A big HELLO from the Hobnobs. (1 Viewer)

[TheHobnobs]

Hello folks,

First of all many thanks for allowing us on MHF, hopefully I can pick your brains from time to time as I'm hoping to purchase a motorhome in the near future.

We originally rented a motorhome around 8-10 years ago and took my daughter Molly around the western and southern parts of England for a week, we absolutely loved it and vowed to own a motorhome as soon as we got back. It wasn't the best vow we ever made as the prices were just to much for a young family, however after a short camping trip to the beautiful lakes (lay on a wet n windy bed, thankfully it was just the weather) the memories of a campervan and that great week flooded back and the vow is now firmly back on.

We're hoping to get an 'A' class type vehicle as we like the drop down bed and one with a end lounge for the extra room. Possible around the 15-20 mark (yikes), thats our budget.

If anyone could shed some light on the good, the bad and the downright uglies of owning an 'A' class versus coachbuild then I would much appreciate it as its a big big investment for us.

Many thanks Pete and Dee.

 

[Ali n Tim]

:flyingwelcome:

 

[PHD]

A warm welcome. I've only been in a motorhome for a couple of years and a member here for about a month, so I'll let the veterans advise you on MH purchase. But good luck.:welcome:

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[stcyr]

:welcome:

from happy A-class owners from Basse-Normandie

 

[Carol]

Hello and welcome to fun, good choice going for a drop down bed a Hymer 544 or 584 would give you good space think you would be looking for something like a 1998/2000 model in that price range. Good Luck with your search.:welcomefunster:

 

[TheHobnobs]

:welcome:

from happy A-class owners from Basse-Normandie

My my I had a pang of jealousy as I read your message stcyr.:thumb:

Thanks folks for the quick welcomes.

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[Granjan]

:welcome:

I am a newby too, so no advice here ..... but good luck with your search.

 

[TheHobnobs]

Hello and welcome to fun, good choice going for a drop down bed a Hymer 544 or 584 would give you good space think you would be looking for something like a 1998/2000 model in that price range. Good Luck with your search.:welcomefunster:

Cheers Carol, I will have a look at both those models.

 

[Armytwowheels]

Hello and welcome from another Hymer owner. Very good choice for anyone and I second Carols recommendations.

We are selling our B564 but are so taken with the Hymers we want another one but slightly bigger. It will be another older one as our budget is similar to yours. They go on forever if looked after.

Good luck with your search and welcome to the mad house. :welcomefunster:

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[Taran_Las]

:welcome:​

 

[Janine]

Hello and welcome to the Fun! :thumb::thumb:

 

[Trikeman]

Welcome Hobnobs - brilliant name by the way.

Before committal to an A class (nowt wrong with them by the way) may pay dividends to visit some shows, dealers and do a lot of research beforehand. I have friends with A class MoHo's who come to our coachbuilt who 'wish our layout was like this - look at the front space compared with our deep dash etc'. When we go to their A class we see advantages in some areas over ours - and so the story goes, it's what suits you and yours in the end.

Little tip - when you find some MoHo's that may suit you, go along with everyone who may be using it with you - you will be surprised and shocked how one that appears fine with just you in it suddenly (and without doubt) becomes a nightmare as you and the family wander around opening cupboards etc.
Sometimes the simple layout works wonders with families without everyone getting 'territorial' when inside as hurricane Sally is doing its best outside.

If it's just the two of you - now it becomes easier to agree - says he who was just about to sign on the dotted line for a gorgeous fixed bed MoHo which was flavour of the month (after months of searching). Then the Wife chirps up - " I dunno, the U shaped lounge we had in the old MoHo was nice".
:Angry:

You are on a great place for help though - without doubt.

Good Luck

Trikeman.

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[Puddleduck]

Big wave here from The Scottish Borders.

There are lots of dealers not far from you (they tend to congregate in select areas such as Preston and Nottingham) so go and wander and wonder! Don't be in a hurry to buy but take a notebook and a camera. It's easy to be seduced by the glamour and not think about the practicalities so always go back and look at any van you are interested in several times. Motorhome hunting can become quite an addictive pastime in itself.

Imagine how you would use the space. Is the bed(s) long and wide enough? Try it out. How will you cook for x number of people and is the relaxing space good enough when the weather is bad? Are there enough travelling seats? In some motorhomes there are sometimes more berths than travel seats. Check out the payload as well.

Our second motorhome (a big Hymer) had a drop down bed over the cab. It was clever design but heavy and awkward to put up out of the way. The mechanics have improved since then but you need to check if you can manage the bed by yourself as there is quite a knack to it.

Oh, and did I say have fun and WELCOME!

 

[Dawn B]

Hi & :welcomefunster:

 

[TheHobnobs]

Many thanks for all your replies.

The hardest thing at the moment is grasping my giddiness, sitting it down and thinking with my head and not my heart. Which ever Moho (I like that) will have to last me for a decade or so.

What is the fiat engine like in the Hymers, is it as reliable as other engines? I once had a fiat punto and it was very reliable. Sorry if this question sounds a bit dim.

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[Puddleduck]

Many thanks for all your replies.

The hardest thing at the moment is grasping my giddiness, sitting it down and thinking with my head and not my heart. Which ever Moho (I like that) will have to last me for a decade or so.

What is the fiat engine like in the Hymers, is it as reliable as other engines? I once had a fiat punto and it was very reliable. Sorry if this question sounds a bit dim.

Don't get carried away by the glamour..... you will end up making an expensive mistake! Make a list of what you would like and then rank it - some things will be non-negotiable and other things will be a compromise. Also keep an open mind as to makes and models but ASK owners on here and you will get impartial advice. Don't scorn private sales as you will pay less but will also have more of a risk. Before we ordered our new MH we looked at it three times - each time we were in and round it for about 40 minutes. We looked at the same model elsewhere and checked out several similar vans on forecourts and at shows.

When first looking ignore the ticket price as you are looking at possibilities rather than intending to buy there and then. Magazine and internet research is fine but you need to get up close and personal.

Our first camper had a Toyota engine, the second (Hymer) a Mercedes and the one that is on order will be Fiat based. So many MH's are Fiat based I can't see that there would be any problem with reliability as long as they are maintained. I would have loved another Hymer but the models that are the right size for us all have internal steps which is one of our non-negotiable....... pity.

 

[maz]

If anyone could shed some light on the good, the bad and the downright uglies of owning an 'A' class versus coachbuild then I would much appreciate it as its a big big investment for us.

Hi and welcome to the Fun! :welcome:

Have fulltimed in both an A-class and a low profile.

A-class drop-down bed can be a useful space-saver (if van does not have a fixed bed) but I only ever used mine for storage - much preferred to sleep in the fixed bed at the back of the van.

A-class windscreens can be very expensive to replace, so make sure your insurance has high enough glass cover.

A-class vans tend to be built around the engine with little thought as to how you are ever going to get at the various components if they need replacing. With a 'normal' van cab access to the engine compartment is much more straightforward.

An A-class van will give you a 'panoramic' view but that large windscreen is a great source of heat loss and condensation. I would strongly recommend Silver Screens if you plan on using the van in cooler weather. These are more expensive for A-class vans than coachbuilts, and can be tricky to find if you have a less-common or older van. They can also be trickier to put on with an A-class. My A-class had one cab door and one sliding window - it was quite a feat getting the sliding window to close properly with the Silver Screen on.

The most important thing with any van is its layout, regardless of whether it's an A-class or a coachbuilt. My current van's layout is what sold it to me - the fact that it is in a coachbuilt was a bonus as far as I was concerned but that would not be everybody's preference. I'd suggest visiting as many motorhome shows as you can and trying out loads of different layouts. Imagine yourselves actually living in the van - try out the beds, is the shower large enough, how would you put a meal together in the kitchen, that sort of thing.

 

[Wildge]

:thumb: Hi and Welcome to Fun :welcome:

Fully agree with all the helpful posts re layout etc. especially payload. It's something not mentioned very often by the salesman.
But don't forget to check the outside ..............i.e. how many lockers and how much space. Will everything fit including the all important chairs, table and BBQ.
It's easy to get carried away with the layout and then realise there's only room for one small gas bottle oh:
Enjoy the Hunt............

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[TheHobnobs]

Don't get carried away by the glamour..... you will end up making an expensive mistake! Make a list of what you would like and then rank it - some things will be non-negotiable and other things will be a compromise. Also keep an open mind as to makes and models but ASK owners on here and you will get impartial advice. Don't scorn private sales as you will pay less but will also have more of a risk. Before we ordered our new MH we looked at it three times - each time we were in and round it for about 40 minutes. We looked at the same model elsewhere and checked out several similar vans on forecourts and at shows.

When first looking ignore the ticket price as you are looking at possibilities rather than intending to buy there and then. Magazine and internet research is fine but you need to get up close and personal.

Our first camper had a Toyota engine, the second (Hymer) a Mercedes and the one that is on order will be Fiat based. So many MH's are Fiat based I can't see that there would be any problem with reliability as long as they are maintained. I would have loved another Hymer but the models that are the right size for us all have internal steps which is one of our non-negotiable....... pity.

Yes I will have to be very practical.

I would like to thank everyone for their advice and great welcome.

Hopefully today we can start our search at a local MH dealer and have a really good look, although there's not much at our price range, but the layouts will give us an idea of what we really need.

I will keep you posted.

 

[Coolbeanz]

:welcomefunster:

 

[Momo]

Hi and welcome to the Fun! :welcomefunster:

Look forward to reading how your first visits went! :thumb:

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[Jim]

Hi Pete and Dee, welcome to the Fun :thumb:

 

[scousebird]

Hello :thumb:

 

[PaulyP]

Welcome from another Manc.

We got ours from BCS Manchester based at Littleborough.
On a 2.8jtd Fiat engine which runs well.

Good luck and have a good look around on line and then at the dealers.

Also look on here for Jims motorhome buyers guide it will give you some useful tips.

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[New Dawn]

Hello to the Hobnobs & welcome. Will let the more experienced & wiser advise you on your search. But there are many who can assist. :thumb::thumb::thumb:

 

[TheHobnobs]

Welcome from another Manc.

We got ours from BCS Manchester based at Littleborough.
On a 2.8jtd Fiat engine which runs well.

Good luck and have a good look around on line and then at the dealers.

Also look on here for Jims motorhome buyers guide it will give you some useful tips.

Cheers Pauly, I live quite close to Littleborough so I will take a peek.

Ps I hope you're a blue:thumb: hahaha.

 

[TheHobnobs]

As you folks know from my earlier post that I decided to have a look around a dealer this afternoon and I don't mind saying that I had to have a serious word with my inner child when I got there. The sales team must have been licking there lips like a hungry lion on the plains when I jumped out of my car like bambi all excited, wide eyed and unable to stand (bloody sciatica again). Anyhow I managed to control my giddiness by acting like my teenage daughter and pretending to be "totally bored", it seemed to work as they kindly left me alone....perhaps I doing them a disservice.

We looked at a hymer and loved the layout however we were a bit disheartened by its price, due to it's wear and tear. In all honesty we wasn't there to buy but to look, so nothing lost..........apart from a little sense when we started eyeing up a £90, 000 burnster, it was nice though, even selling my daughter on ebay felt quite reasonable for a hotel on wheels and the jealousy of every camper in the whole wide world stat!

However you'll be glad to know that I didn't manage to get the full £90, 000 for my daughter, so the search goes on.

Many thanks for all of your great advice guys and your heart warming welcomes, me and Mrs H are overwhelmed and look forward to our motorhome or moho quest.

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[PaulyP]

Cheers Pauly, I live quite close to Littleborough so I will take a peek.

[HI]
Ps I hope you're a blue:thumb: hahaha.

[/HI]


Not a chance - season ticket holding RED. :thumb::thumb::thumb:

Plenty of blues on here though able to gloat at this moment, cant blame them though it's been the other way round for quite a while.

 

[TheHobnobs]

[/HI]


Not a chance - season ticket holding RED. :thumb::thumb::thumb:

Plenty of blues on here though able to gloat at this moment, cant blame them though it's been the other way round for quite a while.

I won't gloat Paul, as a season ticket blue I've spent most my life feeling much worse than you guys are feeling and what comes around goes around so I'm just enjoying seeing some great football with the hope of some silverware.

Your starting to pull it together over the last month to.

 

[canopus]

This could be a good buy :thumb: for somebody - however its locate in Belfast :Sad:

Broken Link Removed

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