First Motorhome (1 Viewer)

[kevandmarg]

Having been a 'tugger' for 10 years & then tent camper for the last 5 years we've decided the time has come to buy our first motorhome. We've been looking at various types & layouts for about 18 months, at shows & dealers, and found a 2005 Hymer 'T' class on a 2.8 Ducato last weekend. Had a look round the habitation area using our experience as tuggers along with advise already borrowed from this site and going to check out the base vehicle & test drive next weekend. I have plenty of experience checking out cars & small vehicles but not much on vans. What faults should I be looking for on an almost 5 year old van ? Thanks in advance for any advise/comments,

Kev.

 

[Blisters]

Hi Kev n Marg,

welcome to the world of motorhoming, we were tugger for 17 years before making the switch, and would asay that motorhoming as the edge, get it over the water and its another world

have you had a look at the classifeds on this site theres some good bargains to be had in there

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[pappajohn]

if its a 2.8td engine enquire about the timing belt....could be due for renewal on a time basis rather than mileage.

check and replace at 36000 if neccessary and replace at 72000 miles or 5 years which ever is first.

if its a JTD engine, sorry i dont know the mileage/time interval.

could be £300 plus for replacement.

front chassis cross members are prone to rust but easy checked by hand or sight and not a difficult repair.

check usual habitation things like damp and that everything works.

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[kevandmarg]

Thanks for the first reply Blisters. Yes I've looked at classifieds, trying to find best build quality on youngest van to match our budget to include trading our almost 3 year old car,

Kev

 

[tony morris]

Hi make sure it has a full service history,(service book is stamped up to date?)
If it is a low mileage van ,you should still have a yearly service,the fact it may have been stood for long periods of time,the least the engine oil,filter should have been changed,
also I would ask for a new MOT if there are only few months remaining on the old one.
you did not say if you are buying private,or from a dealer?, if you are buying from dealer you should not have any proplems,he would have done a full check over the van,also he will give you a warranty with it,(that will give you peace of mind, should you have a proplem). the points to look out for are damp spots around the windows,in the cupboards, wardrobe,around all the seams, awning rail,roof vents or any where water can get in.
what I would do If I was you,look at the log book to see who the previous owner was then contact them to see if they had any faults with the van ,(thats why they got shot of it?).

 

[haganap]

I would be very scepticle of build quality being your requirement. Hymer no doubt are a van that many strive to own due to its reputation,,,, however nowadays there are numerous vans that have caught them up,, euromobile, Dethlefs. nieshman and Bishcoff, Knaus to name a few..... oh look at them all built over seas.....

as to what to look for, do not exclude damp just because its a quality build, bad fitting of accessories can also lead to damp. Engine wise? well who can tell but personally im looking for one thats well looked after and an owner that has prided themselves on that,. With a good bit of knowledge dont rule out the used market either.

Good luck