Considering purchasing an RV - couple of questions… (1 Viewer)

OP
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TOAD on Tour

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105 inches. 4 inch wider than a tractor (artic) unit
That’s were I’d see it being LHD a slight advantage over here, ensuring you are tucked in to the curb, hedge etc!
No Rv with 2 slideouts is 7.5t. Despite what the salesman says. :giggle:
so would my C1 pre 1997 licence be ok?

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Aug 5, 2017
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If its plated at 7.5t then yes you can with pre 97 licence. Best to get a class 2 though or if towing a car/boat you need C+E (artic) licence. Many people tow (I used to) without it..... Cost of car on ferries, added fuel consumption, extra insurance etc etc I found it cheaper to hire a small car abroad for a couple of days.
 
OP
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TOAD on Tour

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If its plated at 7.5t then yes you can with pre 97 licence. Best to get a class 2 though or if towing a car/boat you need C+E (artic) licence. Many people tow (I used to) without it..... Cost of car on ferries, added fuel consumption, extra insurance etc etc I found it cheaper to hire a small car abroad for a couple of days.
Thanks…..my licence says C1E with the picture of the small truck and trailer. My understanding is that I can drive a vehicle up to 7.5t and also with
a trailer as long as it doesn’t exceed 12t or something like that? So I’m thinking that as long as the RV is plates at 7.5t or below, I should be ok as I’m only towing a Fiat Abarth on a A Frame which combined weight is around 1.1t. Thanks

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funflair

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Dec 11, 2013
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I think there is also a number code on your licence that may well limit you to 8250kg gross train,

The category C1E(107) category shown on your licence is not the same as the category C1E shown on the current DVLA list of entitlements. The suffix 107 indicates your entitlement has a combined MAM limited to 8,250kg not 12,000kg as a specific test has not been passed.
 
Sep 3, 2009
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Regarding black waste I built up quite a collection of manhole keys, both UK and Europe. If I purchased another RV, the first thing I would fit would be a macerator and a decent length of hose, the second would be a 4" waste pipe extension.
As Jim said, superb on site, (or the beach), but not for spontaneous touring, stopping for local sightseeing can be a problem, especially with a toad on the back.

A major advantage is waste and water capacities, we were here for 8 days with no need to replenish or empty anything. Ours was diesel, but with lpg genny etc., lpg fillup once a year.

allygo02.jpg


We always bought lpg from a local Film/TV facilities company, the sort that hire out RVs and makeup vans.

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Oct 6, 2021
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Where in the UK is that I don't recognize it?!!!!🤣🤣🤣
You're not very well travelled then. Taken on one of our motorhome travels. Just about to go down the Moki Dugway. That 5th wheeler certainly was not going down it!
 

pappajohn

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You're not very well travelled then. Taken on one of our motorhome travels. Just about to go down the Moki Dugway. That 5th wheeler certainly was not going down it!
Double trailer is permitted and common in many US states but certainly not in the UK
You could do it with a showman's licence but officially it becomes a locomotive and limited to 20mph.
 

Emmac0023

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Jul 23, 2019
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Hi, I can only help you with question 3! We are full-time in a 20-year-old RV. The Macerator is essential and we recently added a perspex elbow so you can see what's coming down the pipe before it reaches the macerator, it's gross but means you know exactly when to add extra water to loosen things up and will stop you from burning out the motor (when trying to force too much toilet paper through). It is then possible to pump through a very long blue hose, having a couple of lengths will be useful.

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Popty

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Aug 22, 2020
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So….after an absolute nightmare experience with a twin axle Frankia (2008 plate) which literally spent more time at the dealers than our drive - 2 clutches, starter motor, alternator, egr, seized rear brakes, new water boiler, leaking/flooding shower plumbing and I literally could go on….I agreed a price for the dealer to buy it back at a considerable loss….however we move on, we are considering purchasing a 30ft RV as that is only 2ft longer than the Frankia and we still have our Fiat Abarth TOAD. We have looked at an advert on eBay for a 2008 Damon Daybreak RV with 13000 miles on the clock for sale at Dreams RV for £49500. I am sure this is probably loads more that I could’ve got it for pre-COVID, but still looks like more for your buck compared to a European MH at the current rates…so my questions, if anybody could kindly help with are (apologies as I am sure these have been asked loads):
1. Is the extra width anything to worry about compared to a traditional MH
2. anybody have any thoughts on the RV we are interested in re: reliability, engine, servicing etc.
3. how do people empty the toilet waste in the UK? We would mostly only use in this country
4. any estimated mpg with towing a car? It is lpg converted
5. anybody had any experiences with Dreams RV?
6. Anybody know anything about the payload, towing limits etc. on these?

as always, any helpful guidance is greatly appreciate. I just really do not want to have the mechanical nightmare we have experienced with the Frankia to be repeated.
👍
Hi Dduffs, we went from a 6.8 meter RHD moho, to a 8.8 meters LHD RV, last year, left hand drive wasn't a problem for us as both wife and I are ex coach drivers, same width as a bus, ours is a chevy V8 with lpg, we get about 9mpg on petrol and about 16-18 on lpg, we have a lpg station about 6 miles from us, so not a problem getting gas, but it is getting more expensive, locally its .799 (80p) a litre, still cheaper than petrol, 30 foot in UK excludes you from a lot of sites, ours at 29ft, keeps us out of most Haven sites, but some private sites will take rvs, as for Dreams RV Center they are good but very pricey, ours would have been about 8-10k more at Dreams, we bought from a dealer in Horsham (pm me if you want his details) had a good deal with warranty.
We use a macerator for the black waste if no manhole available.
With a toad, you will loose a few mpg, but l would not take our rv to Cornwall, had enough issues with the shorter moho.
If you want any more info, just ask, and definitely join the sister site RVOC
 
Apr 17, 2016
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White One..
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The Macerator is essential
Just carried my nice new shiny one and 50m of hose over 2509 miles around Europe and it never came out the case😂😂
No doubt it will come in handy one day but I found that all the drive over waste points I used were connected to the same place that people were emptying their cassettes into so grey and black all went to the same place.
 

Popty

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Aug 22, 2020
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Oxfordshire, UK
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American RV,
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Just carried my nice new shiny one and 50m of hose over 2509 miles around Europe and it never came out the case😂😂
No doubt it will come in handy one day but I found that all the drive over waste points I used were connected to the same place that people were emptying their cassettes into so grey and black all went to the same place.
True, in Europe a lot of sites have drive over waste dump points, but not found many sites in UK with them, so l pump my black (& grey if needed) waste into my waste hog, then wheel it to the elsan point, which is mostly above ground and behind the toilet/shower block and not accessible with the rv or hose

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Apr 17, 2016
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White One..
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3 years….
True, in Europe a lot of sites have drive over waste dump points, but not found many sites in UK with them, so l pump my black (& grey if needed) waste into my waste hog, then wheel it to the elsan point, which is mostly above ground and behind the toilet/shower block and not accessible with the rv or hose
We can go couple of weeks on our black tank so not had to empty much in the UK as I just wait until we get home.
will need to pump one day without a doubt so it’s kept in the van..
 

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