A big hello from Dover and looking to buy my first camper (1 Viewer)

[Grahamold]

Hi all...

I've just signed up after scouring the ads for a reasonable camper in the south east. I'm on a budget of under £10,000 and no dealers seem to touch anything under £30,000 in this part of the country. All the ones I fancy within my budget are either in the far south west or up north. Much too far to go & view only to find they are a load of rubbish. I did that more than once when I was looking for a caravan so I don't want to repeat the exercise.

I then thought, where better than to ask than on a motor home forum. I'm a frequent visitor to photography forums and get great advice there so here I am...

I'm looking for a something that has a large(ish) over cab double sleeping area so that we can keep the bed made up without disturbing the dining area and a single bed at the other end out of the way (for my elderly mum). From what I've seen so far, 5 berths are the only ones that have this arrangement. The only other real 'need' is warm air central heating, again necessary for my mum. On the wish list is a good length up to 24/25ft for maximum floor space, awning, roof rack and external lockers plus all the standard equipment that is expected.

I know I'm not going to get anything really modern and, to be honest, I prefer the older 'boxy' type of designs anyway. I just want something solid and reliable. Am I being too optimistic for the price?

Sorry for the long first post but I'm starting to get disheartened...

Graham

 

[Road Runner]

Cant help youmuch with motorhome but welcome to the forum:thumb:

You will find something though

look for something like this Link Removed

 

[Grahamold]

Thanks John, yes, these models tick all the right boxes in every respect except that if my mum wants to go to bed before us it would be difficult to continue to use the living area.

Link Removed with the single bed at the end but that particular example has no MOT and the guy refuses to get it done before the sale which rings alarm bells for me.

Graham

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[Carol]

Hello and Welcome to motorhome fun :welcomefunster:

 

[haganap]

try looking at the CI range, they do (did) a layout of this type, a diner to the side and at the back which made up to a bed look for the carioca about 2001-2003.

May be pushed for 10k but I have seen the odd one going for about 12k so you never know.

heres the layout if not on a bit of a more pricey van

Link Removed

 

[imprint]

Again, sorry I can be of no practical help, but a hearty welcome to the Fun.

One tip, though, is to watch e-bay, and contact the seller if a likely MH is unsold. We got a great deal that way.

Beets of luck.

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[Terry]

Hi and welcome :thumb:
terry

 

[wivvy's dad]

Also look at www.preloved.com - that's where we got ours last year

 

[Snowbird]

Welcome to the fun...wished I lived in Dover,it would save a fortune on getting to and from ferries...dont want a house swop do you???

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[Grahamold]

Thanks everybody for the advice. It seems the Elddis Voyager 6 berth is the one to look out for although one ad describes the the over cab sleeping compartment as a single berth not a double so not sure until I see one.

Welcome to the fun...wished I lived in Dover,it would save a fortune on getting to and from ferries...dont want a house swop do you???

Believe me, you don't want to live in Dover

 

[Bailey58]

:welcomefunster:

I see Snowbird has touched on it but I should be careful who you give your address to, the world and his wife are looking for ferry stopovers in your part of the world.

 

[normanandsue]

Graham,
Welcome to MHF - you have done the basics in your search - you know exactly what you are looking for and you obviously have caravan experience which will help enormously with the habitation side of your new MH. As you will be buying an older van I would insist on having a habitation check done - even suggesting to the buyer you would add the cost to the purchase price if you decide to buy the vehicle (they may not agree but its worth a shot)
When buying an older MH the base vehicle is important and I have seen some interesting comments by Funsters on base vehicles. Personally our base vehicle is a Peugeot Boxer on a 1998 plate and its fine mecahncially and beautifully free from rust, but not all base vehicles are this good.
Also check if and when the timing belt was changed. On most vehicles it is between 60 - 70K but or every 4 - 5 years which ever comes the sooner. Your MH may well not have reached the required mileage but it will certainly have passed the time limit. It will cost between £275 - £400 to be repleaced depending where you have it done, but it is an expense worth bearing in mind.
Others are good but expensive to maintain. Ask for comments from Funsters on base vehicles.
Stick to your spec and to your budget - with older vehicles its not a bad idea to factor in some cash for unforseen running repairs that always seem to occur a few months after you've bought it.
I may be teaching "grandad to suck eggs" but remember if you buy priivately you have no comeback if it does not turn out to be as good as it was sold to you.
Happy MHing

Norman

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[Rob and Val]

Hi, Graham, and welcome!

We have no mechanical knowledge but have picked up a lot of information from this site and others.

Found this info whilst surfing and thought that it may be useful: -
Unless a lot of touring miles are covered it is unlikely that your motorhome tyres will wear out. However, like all tyres, they will deteriorate with age and can become distorted if they are left unused in the same position. Motorhome tyres that are on a stationary vehicle are always likely to age more quickly than those in regular and frequent use. Also surface cracking of the sidewalls can occur if the motorhome tyres are allowed to become under-inflated and remain for a long period of time in that condition.

You can identify the age of your tyres by the date code printed on the tyre sidewall. Basically, a three digit code means the tyre was made before 1999, which was replaced by a four digit code in 2000. After 2000, the code stands for the week and the year in which the tyre was made, i.e. 0304 would mean the tyre was made in the third week of 2004.

Leisure vehicle organisations recommend that motorhome tyres should be replaced when they reach five years old and they certainly should not be used beyond seven years.

Hope this helps and good luck with your search.

Regards
Rob & Val

 

[Grahamold]

Thank you Norman, Rob & Val

I couldn't agree with your comments more. Fortunately, I've owned large vans for the past 15 years and caravans for the past 10, so I have a fair idea what to look for. It's just that I haven't actually looked for both in the same vehicle.

As I said in my first post, all the ones I fancy are such a long way to go & see and as I don't intend to buy the first one I view no matter how good it looks, I could potentially clock up many hundreds of miles and not end up getting anything. Maybe that's par for the course when buying a MH. I'm just not sure if I'd be able to get anything half decent for my budget.

Graham

 

[Terry]

Hi Graham keep looking at Autotrader and eBay there are plenty of decent vans for your budget :thumb: You are probably bang on the money for a first van :thumb:
terry

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[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Welcome to Fun, £10k is a bit low but there are some good vans about for that sort of money from private sellers wanting to get out of motorhoming.

If you see one in your travels, even if its the first one, buy it straight away as it may not be availablke whle you make up your mind. So many times I have had potential buyers dither and come back a couple of days later to find it has been sold to someone else.

I will not supply many sub £15k vans as there is insufficient margin to cover recondition costs or any potential problems that could arise although I do from time to time get the odd one my workshop has vetted and is happy with.

Good luck

Peter

Peter

 

[Grahamold]

Well, over 500 miles later, we've found one!!!

Looked at a load of rubbish from dealers and a couple of private ads then we saw THE ONE!!! An absolutely immaculate 1992 Elddis Autoquest 5 berth which, to be honest is like just out of the showroom. I just could not fault this MH in any way. Full history & all the paperwork. Ok, it was near the top end of my budget but I still think I got a really good deal. Can't wait to pick it up next week.

 

[Wildman]

magic well done, now you just need to book some rallies for the season, hee hee.

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[Brisey]

Hi Graham, congratulations on your purchase, exciting times ahead. Let the Fun begin.

Brisey.

 

[champers]

Congratulations on finding the "one".....we look forward to meeting you at a meet or two.... :thumb::thumb::thumb:






John n Kath

 

[Jim]

Well, over 500 miles later, we've found one!!!

Well done Graham, exciting times ahead:thumb:

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[imprint]

Well done, Graham!

Couple of further thoughts - we've dealt with Johns Cross for years, so as they're generally in your area - at least writing, as I do, from Glen Haggis where it's snowed all morning, as I said, with years of experience, they can help with at least an early service.

Second, remember the date on tyres is the date of manufacture. MH tyres are not quick sale items, so they could have been stored for some years without deteriorating before they were fitted. Check their physical conditon, or have it checked, before rushing out to buy new.

 

[JJ]

Welcome to Fun.

I looked for years for my "Dream Hymer 660" at around your budget and after five years got a really good one. It is very old but in good nick and if you swop the overhead cab bed for a pull down one it meets your requirements. With my rear lounge layout mum can have "ensuite"!

JJ