Advice on buying a motorhome private

Ok. Bit of an update. We were there an hour and a half and still probably have a 101 questions. First of all I sounded the guy out who was selling it and I was right. He dabbles a bit in selling the odd van from home. So it does look like he purchased it from another local guy who sadly passed away (ill be following that up) earlier in the year and its been in his name since April. There were two log books. The latest one in his name and the one in the previous owners name. The drawback of this of course is he's not that familiar with it. Couldn't get the Truma heating working. It was throwing up an E255 error. Ive left him sorting that out. We couldnt even find the leisure battery but he has since found that after we left in a hidden compartment under the back seat storage. Couldnt get the satellite TV working but he has since got that going also.

However overall it seemed ok and I think the guy selling it seemed ok. Ill do a lot more due diligence in the next day or two of course but providing we can get to the bottom of the Truma heating then there may well be a deal to be done. A few dings and marks and there was a bit of water leaking into the front dinette window which I pointed out. No signs of damp though and a recent hab check says its fine.

The solar controller looks like a cheap one and it looks like the two original batteries have been replaced with one single 110. Just got a photo of the roof and that looks like a single 100w panel to me. Any thoughts?

I think however as he wasn't that clued up with the van and I wasn't either im going to get my motorhome guy to come out and check it over. If there is a fault with the heating he might be able to suss that also. Turns out the seller knows Mark my Motorhome fix it guy and was more than happy for that to happen and he also agreed to us getting it weighed. Its ideal as Mark works just round the corner! I reckon there has been little or no interest so maybe a deal can be done. Michelle seemed more positive about it than I was!

Its a gamble but if I can get it for £10k less than a forecourt price its maybe one worth taking. Any thoughts and opinions of course very welcome. One step closer perhaps.

Few pics. Some from today, some from the advert.























 
Panel looks like 100w to me, not sure about the controller, if it works it'll do for a while easy retrofit for an decent MPPT 3 (swap the one you have in hank for it) add a matching battery if the dates agree with it being new ish.

I think this is the one fitted https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323966148847

The leaking window might just need a new seal, lift the pane up from outside and see if it's damaged or not, not the best windows as I said.

That waste drain tap looks like it's falling off to me, easy fix for your man though.

Truma error code:-

Truma Combi error codes - Atlantic Caravans

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www.atlanticcaravans.co.uk www.atlanticcaravans.co.uk

I have the same reversing camera, not the best but they do the job V1/V2 toggle switches from down view to rear view.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
Panel looks like 100w to me, not sure about the controller, if it works it'll do for a while easy retrofit for an decent MPPT 3 (swap the one you have in hank for it) add a matching battery if the dates agree with it being new ish.

The leaking window might just need a new seal, lift the pane up from outside and see if it's damaged or not, not the best windows as I said.

That waste drain tap looks like it's falling off to me, easy fix for your man though.

Truma error code:-

Truma Combi error codes - Atlantic Caravans

&nbsp -
www.atlanticcaravans.co.uk www.atlanticcaravans.co.uk

I have the same reversing camera, not the best but they do the job V1/V2 toggle switches from down view to rear view.
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Thanks Kev. the only thing thats annoying with that reversing camera is the bloody blinds wont shut around it!! I think you would need a kind of clip or something to hold them together. Not concerned about that.

Apparently there is a £1000 tracker on it also. From memory I think they are a power drain. All this electrickery gadgets!! Grrrr! :D

Ill get Mark to look at the window if he can next week. Never looked at the waste drain. Not a biggy.

As for the battery and solar it might do for now but ideally I want 200w on the roof and possibly 2 x 110 lithium in those battery compartments. Its probably pointless fitting one without the other.
 
I have Remis blinds and they do close around the mirror even with the monitor attached, there should be a cutout for the mirror mount anyway you just twist the mirror each way to close the blinds, no biggy just a tiny PITA till you get used to it
 
Forgot to add there was some mechanical service history. last few years done at Croxdales in Aycliffe where I now take my van. There was a gap of about 3 or 4 years though with no annual service but it may have been done elsewhere. ill call them in the morning. What I didnt find was any reference to the cambelt been done. I think on the Fiat Ducato 130 Multi Jet it should be 120k or five years. If its not been done, its well over due. About £500 I bet.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
Negotiate
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Oh yeah. That goes without saying. He pretty much admitted he had had no interest.

My theory is its not the layout people want at that price point. The old overcab bed luton style is not as popular these days I think. I mentioned that maybe people are wary of spending £37k on a private sale but he let slip that he had sold vans for 50k and 60k but I bet they were the low profile types. Its exactly what I want though as Ill be sticking the Kayak and a folding bike in the Luton and the bike on the back. Weighbridge results permitting.
 
One thing that strikes me Barry is the long overhang at the rear - would the weight of the bike that far back put leverage on the back axle and maybe make it overweight?

Other than that it looks a nice van.
 
Looks quite similar to my swift 630g, which ive had for 7 yrs., but is it on a 3.5t chassis? Mines the maxi chassis 4t. and a Similar size .
EDIT, I see it is zooming in (y)
 
Robmac said:
One thing that strikes me Barry is the long overhang at the rear - would the weight of the bike that far back put leverage on the back axle and maybe make it overweight?

Other than that it looks a nice van.
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I need to work out the maths once its been weighed Rob. I took some measurements today and have all the spreadsheets to work it out. I think the overhang might be slightly longer than my current van so it is a bit of a worry but with it having the extended Alko chassis which runs all the way to the back of the van it should in theory be ok. The payload for this van is 950kg which is massive but i need to establish how much of that is available on the back. Rule of thumb I think it will need to have at last 300kg free on the back axle to make it work but you are correct. The further away the back of the van from the centre of the axle the more it adds. When I did the sums for my Kontiki back in 2008 the 40kg rack and 95kg bike added something like 250kg in total when you did the maths. My current van is sub 3500kg though. this is 4250kg with the max 2400kg on the rear axle.

The one we nearly bought two years ago the chap who owned it weighed it with him and his stuff in and had 750kg left to play with but sadly that was just weighing the whole van, he never got the weights for each axle.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
Why didn't you just go for a Tag axle and have all the payload you need?
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Well length mainly and of course availability and believe it or not they are not necessarily up to the job either. The payload on some of them is less than this one. The big tag Kontiki might be ok but the early Arapahos not so much. Its finding one also and the big tag Kontikis with the rear lounge are also big money.
 
barryd said:
I need to work out the maths once its been weighed Rob. I took some measurements today and have all the spreadsheets to work it out. I think the overhang might be slightly longer than my current van so it is a bit of a worry but with it having the extended Alko chassis which runs all the way to the back of the van it should in theory be ok. The payload for this van is 950kg which is massive but i need to establish how much of that is available on the back. Rule of thumb I think it will need to have at last 300kg free on the back axle to make it work but you are correct. The further away the back of the van from the centre of the axle the more it adds. When I did the sums for my Kontiki back in 2008 the 40kg rack and 95kg bike added something like 250kg in total when you did the maths. My current van is sub 3500kg though. this is 4250kg with the max 2400kg on the rear axle.

The one we nearly bought two years ago the chap who owned it weighed it with him and his stuff in and had 750kg left to play with but sadly that was just weighing the whole van, he never got the weights for each axle.
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Hopefully you will get away with it. It might mean storing lighter stuff in the back locker but I'm sure you will have taken that into account.

One bonus though, you being a fat bastud should pivot the front down thus relieving the weight on the back - no offence. 😐
 
Robmac said:
Hopefully you will get away with it. It might mean storing lighter stuff in the back locker but I'm sure you will have taken that into account.

One bonus though, you being a fat bastud should pivot the front down thus relieving the weight on the back - no offence. 😐
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Actually that wouldn't work. You would have to be in front of the front axle like one of those Michelin Man mascots and Michelle would have to drive.

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LOL! I'm losing weight so that might be an issue. I just looked at my figures from 2008 and the overhang is a fair bit shorter on our current van at 1700mm and this one is 2300 I think (need to check my notes). I think the wheel base on this one might be longer (again need to check). Its all going to come down to what the weighbridge says. I ran some dummy figures through the spreadsheet purely on guesses of how the payload will be spread and it should easily be ok but assumption being the mother of all fcuk ups Im gonna have to weigh it. I didnt last time. I just winged it, bought the van based on its payload and then weighed it. It was just within the limits.
 
Just watched a video on the same model (same year as well) it's a cracking layout.
 
Robmac said:
Just watched a video on the same model (same year as well) it's a cracking layout.
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It is and exactly what we have been looking for. The owner just sent me a video of the Truma heating working so it looks like he sorted that one out.

Ive just emailed Armitage trailers the photos of the chassis and the wheelbase dimensions etc. I think we should just be within the 60% overhang limit but its a massive worry until I get it on the scales. Michelle says I am over thinking it and should just go back to winging it. :D
 
barryd said:
It is and exactly what we have been looking for. The owner just sent me a video of the Truma heating working so it looks like he sorted that one out.

Ive just emailed Armitage trailers the photos of the chassis and the wheelbase dimensions etc. I think we should just be within the 60% overhang limit but its a massive worry until I get it on the scales. Michelle says I am over thinking it and should just go back to winging it. :D
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If it's tight Barry, bear in mind that the DVSA will allow up to 5% over before issuing a fixed penalty or prohibition.
 
Robmac said:
If it's tight Barry, bear in mind that the DVSA will allow up to 5% over before issuing a fixed penalty or prohibition.
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I'll be surprised if it gets anywhere near the max Rob unless Swift messed up on the weight balance. It's a heck of a payload. It's just the length of the overhang that is a concern but Armitage will know. They didn't seem concerned two years ago when I broached it with them for the same van.

If I can make it all work it will be the longest quest in motorhome history i bet for a van upgrade. I think I've been looking for about 12 years. 🤣
 
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