What motorhome makes

[Al]

Hi first time buyer of a motorhome and there are so many manufacturers out there. I know the layout I want 4 berth with drop down or over cab beds and single beds to the rear but what makes models should I look at and what should I take a wide berth of. Thanks in advance.

 

[funflair]

That is going to depend on your budget and your licence, can you drive over 3500kg? and are you looking for new or used.

 

[Mountain man]

Hi welcome from the Highlands of Scotland

 

[gerrym11]

I have a Burstner, really nice moho and has the dropdown double bed that is longways (the right way around!). My moho wouldn't suit your needs (Ixeo IT 640). Maybe something like the Ixeo 726?

Cheers

Gerry

 

[Al]

Hi ye I can and budget would be up to about £60k

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[gerrym11]

Hi ye I can and budget would be up to about £60k

You should certainly get something decent for your budget (used rather than new).

 

[Guffy60]

Welcome,

have a look at some of the Hymer group. We have a Sunlight T68, which has singles at the rear and can have a drop down double at the front. 7.4 metre van under £60k new.

 

[Al]

So in terms of the manufacturers who are the top brands and who are the bottom midrange makes? Like Rimour Eldis Bailey Roller team where do they all sit?

 

[FIDGET]

We have a roller team T Line 785, 2018
7.5 MTRS long drop down electric bed and 2 singles at the mid , rear washroom + small shower room , large fridge freezer , 3 gas rings and small oven .
We love it , don,t think they make it currently but did up till last year , should be some good second hand ones about well with in your budget.
Terry

 

[gerrym11]

So in terms of the manufacturers who are the top brands and who are the bottom midrange makes? Like Rimour Eldis Bailey Roller team where do they all sit?

That's a tough one as it is a bit subjective. What I have found is that the British makes tend to be at the cheaper end (not all British brands) and the Germans tend to be the most expensive. French and Italian somewhere in the middle. I have not done in-depth research over many years but what I have done over 3 to 6 months has shown me generally you get what you pay for.
But I do agree you are starting in the right place by looking at vans that meet your needs internally and then working out what brands you would like / can afford. I would love a Carthago but to be in my budget it would have to be about a hundred years old

All the best in your search.

Gerry

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[Mr Colpot]

We currently have a 2014 Pilote Explorateur G741LJE - 2 singles at the back in front of a washroom which goes across the back. Kitchen is midships with lounge at the front with drop down double. Its 7.5m long and is plated to 4250kg weight.
Quality is a subjective thing though - we have had 13 vans of different ages/layout and of them I rate the Pilote/Hymer/Burstner/Rapido/Bessacarr/Vantage among the better end of the quality scale. Others we have had were Swift/CI/Laika/Elddis/Autocruise

 

[FIDGET]

Hi Al
Agree with Mr Colpot , we loved our 2 Pilotes , we too have had 13 motorhomes in our 41 years motorhoming , our T Line is mid to value range cost new in 2018 £52000 .current value in £45000 approx , we find it suits our need perfectly , with 5 seat belts
Where are you based

 

[Gellyneck]

Hi first time buyer of a motorhome and there are so many manufacturers out there. I know the layout I want 4 berth with drop down or over cab beds and single beds to the rear but what makes models should I look at and what should I take a wide berth of. Thanks in advance.

You will also need to consider "seatbelts" if you are more than two. Whilst motorhomes may be 4 berth a number of them only have 2 seatbelted seats.

 

[Mr Colpot]

You will also need to consider "seatbelts" if you are more than two. Whilst motorhomes may be 4 berth a number of them only have 2 seatbelted seats.

Good shout - and Payload - we got caught out a couple of times.

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[bobnick]

I;m still trying to work out which is the RR of MHs and which is the Geely.

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[Steve N Tracy]

The wealth of options can be confusing for a first time buyer, so a Benimar is a good option they come with nearly every option as standard, the only real decision is manual or auto and the build quality is not to bad, then when and if you decide to change you know what options you want on your next motorhome.

 

[bilM]

The Hymer Mli 580 has what you are require.

 

[The Wino]

I always find on threads like this people tend to recommend the make they now have which I suppose isn't that surprising as that's why they chose it. I always wonder if there are any people who actually think they made a mistake and their previous make was better ?

 

[Al]

Hi Al
Agree with Mr Colpot , we loved our 2 Pilotes , we too have had 13 motorhomes in our 41 years motorhoming , our T Line is mid to value range cost new in 2018 £52000 .current value in £45000 approx , we find it suits our need perfectly , with 5 seat belts
Where are you based

Based in central Scotland thanks for all the advice guys brilliant cheers

 

[Lenny HB]

So in terms of the manufacturers who are the top brands and who are the bottom midrange makes? Like Rimour Eldis Bailey Roller team where do they all sit?

The ones you mention I would class as budget vans. German build quality is better than Brit or Italian, & French are pretty good.

At the top end you have Phoenix, Morelo, Concorde, out of my price range well over 200k for the cheapest.
Then you have the likes of N&B, Carthago, etc.
Then Hymer, Burstner, Defflette, Rapido, Piolte etc.
Budget German vans Corado & Sunlight

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[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN.

 

[Guffy60]

Based in central Scotland thanks for all the advice guys brilliant cheers

I would also think about its annual dealer service and manufactures service.
plus warranty work if required.
unlike cars, it’s not that easy to get work done at other dealers even selling the same brand. You may find a van in England that fits your budget and requirements, but do you want to travel that far to have a habitation and service to protect the warranty every year?

 

[Gellyneck]

Based in central Scotland thanks for all the advice guys brilliant cheers

Nae luck! A fair few of us on here!
Once lockdown is relaxed get yourself around some localish dealers and have a look around and in their stock. Once you've seen a few that might suit for you ask the gang on hear for thoughts \ guidance \ etc.

 

[Pausim]

Hi first time buyer of a motorhome and there are so many manufacturers out there. I know the layout I want 4 berth with drop down or over cab beds and single beds to the rear but what makes models should I look at and what should I take a wide berth of. Thanks in advance.

Sadly I wouldn’t buy another British made one. Since deciding to buy a continental one I have had a Knaus, a Hymer and currently a Carthago. The Knaus was good, the Hymer better and the Carthago even better still. The Hymer and Carthago are both available with drop down double beds, with twin singles at the rear, in A Class form. I find A Class motorhomes not only give the interior a more spacious feel but are far easier to drive, you intuitively know the width from the driving seat. If your budget does not stretch to a new one that fits your needs then I would suggest a good second hand one will serve you better than cutting corners on either build quality or specification.

Not only is the manufacturer an important consideration but the dealer is important too. The reviews section on this site is a good place to start. A bit of digging on the internet to find some good testimonials might help too. Once you have found what you are looking for you can ask for opinions on here to see if others have experience of the make, model and dealer. Some say a local dealer is more convenient but I would rather travel further afield than use the nearest one, if their reputation was not excellent. Some dealers are reluctant to carry out warranty work on motorhomes they haven’t sold themselves, even though the manufacturer may claim they should. The base vehicle Fiat, Mercedes, Ford etc. is less likely to encounter reluctance to service and repair. I bought from a firm which is not only a dealer for several manufacturers but also a Fiat Professional so it is a one stop shop for servicing etc.

 

[peterc10]

The layout you have suggested is more likely to be found in a European motorhome that a UK one, as they still tend to use a rear lounge layout. But you should be able to find a few UK examples. It is probably the most popular layout in Europe and has been for a while, which means that you should be able to find plenty off second hand versions from good makes. The optimum length I think would be about 7.5m.

IMHO this layout is best with high rear singles set over a large garage that can take a scooter or a couple of bikes along with all the other stuff you may want to carry. And it also best in an A class layout as you can get a full size drop down bed easily in without the bulbous over cab extension.

BUT the answer really depends as to how you are going to use this and how many people will be travelling. It also depends upon what licence you have got. If you passed your test after 1996 you will not have a C1 licence so you will be limited to a motorhome with a maximum authorised weight (MAM) of 3500kg or less. I doubt very much whether you will be able to get a 7.5m A class with a MAM of 3500kg and still have enough payload to take a family of 4 and all the stuff they need .

If you pay your subs you will be able read the article about the amount of payload you need in the January 2020 back issue of the MHF magazine.

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[Andacami]

For that kinda money, perhaps a 2nd hand or nearly-new Auto-Sleepers Cornium Duo or Burford Duo; sleeps 4 v-comfortably but only has travel seats for 2.

 

[nicholsong]

The ones you mention I would class as budget vans. German build quality is better than Brit or Italian, & French are pretty good.

At the top end you have Phoenix, Morelo, Concorde, out of my price range well over 200k for the cheapest.
Then you have the likes of N&B, Carthago, etc.
Then Hymer, Burstner, Defflette, Rapido, Piolte etc.
Budget German vans Corado & Sunlight

I would rate that post as spot on in rating those manufacturers and I have been looking at several of them.

They will all be good quality still at 5-6 years and good value, although you might be in the second tier at £60K

I bought a N&B 7m 4 berth at 6 years for less than half your budget.

I would suggest you seriously consider secondhand because you can afford quality, you avoid niggles of faults, dealers' warranties are not worth much more than Consumer Protection Law and you have saved money so can fix small faults.

One more important aspect is construction method used: big differnce is between walls/roofs which are supported by timber and those constructed of bonded aluminium-on -foam sandwich - latter is tructuaral in itself and virtually eliminates damp problems(except maybe floors). I think all the 3 categories on the list use the sandwich, at least in recent models, but not personally sure about Corado and Sunlight, but might be wrong.

I agree with Pausim about 'A Class for space, and they are the same width as the habitation area, so if the bit you are sitting in can go though the gap so can all of it. White van man tends to give way more

Do not take either a manufacturer's nor dealer's figures on payload, because of fitted extras. The only figure that matters is when you are present at the weighbridge and know who is sitting in it and fuel and water contents, from there you can work the rest.

Last comment, I was at your stage 12 years ago but took my time on research(lot can be done from home on technical aspects). If you go to a dealer, beware - not all will give you firm facts. After your resaearch write out a specification, test every model against it, show it to dealers(if you must-but less budget of course). I followed this method and bought our N&B Arto as our first MH and have been very happy with it for 12 years.

Sorry bit long but that just shows how much there is to cover in a decision.

Geoff (PM me if you have more Qs)

 

[Beltie]

The ones you mention I would class as budget vans. German build quality is better than Brit or Italian, & French are pretty good.

At the top end you have Phoenix, Morelo, Concorde, out of my price range well over 200k for the cheapest.
Then you have the likes of N&B, Carthago, etc.
Then Hymer, Burstner, Defflette, Rapido, Piolte etc.
Budget German vans Corado & Sunlight

That's a sweeping generalisation Lenny. I have an Italian built Laika, (Hymer Group). Not all Italian 'vans are entry level.The build quaity is comparable with any German 'van. Carado & Sunlight are good entry level 'vans but they still use structural wood as do many Burstners.

 

[Lenny HB]

One more important aspect is construction method used: big differnce is between walls/roofs which are supported by timber and those constructed of bonded aluminium-on -foam sandwich - latter is tructuaral in itself and virtually eliminates damp problems(except maybe floors). I think all the 3 categories on the list use the sandwich, at least in recent models, but not personally sure about Corado and Sunlight, but might be wrong.

Of the reasonably priced vans, N&B, Carthago and the latest Hymer models have a double aluminium sandwich (the inner wall is aluminium as well as the outer). Most of the others have a wood inner wall but no wood in the sandwich. Carado & Sunlight have a traditional build with timber battens in the walls.

 

[Lenny HB]

That's a sweeping generalisation Lenny. I have an Italian built Laika, (Hymer Group). Not all Italian 'vans are entry level.The build quaity is comparable with any German 'van. Carado & Sunlight are good entry level 'vans but they still use structural wood as do many Burstners.

I was only quoting a few from memory too many makes to go through them all, I did think of Laika but didn't know how to spell it.

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