Upgrading and/or compromise ?!?

[jallin]

Hi all. After being caravanners and narrowboaters for many years we bought our first motorhome last year just coming out of one of the lock downs!!! We love motorhoming and our van is getting on in age.2007 ...and miles.....71000 as the dealer told us today. We love the motorhome but it has 2 sticking points/compromises which are the small combined washroom and the driving position is tricky for 6ft 2 hubbies as he can only push the seat back a certain distance which isn't really as far as he needs. We have no finance etc on the van but have been looking at other layouts with seperate shower etc this weekend. I am After people's thought's really....would you advise a change/upgrade whilst we are making money on our unit but having to part with ask or extra finance or do we swallow the compromise of the washroom etc. Thank you !

 

[suavecarve]

The main thing to look for, from my point of view, is the differential cost between your van and the van you want and then how to afford it.
Second hand vans are worth selling at the moment, but if youre replacing it then the cost of the other van is also high.
Once you know the difference, and can work out how to pay for that difference, then you will be sorted for a number of years, but you have to be comfortable with paying that difference
Best of luck

 

[sonar]

I have a swift sundance 600b 2003
its paid for so we’re just doing it up a little just to get some time out of it.

changing it to suit our needs .

we could sell for more than we paid for it by quite a large amount but the next one would be the same it would have increased in price as well
and maybe having to spend again to suit our needs.
not much of a gain for us.

.
very soon the price will drop and a lot would have overpaid.

the seat can be altered by bolting on a plate to the seat then off setting with an additional plate pushing the driving seat back …

but changing is a decision that only you can make.

 

[sonar]

sorry double posted.

 

[Jamesh]

Sell now and hold onto the cash until spring when flights open up and the market settles and you get more for your money.

Cheers James

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[jako999]

It’s always hard when it comes down to money but you have already said you now like the motorhome life so ask your self how many times in a journey do you complain about being cramped and things acing and how many times do you moan about the shower or the loo? If these numbers are high then no matter what the cost the pleasure and even more enjoyment is worth it.
I can’t se the bubble/cost increase getting back to normal for a couple of years yet after all some makes are now on an 18 month delivery for new.

Good luck you only live once.

 

[uzsnowdrop]

I’m 6 ft 4 and have always found the ducato /boxer/ relay seats uncomfortable. The main problem talk people will find their shoulderblades sit above the top ‘curve’
I’ve finally cracked it by buying the lowered seat bases (sportscraft I think) and moving the bulkhead formed by the washroom back by 3 inches. Gives me full adjustment. Still cheaper than changing the van and there’ll always be compromises to make.
If its mechanically sound spend money on altering it to fit you perfectly. Its good fun doing it too!
The washroom may seem small compared to your boat but it depends how much time you spend in there!

 

[Phill D]

hi and welcome.

you already know motorhoming is full of compromises. Its a question only you can answer wether the compromise of the combined shower is a major show stopper or not. as has already been said there are ways to make the drivers seating position more acceptable.

good luck with your choices.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

Its all a compromise. Our toilet is small when your on the loo but the shower is big and more than ample. Dining table too small but lower level oven better than last van. Compromise.

 

[jallin]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

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[sonar]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

Please let the forum know in what direction you decided to go .

 

[nicholsong]

Jallin

Just on the shower/loo point, we have a combined one with a curtain round the shower area. It may be bigger than yours but we find it great.

We have vaguely been looking at a possible change to an island bed which in itself would require an extra 1/2m in overall length to preserve same living area. Unfortunately island beds came in about the same time that separate showers and loos became popular, which we do not want, and that adds 1.5m to preserve the same kitchen/living area.

The point I am making is that either you go for a separate shower and accept the longer/more expensive MH or you look for one with a generous shower/loo, like ours - try standing in them and envisage showering. We have never felt cramped. I should have written 'Neither of us' - we do not shower together - although it could save water in a MH.

As a consequence of no island beds being available without separate showers(at least not in quality MHs) we are sticking with our transverse bed.

Geoff

 

[cyberyacht]

In the absence of unlimited funds, everything in life is a compromise.

 

[Brains]

Sell now and hold onto the cash until spring when flights open up and the market settles and you get more for your money.

Cheers James

Whilst I agree the prices of motorhomes will drop at some point (what goes up must come down) the question is "when".

We can all see pages of adverts in the back of the motorhome magazines with dealers desperate for stock.
We can all see dealers with acres of empty space on their lots.
And if you want to buy a new motorhome, many of the top brands are quoting 2023 or 2024 delivery dates.

Therefore I don't expect the prices to drop in spring 2022.
In fact I think they will rise.

But by the winter of 2023 we might have reached a level of normality with prices.

 

[jallin]

Hi thank you everyone!! Just an update....we have decided (we think) to keep Sydney Swift! As we said we love the motorhome. Hubbie has decided to make some reversible changes to the washroom and try to adjust and manage the driving position. He's all paid for etc etc....perhaps the change will come when we've seen our 2 through university

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[jako999]

Not a bad idea.
Why go into debt if you don’t have to, I know we are luck to be able to do it but if we can’t pay for something in full at the start then we wouldn’t buy it. We kept our Niesmann for 10 years then bought a new Carthago and it never felt as good or homely, we’ve go a Niesmann on order agin now I just hope it feels the same or we may have to get a another 13 year old one.
Hope you get it just as you want and enjoy.

 

[two]

You're almost bound to lose some money each time to make a change. You are buying and selling in the same market and the middlemen need to earn a living.
Unless there is a serious need to change, it'll probably be cheaper to keep what you have. You could end up swapping one set of (known) problems for a whole set of new ones.

 

[uzsnowdrop]

Hi thank you everyone!! Just an update....we have decided (we think) to keep Sydney Swift! As we said we love the motorhome. Hubbie has decided to make some reversible changes to the washroom and try to adjust and manage the driving position. He's all paid for etc etc....perhaps the change will come when we've seen our 2 through university

The driving pisition can definitely be improved, worth the cost against change of vehicle.
I’ve just moved the toilet room bulkhead back by 3 inches, well worth the aggro ….
The lowered seat bases are great too.

 

[jako999]

I would have kept our old niesmann but it had a traverse bed which just became to much for my wife with her disabilities we needed forward facing beds and there was no way of gaining 2 feet to try and turn the bed around. The build quality of the older vans is way ahead of the new stuff.

 

[two]

Modern manufacture is aimed to give better value overall. If there was a strong market for high quality, there'd be more manufacturers addressing it. The majority of punters seem to select based on price.

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[nicholsong]

Not a bad idea.
Why go into debt if you don’t have to, I know we are luck to be able to do it but if we can’t pay for something in full at the start then we wouldn’t buy it. We kept our Niesmann for 10 years then bought a new Carthago and it never felt as good or homely, we’ve go a Niesmann on order agin now I just hope it feels the same or we may have to get a another 13 year old one.
Hope you get it just as you want and enjoy.

Interesting comparisons and comments.

Now that we have managed to register our Arto (2003) in Poland, after a long fight, we shall be keeping it for quit while, but spending on some upgrades like the reversing camera.

What M&B have you ordered and when is estimated delivery?

Geoff

 

[sonar]

Hi thank you everyone!! Just an update....we have decided (we think) to keep Sydney Swift! As we said we love the motorhome. Hubbie has decided to make some reversible changes to the washroom and try to adjust and manage the driving position. He's all paid for etc etc....perhaps the change will come when we've seen our 2 through university

A wise decision we are doing the same at the moment.
when we bought ours it was tired worn and we felt it was someone else’s.

now after a lot of work. Replacements renewals and additions. We have a motorhome that is ours.
and feels like ours as well.

and We have learnt a lot along the way.

 

[jako999]

Interesting comparisons and comments.

Now that we have managed to register our Arto (2003) in Poland, after a long fight, we shall be keeping it for quit while, but spending on some upgrades like the reversing camera.

What M&B have you ordered and when is estimated delivery?

Geoff

We have ordered a new Arto 77E with the front bed deleted and a load of extras, delivery should have been November then January and now may be end of March to be honest as long as we get it by June that fine, I’d rather it be built propearly.
Our old Niesmann was a 2008 Arto 69G I think great van and thinking about it we actually had it for 10 years only sold it because of the bed an replaced it with a Carthago chic with a forward facing double bed, but I really missed the Niesmann. People also think a double bet is great, it’s not because of the width of the bed with the quilt on it doesn’t leave much room either side in the middle of the night in the dark, half asleep when you need the loo, I ended up in the shower a few times as I missed my footing