problem, but I should probably ask about actual payload early on?

(The wife weighs more than two dogs!)
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Ha ha well I'm a fulltimer so I carry more than most people . I don't know the exact payload on this van but it's over 800kg . I've 4 dogs now , but I carry 100kg of tools alone plus a lot of other stuff most people's don't carry. I had it on a weighbridge in Germany and in full running order we were 200kg under the max permissable.
 
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Excellent. Sounds perfect from the payload point of view!

I'm just running through the thread on your Turkey trip... I'll be a while! 👍

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Having had over 18 vans over 40 years the last four being bought brand new, without exception could not wait for the warranty to run out to fix them properly.vans that have had fewer owners of their lifetime I would think would be the better bet. Then money saved from the dealers mark up would go a long way to minor problems and dealer in general are pretty good at getting out of a lot of problems, given the age you are looking at the warranties would be fairly limited owners with service history would be my choice. When we we thinking of changing to our current van, went through ours with a fine tooth comb even though it passed the mot, I renewed the front discs and pads and rear pads as although ok ok is not good enough for me, would a dealer look at it the same.
 
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HKF said:
Jim should consider doing a TV show called Layout Layout Layout, taking new buyers around different MHs and finding the right one for them! :) (Small commission only Jim :) )

Seriously, it really is the layout that matters. You can change almost everything else but you can't change the layout.
Click to expand...
That was the original reason Facts was started. I’d already had loads of French & German MH Magazines I bought every trip. I saved all layouts etc and info into a spreadsheet sadly Dave Burley never used them,

Carol
 
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UPDATE - Gone and pulled the trigger on an old lady named HELGA the Hymer B544!
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Hymer B544

Ready for sale in April 2025
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk

The age and mileage were initially an issue for us but the layout and size was exactly what we are wanted. Cosmetically she is okay for a 23 year old but the spec, OMG! can live like at home off grid all year ! I got a feeling there and then enough to get up at 3am to meet the owner at dawn the next day to meet the owner before any one else could view it. Fair play to the owner to agree to this on a bank holiday weekend. Within seconds I had come to the conclusion that the owner Dawsey (late of this parish's threads) is a top bloke of high intellect who has ingeniously created a rare solution to upgrade his 2002 B544 into a full timer MOHO. That ideal diode was very clever. He should really write a book, but can't sit still enough I expect. He patiently took me through the operation of all systems explaining why and how they function. His reasoning for the choice of shower head was hilarious! We wish him and his lady well in their new venture in Cumbria and can't wait to return to their planned glamping/aire/spa business in the near future.

I'm under no illusions that she will have bits break at her age and I'm confident that with Dawsey on the end of the phone and this communities guidance, we can keep HELGA going for a decent while yet. I hope to learn quickly. Collecting this week. Exciting times!
Regards
Mike & Zee
 
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A little late, but as the thread came up and it mentions Motorhome Depot let me give you my (positive) experience of them.
We spent 12 months actively researching and visiting dealers looking for the right MH. Emmbee, Lowdhams and Brownhills plus a good number of others were visited when we passed them. The only salesman who approached us was at Embee, he was very helpful, but at the rest we just meandered around jumping in and out of MH's with no one seemingly interested in talking to us.
We spotted a MH in Bridlington advertised by Motorhome Depot on Autotrader. On calling the number an incredibly professional man called Scott answered. After discussing the MH in question he said leave it with me and I will arrange a viewing. He called the owner and arranged alternative times we could go view and meet him there. When we then went to view, Scott met us there, and conducted the viewing, going through the details of the MH and handling the negotiations, we didnt see the owner. Sadly we decided against the MH due to layout, but it was a beauty.
A while later, just by coincidence we spotted another MH advertised by Motorhome Depot this time in the Midlands. Again another very professional man called Simon dealt with us and arranged the viewing and walking us through the MH. At the viewing we decided we wanted it.
Now this is where, in my opinion, Motorhome Depot have a positive advantage over buying direct from a private customer.
1) you negotiate with them on price, not with the owner, so the emotion is taken out of it, you can ask away and they don't take offence.
2) They arranged for a Habitation Check to be carried out (not at my cost)
3) They arranged for the MOT to be carried as it was due soon (not at my cost)
4) I cheekily asked for a deal on the price and Simon took care of negotiating with the owner, and secured one.
And I hadn't even met the owner at this stage
5) They gave me a free 30 day drive away insurance, so that I didnt have the pressure of finding insurance before picking up
The negotiated price was between £10,000 and £20,000 lower than the prices I had seen at Dealers. This makes sense as the Dealers are not charities, they are there to make money and they no doubt factor in costs when buyers bring their MH back if they find faults (even when not under original warranty) Not something you do when buying private.
Now to payment and something that gave me some comfort. You don't pay the owner you pay Motorhome Depot. On the day we went to collect, Simon joined us and we did an inspection together, a test drive again, we went through the MH documents and he gave me the HPI check to show it was finance free. Only when I was fully satisfied did the owner appear and Motorhome Depot, on my say so, transferred the money to the owner. We stood there all looking at our internet banking apps and all confirmed the safe transfer of the money. Once done Simon transferred ownership with DVLA and organised Road Tax.
So my experience was very positive, Motorhome Depot ensured my money was safe and walked me through every stage of the process holding my hand to ensure nothing tripped me up.

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MARZ4 said:
UPDATE - Gone and pulled the trigger on an old lady named HELGA the Hymer B544!
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Hymer B544

Ready for sale in April 2025
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk

The age and mileage were initially an issue for us but the layout and size was exactly what we are wanted. Cosmetically she is okay for a 23 year old but the spec, OMG! can live like at home off grid all year ! I got a feeling there and then enough to get up at 3am to meet the owner at dawn the next day to meet the owner before any one else could view it. Fair play to the owner to agree to this on a bank holiday weekend. Within seconds I had come to the conclusion that the owner Dawsey (late of this parish's threads) is a top bloke of high intellect who has ingeniously created a rare solution to upgrade his 2002 B544 into a full timer MOHO. That ideal diode was very clever. He should really write a book, but can't sit still enough I expect. He patiently took me through the operation of all systems explaining why and how they function. His reasoning for the choice of shower head was hilarious! We wish him and his lady well in their new venture in Cumbria and can't wait to return to their planned glamping/aire/spa business in the near future.

I'm under no illusions that she will have bits break at her age and I'm confident that with Dawsey on the end of the phone and this communities guidance, we can keep HELGA going for a decent while yet. I hope to learn quickly. Collecting this week. Exciting times!
Regards
Mike & Zee
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Congratulations I loved it and has it been automatic? I think we probably would’ve bought it when it first advertised it. Mind you that would actually not have been until now as he never found what he was looking for in France as we all know.

I hope you have as much enjoyment out of it as we had in one that was very similar back in the early 90s I hope you do a travel blog so we can follow you when you get started. Best of luck.
 
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corconx said:
Congratulations I loved it and has it been automatic? I think we probably would’ve bought it when it first advertised it. Mind you that would actually not have been until now as he never found what he was looking for in France as we all know.

I hope you have as much enjoyment out of it as we had in one that was very similar back in the early 90s I hope you do a travel blog so we can follow you when you get started. Best of luck.
Click to expand...
:dance: thanks Carol. Let the adventure begin!
 
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