Vehicle Check for First Motorhome (1 Viewer)

[Covgooner]

Hi all.

I am planning to buy my first motorhome in the next few months. I like to buy private as I tend to buy the person, if you know what I mean.

While I am confident buying cars privately, a motorhome is a different matter, so I would like to engage the services of a specialist to do a pre purchase check.

Can anyone recommend someone or offer any other advice.

Thanks

 

[David and Sally]

Knowing where you are might help the experts.

 

[Mountain man]

Hi welcome from the Highlands of Scotland

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[Covgooner]

Sorry, i'm in Coventry.

 

[pappajohn]

If you Google 'mobile motorhome technician' you may find some results.

 

[Vipar]

RAC done mine through the dealer. About £200 I believe

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[HugoBNB]

Welcome

 

[tonka]

You can find someone from here to do an independant check on the "caravan / habitation" side of things.

Approved Touring Caravan & Motorhome Servicing in the UK

The Approved Workshop Scheme is the benchmark for motorhome and touring caravan servicing in the UK with fixed and mobile workshops nationwide.

www.approvedworkshops.co.uk

 

[wigster]

I am from near Cov originaly

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[Jev88]

Check AA. RAC. And I think MCEA network do it too?

 

[pappajohn]

Check AA. RAC. And I think MCEA network do it too?

Surely the AA and RAC will only check the base vehicle mechanicals and electricals, not the conversion.

 

[Jev88]

Surely the AA and RAC will only check the base vehicle mechanicals and electricals, not the conversion.

True. But just trying to help. Personally I familiarised myself with the MH bits as much as I could and let a mechanic do the engine, suspension, brakes etc....

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[jonsea]

Hi and

 

[Skyway]

Hello

 

[AndyPK]

Welcome from Ciren!

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[Janine]

Sorry, i'm in Coventry.

You will meet quite a lot of Funsters - some get sent to Coventry frequently

 

[WynandJean]

Hello and welcome from West Midlands.

Wyn

 

[ambulancekidd]

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[Swifter]

Hello and welcome

 

[nicholsong]

I took along a friend who had a garage business including a body repair shop so he could check both the mechanics and spot any repairs to body of the vehicle which might have also resulted in chassis twist etc.

The internal checks of the habitation can be split into two sections. The first is dependent on the type of body construction and particularly whether it contains any timber, or whether like most better-built motorhomes these days it is made from an aluminium sandwich with a foam inside. The first type needs a thorough damp-meter check. The sandwich type is virtually damproof, even if water gets in it does not destroy anything and anyway a damp-meter cannot be used, but the floors should still be checked, if timber or plywood. The second part is the operation of services - water system, heating, both water and air heating and the fridge. The owner should be able to demonstrate them all to you.

If you are buying privately you should be saving around 10-15% compared with a dealer's price so for any minor faults there should be quite a bit in the budget to cover a few bits of repairs.

What motorhomes are you looking at to buy? What is your budget? When you narrow it down some members on here may be able to give you detailed points to look for. A frequently made comment is to buy one of the better continental built ones rather than most British. I did and it has proved the right decision, for not very much money.

Geoff

 

[Covgooner]

I was planning to spend up to £25K.

I really like the Hobby 600 type but have kept my mind open until I can go see a few and get a feel of quality etc.
It will just be me, the wife and the dog most of the time but occasionally two adult sons. I want to go for a fixed bed or u shaped lounge in a 6 berth so that we have plenty of room.

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[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[nicholsong]

I was planning to spend up to £25K.

I really like the Hobby 600 type but have kept my mind open until I can go see a few and get a feel of quality etc.
It will just be me, the wife and the dog most of the time but occasionally two adult sons. I want to go for a fixed bed or u shaped lounge in a 6 berth so that we have plenty of room.

May I just pick up on a couple of points there to help your searching.

MHs with 6 berths, which I assume you want so that the 2 sons can have separate bunks, usually only come by providing a double drop-down or overcab, a fixed double rear, or made-up 'U' shape lounge, and then a dinette made-up. A lot of people find dinettes not appealing for lounging and cuts cab seats off from living space. Rear U-shaped lounge gives that, but when it is just you and the wife the only fixed(not made-up) bed would be overcab.

Instead of 6 berth would not 5-berth, 2xdoubles and single settee bed, not suit? Then you do not need the dinette.

A rear lounge rules out a garage, does that make a difference to you?

Is the requirement to take two adult sons fixed? Have they tried MHoming before? With one toilet, one shower four 4?
It would be a mistake to choose a layout to accommodate them only infrequently and then they find they do not want to come, and you two might be stuck with a layout not ideal for two. Can the adult sons afford their own MH? Or maybe they should wait till they can?

You would be making a lot of compromises on layout for occasional use and not getting the best one for you and wife.

Just my views on what you posted.

Geoff

 

[Covgooner]

Hi Geoff,

You have voiced something I have been mulling over and pretty much summed up my thoughts. The six berth layout that appeals are 2 benches opposite each other with a u lounge or fixed bed arrangement at the back. Only question is, would I get extra belts with the bench arrangement.

Going for smaller berth is a real option and something I have seen that could work. As reality is probably 99% time it will be the 3 of us.

Cheers Geoff

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[Snoopy]

Hi we had this dilemma, wanted space but needed internal seat belts for the grandkids or family..but something we never learnt or even knew about..until we joined this great forum was Payload..worth reading up about, check as can be an expensive mistake. Good luck we had a 5 birth hymer 2003... Over cab( penthouse for grandkids or great storage when just us. Dinnetts is a full double, some are quite small.so if viewing ask for demonstration to see if an adult could sleep comfortable, we also have long single, bench can pull out to make wider, for us it suits our needs. And was in your price bracket