Buying first motorhome

gasgas said:
Yes, that is true Andy n Mandy. There are, but I think not as many as the British makes. Last week I took a close look at the wiring in a German Globecar, and it did at least adhere to sensible, legal standards. See below the wiring in my AutoSleeper, wiring done by Sargent electrics trying and failing to stuff two 1.5mm wires into each pin designed to take one wire. Result: sparks, false alarms, fires, and at best sockets with no volts coming out of them. The only cure is to rewire the whole electrical system properly (which I did) but I imagine a dealer a) wouldn't do that job and b) if they did, they would charge ten hours labour. I think the going labour rate is about £100 / hour so you would have to pay £1000 just to rectify the manufacturer's faults. The Globecar I looked at used the same plugs and sockets, but correctly fitted one wire per pin.
Back to foreign ones: I had a Rapido with a sort-of similar fault where which ever 'I-couldn't-care-less' moron in the factory assembled the electric bed wiring MUST have seen that he hadn't correctly pushed an 8 pin plug and socket together, leavin one pin sticking out of the plug body. Brownhills failed to find this three times when I sent it back for fixing, they told me to contact Rapido in France, who told me to contact the bed manufacturer in Italy. They were brilliant, they send me the installation workshop manual for the bed and I was able to trace the fault and fix it. Why Brownhills couldn't, I don't know. I suspect their electrical operative was not given enough time to trace the fault. Or incompetent. One or the other. I won't be buying another Rapido or AutoSleeper - or any other make with Sargent electrics. Also below see the fire in the wardrobe caused by electric wiring aparently done by a 13 year old schoolboy on a Friday night after he had finished his homework.
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Sounds like Sargent Electrics is the company at fault, not every maker or converter in the country where they are based..
 
I have. . . . . . That's why I have given up buying new and nearly new campers, of which I have had many and spent my inheritance on.
My opinion is that German manufacturers take more care in the design and build than the British ones I have owned, and the rest of what I post is facts - my own experiences, not what I have seen on ticktock or wattsapp or youtube or Trump Today News. I could add more photos but that would be a different subject.
I do think that possibly there are a lot of motorhome owners who don't realise all the faults they are living with.
On my current motorhome, a 1999 Autosleeper, the previous owner was using the Carver Cascade water heater, which was so rusty its burner was falling to bits in a pile of rust. The flames had been issuing out through the flue, licking up the outside wall coating it in a layer of carbon soot. And yet there they were still using it. :eek:
 
When we pretty sure we liked the idea of a motorhome we rented one, took a good time choosing what to rent to suit our needs.

What a nightmare, 2 nights in and our opinions had changed 100%, best thing I ever did tbh.

Later I went to the above mentioned show and with my new knowledge found the right van for us. Had it a good few years now and it’s still the right van.

Been looking to change lately and I’m most likely going to buy a new version of exactly the same van.

I meet other people and often think their van is awful, but the point is we all have different needs.

Were I you I’d rent/borrow a motorhome for a few nights, I bet you’ll change your mind about what you like.
 
Boris7 said:
When we pretty sure we liked the idea of a motorhome we rented one, took a good time choosing what to rent to suit our needs.

What a nightmare, 2 nights in and our opinions had changed 100%, best thing I ever did tbh.

Later I went to the above mentioned show and with my new knowledge found the right van for us. Had it a good few years now and it’s still the right van.

Been looking to change lately and I’m most likely going to buy a new version of exactly the same van.

I meet other people and often think their van is awful, but the point is we all have different needs.

Were I you I’d rent/borrow a motorhome for a few nights, I bet you’ll change your mind about what you like.
Click to expand...
Sound advice indeed, hire one.
It should give you a good idea how they work and what you like and don't like, then you will be more critical of what you look at.
 
Go to view any potential purchase with someone who is an experianced motorhome owner, also give yourself 2 or 3 hours and check over & test EVERYTHING.
 
Useful info from everyone but where’s the op gone this time….
 
Maybe also check for owners clubs relating to the vehicle you think you want, for our moho if we had done this before hand we certainly would not have bought it.

However, all that being said, the sense of freedom and adventure that motorhome ownership can give you is a great thing so just choose wisely and I think the pros will outweigh the cons.

There are also professional snaggers you can hire to check vehicles over before you accept them
 
There are three separate issues:

1. is this size/style/type of motorhome correct for you?
2. Is this layout/floor plan correct for you?
3. Is this one in good condition/well constructed and well assembled from good components?

Some of the comments have addressed different ones of these questions.

As a buyer you need to consider all of them before buying, unless you want to have to address them after buying.
 
I think we are all talking amongst ourselves here. Where's the op Julie gone? Are they interested in reading any replies?
I can't be bothered any more. Ignore Thread button pushed.
 
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