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bob
Kicking the Tyres
Posts: 13
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Post by bob on Sept 18, 2013 19:12:07 GMT
Hello My wife and I are going to buy our first motorhome soon after caravanning for a short while, we are off to the NEC show next month for a couple of days to maybe to sort one out. I know there are merits in buying a good second hand one ( I haven't dismissed it ) but the missus likes new and unslept in beds etc...... am sure she's not the first? anyhow we have seen the new Roller Team 590 which looks awesome, but ask for suggestions from those 'in the know'? 2 berth/4 berth, with storage etc. We just watched the first TV show a few mins ago and thought it was great !! Cheers for reading Hello both good luck with your buying welcome to the forum
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caroleheard
Kicking the Tyres
2001 Hymer C544 at Jumbles Country park, CC certified site near Bolton.
Posts: 27
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Post by caroleheard on Oct 2, 2013 14:40:04 GMT
New matresses are far cheaper than a new motorhome! Many M'homes do less than 3,000 miles a year. So even ones like our 12 year old Hymer are barely run in at just over 50,000. A big problem with used motorhomes is finding one that's been stored properly over winter, so that the shells aren't corroded by standing in used oil etc.
IMHO you need to carefully think about how you intend to use the motorhome:- Lots of short stays with mileage in between, or longer stays on a camp site?....etc. We're not retired, so we tend to disappear after work on Friday, with an overnight journey to a "wild" campsite, for the purposes of outdoor activity. So, for us, a fixed bed that we could crash in straight away was essential. We went for an over-cab fixed bed so that our holdalls can be flung up there and we're away. A good battery capacity is helpful for us, I'm intending to replace all the internal halogen lights with LED. Only recent 'homes will use good quality LED lighting. (note: "Good quality"). Not so important if you're going to be plugged in to mains all the time. A pull-down bed wouldn't have been quite as flexible in our situation, and a fixed bed in the habitation would have just got in the way too much and been subject to being used as a seat when changing muddy boots .................. Look carefully at the TV storage. If you're a TV watcher, you'll find that you could wind up using a lot of storage space for the electronics if it's not already catered for. I helped a couple at St Neots with their TV installation (I'm an electronics design engineer). It was a mess, and the TV had to be put away in a locker every time they moved. Our Hymer has a dedicated cabinet with a roller shutter. Cooking: Continental vans often don't provide ovens or even a shelf for a microwave. This is Helmut's (our Hymer is male) biggest shortcoming IMHO. If you are into the "home" bit of Motorhome, then this may be right up there at the top of your list. Bike racks, internal garages, roof bars, towing balls and on and on......Do you intend to go on ferries? Vans with long overhangs at the rear often ground out when climbing ferry ramps. The previous owner of our Hymer had to fit rollers to the rear chassis of their new Adria because of that....expensive. Finally, before shelling out 50K+ on a new motorhome, think about the spares and after sales service. I know someone who had a small accident with their Pilote "A"class. The wing mirror got bumped. £1200 to replace! Our Ducato wing mirror was £19:95 off Ebay. They had had persistent touble with the heating in the home and when the blower finally failed and they tried to have it fixed under warranty, the dealer washed his hands of it. In the end they went elsewhere and the repairers found that all the ductwork for the heating had never been fixed together. There's an ongoing battle for some form of recompense. Good luck at the show; leave your chequebook at home!
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Post by RogerThomas on Oct 4, 2013 13:05:39 GMT
Have to agree about replacing the lights with LED's, replaced 8 last week and can now delay the need for a bigger battery, ours was running short of juice after a day off grid if we used the big roof fan and the lights, the roof fan is essential, we find, for better ventilation even in October! The lights give almost no drain and are so bright! As for beds, tried all sorts, Made up/singles à la Caravanner, what a bind, à la francais great unless one of you has nocturnal urinary problems but does take up a lot of space, centre bed again a space gobbler and I for one do not want a van approaching 8 meters long, and finally the drop down, again only one entry side so not good for 2o'clock pp breaks and also a certain athleticism is required basically take your pick! As someone else says on t'internet (and long may he last) "Owners of older vans laugh at depreciation"
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