Buying Your First Motorhome

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http://motorhoming.life/buying-your-first-motorhome/ - Okay so you’re ready to take the plunge, buying your first motorhome is a big step. Before you even consider browsing what’s on offer there are few questions that you should consider.

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• Publié par: seorumer
• Publié le: 02 juillet 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 5
• Langue: English

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Motorhoming Life
Buying Your First Motorhome
Okay so you’re ready to take the plunge, buying your
first motorhome is a big step. Before you even
consider browsing what’s on offer there are few
questions that you should consider. What kind of
CLICK HERE TO READ ONLINEBuying Your First Motorhome
Okay so you’re ready to take the plunge, buying your first motorhome is a big step. Before you even consider
browsing what’s on offer there are few questions that you should consider.
What kind of driving licence do you have?
This is an easy mistake to make. Critically important that you check your driving licence to see which category
you are entitled to drive. The 1st January 1997 is an important date. If you passed your test before that date
you have probably got a category C1. However, if you passed your test after that date you will only have a
category B which means you cannot drive anything bigger than 3,500kgs
Category B
if you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997. You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg MAM (Maximum
Authorised Mass) with up to 8 passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg). You can also tow heavier trailers if
the total MAM
of the vehicle and trailer isn’t more than
3,500kg.
Category C1
You can drive vehicles between 3,500 and 7,500kg MAM (with a trailer up to 750kg).
(From GOV.UK)
If you wish to drive a motorhome which is above 3,500 kgs, and you don’t have a Category C1 License, you
can always apply to take the test to upgrade your entitlement.
How much money do you intend to spend?
Unless you are a lottery winner or have access to unlimited funds, you’ll have decided how much you wish to
invest in your new motorhome. It’s important that you stick to your budget. But, also be sure that you set
aside enough cash to pay for road tax, insurance and any other extras you may need.
There was a time when cash was king and you’d be able to make a saving when paying with cash. However,
these days dealers often earn a commission from the finance company and, therefore, prefer it if your
purchase is funded through a finance arrangement.
If you intend to use finance, be sure to make a comparison between what the dealer may offer and what you
can get through your own bank or building society. It’s a competitive market, so shop around!
You may wish to part exchange and, again, it’s worth comparing what the dealer might offer versus what you
might be able to get if you sell privately. Of course, it’s sometimes worth taking the dealer’s offer when the
difference is small and you save both time and hassle!
Don’t forget to negotiate hard. There are lots of motorhomes for sale and you have a choice of dealer. Be
sure to squeeze as much as you can out of the price. If it’s not already part of the deal, ask for 12 months’
road tax, a full fuel tank and whatever extras you can get.
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How do you intend to use your motorhome?
We are very fortunate as we are both retired and we can get in our motorhome and take off whenever we like!
There is just the two of us so we only need two travelling seats (seats with seat belts). We do like to go on
extended trips and that means we need more storage. We also like to be as “self-sufficient” as possible and
that means a good sized bathroom, a fixed bed and a large fridge-freezer.
If you are employed and only plan to use your motorhome for weekends and annual holidays, you may not
wish to tie up a lot of capital and you can be more flexible about the specification of your motorhome.
The important thing is that you think about how you plan to enjoy your motorhome. Decide what are “must
haves” and what are the “nice to have but not essentials”.
What type of motorhome do you want?
Right at the bottom of the scale, in terms of size, is the Micro-Motorhome.
Usually based on a Volkswagen cargo van, or vehicle of similar size such as a small people carrier, they offer
limited facilities.
Most offer sleeping space for two but many have just a single berth, simple cooking facilities and a cupboard
to store the smallest portable toilet.
The majority of these “motorhomes” have an elevating roof of some sort but some have a high-top – making
them less multi-storey car-park friendly.
The next step up is the Campervan. Usually based on a commercial can such as a Ford Transit, Renault
Traffic or the ubiquitous VW Transporter.
They offer comfortable accommodation for two or more in a vehicle
small enough to be used as the only family car. High top and raising roofs are both available and there is a
wide range of campervan conversion specialists offering everything from a very basic day van all the way up
to the luxury “Glamper”.
Next, we move on to the Panel Van Conversion often based on the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer or the
Renault Master.
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Obviously, these conversions offer a bit more room and can
accommodate a usefully sized washroom and a more impressive kitchen. They are big enough to offer
standing headroom, some have a fitted double bed across the back of the van and you may also get a small
washroom/toilet area.
Coachbuilt Motorhomes are purpose built rather than being converted vans. They can sleep two or more
and generally have a washroom with shower and cassette toilet. Some will have a fixed double bed.
Sometimes that bed is mounted transversely high across the back of the motorhome and the large
locker underneath it will be called, rather optimistically, the ‘garage’.
I’m a tad over six feet and, therefore, I’m not compatible with some of the less generously proportioned
transverse beds. If you are even approaching being tall… try before you buy!
Coachbuilt Motorhomes are based on a cab and chassis from a
major van manufacturer and then a motorhome body is built on to complete the vehicle.
There are two main types. The Low-Line and the High-Line. The Low-Line has a low profile front end over the
cab and the space about the windscreen is usually limited to storage lockers. The High-Line has a more
bulbous front end over the cab and often accommodates an over-cab bed.
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And Finally, we have the A Class Motorhome. These large,
and often quite luxurious, motorhomes can be recognised by having no separate cab. The body, including the
driving compartment, is entirely coachbuilt by the motorhome company using a bare chassis unit from one of
the large commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat and Mercedes.
What would be the best layout to suit your needs?
There are an amazing number of different layouts available. The larger the motorhome the more options you
can get. With a small van, there is a limited amount of space in which to squeeze in somewhere to cook, to
eat and to sleep. The larger motorhomes have the space in which to fit washrooms, bedrooms, kitchens and
lounge areas.
More and more people are living full time in the motorhomes
and it’s relatively easy to do with the right layout. For example, we have an Autotrail Dakota which has a
fullwidth bathroom at the rear, a fixed bed, a well-equipped kitchen and a generous area at the front for relaxing
and eating. While we don’t live full time in our motorhome, we do spend extended amounts of time away from
home.
Before parting with your hard-earned cash, be sure to think about how you will use your motorhome, what
facilities you need and how many people you’ll need to be able to travel and sleep.
Would a motorhome with a fixed bed be more suitable than having a lounge area that you will have to convert
into a bed each night?
Where will the children sleep? Could they share the over-cab bed or will you need a separate room with bunk
beds
Consider everyone’s needs ( including the pet’s!) and decide on the optimum layout.
What are your must-have extras?
Again, the options are far too numerous to mention. Many motorhomes already have external awnings, bike
racks, solar panels, extra leisure batteries and integrated televisions.
All these extras can add a significant amount to the basic cost of a motorhome. So, it’s important that you
consider what extras are absolutely essential and what would be useful additions.
If you are buying a pre-owned vehicle you may find the extras have already been added. If buying a new
motorhome, be sure to factor in the cost of extras into your budget.
How much room do you have to park your motorhome?
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Motorhomes are large vehicles. Our Dakota is 7.6 metres long and 2.3 metres wide. It only just fits on our
drive at home. I know because I measured our drive before we decided to go ahead with the purchase.
Unfortunately, I didn’t consider the turning circle of a vehicle with a quite long overhang (the distance
between the back wheels and the rear bumper).
Can you guess what happened?
When we got our pride and joy home we discovered that the street wasn’t wide enough to turn into the drive!
I eventually solved the problem by removing a gatepost