Newbie at the first hurdle! (1 Viewer)

[mallymoo]

Hello Everyone

Have been enjoying reading the posts and decided to subscribe.

After spending about 2 years on deciding whether or not to move from caravanning to motorhoming, we finally took the plunge and got some prices today. One dealer gave us a price on Bessacar and was all ready to make us sign on the dotted line, we walked and said we needed time to think.. thanks goodness for that as we went up the road to another dealer who enquired what licence my husband held.

We replied B +E (hubby passed post 97' and then took trailer test), we should have realised this but apparently hubby can only drive something under 3500kg :Blush:

Bit gutted really, one for being a dope and not thinking of it, and secondly as I had my heart set on a large rear lounge which I am told by the dealer are mainly on the 3500kg plus vans!

Somewhat narrows everything down. Are there many motorhomes out there under 3500kg We had a budget of 25-35k.

Anyone want to drag me out my sulk with some great advice or ideas (apart from hubby spending another £1000 on another test lol )

best wishes

lou
:thumb:

 

[Jaws]

Hi and welcome,
the dealer told you porkies.. There are WAY more motorhomes under 3.5t than over... And they come in every configuration imaginable too !

I am sure someone will be along shortly to make a few suggestions for you

rest assured you will get what you want sooner or later.. It really is a truism that there is a motorhome for everyone out there !
Just a matter of finding it :thumb:

 

[hilldweller]

I'll bet most MHs are under 3.5t. So many advantages in cost and where you can driver terms.

Just be careful on payload, some are a bit on the heavy side and you can't carry much before you cross the 3.5t limit.

Now you are one of us, don't believe anything a salesman tells you until you check it out.

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[mallymoo]

ooh fab ! thanks, well that is a relief.....

any suggestions on good rear lounge layout with front dinette and overcab between 25-35k. need to narrow down my search.

The hunt is back on...:thumb:

 

[motorhomelover]

if you want the best out of motor home life bit the bullett and go for the test
once psssed you have all kinds and sizes and lengths to play with
remeber not many can drive a large RV so you can pick up a great deal once you too can drive a monster save pounds on euro flimsy models.

best thing i ever did was to get a real RV for a motor home from home on wheels
youl thank me for it later or kick your self for not taking the test

it will be the £1000 you can spend as youl save that on a better quality motor home :thumb::thumb:

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

These are end lounge and 3500kg and will give you some ideas, we may have others but you will have to ask Lawerence or Mark who will be quite happy to give you any advice on all sorts of other models that will be available elsewhere. Just pick their brains!

Peter



Autotrail Scout Motorhome 1999

Bessacarr E695 Motorhome 1997

Kentucky Camp Royal 4 Automatic Motorhome 2005 (end fixed bed auto)

Swift Sundance 580PR 2008 Model

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[ronboyracer]

size isnt everything

Hi welcome to the traumas of motorhoming , I find the biggest probs of motorhoming for most people is mobility , do you intend long stay in a motorhome in one particular vicinity , or would you prefer to be more mobile , ie visiting many different localities , you cant have it both ways , towing another vehicle isnt always the answer , it can be bedevilled with all sorts of legalities especialy on an A frame. At the end of the day its one big compromise , but can be lots of fun and adventure.(keeps you going)
best of luck Ron

 

[harryoxford2]

I'll bet most MHs are under 3.5t. So many advantages in cost and where you can driver terms.

Just be careful on payload, some are a bit on the heavy side and you can't carry much before you cross the 3.5t limit.

Now you are one of us, don't believe anything a salesman tells you until you check it out.

The last line is very true about some dealers,we have member dealers by the way, ask away anything I bet ya get an answer.
The licence upgrade isnt that daunting as you are an experienced driver and will probably fly through..give it a crack its only a few bob and get what ya heart really really wants.
But consider this..if ya want a huge lounge like mine as the kitchen slides out and expands and the dinnette slides out and expands and the bedroom expeands....then you cant go down iccle country lanes and explore....the vehicle just wont fit. The european m/homes as long as its not huge in length will fit almost anywhere and will do 24 to 30 per gallon as opposed to mine at 10 miles to the gallon.
Horses for courses...my advice is decided what you want to do and then buy what ya heart wants. I promise you that you will regret not getting the right machine.

I have youth hosteled, pup tented, family tented, folding tented, caravaned, caravan with massive awning, small motorhomed, built my own motorhome into a panel van after ripping the useful bits out of a caravan. And now in the autumn of my life I wanted a big fat massice spaced 1 bedrrom flat one wheels with sofa bed and convertable dinnete.

Ive done all the exploring I want down iccle roads and now I wanna eat big fat food and drink big fat beer and wine watching me big fat telly in me big fat camper rv that needs motorways as it dont fit down hardly anywhere small, and sunbathing like a beached whale.

So if ya want ya big fat lounge..please please get one....if ya wanna explore..then ya really need a normal one.

Thats my fivepenny worth given wid da best intentions.

 

[Gran & Rog]

welcome and good luck with your search

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[mallymoo]

thanks so much for all your comments, it really does help as i narrow down the search.

John thanks for the links, really like the bessacar, @3500t does that mean once i add people and our stuff in (there is 3 of us) then we are over the limit.. should i be looking more at 3000tvan do you think?

Harry, really envious of yours.... unfortunately have a feeling that might want to be able to get the motorhome into a supermarket car park if we needed to - do you know what sort a footage i should be looking at. Really think your motorhome is cool the way it slides out though

Ronboyracer - to your point i guess we are more the type of people, 3 days at one site, 3 days at another and the ability to be able to get around and to do the food shop if we need to, dont fancy much taking another car your right

Motorhomer - good point just trying to convince hubby to take the test

 

[sedge]

Hiya

We have a Bessacar E 425. it's about 6.5m long. In a supermarket carpark, it takes more than one space in both directions - length and width. Assuming you want to get in or out of it I mean!

However, of the extra 3 spaces we need, there's plenty left so we could be wider and longer, and still only use 4 spaces! Or where there aren't 4 spaces available in a rectangle, we can fit lengthwise on 3 spaces, but then you need space to actually get into/out of that gap.

My message is - we've never had to drive away without doing the shopping either in UK or France. And we could have got a lot bigger vans into the same space we used .......

 

[rob kinnear]

Hello Everyone

Have been enjoying reading the posts and decided to subscribe.

After spending about 2 years on deciding whether or not to move from caravanning to motorhoming, we finally took the plunge and got some prices today. One dealer gave us a price on Bessacar and was all ready to make us sign on the dotted line, we walked and said we needed time to think.. thanks goodness for that as we went up the road to another dealer who enquired what licence my husband held.

We replied B +E (hubby passed post 97' and then took trailer test), we should have realised this but apparently hubby can only drive something under 3500kg :Blush:

Bit gutted really, one for being a dope and not thinking of it, and secondly as I had my heart set on a large rear lounge which I am told by the dealer are mainly on the 3500kg plus vans!

Somewhat narrows everything down. Are there many motorhomes out there under 3500kg We had a budget of 25-35k.

Anyone want to drag me out my sulk with some great advice or ideas (apart from hubby spending another £1000 on another test lol )

best wishes

lou
:thumb:

Hi Lou from Swansea
welcome to fun :welcomefunster:
My sundance 630l under 3500kg and being a 6 birth gives us plenty of room and storage. there are only a few dealers in our part of the world. 3As Crosshands / Camarthen have a good selection of stock

Best of luck in looking

Rob

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[mallymoo]

thanks Sedge that is really helpful. At least I have an idea that it can be done if we needed to.

Dont know why I worry we have done the shopping with a big rangey with a horse box on the back and managed ok Albeit one of us had to stay with the ponies whilst one of us shopped

Rob, really pleased you our down our way, did you get your motorhome at 3A's. Anyone any experience of 3A's and CLV wales?

 

[rob kinnear]

thanks Sedge that is really helpful. At least I have an idea that it can be done if we needed to.

Dont know why I worry we have done the shopping with a big rangey with a horse box on the back and managed ok Albeit one of us had to stay with the ponies whilst one of us shopped

Rob, really pleased you our down our way, did you get your motorhome at 3A's. Anyone any experience of 3A's and CLV wales?

I did not buy from 3As (I wish I had) bought my last caravan from them and they professional all the way through the deal and gave a great in depth hand over. 3As did not have what I wanted, I bought from freewheel leisure in Talbot green and their hand over was very poor and the few issues I had after I had paid they were not interested.
What ever you buy make sure that everything works on every function and you know how it works. Jim has buying guide on here.also there is a dealer guide with feed back from funsters.

Rob :thumb:

Rob

 

[Steveutwg]

Hi There and welcome, if I may just add a thought, go for something a bit cheaper first of all, in a layout you think is right for you. Use it and abuse it for a season, till you have experienced life with a MH, this will give you time to decide if you have chosen the right design.

Shop around and you might just find a bargin, people do funny things when you mention CASH. If you buy it right, you can always trade it in for a better model later, who knows you might even make a profit, in the mean time push hubby through the test, the the worlds your oyster!

Good Luck
Have Fun
Steveutwg

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[MikeD]

Welcome to Motorhomefun
I have only been a member myself for 5 minutes but they are a real friendly and helpful bunch.
Have a great new years travelling
Mike

 

[mallymoo]

good point steve. I was finding myself getting carried away looking at mh's over budget. bit have pulled myself in, drop the budget slightly and we think we may have found what we want, been back 3 times to look at them so taking our time so as not to make an expensive mistake.

mallymoo