Potential new owner after help and suggestions

[Steve197152]

Hi all, I'm Steve and soon I'm coming into a bit of money. I've always wanted to have a motorhome but am not sure where to start. tbh at this point not even sure if it would be best suited to buying one or renting as and when I wanted to go off, (I know i'd like the lifestyle in a motorhome as I used to live in a statoc van plus am ex HGV tramper driver so used to be away all the time). I will be looking to travel UK only, England, Wales and Scotland. It appeals to me maybe to stay on the road for a few months at a time. It will be for me and my Dog only. (my Wife passed away 18months ago and we always dreamed of doing this and I certainly would like to going forward). I want to do this not just to see everywhere but a bit of therapy too as I love being out and about. I am disabled but can walk a little. I would require internet, TV and preferably a permanent bed (don't really want to be setting a bed up each night) but do not think a bed over cab would be any good as i'm 6ft 2 and 20 stone. I want one that I can stand up in height wise and be able to stretch out, do not want to be really cramped. I don't know my budget yet which I know does not help. If I bought a van it would be used but id like a nice one. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

 

[Norfolk Nige]

Hi Steve. Rent first to see what layout works for you. I too am disabled and it took a couple of purchases and the hand controls to get the right van. Layout is key. Also visit a few dealers or Warners shows to have a good look at all the different options.

 

[David and Sally]

Subscribers get access to the Buyer”s Guide in the Resources section.

Do your research and enjoy your future purchase.

 

[Branston]

Steve, hello. Sorry about the passing of your wife. I would suggest ( for what it's worth!) hiring one for a few days. I haven't met your dog of course but bear in mind not all animals travel well so he/she could test the lifestyle as well. As to which model to go for is like how long is a piece of string. You won't necessarily need something very big because fixed beds can be found in smallish models these days. Suggestions from people who know more about the different models will flood in I'm sure.

 

[Spriddler]

Welcome!
If you're not familiar with this website the Buyer's Guide that David and Sally mentioned is here:

The Motorhome Buyers Guide

This book will save you money, probably a lot of money. It will show you, step step by step, how choose the right motorhome and then show you how you can easily negotiate the very best price. This book is FREE to subscribers. Download it by...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

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[suavecarve]

Going to a show or visiting a few dealers would be on my list of things to do if I were in your position, after joining as a paying member of course as it could potentially save you thousands in the long run and gain shed loads of information from all the mistakes we made.

 

[ambulancekidd]

 

[Lenny HB]

 

[ChrisL]

If you don't need a lot of garage space then a french bed is at a lower level then a bed over garage layout, if you still have your C/C1 license you'll be able to go over 3.5 tonnes which can be useful.

Edit: If you decide to buy from a dealer make sure you research the dealer as well as looking at the condition of the motorhome. Some dealers have a really poor reputation for dealing with warranty claims etc. Whilst others are excellent.

 

[hja]

Look at panel vans as well as coachbuilt, they have more space than you might think. I would start by making a list of all the dealers within easy reach of where you live and visit them look at new and second hand vans to get an idea of layouts and facilities. Also visiting shows is a good idea. Buy a few Motorhome magazines as well. If you want to be away for long periods of time then probably renting would work out expensive, but renting for a few days is a good idea.

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[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[Phill D]

Hi and welcome

 

[Nanniemate]

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

Hi Steve, welcome to FUN. I posted this some time ago to assist another newby. I hope that you find something in the content which may help you.

Back in 2016 when we first seriously thought of buying a moho, we knew nothing so had a steep learning curve, so we joined FUN. We had thought of buying a Euro 4 Autosleeper, then while doing my homework I discovered a lot of talk of emissions and the possibility of 39 towns/cities having emission restrictions. This was a game changer for us, we started to look at newer vans without overstretching our budget.

Our driveway limited us to a 6mtr van, with members advice ringing in our ears, layout and payload had to be a priority. We fell in love with an Autosleeper Nuevo which was 5.4mtrs which was a Euro5 engine, then we came across a new Elddis Accordo 105 Prestige (dealer special) which at 5.99mtrs, had a shed load of extras, ticked all the boxes and had a Euro6 engine and a 10 year water ingress warranty. For £7k more than a 5 year old Autosleeper Nuevo it seemed like a no brainer. Our only concern was the reputation at the time of poorer build quality, but digging deeper discovered that Swift, Autotrail and heaven forbid, even Hymer and others had damp issues.
So we bit the bullet and ordered our Accordo 105 which we took delivery of in June 2018. We've had no issues with the van, for us the layout is perfect, we got it right first time, thanks to FUN.
The emissions issue has grown so much in the last 5 years, we're so glad we looked beyond the Euro 4 / 5 engine vans as we're not now in a position to upgrade to a newer van, and our van is worth more than we paid 6 years ago, win, win

 

[Jo662]

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