New to motorhoming, still trying to buy! (1 Viewer)

[Mark and Mindy]

We had a 5.4m van because it fitted on our drive, we now have a 6.4m Adria on order as we wanted a larger bed - the transverse fixed bed at the back was more like a large single than a small double, this time we'll have a massive lengthwise double bed the width of the van! Works for us, Mark likes to watch movies and uses the dinette, I like to read or crochet and sit on the bed at the back, we travel with 2 dogs <--- avatar and its not caused us any issues.

 

[Camper Sue]

An interesting designs to look at in the WildAx pvc range. Flexible fixed bunks of 6'.5 that convert into large sofa. Front end sitting, dining and conversion into massive double bed. Worth a thought.

 

[Coolcats]

Hi all
New to all of this, trying to decide and buy during these crazy times is a bit of a nightmare!

Circumstances have changed like many others I am sure due to Covid and now find ourselves unexpectedly semi-retired early and hoping to have a bit of adventure before work and new house renovations potentially get in the way again...

We have flipped from almost deciding to go for a Burstner TD 744 to an Adria compact and now gone full circle and thinking perhaps a campervan would actually suit us better right now for where we live and give us more use in-between longer trips and are currently considering the Adria Twin Sports SGX or Dreamer Living! Its been a long year researching with viewings very limited due to non existence stock and now worrying will not get one next year either!

Am hoping for some advise from real users rather than just reliant on the model reviews we have been watching on the internet... once I have worked out my way around the forum that is. Apologies if I ask in wrong places initially!

This finish couple live full time in their Adria so you may find it worth having a peek at their blogs. ( we have a 5.4 m Hymer pvc and absolutely love it). Thing to remember is all MoHo’s are a compromise

Vantastic

We are a couple living in a van full time and travelling trough Europe. We mainly do wild camping. We have a self sufficient van with solar panels and everyt...

m.youtube.com

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[robert groves]

Hi all
New to all of this, trying to decide and buy during these crazy times is a bit of a nightmare!

Circumstances have changed like many others I am sure due to Covid and now find ourselves unexpectedly semi-retired early and hoping to have a bit of adventure before work and new house renovations potentially get in the way again...

We have flipped from almost deciding to go for a Burstner TD 744 to an Adria compact and now gone full circle and thinking perhaps a campervan would actually suit us better right now for where we live and give us more use in-between longer trips and are currently considering the Adria Twin Sports SGX or Dreamer Living! Its been a long year researching with viewings very limited due to non existence stock and now worrying will not get one next year either!

Am hoping for some advise from real users rather than just reliant on the model reviews we have been watching on the internet... once I have worked out my way around the forum that is. Apologies if I ask in wrong places initially!

Welcome to the club,...I have now decided that owning a MH or RV is no longer viable as i just cannot get a site booking anywhere...everthing is fully booked up, and the one time we tried a Brit-stop, it was so scary with the door handles being tried many times throughout the night and drivers going past in the small hours blowing their horns and even a shotgun being discharged,..(police said 'did you get a vehicle number, or description ?..no,... sorry can't help )

 

[69473]

Never had a problem booking sites as you just need to plan ahead at busy times. Already booked for new year and looking at options for next year.
We have a Hymer PVC 6m, biggest advantage when driving is not length but lack of width.
Makes for a much more relaxing drive when traveling those narrow country lanes.
Accommodation can be a bit tight at times when weather is poor but for us it's doable, when in Europe and the weather's good we spend most of our time outdoors.

 

[MisterB]

Welcome to the club,...I have now decided that owning a MH or RV is no longer viable as i just cannot get a site booking anywhere...everthing is fully booked up, and the one time we tried a Brit-stop, it was so scary with the door handles being tried many times throughout the night and drivers going past in the small hours blowing their horns and even a shotgun being discharged,..(police said 'did you get a vehicle number, or description ?..no,... sorry can't help )

Thats a shame, we still love it and have stayed at lots of pubs with no issues whatseover, we have found that it pays to be selective and that joining the clubs gives you so much more access to stay in the UK (thanks to JockandRita for the info re THS and pop ups)

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[MisterB]

Thank you for all your welcomes and replies, I have only just seen them today so apologies for not acknowledging sooner!

welcome to the Fun House,

PS it will benefit you greatly if you actually join MHF

i would take a look at Uber leisure (i have no connections with them other than buying two motorhomes from them), sign up to view their stocklist, you dont get spam or any emails from them!

they are a 'we buy any motorhome' sort of company and sell to the trade, so some bargains to be had if you constantly vidit their website, but things do sell fast! signing up (all you do is send your email address) also allows you to view previously sold vehicles - inc videos of therm, so you can see what you could have won .....lol, but does give you an idea of prices, you DONT get any warranty or things fixed though and need to do your own checks, unlike one bought from a reputable dealer !! Well worth a look though !

 

[steve69]

I would buy a cheaper it'll-do-for-now unit until things settle down again. Could be another couple of years. Then trade that in for what you really want. By that time you should have a better idea of exactly what you want. Prices might even drop in that time.

 

[steve69]

Welcome to the club,...I have now decided that owning a MH or RV is no longer viable as i just cannot get a site booking anywhere...everthing is fully booked up, and the one time we tried a Brit-stop, it was so scary with the door handles being tried many times throughout the night and drivers going past in the small hours blowing their horns and even a shotgun being discharged,..(police said 'did you get a vehicle number, or description ?..no,... sorry can't help )

Everything is fully booked up?....CMC have a late availability section on their website. There always seen to be plenty of spare capacity depending on where & when you are prepared to go. Admittedly weekend are a problem but Sunday - Friday there seems to be no shortage of pitches around the country at any time.

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[drpeej]

One factor that I havent seen mentioned above is the side door in a PVC. The the weather is good it is really nice to have the side door open

 

[ronecc1]

Hi. Hard to decide. My wife and have had both. Our first new motor home, in 2005, leaked like sieve from new, was noisy when travelling because it was a cab over. 2nd was a new Knaus when they came back on the market in 2012. That fell apart every time we went out in it. We decided in 2016 to go the van way. It was great for a few holidays. A month in Scotland, a month in Northern Spain. But gradually as we spent a month wondering around the UK we started to find it claustrophobic inside. It was 5.9 mtr Boxer with a table behind the drivers seat and two settees and table at the rear. We loved the big side opening door and wide opening rear doors, but when it was cold and damp and all doors shut it felt cramped. You have to take into account your personal sizes. My wife and I are both average, size 10-12 for my wife, depending where she is on the diet and I am 6'2" and 14 stone. Because we kept the bed in the rear made up all the time, the space in the front is very restrictive. Basically there is only the area near the door that we could both stand in at the same time. I have a van design in my head, but no manufacturer has built one yet. I must get down to measurements and see how it goes. I think it would ideally be built on a VW Crafter though, as they can be found in longer lengths.
I think hiring is the best idea, especially at the moment, with high prices and availability. I personally would not buy at the moment anyway, as there are no discounts, which in effect will have a quite dramatic effect on the trade in price, should you wish to swap or sell a couple of years down the line, when discounts and offers are back to normal. Good luck. Sorry, I should have mentioned, we do not have a big dog to cope with either.

 

[Ziggy123]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to share your experiences with us. I have now joined properly so will be able to join in and I am sure ask plenty of more questions!

So excitedly though we finally took the plunge and ordered our first Motorhome yesterday, yayy!! We went to one of the Adria roadshow's to look at the Compact to compare it to the twin and we have ended up going full circle again and have gone for the full sized Adria Matrix 670 DL! It is the first MH we have stepped in and the space just seemed to work for us and the compromises of lounge space v garage just worked best and I could see enough room for the Dogs to actually lay down somewhere! Saying that I have been awake since 5am worrying about parking availability when we are away and although the garage has enough space for an electric moped which will be the ultimate plan, cannot use this with the dogs!

It may be stupid without hiring which had been our intention, but we were getting so worried we would not get our 'gap year' in while we have the opportunity, albeit it will be shorter than a year now due to house moving delays and MH availabilty but hopefully still a good a few months! We did manage to get a small event discount so used that to upgrade to 160bhp! We have shut down our longterm business (covid related) and downsized our house to enable us to do it, so got to go for it now before we need to be back thinking about work again, albeit hoping to still semi retire and work on the road fingers crossed.

Now I have to ask the parking question on a new thread!

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[steve69]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to share your experiences with us. I have now joined properly so will be able to join in and I am sure ask plenty of more questions!

So excitedly though we finally took the plunge and ordered our first Motorhome yesterday, ya!! We went to one of the Adria roadshow's to look at the Compact to compare it to the twin and we have ended up going full circle again and have gone for the full sized Adria Matrix 670 DL! It is the first MH we have stepped in and the space just seemed to work for us and the compromises of lounge space v garage just worked best and I could see enough room for the Dogs to actually lay down somewhere! Saying that I have been awake since 5am worrying about parking availability when we are away and although the garage has enough space for an electric moped which will be the ultimate plan, cannot use this with the dogs!

It may be stupid without hiring which had been our intention, but we were getting so worried we would not get our 'gap year' in while we have the opportunity, albeit it will be shorter than a year now due to house moving delays and MH availabilty but hopefully still a good a few months! We did manage to get a small event discount so used that to upgrade to 160bhp! We have shut down our longterm business (covid related) and downsized our house to enable us to do it, so got to go for it now before we need to be back thinking about work again, albeit hoping to still semi retire and work on the road fingers crossed.

Now I have to ask the parking question on a new thread!

Re: the electric moped.....They still come under petrol moped rules - insurance, MOT, helmet etc....You might want to consider an electric bicycle instead as they are classified separately and will be much cheaper to run.

 

[Ziggy123]

Re: the electric moped.....They still come under petrol moped rules - insurance, MOT, helmet etc....You might want to consider an electric bicycle instead as they are classified separately and will be much cheaper to run.

Thanks for that, that's interesting to know.

 

[Vipar]

Greetings peeps welcome Bexley

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[Southdowners]

Congratulations on your new vehicle!