Complete Novice (1 Viewer)

[tact77]

Hi Guys and Gals, have just managed to talk my hubby into buying our first Motorhome. We have 2 kids and 2 dogs which will be joining us on our travels. We have limited parking near our house so the van will need to be no longer than 21 foot. I have started looking on ebay and such. Is there anything I should keep an eye open for when looking to purchase or would you recommend going to a garage so we get a warrenty?

Also any other tips and hints you may have for us.

thanks in advance.

 

[Taran_Las]

:welcome:

Have look Link Removed for all the information you could possibly need :thumb:

 

[Philcott]

If your buying off ebay make arrangements to view the van before parting with ANY money whatsoever! Huge number of scams about and they are very clever with it too.

You are going to be pushed for space at 21foot - good luck in your hunt and welcome to fun.

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[pablomc]

Some useful info Link Removed. Good luck.:thumb:

 

[chaser]

Just get out and look at as many as you can, before you even think of putting your hand in your pocket . As said before with 2 dogs and 2 kids , 21 foot will want some doing. Ours is 20 foot and I wouldnt want more than us two in it

 

[Wildman]

Hi and welcome to the fun, as already mentioned the Motorhome buyers guide will save you making too many mistakes and will save the cost of itself.
4 bodies and 2 dogs in 21ft is going to be very stressful if you get the layout wrong. Remember though it may be a 4 berth that does not necesarily mean it has 4 seatbelts and dogs need restraining whilst travelling as well so do give that some thought. dogs will need their own space so that they are not constantly shunted around by boisterous children. But lots of other funsters travel with 2 dogs us included. Enjoy the search plenty of time before the sun arrives. so don't rush into it.

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[tact77]

Thanks I will start reading up.

Do you all have extra long driveways as i would love a bigger one but can't fit it on.

Did you all just jump right in and buy one or hire one first?x

 

[Carol]

Hi and welcome to Fun, :welcomefunster: if you are stuck to 6 meters could be worth looking at the Hymer 544 quite a bit of space fitted into the 6 meters, keep asking the questions best way to come up with a van that suits you.

Have to say that joining this club will save you a lot more than the £10 joining fee.

When you find a van you think you like spend half an hour in it with OH and children, see if it will work for you on a rainy day. is there some where the children can sit and play games etc. best to do it without the seller in the van with you.

Make sure there is storage for toys, BBQ, outside chairs etc.
when you find the right one for you, I am sure you will have loads of fun in it.

 

[DesRes]

Renting is a brill idea before taking the plunge and buying your own.
We didn't but worked up from small van to largish, now with a six berth and only three in the family, no dogs. As said space and layout is everything.
As you, we're limited with drive space at home and store the van elsewhere. It's worth researching what might be local to you in storage faciilites.
Good luck with it all...

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[lindylou]

We had all of our front grass paved over to get out 28 ft one on.

Lin

 

[chaser]

for what its worth

Unless you are loaded , whatever you do dont buy a brand new one on half an hours viewing or in 6 months time when you find it isnt what you thought you stand to lose 10 grand and you could be put off motorhoming for ever. What feels great in a showroom might be totaly different in some wet boggy field in the middle of nowhere.
On the length , if you must , you may probebly get round it by having a very good quality awning so that you or the kids could sleep outside, then you could concentrate on one good size bed in the van and 4 belted seats and dineing and storage space.

 

[Roryboys Dad]

Hire a MH before buying and you will avoid buying something that you will later regret.

Have a look at MH's for hire, around the maximum of 6.4 metres, and see what they have to offer and whether you think they are suitable for your family.

Remember that the wetter and more inclement the weather - the smaller the Motorhome seems to be.
Even a massive MH seems much smaller in wet weather.

The dogs need a designated sleeping area and, with four berths already in use you and your children, there will probably be minimal space left over for them.

We hired for a few years before buying a MH last year.

We hired small, medium and large ones to see how we liked, or disliked, each one and now we've bought a 7 metre (23 feet) MH that feels right for us.

Have you considered keeping the MH in a local storage business, one near us charges around £300 a year, and then you won't be restricted by size?

A good idea would be for you all to go for at least a week to find out the problems associated with Motorhoming and what size of vehicle suits your family best.

For your first buy I would suggest you go to a MH dealer who will give you a warranty of at least a few months, or even years, to sort out any problems – a warranty is highly unlikely to be provided by anyone selling on Ebay.

Having a tent for the kids and sleeping under an awning may work on warm nights in Summer but is not likely to appeal to them on a cold and foggy night in Spring or Autumn.

Payload may be a problem for a family of four and dogs so check by weighing the MH before you buy – you don't want to be overloaded (illegal and dangerous) or have to leave basics (outdoor chairs and table) behind.

The Motorhome life is brilliant in the UK and abroad, France loves Motorhomes, and I wish you well what ever you decide.

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[jeepmadmike]

It's a big ask getting family and dogs in a smallish van

How old are the kids and how big are the dogs?

We started with a 5birth! 19' but I wouldn't want more than the 2 of us and "the girl" in it......

We now have "the boy" so bought a 6birth 23' MH with a huge garage, underfloor storage, 2big fixed beds etc etc down side is there is less living space compared to our old one.......... It came with a drive away awning which might be really handy but we haven't tried it out yet as we have only had the van for a few days.

I expect a A class might be better for you if length is critical but they come with a premium price tag.

A garage or other outside accessible storage is a great thing it has transformed our MH experience so far. But kids do equal stuff!

Our new MH is not much bigger than the old one but its now too big to squeeze into a regular parking space.

We are lucky to have amble driveway space but its a little packed with 2MH's and 4 cars at the moment

 

[tact77]

Thank you so much for all of your replies. It has given me a lot to think of before buying, things I hadn't even thought of.

My kids are 8 and 10 and the two dogs are both minitures. x

I have been looking for storage in Warwickshire but haven't found anything yet.