A little advice please!

alex n

alex n

Joined
Jul 25, 2017
Posts
447
Likes collected
1,860
Location
scotland
Funster No
49,633
MH
Rapido A class
Exp
Since 2017
Hi, Just looking for a little advice as complete newbies. Went to see 2010 motorhome today - £45,000 from local dealership. We asked about habitation certificate and warranty and were told you get a PDI check and 6 months warranty. Is this standard? What is difference between PDI and Habitation cert? Would be really grateful for your thoughts.

Thanks
Alex
 
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PDI is Pre Delivery Inspection usually associated with the mechanical side of a vehicle

Hab Cert is specific to the habitation area Damp, Gas Etc
 
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Thanks for that - helpful. Salesman said no need for Hab Cert as PDI given. Think I'd like Hab cert for peace of mind. Him not being keen to offer it doesnt instill confidence I must say.
 
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alex n said:
Thanks for that - helpful. Salesman said no need for Hab Cert as PDI given. Think I'd like Hab cert for peace of mind. Him not being keen to offer it doesnt instill confidence I must say.
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If they won't do it, walk away. Warranties can be questionable
 
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Hi Silverfox, Just noticed you have a Rapido, that happens to be the one we are looking at - love it! Any tips/advice you have appreciated.

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If it's an A class,,,,,,
Look after your mirrors.:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
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alex n said:
Hi Silverfox, Just noticed you have a Rapido, that happens to be the one we are looking at - love it! Any tips/advice you have appreciated.
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What info are you looking for regarding the Rapido?

Whats the base vehicle? are you looking at an A class?
 
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its a Rapido A Class 9048DF year 2010 mileage 16,500. As newbies, any do's or dont's? Many thanks, Alex
 
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Only my opinion but spending 45 k i would want 12 months warranty .
Not all dealers are bad but there are so many bad stories about dealers that i think i would not buy from one .
The only reason to buy from a dealer is for some sort of back up i suppose . 45k is allot of money, shop around i say you can get allot of van for that amount. Take your time and dont jump in (y)
 
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Ours is a bit older at 2006 and built on a Merc chassis.

Well built vans and nice to drive, ours is fitted with sprintshift.

We haven't had ours a long time but cant think of any do's or dont's.

There is a forum dedicated to the Rapido make on Facebook and has some helpful people on there. Only ever seen good things posted on there as its run as a very tight ship so absolutely no abuse as with some Facebook groups. Might be worth a look if you have specific questions regarding the model you are looking at.

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Worth asking if they have documents relating to previous habitation checks. Could show if there has been a problem in the past.
 
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Thats a thought, thanks. Never occurred to us as serious first-timers. Will do that. Will be so disappointed if dont get this one - set-up perfect for us.
 
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@alex n
You've already done the best thing for a new mh owner
Investing £15 into MotorhomeFun the advice and help as been worth every penny to us
Welcome to FUN and that's a lovely mh hope you get it and enjoy it

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As 'newbies' you should get all the checks you can a PDI will not tell you anything about the condition of the van.
A Hab cert would be good as even new vans can have problems!
Dealers look after themselves although we've used two dealers over the years and they've both been very good!
 
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alex n said:
Thats a thought, thanks. Never occurred to us as serious first-timers. Will do that. Will be so disappointed if dont get this one - set-up perfect for us.
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Check what payload it has as Rapido can be a bit stingy, are you a family or just two.

2010 with 16,500 miles has done a lot of standing around so you want to check that everything that should move does.

And I would want a full habitation check including damp readings before buying it, then get the chassis serviced straight away and if there are any big issues you can go straight back to them.

Martin
 
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For that money I'd expect 12 month warranty, hab check, all previous documents, service details, receipts etc, full gas and a tank of fuel.

I'd also expect a bottle of champagne, hamper, my shoes polished and all the time and assistance they could offer.

45k is an awful lot of life savings, seen too many people get bitten by so so many dealers.

Are you taking anyone with you for guidance and advice?

I know people say there are some good dealers and there are for sure, but far too many bad ones I'm afraid and they outweigh the good ones. Let us know how you get on and then leave a review on here for future Funsters to read.

Good luck:)
 
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Have you thought of shopping around, I found these 2.

A little higher mileage and year, but a significant £1000's of savings to be made.

Just a thought.
Broken Link Removed
 
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alex n said:
Thats a thought, thanks. Never occurred to us as serious first-timers. Will do that. Will be so disappointed if dont get this one - set-up perfect for us.
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There are loads out there, don't jump at the first one you see Alex. That Moho should have hab checks from year one, service records, check what year the tyres were made (on side wall, week year) as at seven years they may not be worn out but might be perished in places.
 
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Hold your horses on this one!

It is VERY easy to be swayed to buy the first one that 'fits' your needs but you really do need to look around as you'll more than likely find a better deal elsewhere ... 16,500 miles for a MH that's 7/8 years old could mean it's only done just over 2,000 miles a year and been stood in the sun on a campsite in Spain for a few months ... mileage doesn't always mean its been lightly used. One with a higher mileage may actually be better mechanically and habitation wise, also you need to check if the cam belt has been changed at all as it should have been done at 5 years I believe regardless of mileage.

Please take your time ... it's a lot of money to spend 'in a rush'.
 
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Great feedback - thankyou all. certainly making us think in ways we hadnt considered, got a bit over-excited I think. Nothing like the voices of experience to reign you in - every thought helps. It IS our life savings and long-term dream so must try to get it right! Keep thinking though that this particular make/model feels so right for us but are few and far between. Sooo confused.
Alex & Diane
 
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If you have no intention of hiring a few then you will just have to decide what you think you need from a MoHo.
We had a check list of must haves and some would be nice to haves.

We purchased the first one we viewed properly but it was a known van on here so less of a risk with traceable history.
Ours came with pretty much all of the things we wanted.

Sometimes you have to go with your gut feeling, if you think its the "one" it may well be.

Show due diligence HPI check, MoT history off the Gov web site will help you.

Ours didn't have an up to date has check but I checked for damp myself and trusted the seller regarding everything else working ok along with trying things.

My advice is compare prices on the internet and dealers regarding value for money.

Take someone else with you if you are going to view again as they won't be wearing rose tinted glasses :D

If you arnt mechanically minded get it checked by a friendly mechanic or pay the RAC or AA.

Maybe post some pictures up on here.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do.
 
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My advice is never to buy without a hab check, and remember you can (admittedly) just about get a new M/H for this price, not everyone wants or needs an Arto, not everyone can live in a PVC

I would also very carefully analyse the use you are going to put the van to, before making any purchase decision. Will you be touring or stopping for extended periods? Are you going to be carrying around bikes or canoes or just a couple of cases of beer? Do you want/need fixed beds? Your use will determine what is acceptable to you in any layout

There's very little to choose from in terms of base units, the habitation area is what counts

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That seems like a lot of money for a 7 year old van - mileage isn't really a major factor in motorhomes for the reasons already stated. If you're convinced this is for you, try to find someone a little more experienced who can go over it with you. And if you do decide to "take the plunge" make sure you get a proper handover, including a demonstration of everything working. Then stay in it overnight close to the dealer to make sure you understand it all.

Good luck!
 
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PP Bear said:
For that money I'd expect 12 month warranty, hab check, all previous documents, service details, receipts etc, full gas and a tank of fuel.
I'd also expect a bottle of champagne, hamper, my shoes polished and all the time and assistance they could offer.
45k is an awful lot of life savings, seen too many people get bitten by so so many dealers.
Good luck:)
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What the Very @old-mo Fella says. (y) He has much experience of buying motorhomes. :D
Minimum 12 month warranty and not a silly insurance based one either. Any damp, however small, in a motorhome, can spell it's death knell, if it is not caught early. Such repairs can cost a hideous amount of money. So have it thoroughly checked by someone independent, even if it costs you money. Whose the dealer ? o_O
 
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Lots of good advice above and the one that you like is significantly overpriced! Don't spend all your savings on your first van. Apart from the fact that there will be various extras that you will want/need to buy, many people will tell you that your ideal layout will not be found in your first MH :doh: We have our ideal now, in our third layout .........I think :whistle: So I would consider keeping a goodly sum in reserve to allow for some changes later.

In any case, try to visit dealers in the week, if you can, when it's a bit quieter and sit and ponder in any model that you like, trying to imagine living in it for a few weeks. Keep sales people at bay while you think, ignore any pressure from them and carry a few pinches of salt to analyse their comments!

Never pay the asking price, I always expect a minimum of £2k off the asking price and have found the best approach is not to offer anything, but to ask them "What is your very best price right now?" and be prepared to walk away :( Once that is settled, you want a full service and Habitation check, cambelt and tyres replaced (subject to age), 12 months warranty (preferably not an off-the-shelf warranty from a company who will do their utmost to avoid paying a penny, but the dealer's own warranty, such as that offered by Lincoln Leisure, where the dealer pays out in the event of a claim) and any niggling faults sorted before collection.

Anything less and they have something to hide :cautious:

Relax and enjoy the search, check websites as much as you can and be prepared to travel distances to get want you want. Our Hymer was 200 miles away, but was worth the journey, and the dealer appreciated our commitment by providing outstanding service.
 
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As others have said would be expecting full service and habitation check histories and extras thrown in.

I'm guessing this is the MOT history of it -
  • Vehicle make FIAT
  • Vehicle model DUCATO
  • Date first used 29 November 2010
  • Fuel type Diesel
  • Colour White
  • Test date 1 November 2016
  • Expiry date 29 November 2017
  • Test Result Pass
  • Odometer reading 16,497 miles
  • MOT test number 7144 5931 7825
  • Test date 9 November 2015
  • Expiry date 29 November 2016
  • Test Result Pass
  • Odometer reading 15,579 miles
  • MOT test number 4343 7844 4559
  • Test date 28 November 2014
  • Expiry date 29 November 2015
  • Test Result Pass
  • Odometer reading 14,134 miles
  • MOT test number 4771 4293 4388
  • Test date 28 November 2013
  • Expiry date 29 November 2014
  • Test Result Pass
  • Odometer reading 10,381 miles
  • MOT test number 1367 1263 3301
Assuming it is there's only 3 / 4 months to run before it needs retesting. You may want to factor that into your negotiations and get written agreement that any defects and advisories will be addressed by the dealer at their cost.

Would be worthwhile looking around other local dealers to see what they've got on offer for comparison, eg Dicksons of Perth, Perthshire Caravans, etc.
 
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