Wrong time to buy a motorhome? First time advice?

[Tony68000]

Hi all,

New here, but it looks like a fun place! Hope you can help me with some general advice.

We're looking to buy our first motorhome. We've viewed a couple and got a very likely candidate for viewing for this coming Sunday. It's a big 'investment', so quite scared we might be making the wrong decision.

Is this the wrong time to be buying? Coming up to the end of season and winter, perhaps there'll be more availability in the coming months, perhaps prices will be a little cheaper?

We're looking for a 6-berth, 6 belted-seats, rear lounge, so our options look limited. Eldiss 180's, Swift Sundance 630L seem the likely options. Around a 2011 plate. Looking at around £32,000.

Usage, we'll definitely use it this year, perhaps not for major trips and probably just me and my wife, and dog, then in the new season we're looking to taking our grown up kids, granddaughter, MIL, etc., on a few trips.

 

[Figaro]

6 berth, 6 belted seats will be the challenge keeping it within weight limits.
Do you have C1 on your licence so you can go over 3.5 tonne which will be essential ?

 

[Tony68000]

6 berth, 6 belted seats will be the challenge keeping it within weight limits.
Do you have C1 on your licence so you can go over 3.5 tonne which will be essential ?

Yep, got C1, C1E. It'll only be me driving.

All I've looked at are within 3.5k though, which surprises me.. Do I need to add on internal load to this figure, which makes it go over the 3.5k limit?

 

[Jim]

Hi Tony,

The industry is on a bit of a high right now, motorhomes have become very popular, we've had some shortages and this has caused prices to rise. Expect to be paying at the very least, £5k more for those vans than you would have done in 2019. The bubble may burst, but not for a couple of years at least. My best guess is they are not going to fall in price for a while, seasonal price variations hardly existed before the pandemic, they are gone now.

Think of the fun you could have and the memories you can give the kids and grandkids right now. Balance that against a few measly quid that you could "maybe" save if you wait, and for me at least, it's no competition. Buy now and have fun

Meanwhile welcome to the fun.

 

[James-Alex]

My advise would be hire what you think you want first. We bought are one without trying it out and we are looking at changing. This is going to cost us a fair bit in part ex loss. We cant take the kids due to payload so take the car, this is meaning that the additional seats are not really required and due to this are layout is not as good and spacious as we could have had.
Hope you find your ideal van,

All the best

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[tonka]

Aside from the time of year, inflated prices, staycations etc.

6 berth with 6 belts are rare.
6 berth with enough payload to actually legally carry 6 people I think is going to be a challenge.
Read up ref weights and payload so that you understand it. All the info is on here as those questions get asked all the time.
My previous van was an Autotrail 700 2012 Plated at 4250kg. This had a pretty good payload of just over 700kg and that was including a gas bottle, water and driver. However just 2 adults, 2 kids and all our stuff ( no bikes) took us up to the limit.

 

[MsT2]

Yep, got C1, C1E. It'll only be me driving.

All I've looked at are within 3.5k though, which surprises me.. Do I need to add on internal load to this figure, which makes it go over the 3.5k limit?

Yes, yes you do. A lot of Motorhome manufacturers are 'cute' with suggested payloads. Remember that even the weight of each person is not included... 6 people is around 400kg off your payload before you start with clothes, food, water, fuel, gas etc etc.

Totally agree to hire first!

 

[Tony68000]

Thanks for the thoughts on prices. We won't wait... the benefits of buying now outweighs the potentials savings we might make...

I've been on this 'adventure' for a few weeks now, and almost daily I discover something that demands a few more google-hours.

It appears I need to research PAYLOADS a LOT more. This was a subject I was only vaguely aware of. Just the two options for MHs I'm looking at so far have payloads between 525kg (Elidss 180) - 660kg (Swift Sundance 630l). A quick look at 4 berth MHs tells me that 500kg+ is still quite rare, so even though 4 berth is an option, I think I'll stick to 6 berth, but be aware of total payload... which I think will fit into our envisaged usage:

80% - Wife, myself, dog. Weekends, long trips, freedom!
15% - 3/4 adults in total, 1/2 dogs. Shorter local trips.
5% - 4 adults and a small child. Local trips.
For the limited times we'll need to pack the MH, I suspect we could look at other options, perhaps take a car as well. A trailer might be an option.

I've seen MHs with top boxes, rear-boxes, bike racks, tow-bars, etc... and yet they have seem to have soo little usable payload.. do people tend to ignore this? (Don't worry, I'll take this serious, I'll find a weight-bridge to check before I buy!)

 

[Geistguy]

With a C1 licence I'd go for the biggest van you can find ( within you personal limitations) with a corresponding large payload. It's always better to have more payload than needed, you don't want the constant worry and loading/unloading to keep legal. Lots of folk carry far more than they should, me included on occasions, but it's never wise.

 

[grumps147]

Welcome to fun.

one of the areas to watch with payload is many manufacturers published weights are for the base vehicle. Even on the forecourt those with ‘packs’ fitted may not have the weight of those packs included. The same applies to everything after sale, e.g. A second leisure battery could be 25Kg. The only way is to ensure a recent weight certificate, or get It weighed before signing on the dotted line, and keep an eye on the fill level of fluids when you do have it weighed (rough guide 1 litre = 1 kilo).

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[Brains]

Hire before you buy.
We hired 4 different vans before we bought one.

Do you really 'need' a 6 belt/berth van?
4 belt/berth are a lot easier to find, to drive, to park, cheaper to run, better residual value.

For the 3 days a year when you need 6 berths, it would be a lot easier to buy a second hand stand up awning and have 2 people sleep there.
A van with 6 people is cosy, very cosy.

As others have said, payload will be the massive issue on a 6 berth van. (It's a big issue even on some two berth vans)
For a couple you need 400kg (and that is assuming you don't take bikes, boats, BBQ, etc etc)
I'd guess for 6 people you would be looking at towing a trailer for the 750kg of luggage etc.

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/magazine/understand-motorhome-payload/

 

[Tony68000]

Hire before you buy.
We hired 4 different vans before we bought one.

Do you really 'need' a 6 belt/berth van?
4 belt/berth are a lot easier to find, to drive, to park, cheaper to run, better residual value.

For the 3 days a year when you need 6 berths, it would be a lot easier to buy a second hand stand up awning and have 2 people sleep there.
A van with 6 people is cosy, very cosy.

As others have said, payload will be the massive issue on a 6 berth van. (It's a big issue even on some two berth vans)
For a couple you need 400kg (and that is assuming you don't take bikes, boats, BBQ, etc etc)
I'd guess for 6 people you would be looking at towing a trailer for the 750kg of luggage etc.

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/magazine/understand-motorhome-payload/

Good points, thanks.

When I look at 4 berth, I generally see a much lower payload though, although a trailer would help here. Yep, sleeping 6 would be a nightmare, and I like the idea of putting a bed 'outside' for these times. I can definitely widen my search criteria, it would be a shame to compromise too much for 5% of usage.

I guess a tow-car / A-Frame would also work for extra payload... and be more convenient when onsite.

 

[Brains]

Good points, thanks.

When I look at 4 berth, I generally see a much lower payload though, although a trailer would help here. Yep, sleeping 6 would be a nightmare, and I like the idea of putting a bed 'outside' for these times. I can definitely widen my search criteria, it would be a shame to compromise too much for 5% of usage.

I guess a tow-car / A-Frame would also work for extra payload... and be more convenient when onsite.

If you are touring with 4 adults and 2 children, quite frankly I'd simply drive the car from site to site.
If you tow a trailer the weight does now count on your payload, but it does count on your train weight.

A frame towing of cars is only legal in the UK and quite frankly I've never seen the point.
If you need a car, then buy a caravan!

By the way, you have a 5 message limit on this site before you have to pay your £20 and join up. I'd suggest it's a worthwhile investment!

 

[Zains Pops]

6 berth MH fully occupied is a small space with a lot of people, you will need to be very friendly with each other and be Uber tidy. Also cooking for six in a MH will be ‘challenging ‘ to say the least.

Best of luck ,nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

[stevewagner]

We had an Autotrail Apache 2011 (6 berth and 6 belts) with a max weight of 4250kg. Nice van but some have been hit with the dreaded damp so if you do look at any take a damp meter with you

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[Tony68000]

6 berth MH fully occupied is a small space with a lot of people, you will need to be very friendly with each other and be Uber tidy. Also cooking for six in a MH will be ‘challenging ‘ to say the least.

Best of luck ,nothing ventured nothing gained.

Yeah, I can imagine. Max we'll have is 4 adults and a 3 year-old. Most of the time it'll be 2 adults (me+wife), some of the time it'll be 3 adults.

For these reasons I'm still leaning to a 6-berth / 6 Belt model with rear lounge. Having the option of 6 travelling seats would be really nice, even if a couple of people slept elsewhere.

 

[Tony68000]

We had an Autotrail Apache 2011 (6 berth and 6 belts) with a max weight of 4250kg. Nice van but some have been hit with the dreaded damp so if you do look at any take a damp meter with you

One of the ones with pins? Will the owners mind if I start poking the walls with this? I can get one from Amazon for £20 so not a problem to get one quickly.

 

[Tony68000]

If you are touring with 4 adults and 2 children, quite frankly I'd simply drive the car from site to site.
If you tow a trailer the weight does now count on your payload, but it does count on your train weight.

A frame towing of cars is only legal in the UK and quite frankly I've never seen the point.
If you need a car, then buy a caravan!

By the way, you have a 5 message limit on this site before you have to pay your £20 and join up. I'd suggest it's a worthwhile investment!

Thanks for the thoughts. This site seems well worth the £20! Lots of good information here and the forum is amazing.

Don't fancy the idea of a caravan, and I see a lot of owners around here with the A-frame route.

Would you tend to park-up and if you wanted a day-trip take the MH then?

 

[Tony68000]

I've joined!

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN.

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[HarryML7]

One of the ones with pins? Will the owners mind if I start poking the walls with this? I can get one from Amazon for £20 so not a problem to get one quickly.

You can get non penetrating meters about £60.

 

[Tony68000]

My advise would be hire what you think you want first. We bought are one without trying it out and we are looking at changing. This is going to cost us a fair bit in part ex loss. We cant take the kids due to payload so take the car, this is meaning that the additional seats are not really required and due to this are layout is not as good and spacious as we could have had.
Hope you find your ideal van,

All the best

Hmm, yeah, I see that advice a lot, and appreciate your thoughts.

Honestly though, I can't see us hiring first. We've looked at a few in person and accepted that we want a rear-lounge more than anything, and options for 5 travellers occasionally (accepting this has challenges).

For the 80% time when it's just me, the wife and the dog, then the extra space and payload would be handy, and we'd have the option to leave the rear-bed up. The middle cooking / dinning area would split things up nicely...we think.

Whenever I do the searches, 2 main models keep appearing:
Eldiss 180 (Firestorm, Autoquest)
Swift Sundance 630L

The Swift is obviously nicer, and has a better payload, but it appears that most models seem the same - same engines, similar layouts, similar options.

For optional extras, I suspect what I think now will change once we get started, and I think adding extras as you go might be fun - solar, refillable LPG, air suspension, tow-car, better stereo, trailer... goodness know I'm having so much trouble just figuring out the basics!

 

[Brains]

Thanks for the thoughts. This site seems well worth the £20! Lots of good information here and the forum is amazing.

Don't fancy the idea of a caravan, and I see a lot of owners around here with the A-frame route.

Would you tend to park-up and if you wanted a day-trip take the MH then?

I think way before you go down the A Frame route, see if you need it, most don't, which is why they are fairly rare.

If you need a car then look at getting a trailer, it may cost more up front, and you need to have somewhere to keep it, but you are not doing anything to your car and it also means you can travel outside the UK.

If you get a box trailer, you can take the car inside, as well as all your kit
(as long as you keep the weight down to the max permitted to tow weight on the motorhome you eventually get, it will keep your van payload down)
The other advantage of a box trailer is they can double up as the spare bedroom, I've spent many a night in a box trailer, far better than a tent!

When we tour, like most motorhome owners, we either use walking, (motor)cycling or public transport if it's local, or, more normally we simply pack up and move and park at the place we are visiting before either returning to the original site or moving on.

If we are just stopping for the night, then packing up takes about 10 mins.
EHU cable in, ramps away, offload the cassette and gray water, maybe load water and we are gone.

If we have been in one place for a couple of days, and have the bikes off, the BBQ out with the chairs and table, as well as stuff all over the inside we can still pack up in under 20 mins.

The whole point of motorhoming as opposed to caravanning, is the ability to move on every day if you want.
If you intend on going to a place for a week and exploring the area by car, then a caravan may be more suitable.

 

[Tony68000]

You can get non penetrating meters about £60.

Just ordered! I think this could be a very worthwhile investment (£55, pinless and pins) Extech MO55. Saw someone on a YouTube video checking a motorhome with one, so seems far enough. Thanks.

 

[Tony68000]

I think way before you go down the A Frame route, see if you need it, most don't, which is why they are fairly rare.

If you need a car then look at getting a trailer, it may cost more up front, and you need to have somewhere to keep it, but you are not doing anything to your car and it also means you can travel outside the UK.

If you get a box trailer, you can take the car inside, as well as all your kit
(as long as you keep the weight down to the max permitted to tow weight on the motorhome you eventually get, it will keep your van payload down)
The other advantage of a box trailer is they can double up as the spare bedroom, I've spent many a night in a box trailer, far better than a tent!

When we tour, like most motorhome owners, we either use walking, (motor)cycling or public transport if it's local, or, more normally we simply pack up and move and park at the place we are visiting before either returning to the original site or moving on.

If we are just stopping for the night, then packing up takes about 10 mins.
EHU cable in, ramps away, offload the cassette and gray water, maybe load water and we are gone.

If we have been in one place for a couple of days, and have the bikes off, the BBQ out with the chairs and table, as well as stuff all over the inside we can still pack up in under 20 mins.

The whole point of motorhoming as opposed to caravanning, is the ability to move on every day if you want.
If you intend on going to a place for a week and exploring the area by car, then a caravan may be more suitable.

Good thoughts. Thanks!

I don't know if we're over thinking all this. Love the idea of going from place to place. With a caravan we may as well get a hotel.

Just thinking of the times when we might want to pop to Tesco, McDonalds(!) or head to a nice restaurant one evening. We'll see how this one goes. Definitely won't jump into buying a new car, etc. and we have a small trailer already if we do push payload limits.

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