How to find the right motorhome? (1 Viewer)

Clarebear70

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hi all

It's my first time on here! We are looking to purchase a motorhome really quickly and after advice on how to find the motor home for us! We are looking for 4 berth with four seat belts with a fixed bed and over bed cabin - we have looked at a swift suntor 630g. I am worried it might be too big for our first. We have £22k to spend. Any advice on makes models.

Thanks Clare
 

Puddleduck

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The only bits of advice I would give is take your time - buy in a hurry and you could regret it.

Also check on payload and what your driving entitlement is .... depending on when you took your test you may be limited to 3.5 tonnes and a 4 berth motorhome may not have enough payload for you. Before you buy make sure there is a weighbridge ticket to prove how heavy the vehicle is. It's the only way to be sure.

Layout is key so go and look at as many different makes and models as you can.

(Almost) finally if you are not sure walk away.

Finally finally you only get a limited number of posts before you become "read only" and then you need to pay a subscription to continue to post. :)
 

jollyrodger

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Hi from Devon
If you having already done so visit plenty of dealer sites to 'try on ' as many layouts as you can.Make a shortlist of things you may needtill you find one just right dont be swayed by sales patter.there is a show comming up this month 13th at Malvern (see under scheduled rallies on here)
If you can make it there have a good look around or why not call into the funster site and pick a brain or two
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good luck with your search

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funflair

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I would say get what you want to "live in" and dont worry too much about the size as you will soon get used to it, we started with 8.5 metres BUT I was used to towing and not scared to have a go, the first two days were a bit white knuckle though with the steering wheel and gear lever on the wrong side as well.

Martin
 

Mr B

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Under bed storage to put spare beer in...
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Oct 15, 2012
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Hi and welcome to FUN, eBay is a good starting point, it will let you see different types of Motorhome and prices but be careful is a price seems to good to be true then it most likely is. (y)
 

wingman

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Hiya Clare and welcome from Essex.

Try not to be too quick with your acquisition. It's a sort of 'Marry in haste - repent at leisure' thing! £22k is a lot of money to spend out if you buy something and get disappointed.

For that sort of money, you're probably looking at around a 2006/7 registration. ANYTHING that is ridiculously cheap will be a scam - often accompanied by a story about it being a quick sale on behalf of someone in the Army or something.

If you DO find something, you have to do HPI checks etc. you need to check for damp and so many other things. This is not me being negative! There are some on this forum who will bear witness to being sold stolen 'vans or vans with problems.

My advice would be to take someone who knows a bit about Motorhomes with you. There may even be a funster living near you who could help. You could also invest £10 and join this community for the year. Your investment will be repaid many times! There will be people on here with extensive knowledge of each and every Motorhome that you think of buying.

Meanwhile, have a look at the photos on dealer's sites and see what you like. Something about 19 foot-ish won't be too big for you.

Happy hunting.
James

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Clarebear70

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Thanks - happy to join the site. We have been looking extensively at dealers but each one tells us something different! Would you advise buying from a dealers or looking at a private sale? Would you say the swift suntor 630 g is too big then for a first timer?
 

funflair

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Private sale is good as long as you find the right van and get it checked out both mechanically and the habitation side for damp, water ingress can be a killer for motorhomes or if not a killer it certainly damages your bank balance putting it right so as others have suggested dont rush too much.

I think the 630g is just over 7 metres long and close enough to 3 metres tall to get into class 2 on French tolls so NO I dont think its too big.
 
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Badknee

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Hello and welcome.
We were dead set on a fixed bed too but when we thought about it more we realised it was a six foot by four foot lump missing out of the MoHo that we could use better.
Get the four people your taking to sit in the MoHo and get in the beds, put the table up and down, sit on the loo, is there enough room in there to wipe yer bum without sticking yer head out of the door/window. Imagine being in the MoHo four up for two days solid with a howling gale outside, could you do it without killing each other, can your Mrs cook a meal for four in the kitchen, are there enough gas rings, enough room, is the fridge big enough?

As has been said 22k is an awful lot of money to spend on the wrong MoHo. Good luck and enjoy the search, it's half the fun. :D

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Eve

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Many people make mistakes on there first M/H,so do be careful.
Make a list of all the things that you want,eg fixed bed or not!!
Storage is a big thing,if you intend long holidays.
Comfortable seating and night time sleeping ,the list could get long.:wine::birthday::Eeek:

One of my pet hates is a fixed table waste of space,and usually so heavy,I have removed tables from most of the vans I have had!!!:crying::swear2:

Size also is important,it's not as convenient for some sites if it's very large,but you also have to be happy to drive it anywhere .:pinocchio:

You will have to compromise on something's ,I don,t think they have women designing Motorhomes.:party2::reel::pinocchio::swear:

I would also advice you take someone along with you who M/H,as they can also point out some of the drawbacks that many vans have

Good hunting.
 

haganap

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I think a fixed bed is imperative in a motorhome but much prefer a french bed.. The swift is a nice starting point and the garage swallows much up. .

Personally I would buy private but only because I know what I do. Don't listen to the dealer he will day what you want to hear to get you in that van...

Why not go to the Malvern motorhome show in 2 weeks? A big show and your likely to see every make and layout and test everything from bed size to comfort lounging...

Also you could look in to the funsters area and I'm sure many would let you have a look around their vans and don't forget jims book on buying a motorhome. .

Good luck with your search
 
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Clarebear70

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Hi thanks - what date is the Malvern show and where? Also what is ?Jim's book?

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funflair

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Malvern show is a large display of new and used motorhomes, it is a series of shows organised through the year by Warners Leisure. Thousands of motorhomers attend the show and camp on site taking the opportunity to purchase spares and upgrades/accessories from some of the many traders that attend, there is is also evening musical entertainment if that floats your boat.

Martin

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