Buying a motorhome

TEA 2 SUGARS

TEA 2 SUGARS

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Apr 25, 2020
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Hello
I need some advice
I'm going to be a first time buyer and I'm not sure whether to buy a second hand motorhome the year between 2004 - 2006 and between £8000 - £15000 of ebay or go to a established company and get a year 2017-2019 and pay anything from £30000 upwards.
It is not for living in just a few holidays throughout the year with my family.
What would be the best thing for me to do
Many thanks
Brett
 
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Hi and :welcome4: (Come on you lot out there, it's another newbie!!!)

As you might expect this is the most frequently asked question from newcomers to the forum and motorhoming and of course probably has the most diverse number of answers, simply because "it all depends......" First off, do you have a licence to drive over 3500kg - you say you've a family and you'll likely need a bigger van to accomodate them, so this will give you a bigger range to look at. It depends on where you are intending to go. It depends on where you're going to keep it when not in use. It depends on.... oh so many things. And we're all different.

So where to start? First of all join as a full member - it's only £15 pa and you'll save that before you've even bought anything - and you can download The Motorhome Buyers Guide, published by our leader Jim. Once you've absorbed the advice there take some time visiting as many dealers as you can to check out as many different types as you can - the keyword here is layout, what type of layout would suit you best from the many different ones out there. For example do you want a fixed bed or are you happy to make it up each night? (If you want an idea, Practical Motorhome mag often has a list of different layouts, over 30 last time I looked). Membership will also give you access to tons of advice and info, including unlimited posts so you can ask away to your hearts content!

At this stage, although it's an important consideration, don't fixate on cost. First of all find a layout that suits you then start narrowing things down. Only then can you decide to spend more or less; just remember there are loads of very good vans out there at very reasonable prices - although of course there are a few lemons too! When you get to this stage come back on here and tell us what you're considering for more specific advice. There isn't a motorhome/campervan made that hasn't been owned by someone on here.

To get it right is not an instant decision, you need to take your time otherwise you're likely to spend too much on the first shiny van that takes your eye - and cause much grief when you realise you've got it wrong. But half the fun is in the search; get it right and the world will open up to you! We'd never have gone to as many diverse places as Nordkapp in northern Norway and the Sahara desert if we hadn't bought our "Bertie" - and we take the dog too!

So good luck in your search and keep us informed, we may have more experience than you (for now!) but we also love to learn from other peoples efforts.
 
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We bought a cheap older motorhome for our first vehicle, with a view that we didn’t know if we would really enjoy the lifestyle and how much we would use it. Of course we loved it so 2 years later used it as a deposit against a much newer van - an advantage of that was we nearly got the same price back as it had nearly fully depreciated
 
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Welcome to the fun.
Personally I'd buy cheaper for your first motorhome but be aware there are lots of scams about, especially on eBay.
If it looks too good to be true,it probably is.
Layout is essential and important to get to know what suits you before you buy big.
 
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Welcome!
Our first van (back in 2014) was an AutoSleepers Clubman GL, W reg (2000) which cost us nearly £20k....but worth every penny, IMHO!
Since then we’ve bought 2 new vans, a Majestic 120 and, our latest, a Majestic 155 which we’ll probably keep for a good while yet. As previously stated, layout is key, and finding one that works for you is pretty much trial-and-error.....so see as many ‘vans as you can (when you can!!!) and possibly hire one or two - it’ll be money well-spent I think.

Good luck, and keep us all informed.

(y):giggle:
 
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Welcome, Brett
like others I would advise you to look at as many vans as you can, we are relatively new to this ourselves
(18 months ) and when we were looking it took us around 12 months and lots of discussions to decide the type of van layout we wanted, we looked at over 100 vans before deciding, starting at the NEC... both shows, Oct & Feb. Then onto the dealers within a 60-mile radius from us. We did see lots on eBay and similar auction sites but never felt comfortable enough to buy from there as after the first two I rang both wanted cash payments...... which were never going to happen with me, and one of them said "it was in storage and needed money to release it first before I could see it" so if you choose this route be very careful and definitely don't pay in cash.
Good look and don't rush it, its all part of the fun :smiley:

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I have a 2006 van,and it’s worth a lot more than your figures,even allowing for my excessive owner pride!!

If you buy one at the prices you quoted it’s likely that it’s either a wreck or stolen.

Beware!

Good luck and welcome to the forum.
 
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research research research... try and decide which layout suits your needs best, and when you are somewhere closer, please come back and ask for more advice as it can be a dreadfully expensive mistake if you leap without looking.
The good people on here will, be more than happy to help you before you part with any of your hard earned.
 
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:hi2: 2004 - 2006 and between £8000 -£15000
Dont discount the older versions that are in well looked after condition .
I have a 1998 that will go anywhere a new one would go and have turned down a figure above you highest from a dealer friend.
Good luck in your quest w2f
 
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whichever one you buy, i put money on you getting a different one in less than 2 years .... so save your pennies on your initial purpose. do your homework, there are lots of very good earlier vans that have been well looked after

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Before you part with any money spend £10.00 on a damp meter and learn how to use it...............it could save you thousands!
 
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When viewing a van do not just look at it and think ìt is great. One of you sit down and lounge, the other one go through the motions of preparing a meal, imagine where you would prepare the food, think how you would cook each stage of the meal, move around the van from fridge to cooker etc. Get your partner to get up halfway through your cooking and pretend to use the loo, actually sit down, work out how to flush the loo, then open the loo door without warning to see if you both collide. Make up the bed, does it take two to do it, where does the other stand if not. Now imagine everything above with kids onboard, fed up as it is rsining.

Doing a pretend day in the van will go some way to pointing out layouts that will not suit you.
 
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Hello all
Thanks for all your replys. Like someone said if on ebay something is to good to be true that it is probably a scam. Well let's just say I nearly got scammed. They was going to sort out the delivery through independent firm Escrow. I was asked to put the £7000 into a personal account through a link of his email. I stopped what I was doing and rang Escrow to see if they knew this fella which they had no recognition of him !!
I do have Goodmans motorhomes around the corner from me which I have been talking to. So I will be going there to have a look when they open hopefully in a week.
Many thanks ?
 
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Brett Mckenna said:
Hello all
Thanks for all your replys. Like someone said if on ebay something is to good to be true that it is probably a scam. Well let's just say I nearly got scammed. They was going to sort out the delivery through independent firm Escrow. I was asked to put the £7000 into a personal account through a link of his email. I stopped what I was doing and rang Escrow to see if they knew this fella which they had no recognition of him !!
I do have Goodmans motorhomes around the corner from me which I have been talking to. So I will be going there to have a look when they open hopefully in a week.
Many thanks ?
[/QUOTE


You were very lucky and astute to swerve the scammer,
Keep the questions coming and keep researching and all will come good
Click to expand...

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Hi and welcome, if anything is for sure, joining and becoming a member, is and will be invaluable, good luck :clap:
 
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I think you really need to do a lot more research and decide what type of van you want first.
Your pricing seems way too low a decent 2006 van could easily cost 30k a 2017/19 upwards of 50k.
 
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I bought mine off ebay. Travelled 3 hours after seeing the ad within an hour of it being posted on ebay. A quick internet search to make sure that the people were who they said they were and were the van was registered and took a leap of faith.
At 11.00pm at night went to the cash point to withdraw a cash deposit following week 4 and half hour train journey to collect it.
Yes, it is a now 14 year old van (13 when I ought her) but suits me. Didn't get overwhelmed by the interior although it looked in excellent condition. But crawled underneath and under the bonnet. I am no expert but can tell when a vehicle has been looked after. Also gave me with the full records and service books and all receipts as a good will gesture to take home with me (Not the V5)
However, previously I had been in communication with a very busy surgeon in Bristol who had caught her husband cheating was getting a divorce and was hitting him where it hurt (selling the van). She had no time to meet me but wanted the money and she would get the van delivered to me . Yer right!! as if that was going to happen.
'She' stopped communicating when I informed her I was a nurse at the same hospital she claimed to work at and we could have a coffee in our break.
The existence of that van was about as genuine as my claim of being an nurse and 'her' being a surgeon.
Same van has been advertised often with different names and contact details I do have fun as I keep reporting the ads as scams when I do see them which is sadly far to often
 
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