Some ideas are going on in this household of mine that's making a number of changes over the next year......hopefully including the house as well. I know some of our members own motorhomes and I wondered if any of you could give me some facts please. Running costs, maintenance etc. and any particular makes/models to avoid. Or, anything else you think other half and I need to know should we go shopping for one as we are complete beginners with this type of vehicle.
I don't own one, but as a cyclist I have had a number of close encounters with them. So please remember how big they are and how far out the wing mirrors stick especially when going through towns.
Sheal have a look at this Forum - might give you some pointers : http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/ a-a
I couldnt agree more I'm a member of motorhomefun.co.uk myself and also RVOC (RV Owners Club) and there's a wealth of knowledge and advice on both these sister-sites Sheal, they'd all be more than happy to share as much info and experience as you need I have a small Mazda Bongo that I use on a daily basis but also for camping sometimes, and my other half has a 36 ft american RV, so we have both extremes of the market I guess but there are so many lovely varieties of motorhome, it is such a personal choice. We were advised layout, layout, layout when we were shopping for an RV. So much depends on what you want to do with your motorhome, how much time you think you'll spend in it, how much room you need inside for you and your family, how far you want to travel etc. I'd definitely recommend a look round the specialist motorhome forums, it costs nothing to join if you're just looking around and reading the forum threads to glean knowledge good luck and have fun in your search!
Hi Sheal! We can highly recommend the MH lifestyle, but you do need to spend some time on research before you take the plunge. Running costs - generally much the same as for a car covering the same mileage. Motor Homes are built on commercial vehicle chassis, mainly on Peugeot, VW, Renault, Ford. Servicing the engine and running gear shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. You have also got to factor in the cost of repairing any of the habitation fittings, though providing nothing breaks down you shouldn't have to pay anything most years. (Our fridge has just conked out on mains power so that's going to cost us I guess around £150- £200 to fix :-( ) You need to think about what level of comfort you would like - do you need a shower, decent loo, heating. Will two gas rings and grill suffice or do you want gas and electric rings, grill and oven. Ten years ago when we retired we bought a small MH to see if we'd like MHing, we did but the MH was too small so we upgraded and are now on our third one. I'd suggest you take a trip to a dealer and browse the variety and decided on what size suits your needs. Then go on-line and look at reviews and also buy MMM magazine as it carries lots of info about Motor Homes. You can also access it on-line and the 'Out and About Live' section of the site has a wealth of info. We just got home last week after our third trip to Skye this year and our 5th week away in the MH and are about to get away again next week to a site near Mallaig. The current MH is an AutoSleepers Ravenna - just under 6m long. Three berth (two and an elf!) and we use the elf's berth for storage. Gas and electric fridge, cooker, water heating and CH. Three gas burners, one electric ring, gas grill and oven. Shower (seldom used as we use on-site showers). Loo. Photo was taken on Skye, the pole at the back is my radio antenna - not a standard fitting! http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/
Thanks for the info Sharon and Dave. I'm making tentative enquiries at the moment but what you have said helps and I think we'd be inclined to go for something the size of yours Dave as there is just the two of us now. Sharon, is there standing room height in the Mazda? My other half is 6ft tall and he doesn't want to be made uncomfortable by stooping. Our idea is to spend time travelling around Britain but we also have to take into account ferry costs from the island, which is extortionate even in a car, around £300 return with two passengers! I'll have a look at the sites as suggested and perhaps have a look at vehicles for sale here on the island, we don't intend to buy new.
Hi Sheal, no the Bongo is quite small, suits me cos it's small enough to be an everyday vehicle but just big enough to get away in....but if I were tall I'd look for something bigger....but being 4' 11" tis fine for lil me!
Hi Sheal,we are caravan owners but did look a few years ago at Motor Homes,but the price even for a decent second hand one was way out of our reach unless we won the lottery.There is one for sale in a garage in the village where we used to live for £66,000 And has been there for quiet a few months now.If you want anything decent then be prepared to pay for it.You can buy smaller ones that are older or even bigger older ones,but then you might start to find things need replacing as they wear out. When we was staying down at Minehead a few years ago we got talking to a MH owner and he said they are good but you still have to tax and MOT them,the same as a car.Not sure what the road tax works out on the big ones? Also unless you have another car to run around in then you would have to use the MH for all journeys to the shops,etc.I am not sure either if they hold their value well or whether they depreciate at a fast rate. Also if you go on many of the camp sites dotted round the country you have to have a pitch that will fit the size of your van,so bare that in mind.Those MH from the Fifth Wheel Company are good but they are long as well as wide Also when you go to some supermarkets and other places there are often barriers to stop tall vehicles from using the car parks. Narrow country roads can also be a problem but then again caravans can also have problems.If you join one of the clubs like the Caravan Club or the Caravan and Camping Club their site books give directions of the best way to access their own sites this avoiding narrow lanes and narrow site entrances Some MH users tow another small car on a trailer behind them like a smart car to use off site but that is more expense unless you have your own small car anyway. There are pros and cons for both caravans and MH and you have to choose which one would be right for you and your hubby. We are hoping to be able to do more touring when and if Mr Kandy retires in twenty months time,God willing Hope some of this info is of help to you as I can only go on our own experiences
Just thought I'd post a piccy of my lil Bongo and me in our camping out glory, I dont have any photos of Jim's RV on my computer yet, must do that one day
Some more info Sheal - Road Tax on ours - £230. Insurance £228. You'll also want to factor in vehicle recovery/ breakdown cover. I recently moved to Green Flag and now have MH and car covered for less than my previous AA premium. Ours cost £26k but has still only 27.000 on the clock. Most of our driving is up in the north and west of Scotland often on single track roads and I've not found it a problem. I find the biggest problem is driving it in high cross-winds when the high sides make it a bit less than a relaxed drive. Over the last 8300 miles I've averaged 26.5 mpg.
Sharon....I like the picture, happy days! Kandy...... we have no MOT here and road tax is on the CC of the vehicle's engine. Dave......Insurance is cheaper here as it's classed as semi-rural throughout the island. We have no choice here, we are not allowed to own caravans, it would cause to much chaos on our roads as we have no motorways or dual carriageways. That's roughly the sort of price we'll be looking at, around £30k. The bonus of buying here on the island is that all types of vehicles tend to be low mileage. That doesn't seem too bad and roughly what I'd expect. Breakdown cover......we gave up our cover with the AA this year after 27 years, typical! They are quite pricey now though so we would consider Manx cover that's associated to a service on the mainland and cheaper. I'm beginning to sound like Scrungee, bless him! Thanks all, you've mentioned some things that I/we wouldn't think of and you are quite right I need to do some research.
