Still looking for our 1st motorhome

[haybal]

Hi all,

We are still looking for our first motorhome, we went to Peterborough but didn't see anything that took our fancy.

The link below is something we quite like the look of, any thoughts on make/model/price would be greatly appreciated.



Cheers
Barry

 

[Four of us]

Hello. We have an 07 autocruise stargazer which we bought 5 years ago and have been very happy with it. It looks fairly similar to the one in the link except we have a central lounge/huge comfy bed. We did have a damp problem but got it sorted out so it might be worth checking out what warranty or checks they're offering? Good luck with your search.

 

[haybal]

Thanx for your reply @keades, was you damp problem in 1 particular place or here and there?
As far as I know they give 12 month warranty and a habitation check.

Cheers,
Barry

 

[Four of us]

Ours had spread from the outside locker across the floor and was fairly bad, but fixable, when we discovered it. Its quite a common problem with motorhomes and not always easy to detect. But if you look up how to test for it, it might give you extra peace of mind. We bought ours privately and didn't get a habitation check done for about 18months so had no comeback, and in retrospect were rather foolhardy, but we got it for a decent price and even with the cost of the repair feel we had a decent deal. We certainly love our van and even at 11 years old with over 40,000 miles on the clock, the interior still looks good.

Hope this helps. I certainly wasn't trying to put you off.

 

[Foxy1956]

Hi, we have the pre-swift Autocruise Starspirit 2005. We love the layout, and we've done 105,000 miles without many problems. I know some of the new Swift vans have had damp problems but take a damp meter with you and get a good warranty.

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[Podney]

Looks good. Price seems reasonable,but I haven’t been looking much recently. Take a damp meter. I bought from Wellsbridge,they were OK.

 

[haybal]

Ours had spread from the outside locker across the floor and was fairly bad, but fixable, when we discovered it. Its quite a common problem with motorhomes and not always easy to detect. But if you look up how to test for it, it might give you extra peace of mind. We bought ours privately and didn't get a habitation check done for about 18months so had no comeback, and in retrospect were rather foolhardy, but we got it for a decent price and even with the cost of the repair feel we had a decent deal. We certainly love our van and even at 11 years old with over 40,000 miles on the clock, the interior still looks good.

Hope this helps. I certainly wasn't trying to put you off.

@ Keades Cheers for the damp info, it's handy to know what areas to pay more attention to.

Hi, we have the pre-swift Autocruise Starspirit 2005. We love the layout, and we've done 105,000 miles without many problems. I know some of the new Swift vans have had damp problems but take a damp meter with you and get a good warranty.

@Foxy1956 I will invest in a damp meter for the initial look over, but I will probably have an independent habitation check done before any purchase.

Cheers for taking the time to reply

Barry

 

[Four of us]

No problem and good luck. It looks like a nice van.

 

[mitzimad]

for me making a bed each night and storing the bedding during the day would put me of if your happy with two singles this doesnt matter

 

[Four of us]

for me making a bed each night and storing the bedding during the day would put me of if your happy with two singles this doesnt matter

We've never found it to be a problem. It takes under three minutes to get it sorted, We did actually time it after hearing so many people saying how off putting they would find it. For us its worth it for the extra living space and two sofas for daytime snoozing!

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[nicholsong]

Hi all,

We are still looking for our first motorhome, we went to Peterborough but didn't see anything that took our fancy.

The link below is something we quite like the look of, any thoughts on make/model/price would be greatly appreciated.



Cheers
Barry

Barry

Sit back, take a deep breath, have a glass/cup of what you fancy and I will explain tomorrow about constructing a specification for what you want.

Geoff

 

[Aliton]

Hello , its good that you didn't jump in and buy at the show . We personally would always try to find a private sale. Its easy to spot people who love the van they are selling also you can see how its been maintained . Paperwork all in order ? . Its a bit of a risk but you could save a few grand v dealers mark up. A few websites allow you to specify private sale vehicles . Down to personal choice at the end of the day. If you are buying from a dealer try and find one near you.

 

[nicholsong]

Barry

Sit back, take a deep breath, have a glass/cup of what you fancy and I will explain tomorrow about constructing a specification for what you want.

Geoff

Further to my post yesterday(above)

I found that by constructing a specification of what you need in a motorhome, and by default what you do not want/need it does several things

1. When trawling through adverts, brochures, dealers showrooms etc. it speeds up rejection of some models and selection of 'possibles'

2. Showing it to dealers saves their's and your time by not being shown unsuitable motorhomes.

3. It also tells the dealer that you are not a timewaster, so he might give you a bit more attention.


Before starting to draw up a specification you need to decide a few major points about how you will use the motorhome, for example -

Will you always use campsites, where electricity, water and other facilities are available?

Or will you want to wild camp, needing to generate sufficient battery power and carry a good quantity of water?

Will you want to use the MH in winter, needing protection of water from frost? Usually with a double, heated floor space for tanks.

How many people will you carry max.? This affects no.of beds, belted seats and payload needed.

Have you got a C1 licence for driving over 3.5t or are you willing to pass a test for one? About £1,500.

Where will you keep the MH? If at home, are there any dimension restrictions on the parking area?

Are you likely to want to drive in emissions-restricted areas needing Euro 5 or 6 compliance?


Having determined the general use criteria above then you can start on creating more detail for the specification.

Must it be either RHD for UK or LHD if you will use it mostly in Europe, or either will do?

Do you want double or single beds?

Do you want a fixed bed? Would a drop-down one satisfy? Or are you willing to make up a bed each night?

Do you want a garage - for bikes or scooter? and also storage space for larger items?

What sort of layout do you want e.g. rear lounge(not possible with a garage), separate showeer and toilet or combined?

Do you want a 'C' Class with original van cab or 'A' Class?


I cannot list all the features you may or may not want, so I suggest you start looking at detailed adverts and specifications and when you come across certain features you want add them to you specification, or to a list of definitely do not want. Maybe best to do this on a computer where you can add and subtract from the list easily.

Having narrowed down your search criteria then you have to think what this will amount to regarding payload you can carry, i.e. the difference between the empty weight of the actual vehicle (from a weighbridge not some theoretic/fictitious figure from a brochure or a dealer's mouth) and the maximum authorised weight of the vehicle, taking account of whether your licence is for >or< 3.5t. Remember that you need to carry people, fuel and water according to how you will use the MH.


I hope this is of some help and good luck with the search.

Geoff

 

[haybal]

Further to my post yesterday(above)

I found that by constructing a specification of what you need in a motorhome, and by default what you do not want/need it does several things

1. When trawling through adverts, brochures, dealers showrooms etc. it speeds up rejection of some models and selection of 'possibles'

2. Showing it to dealers saves their's and your time by not being shown unsuitable motorhomes.

3. It also tells the dealer that you are not a timewaster, so he might give you a bit more attention.


Before starting to draw up a specification you need to decide a few major points about how you will use the motorhome, for example -

Will you always use campsites, where electricity, water and other facilities are available?

Or will you want to wild camp, needing to generate sufficient battery power and carry a good quantity of water?

Will you want to use the MH in winter, needing protection of water from frost? Usually with a double, heated floor space for tanks.

How many people will you carry max.? This affects no.of beds, belted seats and payload needed.

Have you got a C1 licence for driving over 3.5t or are you willing to pass a test for one? About £1,500.

Where will you keep the MH? If at home, are there any dimension restrictions on the parking area?

Are you likely to want to drive in emissions-restricted areas needing Euro 5 or 6 compliance?


Having determined the general use criteria above then you can start on creating more detail for the specification.

Must it be either RHD for UK or LHD if you will use it mostly in Europe, or either will do?

Do you want double or single beds?

Do you want a fixed bed? Would a drop-down one satisfy? Or are you willing to make up a bed each night?

Do you want a garage - for bikes or scooter? and also storage space for larger items?

What sort of layout do you want e.g. rear lounge(not possible with a garage), separate showeer and toilet or combined?

Do you want a 'C' Class with original van cab or 'A' Class?


I cannot list all the features you may or may not want, so I suggest you start looking at detailed adverts and specifications and when you come across certain features you want add them to you specification, or to a list of definitely do not want. Maybe best to do this on a computer where you can add and subtract from the list easily.

Having narrowed down your search criteria then you have to think what this will amount to regarding payload you can carry, i.e. the difference between the empty weight of the actual vehicle (from a weighbridge not some theoretic/fictitious figure from a brochure or a dealer's mouth) and the maximum authorised weight of the vehicle, taking account of whether your licence is for >or< 3.5t. Remember that you need to carry people, fuel and water according to how you will use the MH.


I hope this is of some help and good luck with the search.

Geoff

Thankyou Geoff.

You have highlighted things we haven't even thought of or considered. This is a great idea (Mrs has pen & paper ready to start), and we are grateful to you for taking the time to give us a few pointers for our search.

Cheers,
Barry