Pitfalls for a beginner!

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Jay Butts

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Hey, finally got around to paying my subscription!

As a total novice that is looking to do a long trip, is there anybody that can warn me of the pitfalls? Other than the obvious, what are the worst things that can happen that I can be prepared for?

Thanks in advance ... John.
 
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The first one is buying the wrong one :) Hi-smiley.png welcome to the forum .
 
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tacr2man said:
The first one is buying the wrong one :)View attachment 334341 welcome to the forum .
Click to expand...
Yeah, that is a concern!

My Mrs wants an A Class but we’re unsure of which layout. Twin beds that convert into a double, a double or a suspended double over a second living space...

Choices, choices.... :(

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Hi.gif
and a warm welcome from us. Now that you are a paid-up member, you can access the Resources section and download a ton of information e.g.
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Motorhome Checklists

Motorhome Checklists for every occasion Every Motorhomer can benefit from a checklist. Some of the most experienced among us use them all the time. A good checklist will ensure you do not forget to pack an important item or remind you about an...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
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If we told you all the pitfalls you go back to holidaying at Butlin's,

A deep pocket, hope and enthusiasm, common sense and eventually being experienced will keep on the right course to an enjoyable lifestyle that we all love and cherish.

You know it makes sense.

(y)
 
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Welcome to the forum if you are new to driving big vans like an a class we use a paper map as well as satnav to navigate. Getting stuck down narrow lane in say Cornwall and having to reverse is not good for blood pressure. Wish you both happy times ahead.
 
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How long a trip and where to at what time of year. Summer school holidays, 3 week trip round the UK, 6 months winter in Spain Brexit permitting. Also how many in the party - couple or large family.
With a family we used to be concerned that all could spread out in the van in bad weather. Now just the two of us dont need a dinette at all but we relish a comfy lounging area. A bed is mainly for sleeping in but I dont want to have to make up the bed every night. So a fixed bed is a must but we don't require an en-suite.
Best visit lots of dealers and shows.
Sit in vans, lie down in vans, simulate cooking meals in vans and how/where you would relax in vans.
I am sure all vans suit someone but few vans will suit you for what you want to do at this point in your life.
IMAGINE
 
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Not sure what a ‘long’ trip is or where you’re planning to go but research is your friend. On here, on motorhome blogs, visiting dealers, trying the beds, sitting on the loo! A lot of people advise renting. We didn’t, partly because of cost, partly because of horror stories, and partly because I like my own bed.

The twin beds that convert to a double suits us ... we can get up in the night without clambering over each other and there’s a huge garage underneath.

Good luck, keep posting!
 
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Wow, epic advice...... now for the crunch!

We’re taking early retirement in about 18 months (both a young mid fifties) and wanting to..... get ready.... drive around the world (or as Far East as we can go!) and It was a yacht or a van and Roz, ‘er’ indoors, don’t like sailing so wheels it is...

We like our private space every so often and Roz sometimes goes to bed before me and that’s the rub, Pullman bed means clambering over her (as she needs midnight loo access!) and a double lounge may be a better option....

Really appreciate your rapid feedback guys and really looking forward to the banter.

John. :)
 
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BTW, I’m a teacher and I use my name to stop kids/parents looking me up on the WWW. If you put my name followed by ‘teacher’ I’m the top of the list on Google! :)

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Malcolm Bolt said:
Where's the fun in that?
Click to expand...
Malcolm, thanks buddy but if the Mrs gets in bed first and I follow later and on lie on the near side to the loo (no climb over) and then her ‘peanut bladder’ fails her, she has to climb over me! This 25 yr old problem means that she needs access to the loo and I don’t; if I went to bed first it wouldn’t be an issue but that ‘ain’t gonna change any time soon...

Blimey, I hope this makes sense as it’s late and I’ve had several large gins! :)
 
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I have no idea of your budget and I dont need to.
If you are new to the game don't buy new. It is too big a risk cos if you get the wrong layout you will loose big bucks.
If cash is tight then consider an older van with 3 separate sleeping areas. Eg overcab, dinette conversion, and separate rear lounge. Each providing a double bed. Newer vans can provide twin beds running from back of van that can convert into a huge double, (sometimes up steps above a large garage)
We are not fulltiming but have done some lengthy trips (11
Months max)
Following many years of family caravan holidays I decided that on retirement I wanted a Gap Year like the kids do. Our first van was a 16 year old Hymer B694 - 7.3mtrs tag axle on a 2.5 fiat ducato parcel van. That took us to Morocco one winter followed by the summer in Scandanavia and back to Morocco the following winter. It had 60,000 kms on it when we got it and over 160,000 kms when we sold it. Purchase price £18,000. Sale price £18,000 four years later.
We had experienced a couple of water pipe leaks and a cracked bearing case in the gearbox but nothing earth shattering.
We are now in our second van and tenth year and into Spain for several months, Brexit permitting.
Sleeping arrangements are certainly important but so is daytime living/relaxation space. You don't need a separate dinette if that means you have to adopt a sit up and beg posture when your body tells you to lie back.
 
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We started with camper van. Then for our first motor home we knew we wanted a rear lounge didn't buy one then we knew for several months that we were going to sleep in an over cab double and knew lowlined wouldn't do.

Then my wife had bright idea while at quiet dealership to actually try out the over cab, it was awkward to climb up into and almost impossible to get out of, so we knew we didn't want an over cab but a low line, then we knew we wanted an end kitchen which we bought and had for 3 years until we (mostly wife) became fed up making bed base daily (ok for festivals but not we thought for multi week tours) so we traded in for a french fixed bed. Which we know is the best layout and we will never move to another layout. Except that I'd like inside space for full size ebikes which to me indicates a transverse. Yes definitely. Or maybe an island.
 
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Malcolm Bolt said:
I have no idea of your budget and I dont need to.
If you are new to the game don't buy new. It is too big a risk cos if you get the wrong layout you will loose big bucks.
If cash is tight then consider an older van with 3 separate sleeping areas. Eg overcab, dinette conversion, and separate rear lounge. Each providing a double bed. Newer vans can provide twin beds running from back of van that can convert into a huge double, (sometimes up steps above a large garage)
We are not fulltiming but have done some lengthy trips (11
Months max)
Following many years of family caravan holidays I decided that on retirement I wanted a Gap Year like the kids do. Our first van was a 16 year old Hymer B694 - 7.3mtrs tag axle on a 2.5 fiat ducato parcel van. That took us to Morocco one winter followed by the summer in Scandanavia and back to Morocco the following winter. It had 60,000 kms on it when we got it and over 160,000 kms when we sold it. Purchase price £18,000. Sale price £18,000 four years later.
We had experienced a couple of water pipe leaks and a cracked bearing case in the gearbox but nothing earth shattering.
We are now in our second van and tenth year and into Spain for several months, Brexit permitting.
Sleeping arrangements are certainly important but so is daytime living/relaxation space. You don't need a separate dinette if that means you have to adopt a sit up and beg posture when your body tells you to lie back.
Click to expand...
Wow, now I know this forum has a £15 fee! Brilliant advise Malcolm. Ok, I don’t mind revealing the budget; it’s up to (but not beyond) £70k (but the closer to £65k the better!) The vans I’ve shortlisted are the Mobilvetta K Yacht 80, and a Dethleffs and a Roller Team with similar layouts to the K Yacht. My Mrs has seen some too but never made a note of the makes and models. I also like the look of Knaus and Hymer.

It seems that all have the Fiat Euro 6 engine which gets good reviews so I don’t think reliability will be an issue and we’re looking to travel something like 3 years. It’s a bucket list thing and would be downsizing our house to make the purchase possible. As the kids have all left, we don’t need the size of house we currently have so it’s suddenly become a reality. No experience whatsoever and wanting info such as yours.

Onwards and upwards towards some outstanding advice.

Thank you so much for the warm welcome everybody, epic forum.
 
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Do not trust a French sign that says Camping du Ferme straight ahead when that leads you into an empty, rutted, uneven, boggy field with no chance of turning around......Apart from that nothing disastrous happened.

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Rob and Val said:
View attachment 334342and a warm welcome from us. Now that you are a paid-up member, you can access the Resources section and download a ton of information e.g.
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Motorhome Checklists

Motorhome Checklists for every occasion Every Motorhomer can benefit from a checklist. Some of the most experienced among us use them all the time. A good checklist will ensure you do not forget to pack an important item or remind you about an...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
Click to expand...
Hey Rob or Val, that checklist is perfect.... many thanks. (y)
 
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one bit of advice from way too many years of experience......ALWAYS tell your partner and kids when you are taking out the toilet cassette to empty. An unpleasant incident to fix. but from experience carrying a small bag of cat litter soaks up the liquid and helps deodorise

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TheBig1 said:
one bit of advice from way too many years of experience......ALWAYS tell your partner and kids when you are taking out the toilet cassette to empty. An unpleasant incident to fix. but from experience carrying a small bag of cat litter soaks up the liquid and helps deodorise
Click to expand...
and the other side of this, don't be in a hurry when you use the loo because you're in the middle of doing something else essential so when your husband goes to remove the cassette he has the unwelcome surprise of "somebody" hasn't flushed!
 
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Jay Butts said:
Wow, epic advice...... now for the crunch!

We’re taking early retirement in about 18 months (both a young mid fifties) and wanting to..... get ready.... drive around the world (or as Far East as we can go!) and It was a yacht or a van and Roz, ‘er’ indoors, don’t like sailing so wheels it is...

We like our private space every so often and Roz sometimes goes to bed before me and that’s the rub, Pullman bed means clambering over her (as she needs midnight loo access!) and a double lounge may be a better option....

Really appreciate your rapid feedback guys and really looking forward to the banter.

John. :)
Click to expand...
If you're having a double lounge will the bed be a pulldown? Making the bed every night becomes a total PITA. We learned the hard way, decided that a front lounge was perfect in a 5.4m PVC and we could convert it to a bed every night, except that everything needed to be stored, the bed butted right up to the front seats so with me going to bed first Mark had to scramble over because of the sides of the bed we usually sleep in.

I'm the night time getter up here as well and it meant waking Mark up so he could move, then getting the dogs off the floor and onto the bed, moving the dog beds, using the toilet, dog beds back, dogs off the bed (reluctantly for them), scrabble back past Mark.

It was uncomfortable both as a sofa and as a bed and it got so I hated the van, 3 months later we traded in for a Hymer Ayers Rock, fixed transverse bed at the back, Mark sleeps by the back doors and I can use the toilet without waking him. One dog on the dinette seat and the other on the floor in front of it, they don't stir - *happy dance* - the only thing we're missing is an oven but there are plenty of work rounds.
 
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