Looking at Buying A Motorhome. Advice Welcome!

Steve

How much additional cost changing from a caravan to motorhome depends on how you are organised. When we purchased our first motorhome we got rid of our 4X4 (our only car) and traded it in for a compact car. The immediate saving was in VED. To this day, eight years later, I am still paying less VED of my small car and the motorhome than I was on the 4X4. So at worst it was neutral at best I saved a bit of money. Insurance is similar to our caravan so no additional costs there. Service wise it is the cab service which is additional. The habitation service for the motorhome is about the same as we paid for the caravan £200/250. The cab service is about the same but as TW points out on the popular brands of motorhome base vehicles the servicing is now every two years which offers a bit of a saving. We are lucky that we can store our van in our back garden so we don't have any additional storage costs. 

I don't know if they would be of any interest but I did write a couple of blogs on the change from caravan to motorhome here and here. The first deals with the initial change and the second deals with the change to our second motorhome.

David

I don't know if they would be of any interest but I did write a couple of blogs on the change from caravan to motorhome here and here. The first deals with the initial change and the second deals with the change to our second motorhome.

Thanks very much for this detailed reply, David; it's very useful indeed. I'll read your blogs tonight when I have the chance to take time to absorb the detail, so I may well be posting some more questions overnight!

Steve

Not wishing to poke my nose in but have you considered a used van? There are some good low mileage hardly used examples out there due to people making expensive mistakes when they buy their first vans. They can be absolute bargains.

TW,

Good point. There is a Globebus T6 at Pullingers with 2.5k miles on a [Glasgow registered] 2019 plate, so 500 miles of that will have accrued on the drive down south! It's still just under £60k and the payload has been upgraded, so that suggests that the 'goodies' have eaten into the available payload and I might face a problem in 3 years time when C1 medicals rear their ugly head.

I also worry about ex hire m/homes ['1 careful owner' where 40 or so people have been swinging on the blinds whilst the kids/grandkids have been bouncing on the mattress] during the 5000 miles it has covered. I've seen some German m/homes on 2013/14 plates with up to 32k miles. Are they still at the 'barely run in' stage [my VW Tiguan freed up nicely at about 22k miles], or is the Fiat running gear likely to be starting its journey 'on the way home'?

Steve

Obviously you have to keep your eyes open but mainstream dealers often have preregistered or ex-dem vehicles as well as used. Keep an open mind as a ready to roll van should have had the wrinkles ironed out and you won't have to wait 8 months to take delivery. Btw, I think you'd spot an ex-hire van.

UPDATE;

We are edging closer to making a decision, almost at the 'Put up or Shut up 'stage. We are looking at a new 5.99m Sunlight T60 Active and it looks as though the Dealer will take our Folding Caravan in P/Ex, making the financial side more comfortable/less daunting.

Has anyone any experience of these motorhomes? I found a Practical Caravan Review for the 2017 model in which the Reviewer said at the outset that it was a budget model for the less well heeled, and I found that strangely comforting ... Just need to get the 'Less Well Heeled' T Shirts printed onto recycled plain white cotton T Shirts from Oxfam and we should be ready to go

Steve

Steve

It looks a neat little go anywhere van. They are part of the Erwin Hymer Group apparently so a good pedigree? Not sure we could cope with the high bed but if that is not an issue it could be a good choice.

David

Thanks, David.

The high bed and the ladder are a compromise; I'm hoping to get either a caravan twin step, or to make a carpeted twin step [that can live in the garage during the day], to make the 3am bathroom visit less challenging.

There's penty of payload, 700kg+, so I'm hoping that a 140bhp engine and unutilised capacity will make a post COVID ascent and descent of the Pyrenees less taxing.

Steve

Sunlight was on the list 3 years ago when I purchased my PVC. Initially the price is attractive and dealers were offering good deals to shift them. However, as you say it’s a ‘budget’ product and I think it showed in the build quality and flimsy fittings. Personally I’d ditch the T Shirt and go a bit higher - you get what you pay for. In general I was more impressed with continental than UK models.