Hello - Trying to find our first Motorhome - This is hard!

[DaveEP]

Hello everyone. New here, looking to buy our very first motorhome. This is hard!

We've looked at lots of brands, lots of layouts and lots of sizes. Watched lots of YouTube videos too.

Due to the length of space on the drive (we want to keep it at home so we can come and go as we please) we are really looking at 6M vans, with 6.2M as an absolute max. There is only two of us, so a 2 or 4 birth is fine. Not bothered about a bike rack, however, as I keen photographer I need to be able to easily store a decent tripod and large camera bag, in addition to the regular stuff, so storage and/or garage space is important. Being able to stay off-grid for a night or two is also important to capture those sunset/sunrise photos!

We need an automatic otherwise my wife won't drive it. I know it's all going to be a compromise, and so far we've narrowed it down a little to:

Swift Voyager 510 - but seems to have very little garage space and right on the max length. Also, used models are scarce so may need to buy new.

Roller Team TLine 590 - Better garage, nice seating area, washroom, kitchen etc, but concerned about the Fiat chassis (see below)

Auto-Trail 620G - (Dismissed after viewing a physical van) Awesome garage but too cramped inside, the table makes getting in to the seats a bit awkward and getting in and out of that bed is not going to work as it's high, narrow entrance, very low headroom and the ladder blocks the toilet door in the middle of the night! Only 1x 3 pin socket.

Auto-Trail F60 - possible - though the garage space seems limited, especially if wanting to take outside seating.

Auto-Trail F62 - possible - slightly better garage and nice rear kitchen / shower arrangement - but the beds worry me. How far with the drop bed actually come down? If using it in it's default (with ladder) position the head room is again very limited. Would prefer it to come lower and just use a step stool to climb on to. The two birth option (no drop bed) seems OK, but then the concern is bedding storage during the day. The obvious place is the locker under the seat, but that seems to be where most people store their levellers, cables, hoses etc accessed from outside.

Chassis Options (I realise this is personal preference)
It seems many UK built vans are using the Ford chassis whereas the European brands are using mostly Fiat Ducato.

The Fiat cab seems a little more basic, doesn't have apple car play and I'm reading about problems with AdBlu etc. Also, I'm hearing that the engine is weaker, thirsty, the fuel tanks are small and so on.

The Ford cab seems nicer but I'm reading about injector issues! Ouch.

The internet is of course full of people complaining about the problems they have and the people without problems rarely post to offset it, so it's hard to gauge what is a major problem and what is a minority issue.

Chances are we're looking at a 2020-2022 model of any of the above (with the possibility of buying new) so if you have experience of them then feedback would be very much appreciated!

 

[David and Sally]

 

[Janine]

Welcome to the Fun!

If you subscribe to the forum - a bargain at £20 a year - you will have access to the search facility.

Previous threads might give you more insight into the various brands.

 

[Sasbo]

Have a look at the Chausson 530 or 520, huge lounge with seatbelts, separate washroom with shower and a drop down double bed in the lounge roof space but importantly all in 5.99 metres long. Also has a small slim full width garage for storage,

There is also the option to make the lounge seats into a further double bed for should it be necessary.

Chausson's come on either the Fiat or Ford chassis, both have issues. The Ford is, in my opinion, a better drive than the Fiat but having said that ours is a Fiat ducato base and so far, no problems having said that I'm now keeping my fingers crossed

We have a 530 so if you have any further questions, just ask.

 

[f6c]

Welcome aboard

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[gus-lopez]

 

[Phill D]

Hi and welcome.

The hard work will be worth it hope your search is fruitful.

 

[SteveE]

We’ve just part exchanged a Chausson 530, we gave in and decided to try a 7m van. That said we loved the 530 we had it for 7 years and found it was perfect for a couple, as long as you don’t mind have a bed or daytime living space… worked for us as we always get up at the same time.

It’s got a decent amount of garage and wardrobe space, although quite narrow so you need a bit of imagination! We managed to fit in 2 folding bikes, a dog trailer, two inflatable paddle boards, a telescope and tripod… plus all the usual chairs, tables, bbq.

Even better the payload is very generous… not far off 700kg I think.

We personally prefer the Ford chassis but I’m sure Fiat are just as good.

 

[Lenny HB]

The Fiat cab seems a little more basic, doesn't have apple car play

My Fiat has Apple car play & Android Auto and it's a Fiat head unit (Fiat 10" infotainment system). You can always change the head unit.

Fiat, Ford & Merc all have problems you here more about Fiat as there are more Fiat based Motorhomes than any other. Also you see more problems with Motorhomes that van as a lot are left standing around a lot of the year and only do low mleage.
Use it and you won't have too many problems, we have had our new one only 6 months and done nearly 6000 miles.

 

[Brains]

Rent, at least twice, before you buy.
What you think you want.
What the salesman tells you, you want.
Are all different to what you need.

Read this

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[cliffanger]

And

We had a Hymer B564 which was 6m with a drop down bed. Brilliant van, we drove it everywhere, fitted into most parking spaces, but a manual.

You’ll get as much info as you want on here.

 

[hja]

Have a look at PVCs. Often loads of storage under fixed beds. I would hire a PVC - they look cramped, but are not. We dismissed PVCs when we swapped from caravan to 6.4m coachbuilt but found lack of storage an issue - so swapped to a 6,4m PVC - more storage, easier to drive, loo, shower, cooking facilities, plenty of prep space. Living in it we dont feel cramped. 6m vans often have transverse beds, which we didnt want. We swapped our AGM battery for lithium - so no probs off grid.

 

[Barchetta47]

Firstly you need to decide how you are going to use the MH. If you are planning to use it extensively in the EU renting in the UK will likely not help. We decided exactly how we would use the MH, not that difficult if you are totally focused, but you need to be focused and not a dreamer!!! We bought ours after a 3 month search and after 7+ years it’s still ideal.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

Welcome DaveEP.
We are also going through the process of purchasing our first motorhome. We have had experience hiring in the past, so have a reasonable idea of what we want/need. You’ve already identified space limitations due to parking, and your desire for storage space and payload. Another key consideration is what sleeping space you need. I’m over 6’, so have realised that many transverse bed layouts don’t have a ‘long’ enough bed. Also we are around 60yo, and don’t fancy having to climb over each other either for early rising, or loo visits. Because of this we have decided island or fixed single beds are required.

 

[VXman]

The Fiat cab seems a little more basic, doesn't have apple car play and I'm reading about problems with AdBlu etc. Also, I'm hearing that the engine is weaker, thirsty, the fuel tanks are small and so on.

some very generalised criticisms there without referring to specific models/engines.

Not aware of any particular problem with the Adblue. One advantage is that as a Euro 6 engine you can go anywhere without worrying about emission charges. There are some earlier Euro 6 engines that do not have Adblue but anything post 2020 will.

My Fiat has apple/android car play - not that I've ever used it. It also has sat nav but I don't use that either - my phone does all that stuff. Not all fiats are equipped the same it will depend on age and spec.

Engine - there are lots of different ones. Depends on age/model again. I'm not sure of actual dates but mine - from 2020 - is a 2.3 that you could have in 130, 140, 150 or 180bhp. Present models are 2.2. Never worried about fuel tank size - 400 miles from mine. 29mpg on average (7.5metre 235kg) occasionally get 30+ so quite happy with that. Mines a 140bhp and has enough power even fully laden with a motor bike and 2 electric bikes in the back.

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[DaveEP]

I’m over 6’, so have realised that many transverse bed layouts don’t have a ‘long’ enough bed.

Thanks for the reply. For better or worse I don't have that problem at only 5'7"

Also we are around 60yo, and don’t fancy having to climb over each other either for early rising, or loo visits. Because of this we have decided island or fixed single beds are required.

I don't disagree, but do you have models in mind that are 6M - 6.2M that fit this criteria?

 

[DaveEP]

Engine - there are lots of different ones. Depends on age/model again. I'm not sure of actual dates but mine - from 2020 - is a 2.3 that you could have in 130, 140, 150 or 180bhp.

Thanks. I'm seeing that too.

Not aware of any particular problem with the Adblue.

I guess some people aren't paying attention to the AdBlu and are running out, others have faulty sensors, systems that won't reset etc. Others are complaining about heavy AdBlu usage compared to other engine brands.

There's a lot of noise out there.... people complaining about different things with different brands (Ford, Fiat etc) and it's hard to know if they are in the majority, minority or are just a very loud by very tiny percentage of users.

With all the issues with the Ford injectors, it makes me wonder how they MH industry could keep using/selling them if it was as bad as many people are say.

 

[Jo662]

 

[SteveE]

With all the issues with the Ford injectors, it makes me wonder how they MH industry could keep using/selling them if it was as bad as many people are say.

We had a 2017 Ford Transit, which was an early 1st gen Euro 6 engine. About 3 months from new it went into limp mode, following a few occasions where a ‘Service Required’ message came on when accelerating up hill (each time checked and cleared by a Ford dealer). The van had a single faulty injector but Ford replaced all the injectors. Maybe we were lucky but it was done quickly and under warranty without any messing around. The only other Ford issue we had was about 4 years later when the Adblue sensor needed replacing, also done under warranty by Ford (in Spain) with no hassle.

Whilst we had a few issues we were impressed with how Ford handled them (quick repairs all done under warranty including when abroad), which is in part why we went for another Ford.

I’m sure there are issues with all OEM chassis makers, and given the about of MH’s on Fiats it’s not surprising they are perhaps ‘over represented’ in terms of issues and negative comments. I think what ever the base van you can expect something to go wrong eventually, it’s then more about how the dealer and OEM take care of things that really matters.

 

[Deafender]

Yep, it’s a wide choice out there… we had a spreadsheet list of wants, priorities and so on… and after a good few months visiting dealers and including a lot of time here on Funsters - including that excellent buying advice “…buy what would be your third MH…” - we took the plunge with a similar budget (and length restriction!) to the OP on a used MH… and got about all of our wish list included.

Six months on we’re very happy and have racked up the miles in sunshine, wind and misty rain - though from our (limited) experience we have found some further enhancements we would like to make to ours that weren’t on that spreadsheet… so to either enhance or upgrade is a possibility we are thinking about… we’re not worried about this at all, as we hadn’t foreseen the kinds on changes we’d make - and until we look at costs for each option we don’t know which we’ll do - if at all.

We enjoyed the whole research and purchase experience - we weren’t looking so much at Brands or Base Vehicles as much as at the functionality - I would say go for as much of all of your list as you can, but not worry down the line if something turns out to be missing after all… we’ve made up a list of several enhancements, (one of which looks likely to cost us a couple of thousand) and quick searches here on Funsters found answers and solutions to them all….

Enjoy and good luck!

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[ambulancekidd]

 

[gpat]

However much research you do, you will probably get it wrong. That's how it works. But don't worry, if you get it wrong you can change. It's not the end if the world.

Its time to take the plunge.

Take a a look at the Sunlight and Carado 6m vans. Great value. Great build quality.

Here is a starter for 10

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[Scottish Scrutineer]

Thanks for the reply. For better or worse I don't have that problem at only 5'7"


I don't disagree, but do you have models in mind that are 6M - 6.2M that fit this criteria?

There are some PVCs that would meet your 6m criteria and some coachbuilts, but I passed over these as most were transverse bed and did not have a tall enough garage (or under bed storage) for our bikes. Auto Trader app allows you to filter by vehicle length, as well as number of berths and transmission type, so that does help identify possibilities. I’ve noticed a few more vehicles being listed in the past week.

 

[Jo-jo]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

We bought a new Ford chassis AT F60 last summer. We opted for the 4 belts, half dinette auto 170bhp version.

The drop-down bed will come all the way down if the stops are lowered on the rail. No step required to get in it. We store the ladder, TV & duvet on it in the day, but put pillows above the cab as we're both tall, so we need the bed fully up so we can move about below it. You might be able to store your tripod on it?

The rear locker/garage holds ramps, cables, levellers, hose, chairs etc. It's surprisingly spacious if packed well.

We've had 59 nights away, loads of those off-grid. We've done around 3500 miles and it hasn't missed a beat (yet).

I'd recommend a visit to the NEC show next month if you can get there.

Good luck in your search.

 

[MillieMoocher]

For an under 6 m van, this looks a cracker. Not sure how many there are on the pre owned market though, but chassis wise it’s an alternative to the Fiat/Ford normals.

Weinsberg X-Cursion 500 LT Pepper Edition VW T6.1 150Bhp Automatic £75,185

Weinsberg X-Cursion 500 LT Pepper Edition VW T6.1 150Bhp Automatic £75,185

www.smcmotorhomes.co.uk

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[Coolcats]

Hello everyone. New here, looking to buy our very first motorhome. This is hard!

We've looked at lots of brands, lots of layouts and lots of sizes. Watched lots of YouTube videos too.

Due to the length of space on the drive (we want to keep it at home so we can come and go as we please) we are really looking at 6M vans, with 6.2M as an absolute max. There is only two of us, so a 2 or 4 birth is fine. Not bothered about a bike rack, however, as I keen photographer I need to be able to easily store a decent tripod and large camera bag, in addition to the regular stuff, so storage and/or garage space is important. Being able to stay off-grid for a night or two is also important to capture those sunset/sunrise photos!

We need an automatic otherwise my wife won't drive it. I know it's all going to be a compromise, and so far we've narrowed it down a little to:

Swift Voyager 510 - but seems to have very little garage space and right on the max length. Also, used models are scarce so may need to buy new.

Roller Team TLine 590 - Better garage, nice seating area, washroom, kitchen etc, but concerned about the Fiat chassis (see below)

Auto-Trail 620G - (Dismissed after viewing a physical van) Awesome garage but too cramped inside, the table makes getting in to the seats a bit awkward and getting in and out of that bed is not going to work as it's high, narrow entrance, very low headroom and the ladder blocks the toilet door in the middle of the night! Only 1x 3 pin socket.

Auto-Trail F60 - possible - though the garage space seems limited, especially if wanting to take outside seating.

Auto-Trail F62 - possible - slightly better garage and nice rear kitchen / shower arrangement - but the beds worry me. How far with the drop bed actually come down? If using it in it's default (with ladder) position the head room is again very limited. Would prefer it to come lower and just use a step stool to climb on to. The two birth option (no drop bed) seems OK, but then the concern is bedding storage during the day. The obvious place is the locker under the seat, but that seems to be where most people store their levellers, cables, hoses etc accessed from outside.

Chassis Options (I realise this is personal preference)
It seems many UK built vans are using the Ford chassis whereas the European brands are using mostly Fiat Ducato.

The Fiat cab seems a little more basic, doesn't have apple car play and I'm reading about problems with AdBlu etc. Also, I'm hearing that the engine is weaker, thirsty, the fuel tanks are small and so on.

The Ford cab seems nicer but I'm reading about injector issues! Ouch.

The internet is of course full of people complaining about the problems they have and the people without problems rarely post to offset it, so it's hard to gauge what is a major problem and what is a minority issue.

Chances are we're looking at a 2020-2022 model of any of the above (with the possibility of buying new) so if you have experience of them then feedback would be very much appreciated!

on the Fiat part, I was sure we were going to have a Mercedes wouldn’t even consider a Fiat……We have a Fiat don’t understand the ‘Basic’ part we use Apple Music with our Zenec and whilst not the best head unit it works. Just like any car you can options and for me the less distraction when driving the better, personally I wouldn’t get fixated on the dash but more on the ‘need’ for the MoHo Layout.

Ours is a 5.4 mtr Hymer Ayres rock probably too small for you to consider but has everything a ‘big’ MoHo has including solar 2x leisure batteries Truma heating Galslow bbq point washroom loo 100litres of fresh and waste water kitchen fridge/freezer etc.

 

[DandJ]

DaveEP.....We are 18mths into our first van ownership, like most others, we took ages looking at layouts, reading reviews, watching youtube clips etc......we are happy that it is the right layout for us and having since looked at other 'posher' but similar layout vans at a couple of quite big shows, we're sticking with this one......so it is not always the case that your first van will not be the 'one for you' as many state.
You've probably already done a need v want list...if not I'd recommend it. Ours is a slimline...so in between a 'proper' motorhome and a van. Works well....for us. Good luck in your search....the next few months will be a great time for buying IMHO...stocks at dealers rising due to delivery of 2025 models, private sellers trying to eek a few extra quid out of a sale rather than part exchanging.....(There's a classified section on here....may well be worth a look)

 

[Pausim]

The Fiat cab seems a little more basic, doesn't have apple car play and I'm reading about problems with AdBlu etc. Also, I'm hearing that the engine is weaker, thirsty, the fuel tanks are small and so on.

The Ford cab seems nicer but I'm reading about injector issues! Ouch.

I chose a radio with Apple CarPlay for my 2019 Fiat cab, it was down to me as the first owner to choose the radio. My 2024 Fiat came with Apple CarPlay and there wasn’t an option that didn’t include CarPlay.

I don’t think there is much difference between AdBlue fitted to a Fiat or AdBlue fitted to a Ford. As already mentioned by Lenny HB there are far more Fiat Motorhomes than Ford ones so you will hear of Fiat problems more often. Fiat owners have certainly reported problems with Comfortmatic gearboxes and Airbag ECU units. Ford owners report wet belt failures and injector problems.

As for cab differences this is a matter of personal preference. However you will probably spend far more time living in the other parts of the van than looking at the dash. I would suggest you concentrate on the quality of the furniture fitting and beds. A properly suspended mattress that feels as comfortable as my bed at home is a top priority for me.

Edit. I have not found either of my Fiat engines underpowered. The Fiat 140 hp engine in my 6.3m van is plenty powerful enough and is the nicest diesel engine I have ever driven.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Welcome, but you sound in danger of painting yourself into a corner of no choice what so ever. There is nothing mass produced that does not occasionally throw out some Friday P.M. examples. You can filter them out as much as possible, but sometimes "luck" just is not your friend. It then has to be dealt with.
Good luck.
P.S. We're in the double cheap seating area, economy brand and ex hire bus, but with some fettling it's surpassed all our expectations.
Mike.

 

[Lenny HB]

Edit. I have not found either of my Fiat engines underpowered. The Fiat 140 hp engine in my 6.3m van is plenty powerful enough and is the nicest diesel engine I have ever driven.

Worth mentioning the new Fiat 2.2 Lt engine that came out mid 2021 (probably won't see many in Motorhomes until 2022) is far better than the outgoing 2.3. Much smoother and quieter more responsive although I do have the 180 which helps & the 9 speed auto makes it a dream to drive compared to previous Fiat's.

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