Which motorhome to buy?

[rugbyken]

i’ve had my hymer A class for 7 years driving is a pleasure the coach style mirrors avoid the clashes , the build quality is disappointing there is a valance by the sink which broke when i stripped it out was segmented cardboard with a wood veneer ! but on reflection when you want all the bells & whistles heaters fridges etc but to stay under the 3.5 ton you have to save weight where you can, i think it was charley when having troubles with his van who said whether it’s a budget van or a top of the range it’s still normally a fiat base veh & the same trauma heater dometic fridge etc the only real difference comes in layout and build quality

 

[gypo]

Thanks, that’s the thing i suppose “quality of build”
I’ve started my search, it’s just finding the right van now, I’d be willing to buy private as long as it’s had a habitation check and a cam belt done recently and also some sort of service record. That way I might have half a chance of getting one a tad cheaper
D

 

[wildebus]

i’ve had my hymer A class for 7 years driving is a pleasure the coach style mirrors avoid the clashes , the build quality is disappointing there is a valance by the sink which broke when i stripped it out was segmented cardboard with a wood veneer ! but on reflection when you want all the bells & whistles heaters fridges etc but to stay under the 3.5 ton you have to save weight where you can, i think it was charley when having troubles with his van who said whether it’s a budget van or a top of the range it’s still normally a fiat base veh & the same trauma heater dometic fridge etc the only real difference comes in layout and build quality

The comment on the wood veneered cardboard was interesting as earlier today I needed to drill out a hole for a new fitting in my apparently shoddy British motorhome....

Autotrail walls by David, on Flickr
Two walls sandwiched together with a total thickness of over 30mm

 

[rugbyken]

to be fair david the valance just curves under the sink non load bearing but because of a dodgy drawer catch i put a small cabinet bolt up into the valance above which is how i found out it was cardboard !!

 

[barryd]

People talk about build quality and finishings etc but then how important are such things? Well very I suppose if build quality included how damp proof it is but for me if stops there. How important are quality finishings, big thick hab doors etc if it comes at the expense of weight?

Weight or more importantly payload is key to me. My 1996 Kontiki is sub 3500kg but has 700kg of payload. Probably because the insides are all very lightweight. To toilet and wardrobe doors are flimsy as anything. Great! It means I can hang a scooter off the back and a kayak and folding bikes in the Luton. The newer ones even on the heavier chassis are hopeless for payload.