what to look out for if buying a campervan?

building

anyone have any ideas apart from the fact that diesel may be best.

iolanthe07

The overwhelming advice from the camper van/motorhome chatrooms is to hire one first. There are so many different types and sizes (eg: panel van conversion/coachbuilt/A-type/demountable) and so many base vehicles, from tiny vans to 40 foot American RV monsters. How many will be sleeping in it? Will it be used just for the odd weekend, or do you intend to live in it (fulltiming)? Have you got somewhere to park it? (Watch out for covenants prohibiting this). etc. etc.

Camper vans are pricey - a ten year old one in average condition could set you back £15000+ easily. You only need to see how many nearly new ones there are on the market to realise the clangers dropped by newcomers to the hobby. I find the best magazine is Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly (MMM). If you're new to this you will need a lot of advice to avoid making an expensive mistake.

But it is a wonderful pastime and, in my opinion, infinitely classier and more fun than tugging. Good luck.

mikey-mike_2

damp is the big problem

vansboy

Think about the value you'll get from it - so many spent many months parked up & under used.

This is not only a waste of £$£$ but doesn't do the vehicle any good, either (so don't be swayed by over priced low mileage examples.)

The hire one first, is a good idea - also think of buying one of these ex hire models, they'll have been well used & equally well maintained.

Consider buying at auction, not too many examples in general auction centres, but British Car Auctions , have several sales a year, at some branches. Clik http://www.commercialauctionview.co.uk has listings. You might just be surprised at how high the mark up, on cost/dealer prices is!!

VB

raffe

look at https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk the forum is really help you should get quite a bit of info, they have a board on buying and what to look for.

peterbaker

Hi building!

I bought a motorhome about ten months ago. I love it. All of the replies so far are well worth digesting and researching.

Yes diesel almost certainly and the more modern the better because of the economy and power you might be after. Many motorhomes over 5 or 6 years old are a bit underpowered. Fiats 2.8JTD engine is a good start point if you want decent motorway cruising power. Economy can be as high as 30mpg on even quite large vans if you tour very sedately so as not to disturb the airflow! Otherwise expect not much over 20.

This winter should be an especially good time to buy a used one, especially one up to about 5 or 6 years old based on a Fiat chassis because Fiat have just launched their latest Ducato and it is a completely different shape to the earlier ones. That means dealers getting rid of old 2006 stock cheaply and a knock on effect down the line into used.

Actually I think Citroen and Peugeot have shared the same van body factory as Fiat for many years, so although Fiat is probably the main brand in motorhomes in Europe, what I say about new models probably goes for them all.

Damp is indeed a very big problem in the used market. Very few camper bodies are as well designed to keep water out as cars. The multitude of locker lids, openings on the top and the fact that the bodies are just boxes with mastic sealant in the corners means you could end up with a pup very easily. I have a back door that always leaks in a downpour - I can see it, and there seems nothing wrong with the seal but the water finds a way in nevertheless - but thankfully my motorhome is garaged when not in use and the leak doesnt soak away anywhere hidden - its accessible minor and I can tolerate it. But think about the ones you can't see/don't know about:-(

Use your nose, literally. If a van is shown to you with all its windows open then suspect that it might have a problem. If it is shut, have your nose ready when you open the door for the first time just like you would if you were opening a chicken dinner a day after its use by date!

If a van has been standing some weeks then a private owner may have mistakenly left the plugholes open in the sink, wash basin and shower. A dealer probably wouldn't make the same mistake. This can cause an unnecessary bad pong (usually more prevalent in summer) caused just by a little stagnant 'grey water' left in the waste tanks. If you are sure that the smell is this and not damp, then maybe you can use it as an excuse to haggle! But you MUST be sure. Normal advice would be to walk away from any van that doesn't smell as fresh as a daisy. Damp between the layers of the body panels is absolutely disasterous. The whole thing might have to be taken apart to cure it. If it is a serious UK seller, then ask to see evidence of a regular 'habitation service' - proper motorhome servicers usually issue a gas inspection certificate and a damp certificate listing a dozen different damp readings in different parts of the body.

Look for tired or dirty upholstery. It is actually not as easy as it looks to clean. Even with some of the better makes, many of the cushions contain cardboard stiffeners sewn into the 'removable' covers. Try putting those in a washing machine (I did!)

Decide if Left Hand Drive is a possibility. It will depress resale value by anything up to 20% in UK I think, but if you plan European use it could be an ok idea, and you might be surprised how easily you get used to it when driving in the UK with one difficulty only ... at roundabouts you need to be able to see through a rear side window in order to be able to see when it is safe to enter the roundabout.

There are lots of German imports on eBay. I think they regularly probably make the importers a tidy profit and they seem quite a mixed bunch. I don't think I'd buy one. How would you check the ownership and history?

I bought mine from someone who tried to sell on eBay and failed twice. I left my number with him and talked to him about how quickly he needed to sell. It's almost as an important purchase as buying a second home with some of these motorhomes so you really need to target your requirement and nail the deal. I got mine for nearly 30% less than his first start price and more than 35% less than his original buy it now price. It is 2002 and LHD and I love it.

You might also need somewhere to keep it. If that somewhere is not right outside your house, or maybe even if it is, then you will probably need an good alarm system with a bulit in tracker/pager (if you ever need such a thing, let me know!)

As for all vehicles, try to find one with all the extras already built in. Like an onboard generator and rooftop aircon with supplementary heating perhaps. You need a serious generator to run a microwave oven if you are away from campsite mains electricity. You can't run a microwave oven from a normal inverter.

The inverter would necessarily cost as much as several microwave ovens! A motorhome gets very warm in the mediterranean summer and very cold in UK weather like now.

Retrofitted generators and aircon and anything really, can be really expensive. A decent alarm tracker pager system can cost £1000.

Because of the expense of these types of vehicles you really must not leave yourself vulnerable to mistakes with the scam artists who now abound. Be extremely careful with payment. Bank drafts may not be acceptable as instant money to the seller. So if any kind of 'clearing' is necessary, make sure you know where the owner really lives or your money could disappear quickly before you ever see the keys. Using cash would be extremely dumb unless you have a private army to protect you.

Many motorhomes suffer from lack of regular use. You get often quickly get ruined batteries as a result, damp we already mentioned, stains from standing under trees, perished tyres with weak spots caused by standing in one place too long.

Motorhomes can be very heavy. Most are plated at 3500kg maximum including passengers and load (which might include 200kg water if all tanks are full!). Some weigh 3200 empty! That doesn't leave you with much left over and as a result many are continually overloaded and the rear suspension sags pernanently very quickly. You might want one with rear air-suspension support already fitted. It improves the handling and rectifies the sag.

Almost all new European motorhomes I think are fitted with special Michelin XC Camping Car tyres which can take heavy loads and pressures up to 80psi. Normal van tyres may not be suitable. Michelin Camping Car wear very well, and especially on the back where mine for example look almost new treadwise after 30000 miles. But the tyre walls perish with age. Most major tyre makes have manufacture dates on them. Whether there is tread left or not, on a heavy motorhome you better think about replacing tyres at 5 years old, or risk possible blow outs. Feel the tyre walls - there should be no bulges ripples or waves.

Finally the engine. No oil leaks. Oil leaks of any description are not good on modern engines. The engine should also be relatively quiet. An NZ neighbour was selling his 13 y old Hymer recently and I heard the engine and thought that is TOO loud to be any good. It wasn't exhaust noise, just general clatter. He told me it was recon engine too! Diesel engines are a little noisy when cold, but not THAT noisy! And gearboxes. Due to the continual high loads, some gearboxes wear out rather quickly. Some older Fiats are said to have had a 5th gear problem, for example, caused by temptation to labour underpowered engines with all the extra vibration and strain that causes.

There is much else to look out for and choose to suit your purpose, so as suggested you might want to buy a few issues of the three or more main motorhome magazines at the supermarket to get a better idea of what is available. You will read that some makers are better known for 'quality' than others. There are a few popular makes which actually depreciate noticeably faster than others due to their 'cheap and cheerful' fittings quality and overall design. They may look very similar to the expensive ones to an inexperienced eye.

Good luck!

tightasagnats

Be careful of Japanese imports - there are loads on ebay but the insurance is often very hefty. I have found VW seem to keep their value very well as they are so popular - even the later models T25 etc. Bodywork on VW's can be rusty so that's a must to check out properly. There are plenty of camper van websites - this might help if you are interested in a VW:

http://www.aidan.co.uk/article_tips_on_buying_a_vw_camper.htm

Happy camping!