Advise

[Phil Taylor]

My wife and I are looking to swap our caravan for a motorhome, just come back from the NEC show and we really liked the autotrail Frontier range, especially the Delaware / Dakota.
Any advise, tips on choice would be appreciated, also dealerships, heard one or two bad reports about various companies.

Thanks Phil and Tina

 

[Bertie Bassett]

Welcome both and you've joined a site where you will receive some sensible answers from people with all sorts of specialities and knowledge.
A very general idea of your location would give people a pointer to recommending good, bad and indifferent dealerships.
As to the type and range of motorhome........ only you can chose that based on 1. Layout that suits you (based on numbers of people in van) 2. Budget 3. How you intend to use the van(long term/short term trips) and so on and so on.
The list is endless but my only real bit of advice (fwiw) is:- Don't rush, visit as many dealerships as you can and pull and prod the vans you see until you find the 'one' that has the build quality, the layout, the base vehicle and price that suits.
Good Luck!

 

[Puddleduck]

A few words for you to consider and then ignore......

Don't be dazzled by the razz-ma-tazz of the show. Sit back and consider in the cold light of day.

Is the layout right for you? What would it be like after 3 days of heavy rain?

Are all the facilities adequate? Check all of you can do what is necessary in the toilet / shower, is there room for maneuvers?

What is the payload? Check, check and check again. Make sure you get a weighbridge ticket and don't take the dealers word.

Do you need a C1 licence and if so do you have one? When will you have to renew it?


People's experience of dealers varies. Go to the showroom and see if you feel comfortable with the amount of attention you receive. Too much? Too pushy? Are you ignored? Greeted and told to look round at your leisure?

Also one dealer we like always says that the sales people sell the first vehicle but the after sales and service sell all the vehicles after that so check out the aftercare and maintenance side as well.

 

[MikeD]

Not sure what part of the country you are in but don't pick a dealer to buy from 100's of miles from where you live.

 

[Puddleduck]

Not sure what part of the country you are in but don't pick a dealer to buy from 100's of miles from where you live.

Unless they have an agreement for warranty work with someone close to you

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[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN the best forum on the net for all your motorhome question and as you can see above you have already started to receive a few, my advise for what it's worth is lay out is key get that right and you can probably like with the rest but as in life you pay your money and take a chance, your going the right way and asking advise, so good luck.

 

[Spidey]

We spent months looking at layouts and like you moved from a caravan. We had to accept that we would not the room of our caravan in a motor home unless we went big. We chose a 6 m van and went for a totally different layout to our caravan. Take your tike our choice changed over the months of looking.

 

[tonka]

OP... Is in Staffordshire....
Not far from me.. But I had never heard of that place before until I looked it up.. Mavesyn Ridware..!
Turns out not far from a lake where i used to go windsurfing (Rugeley power station)..

My current Autotrail I bought from who gave me the very lowest price, when we did have issues I went back direct to the factory.... You will hear bad stories about many dealers and good stories on a select few.
Good luck with your hunting..

 

[trekkin]

Hi

A warm welcome from just up the road in staffs

Cannot add anything addittional to the above, get the layout right, you will just know it's the right one as soon as you set foot in it

 

[Bertie Bassett]

Not sure what part of the country you are in but don't pick a dealer to buy from 100's of miles from where you live.

Yep should have mentioned that...it was one, of many mistakes we made, buying from Lowdhams, Nottingham and living in Wales (Can't personally fault Lowdhams, we found them good to deal with throughout our ownership of the van)

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[cruiser]

most funsters will tell you it takes at least three vans to get it right. I am on my third van. i have had it for 25 years.

 

[Phil Taylor]

Thanks all for your reply's. Obviously there's still a lot of deciding go be done. Should have said where I was based, sorry. Mavesyn Ridware is a small village which is part of the Ridwares just south of Rugeley.

Tonka, I play golf at rugely power station, not seen any lakes that people are windsurfing on though.