What would you suggest? (1 Viewer)

[LickeyEndBlues]

So far our criteria for a motorhome is:-
big fridge
fixed bed
oven
comfortable lounge
low profile/A or B class (What's the difference?)
external gas point
around £40k but can go higher!

additional items would include; satellite, bike rack/storage, good hifi

We want it to tour Europe for weeks/months on end!

So.......... what should we be looking at?

 

[vwalan]

truck conversion or a mini artic or 5er . ideal for long european stays . do it most winters .
comfort and space plus lots of payload . get change from your figures as well.

 

[rainbow chasers]

What would I suggest? Go and have a look around the dealers....trust me, that list will change!:thumb:

Be prepared to compromise on some things - the best part of your list is available in most modern vehicles. But remember for every attribute, there is a pay-off. A nice rear lounge, means your cooker/bathroom access will be limited. A big garage with overbed will be great - but not if you go winter camping/ski-ing as they are a little more draughty. Low Profiles easier to handle but no overcab bed and associated day-time storage. Long ones have more space, short ones easier to park in towns and supermarkets and drive tight lanes.

Best advice I can give, is to go and have a look about!

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[hilldweller]

So far our criteria for a motorhome is:-
big fridge
fixed bed
oven
comfortable lounge
low profile/A or B class (What's the difference?)
external gas point
around £40k but can go higher!

additional items would include; satellite, bike rack/storage, good hifi

You find just the job on sale by Eddie right now. There was a post on the thread in the last 24 hours.

We want it to tour Europe for weeks/months on end!

So.......... what should we be looking at?

You are talking BIG here. Over 3.5 tonnes. Is your licence and capabilities OK.

C class. Standard van like cab, approx built on a pickup chassis.

A class. All coachbuilt from front to back. Mega expensive windscreens. Not as easy to service.

Link:
Broken Link Removed

 

[vwalan]

here you are Link Removed
sorted .

 

[HymerB544]

What would you suggest

Hi, you've pretty much described our van, which is the third we have had, but the first we've bought second hand. You'll get tons of great advice from Funsters, but at the end of the day, it's your choice; but a choice best made by sticking to absolute must have items, and only then, looking for "would be very nice to have" items. When we got this one we wanted a large, comfortable lounge, plenty of payload, a decent sized bathroom and all in an A class of reasonable length.

We got what we wanted from a Hymer dealer and as a bonus found that the previous (and only) owner, had really pushed the boat out on:

Oyster autosat 85
Full leather trim
Full aircon
Bike rack
Microwave oven
Sigma cat 1 alarm.

Al we've added is Gaslow, and that only because he transferred his to his new van. It has given us everything we need, but at the third trip to the well. Wish I'd known about Motorhomefun years ago.

Dealer is Edgehill Motorhomes, Mansfield.

Happy hunting!

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[magicsurfbus]

For that sort of outlay I'd also be expecting a toilet/washroom that didn't feel like I was wearing it.

Don't forget the solar panel.

 

[Allanm]

You might want to consider how many want to travel / sleep too.
We had a similar list, except for the satellite and bikes ( we have 2 dogs so walking not cycling is our priority
Our other priority was plenty of floor space to move around and no narrow corridors, so that ruled out most rear lounge models, but we had already decided against them because we wanted a fixed rear bed. We also didn't want an overcab bed.
Mine and most people's advice will be to get out to a few dealers and have a good look at what's available. Unless you know exactly what you want, motorhome buying is a dynamic process and there will be an element of compromise. You will change your minds loads of times till you find the most perfect van but my guess is that there will be things in it you would have wanted but can't have, and vice versa
Think of the size of van too. There are a lot of roads in and around European towns where they have a 3.5 ton weight limit, lots of parked cars and narrow roads too, so length might be an issue. It may also restrict access to some aires where they have restricted length bays. And don't forget supermarket car parks either. Ok in big towns but smaller towns will have smaller car parks and restricted access to their fuel pumps.
Basically, under 3.5 tons and 7.5 m long will allow you to go and travel and park in most towns and other places. Over this, and your choice becomes more limited.
We looked at hundreds of vans before we made our choice and there are still things that we have changed or wished we had. Most other people will feel the same.
Good luck and happy hunting.
There's a good article in Practical Motorhome this month, 2013 motorhome awards.
Ours is in the Best Luxury van under 3.5 tons class! We did something right!
Allan

 

[JOHNSTEY]

Look at my article in MMM September issue to see how we found what we wanted and how it has been since! It's a complicated balance to get right between size and space.Good luck:thumb:

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[LickeyEndBlues]

Wow......thanks for that. We are pretty much on the right lines as we have started seriously looking for a couple of moths now and have visited several dealers and have a few lined up between now and November. We are also going to the NEC in a couple of weeks.
We had a good look at Hymers and they are high on the list as is the Swift Bolero.

We did consider putting a tow bar on the Cali and going back to a c*r*v*n but sense prevailed!

 

[MR. FUSION]

As mentioned you will want a decent toilet and shower, that you may actually have to use if you are months on the road

My experience of a long time solidly in a MH....you can never have enough space inside, but obviously have to trade that off with ease of parking ferry costs etc :thumb: