Buying a motorhome (1 Viewer)

[buckby]

Just out of interest wondered if anybody considered a ex hire motrohome was looking at just go and they sell 12 plate motorhomes for 25k sounds good for that age.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

You can be sure of one thing.... It will not have been well looked after. Caveat emptor - I would not buy one myself

 

[buckby]

Yes true

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[DavidG58]

My perception of a rental would be that it will be a very basic spec but that is MO only

 

[Allanm]

Look at the condition of an ex rental dvd!
These vans are generally driven by careful holidaymakers after never driving anything that big before, so will have been driven with great care in the knowledge that they have to look after other peoples property as their own.

I could be wrong.......

Allan

 

[busby]

You cannot thrash a modern vehicle. Under usage is the biggest enemy. Ex rental cars are excellent value for money. BUSBY

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[andyman]

Someone must buy them. By the time they are on the third owner unless you check the previous owners how would you know.

 

[MichelleRyall]

A friend of mine works at a sales and rental dealership. He says the rental vans are regularly mistreated and thrashed. Doors off their hinges, dents in work surfaces, scratches and various other bits of damage. He also says that some rentals owners who take their dogs really do not take care of the vehicle. It takes him hours to clean and repair them. I know that I wouldn't buy an ex rental after speaking to him.

 

[DBK]

I think you would need to look at each vehicle on a case by case basis. Mechanically I would expect them to be fine but cosmetically probably a bit scruffy internally and externally, which is probably why it is being sold. Hire car firms like Avis etc buy so many cars they buy them at very low prices and can even sell them on after 6 months at a profit. I doubt the same applies for motorhomes but worth remembering a high mileage newer vehicle is generally a better buy than an old one with a low mileage for the same price.

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[Bellini]

I think whatever you consider buying, buy on condition and not age or mileage.

Me? I'd tend to avoid a hire vehicle on the basis that any costs to fix wear and tear issues could be higher both short and long term. But each vehicle deserves a fair hearing based on its own merits and the criteria of the purchaser.

For example, the nearly new Swift Escape we hired in August showed clear signs of use. The rear lounge / bed broke after 5 nights (this from a previous breakage by another customer previous to us), but this was attributable in my view to some shockingly poor quality fixings, materials and design as well as sustained regular use. Many of the window stays didn't work as a further example. This, again and in my view, was down to prolonged use and poor quality products.

When we then hired a 85,000 mile 1993 Hymer S670 in October, it was immediately apparent that it was far, far better built. Nothing, but nothing, felt tired and the only thing actually 'not working' was the sliding front to a cupboard that was so typical of Hymers back then. That I did put down to unsympathetic use and it made me think about whether the same part could ever go wrong should I ever buy one.

Should either of those vehicles find their way onto the used market once again, the Swift would represent a bargain to someone based upon its higher mileage for the year if presented well and relative youth. Parts must be plentiful and reasonably cheap, I imagine.

But the Hymer would be altogether more affordable and, if resilient to reasonably unsympathetic / unknowledgeable customers, would certainly weather further years of possibly more restrained and maybe even cherished ownership with ease and more style and character without loss of functionality.

Me? I'd rather spend more on finding cherished examples, but not all buyers are the same, hence my 'criteria dependant' statement earlier.

 

[HymerB544]

Vfm

I absolutely agree with Bellini; class is permanent and £25k spent wisely will buy you a van which will be in good nick now and, provided you look after it, will remain so for years to come. Happy hunting!:thumb:

 

[Terry]

My mate did exactly what you are on about doing -bought a just under 2 yr old 54k van for 31k ex hire.
I went and checked everything out for him and made a list of everything wrong/dammaged -- 11 items of minor damage and one rooflight broken, all where repaired/fixed prior to buying with the exception of the rooflight which was swapped for the rear one :Angry: but mate did not check on this before purchase, simply got keys dropped driver off at train station then a week later brought it for me to check over oh:
The van had lots of extras inc tv, dvd and a ps1, all leads and crockery for 6 and I negotiated leaving the gaslow refill bottles in. along with a rather expensive carbon fibre LB - in fact it had everything included as if it was going out for hire :thumb:Yes the guy said things get broken but also fixed :thumb: simply because you cannot send a broken van out on hire----van came with 25k on clock and drives as new :thumb:-----I personally think it's a bag of shit (for 54k ) but my mate likes it
terry

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[bernardfeay]

You will be physically stood in front of it. All the mistreatment will be clearly visible. Used prices for similar vehicles are not hard to find. You make your best judgement and try to anticipate the problems. For me, I would take the option very seriously. I trust my eyes, I trust my judgement. Mind you, I'm on my third wife so maybe I still have a bit to learn. (bless her, we have managed almost 20 years.)