Thoughts wanted on our first real MH viewing today

[Tony68000]

Just been to view an Elddis 180, 2011, 54k miles, £33k-ish. Private sale via a broker.

I don’t have a lot of experience in these matters, this will be our first Motorhome, and we have little to compare this against, so wondered if someone could offer their views and experiences.

Our general impression was ‘tatty’, wasn’t presented to sell, cupboards and storage full, not even hoovered.

Outside had seen some diy resealing, over the cab, near the rear panels. Quite messy. Inside also seen some diy resealing in the kitchen area, again not a great job, but easily fixed.

Some laminate on the roof lining showed a little curling up around the edges - sales man said it happens with blown air heating. Most cupboard doors need the screws tightening… I wonder why they didn’t do this.

I get my new moisture meter out (thanks to this forum for suggesting this!) - contactless and go around the Windows, etc.

Most places look normal, but three spots showed high readings. Near to the top of the hab door - I suspect a leak somewhere where the outside light is connectted or where the outside light cable enters.

2 spots near windows. Goes from 17% to 50%. Sales guy wanted to use the pins on the moister reader and this didn’t show anything abnormal - I’m not sure how far the pins should be inserted to give a reading. I just went on the difference between one part of the wall and the other. No hidden cables or pipes in these areas too.

So, my main question is - are the moisture readings a concern? I’m sure if I went through the van in real detail I would find more like this.

Is this general tattiness to be expected in a 10 year old van?

Finally, do to a mix up I couldn’t do the test drive today, but was told he was holding it for someone else to tomorrow if I did’t leave a deposit today! My next chance at a test drive is in about 10 days time. We obviously walked away, but still don’t know if this is all ‘normal’ or not.

Your thoughts would help us greatly.

 

[Riverbankannie]

A 2005 MH looked after, will be a better buy than that 2011 one you looked at. For the majority of Motorhomers that I have met, their MH is their pride and joy - you will be able to tell when you see one.

Have you checked out the ones for sale in the classified section on here?

 

[stevec]

So, the next time I get my new moisture meter out… if I see a reading of 50% in random places, but nothing visible, this is definitely an ingress of water and we should walk away again?

I think you will find that the contactless meters are affected by metal. Certainly the ones with a ball end. Get to know how it reacts to different material (damp wood for example) and to walls that have wires in them. Also around metal window frames. Good luck looking. Sounds like you did the right thing with this one.

 

[reckless]

Incidentally Tony68000 was the broker Motorhome Depot? If so they're not necessarily bad news but simply act as a middleman and can only work with what the owners give them i.e. tatty, untidy van and no paperwork. We sold a van, 2011 Swift Sundance, through them and hubby spent hours/days cleaning and prepping it.
Best of luck, you'll get there.

EDIT and hubby was also at the viewing to answer any questions.

 

[Grummyb]

It sounds to me like too much if a hard sell with the leave a deposit today or come back I 2 weeks for a test the only thing you did wrong I my opinion was walk away you should have sprinting

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[tonka]

From the van you looked at and the one you listed next I sounds like your after 6 berth with rear u lounge and front dinette.
If so this is a "British" sort of design going back to caravan days. So you will mainly find they are UK manufacturers. Other models similar are the Autotrail Apache 700 and the scout.

 

[Jamesh]

From the van you looked at and the one you listed next I sounds like your after 6 berth with rear u lounge and front dinette.
If so this is a "British" sort of design going back to caravan days. So you will mainly find they are UK manufacturers. Other models similar are the Autotrail Apache 700 and the scout.

Sounds like a British built model too, straight from British Leyland days.

I'd go continental or newer British bailey or swift solid construction.

We had a simalar age Avondale caravan and it was a disaster from beginning to end!

Cheers James

 

[Tony68000]

I think you will find that the contactless meters are affected by metal. Certainly the ones with a ball end. Get to know how it reacts to different material (damp wood for example) and to walls that have wires in them. Also around metal window frames. Good luck looking. Sounds like you did the right thing with this one.

Ah, thanks for the tips. I’ll play with it a little more. I was mostly going on the difference in reading across the wall. I suspect the ‘spot’ near the door could have been cables, but the 2 spots around the windows didn’t have anything else there that I could tell. Will be more diligent next time.

For ref, I used an Extech MO55, it’s got a flat panel for contactless.

If I did use the pin mode, would these have to go in very far, or would it work on the surface? Wouldn’t want to start sticking holes in peoples vans!

 

[Tony68000]

From the van you looked at and the one you listed next I sounds like your after 6 berth with rear u lounge and front dinette.
If so this is a "British" sort of design going back to caravan days. So you will mainly find they are UK manufacturers. Other models similar are the Autotrail Apache 700 and the scout.

I told you I was clueless … after the viewing today, we think the rear lounge is less than ideal for us. A fixed bed seems to be the preference (of the day) for us.… seems the only way we’ll get a decent mattress. We’re slowly getting close to a layout that we want… fixed rear bed, 4 belted seats are now the overriding considerations. There’s an auto-trail tribute one we might take a look at now.

I’ve seen a few posts on the opinions of British/Euro models, so that might be may my next topic to do some more research on. Oh hum, this isn’t easy…

 

[Folkranger]

I've had Van's and caravans that were over ten years old but never tatty. I didn't buy them tatty and I didn't make them tatty. Avoid, why not. Good luck hunting.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[AndyPK]

I told you I was clueless … after the viewing today, we think the rear lounge is less than ideal for us. A fixed bed seems to be the preference (of the day) for us.… seems the only way we’ll get a decent mattress. We’re slowly getting close to a layout that we want… fixed rear bed, 4 belted seats are now the overriding considerations. There’s an auto-trail tribute one we might take a look at now.

I’ve seen a few posts on the opinions of British/Euro models, so that might be may my next topic to do some more research on. Oh hum, this isn’t easy…

Take a look at the Elddis/Marquis 155 - fixed bed and 4 belted seats…..but 7m long. We’ve had ours for a couple of years, and it suits us down to the ground (at the moment! )

 

[golly]

Will do that right now.

How do I recognise a Funster? Perhaps I shouldn’t ask that one

They will be the ones with a hungover look whistling the tune of "living next door to Alice" .

 

[Sandancers]

Ah, thanks for the tips. I’ll play with it a little more. I was mostly going on the difference in reading across the wall. I suspect the ‘spot’ near the door could have been cables, but the 2 spots around the windows didn’t have anything else there that I could tell. Will be more diligent next time.

For ref, I used an Extech MO55, it’s got a flat panel for contactless.

If I did use the pin mode, would these have to go in very far, or would it work on the surface? Wouldn’t want to start sticking holes in peoples vans!

We have an Extech pinless meter and I can confirm they will pick up any buried cables or metal. It seems to work very well over large surfaces. I'd expect any damp to show over an area, ie increasing readings from the outer edge of damp to higher readings on the main damp area, whereas it suddenly jumps to a high reading when it is over cables and metal.

 

[Tony68000]

It sounds to me like too much if a hard sell with the leave a deposit today or come back I 2 weeks for a test the only thing you did wrong I my opinion was walk away you should have sprinting

We have an Extech pinless meter and I can confirm they will pick up any buried cables or metal. It seems to work very well over large surfaces. I'd expect any damp to show over an area, ie increasing readings from the outer edge of damp to higher readings on the main damp area, whereas it suddenly jumps to a high reading when it is over cables and metal.

Good to know, thanks.

 

[IRHP]

They are having a laugh with the price (see link). It was probably that price or close to it when new. Unless you are wanting to head off somewhere warm for the winter I'd hang off until next year. By all means do your research over the winter but wait to see what the prices are doing next year. https://www.practicalmotorhome.com/reviews/elddis-autoquest-180-2

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Zoobec]

I told you I was clueless … after the viewing today, we think the rear lounge is less than ideal for us. A fixed bed seems to be the preference (of the day) for us.… seems the only way we’ll get a decent mattress. We’re slowly getting close to a layout that we want… fixed rear bed, 4 belted seats are now the overriding considerations. There’s an auto-trail tribute one we might take a look at now.

I’ve seen a few posts on the opinions of British/Euro models, so that might be may my next topic to do some more research on. Oh hum, this isn’t easy…

It might be worth renting a van or 2 with the layout you think you might like, so you can try before you buy one. It might help decide what’s important to you. Also, if the mattress is not good but the layout is, you could always buy new mattresses.

 

[Silver-Fox]

They will be the ones with a hungover look whistling the tune of "living next door to Alice" .

so true

 

[Puddleduck]

Possibly a more relaxed period without 'Show pressures' to be able to speak to Funsters and get the verbal details .

A decent dealer will hold to any "show special" deals for a while after the show.

Mind we did see a second hand van I loved at show before we bought Buffy - went back and it had been sold. Obviously not to be but that is life.

We went to look at a van we'd seen advertised by a dealer at the show (but that wasn't at the show) and called in at the showroom on the way home. The staff left to look after homebase were so awful we walked away and bought an identical van elsewhere. I also let the first dealer know how we were treated and that the attitude had cost them a £30,000 plus cash sale.

Our current van was a "show special" and we did what we said we never would - bought at a show and a new van. However we did have a list of what we wanted and what we didn't want and took along many years of experience. There was no pressure to buy and all deals would have been held for at least a couple of weeks - we went back to the van we had then and did some calculations, weighed up our options and went back next day to sign. Six years on and it is still the right van for us.

 

[pampam]

I think if the owners haventcleaned the van before you came to view then they might be a bit slapdash at servicing and hab checks so i think you did the right thing,walking away.
enjoy yourself looking and get to as many dealers and shows as is possible,its all part of the fun

 

[Snoopy]

When hubby and i were looking, initially on line, hours, days, weels, month's, I was dreaming about layouts, seatbelts, price, size....we saw a few only a few, really dark inside, dark wood, covers dated, but we only had a set amount we could afford, set size, due to storage site, we then saw zebedee, only a 2003, but very clean, well looked after, the layout ( was exactly what we said..we would not want)... Yes, we loved it, we both knew, compromise always, but we ticked most of our boxes, that was in 2019, we have been lucky and with great advise on this forum, we feel it was a good investment..plus we're skint Now!
You sound like you know that is not what your after! your van awaits, good luck

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Simon Select]

Just been to view an Elddis 180, 2011, 54k miles, £33k-ish. Private sale via a broker.

I don’t have a lot of experience in these matters, this will be our first Motorhome, and we have little to compare this against, so wondered if someone could offer their views and experiences.

Our general impression was ‘tatty’, wasn’t presented to sell, cupboards and storage full, not even hoovered.

Outside had seen some diy resealing, over the cab, near the rear panels. Quite messy. Inside also seen some diy resealing in the kitchen area, again not a great job, but easily fixed.

Some laminate on the roof lining showed a little curling up around the edges - sales man said it happens with blown air heating. Most cupboard doors need the screws tightening… I wonder why they didn’t do this.

I get my new moisture meter out (thanks to this forum for suggesting this!) - contactless and go around the Windows, etc.

Most places look normal, but three spots showed high readings. Near to the top of the hab door - I suspect a leak somewhere where the outside light is connectted or where the outside light cable enters.

2 spots near windows. Goes from 17% to 50%. Sales guy wanted to use the pins on the moister reader and this didn’t show anything abnormal - I’m not sure how far the pins should be inserted to give a reading. I just went on the difference between one part of the wall and the other. No hidden cables or pipes in these areas too.

So, my main question is - are the moisture readings a concern? I’m sure if I went through the van in real detail I would find more like this.

Is this general tattiness to be expected in a 10 year old van?

Finally, do to a mix up I couldn’t do the test drive today, but was told he was holding it for someone else to tomorrow if I did’t leave a deposit today! My next chance at a test drive is in about 10 days time. We obviously walked away, but still don’t know if this is all ‘normal’ or not.

Your thoughts would help us greatly.

Run away.

 

[JimmE]

It might be worth renting a van or 2 with the layout you think you might like, so you can try before you buy one. It might help decide what’s important to you. Also, if the mattress is not good but the layout is, you could always buy new mattresses.

Can strongly recommend hiring first. We hired a van last year and the same van again early this year. We knew even the first time that it wasn’t the layout we wanted - but it did give us a much better idea what we *did* want… including some things that we didn’t expect to be interested in… and also changed our minds on a couple of things we didn’t expect to like.

Having done that, when we eventually managed to view a van with the layout we did want, we then realised it was a good buy and we’re able to confidently go back and buy it the next day!