Advise on buying a full time hymer (1 Viewer)

[Emilybadger]

Hello it's lovely to meet all of you

I would be really happy for a little advise please on what is a super big, Exciting and a little scary decision.

Me and my partner are artists and have decided we want to get rid of our house and things to live freely on the road for a while. We would keep our studio in the UK as a base for when we get a big project in but otherwise we want to tour around Europe with our lovely cocker spaniel. Having adventures and finding inspiration. We can still work and earn from our art whilst travelling. Yay!

My big questions are. We are about to commit to buying our first motorhome. A 1991 b345 model Peugeot hymer with 116,000 miles. It looks immaculate and has had careful owners. I'm struggling to find much information regarding the peugeot engines we would really love some advise about whether the mileage is too high or if a newer model would be better?

Also any advise that springs to mind about full time living?

We are used to living in a small space together so that side of things doesn't stress us out too much.

The motorhome would need to travel quite far Over a few years. We would also be up for a bit of diy especially on the interior in fact we would love to decorate it

Thank you in advance for any help you can give us.

 

[funflair]

Hi Emily

Welcome to FUN, no I don't think 116k miles is too much.

Martin

 

[Figaro]

That sounds like a great plan.
The mileage is not too important but make sure it's had cam belts changed or factor in getting it changed. Serviced properly the engine will go for many more miles. What engine is it ?
Check for damp also
Make sure the layout is right for you.
I have never full timed so others can advise on that but I know you will need to check out insurance which isn't cheap.

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[scotjimland]

any advise that springs to mind about full time living?

Before buying a van, look into motorhome insurance.

a normal motorhome policy doesn't cover for living full time..

The only insurers who do it are Comfort insurance.. and AIB .. it will cost about £900 - £1200 per year.. but they may have an age limit on vans.. If I recall correctly it's ten years .

more info here
https://www.comfort-insurance.co.uk/guides/thought-becoming-full-time-motorhomer/

https://www.aib-insurance.co.uk/products/car-insurance/motorhome-insurance

we were full time for three years and used NFU , but as far as I know they stopped doing it.

Non disclosure of a pertinent fact, ie living full time , may void the policy and in the event of a claim the insurer would refuse to pay out..

more discussion here on this topic.

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/full-time-insurance.99956/

another point to consider, breakdown cover.. it may be difficult to get it with a van over 10 years old ..

 

[Wagoneer]

Hi Emily, welcome to Fun.

Perhaps rather than go fulltime, think about dipping your toe in the waters first, for say a 3 month trip, to see how it goes. You'll either love it or find it's not really for you.

Can you finance the motorhome without having to sell your house? You can always rent out your house while you are away and still have somewhere to come back to if things go pear-shaped.

Re the vehicle, it is over 25 years old. Base vehicle manufacturers tend not to keep spare parts on the shelf for more than 10 years these days. You might have to resort to a donor vehicle for spare parts ie. scrap yard. Do you know if the engine is petrol or diesel?

If you go ahead with the purchase, you really need to get a mechanic to check out the base vehicle mechanics. Similarly, that the fridge, boiler, gas system, charging system, water system, leisure battery all function correctly. The latter could probably be demonstrated by the seller but probably best to get a qualified habitation service engineer if you don't have too much knowledge in this area.

Best of luck and hope things work out well for you. Happy travels.

 

[irnbru]

Exciting times eh! Have you checked out it’s MOT history? If you don’t know how to just post the vehicle Reg.

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[JJ]

I have lived full time in motorhomes for over 30 years and never, ever had "fulltime" insurance, ever.

Just another scam to squeeze more money from folk...

I HATE insurance companies.


JJ

 

[The Dudess]

and to the doggie

 

[mfw]

That age of vehicle you have got to expect to spend money on repairs and probably rot in chassis or previously repaired rot in chassis.

If it starts costing money it could end up a money pit.

You like it and think it is good you will have to gamble you may buy a good van but it could end up a total waste of money

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[138go]

I have lived full time in motorhomes for over 30 years and never, ever had "fulltime" insurance, ever.

Just another scam to squeeze more money from folk...

I HATE insurance companies.


JJ

So if you are involved in a major accident and kill someone you are not insured ..

 

[Silver-Fox]

I would suggest joining the forum and having a look at Jims buying guide for starters

 

[JJ]

So if you are involved in a major accident and kill someone you are not insured ..

Nonsense

JJ

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[Emilybadger]

Thank you for all your advise. Will check all the insurance first as this seems like a great idea. I realise the age of the van is a bit of a gamble. We would expect a repair or two. I guess you have to take a plunge on one motorhome!

 

[scotjimland]

I have lived full time in motorhomes for over 30 years and never, ever had "fulltime" insurance, ever.

that is your choice.. are you giving that advice to the OP ?

Just another scam to squeeze more money from folk...

that is an opinion I don't agree with but you are entitled to hold it.

I HATE insurance companies.

No one loves insurance companies, but one day you may have to embrace them , hopefully not.. as non disclosure of a material fact will void your policy


I was very glad I had a full timers policy when I was involved in an RTA in France, I stress, it was not my fault and my RV only had minor damage , but two cars were written off.. NFU settled the matter with no fuss. as I understand they went 50/50 with the other insurance companies.

I view insurance as I do a fire extinguisher..
hopefully never required, but if it is, I want it to be the a) correct one for the job and b) not one the fails when required. Cost does not enter into the equation.

they are just expensive ornaments if they don't work .. and a void insurance policy is just toilet paper

 

[Dilbert]

I've had to discussion with my insurance company twice ,they say if you have a 90 day euro cover for instance and have a bump on the 92nd day your cover is reduced to basic third party and they can't refuse the claim because it's an euro regulation so if you run up the ass of a Ferrari or run an old lady over you're covered. I'll go off and find the appropriate EU law it might take a while.....

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[Gromett]

So if you are involved in a major accident and kill someone you are not insured ..

They can't can't do that. Your insurance will simply be dropped to third party. They will pay the "victim" but won't pay for your vehicle and they may take court proceeding to reclaim the money from you. However I am not sure this has been tested in court yet and certainly don't know of any case of a fulltimer being penalised like this.

The one thing you should be aware of though is if you use normal insurance as a fulltimer then the insurance company may refuse to insure you next time. This you will have to declare when applying for any other insurance and may affect your premiums or result in more refusals (due to dishonesty).

 

[scotjimland]

Aviva
Key Facts

https://2s48jvfpl1l3jrkp72d55xu1-wp...ontent/uploads/2018/05/Horizon-Keyfacts-1.pdf

This policy is subject to the following conditions:

LONG TERM TOURING & FULL TIMING

Please be aware that this quotation (or renewal) is subject to the following conditions:

Policyholders must maintain a full UK residence, either through ownership or long term rental agreement (of at least 9 months) unless a full-timing rate has been agreed and paid.

The address shown on the policy schedule must be the one at which the policyholder is on the electoral roll, (unless a full-timing rate has been agreed and paid) and also the one that appears on the driving licence and vehicle documentation.

Your motorhome must at all times have a valid MOT certificate (unless not required due to age of the vehicle) and current UK Road Fund Licence.

Should a copy of a utility bill (as evidence of residence at the address) be requested at any time (inception, mid-term, renewal, in the event of a claim) then one must be provided.



Important Notice – Information we need to know about
15. You must take reasonable care to provide complete and accurate answers to the questions we ask when you take out, make changes to, and renew your policy.

If the information provided by you is not complete and accurate:

• ● we may cancel your policy and refuse to pay any claim, or
  
  
• ● we may not pay any claim in full, or
  
  
• ● we may revise the premium and/or change the compulsory excess, or
  
  
• ● the extent of the cover may be affected.

 

[Masham]

There's lots of things to consider and insurance is an important one, as others have pointed out. But my advice is Go for it!
On our travels we've met lots of lovely people who have gone full time on the road, for 6 months, a year or longer. Whenever we're on the road, I realise that there are so many places to go and a diminishing time in which to see them all.
We have managed up till now in a 6m Bessacarr, in which we've had some lovely trips, although we're currently selling it and moving up to a fixed bed and a garage. If you're going to spend longer than a few months away, I'd recommend both of those things as high on your priority list.
Good luck and happy travels.