Expert Motorhome and Campervan Advice

10 Common Mistakes When Buying a Motorhome

1. Does the layout suit your needs?

If you are new to motorhomes, it can be hard to know for sure which layout will suit you best until you have experienced a few trips away. For example - a fixed bed might seem convenient, but will this detract too much from your daytime living space? or will you end up struggling to drive a much larger van than you need? Alternatively – you might choose a compact van with a lounge that converts to a bed, only to find that the hassle of assembling the bed each night is an unwanted chore. You can give yourself a valuable insight into which layout works best for you by hiring a motorhome to see how you get on. Some dealers will offer a ‘try before you buy’ scheme which allows you to reclaim some of the cost of a trial hire off the price of a new van.

2. Are you buying more than you need?

For example, many retired couples decide to buy large vans with lots of beds and travel seats to enable trips away with family, especially grandchildren. It is a nice thought, but carefully consider how many trips you might do with extra family members versus how often it will be just the two of you. If a smaller motorhome would suit you best for most of your trips, there are other options that would enable occasional trips with extra passengers such as awnings or ‘pup-tents’ pitched alongside. Also consider the possibility of transporting occasional extra passengers in a car rather restricting your layout options with forward facing, belted travel seats.

3. Check the servicing history properly

Everyone knows that when you buy a vehicle, you should make sure it has an MOT and that the engine and brakes have been regularly serviced. But in a motorhome, you should also look for a habitation service history to show that the ‘living area’ has been professionally looked after. Habitation checks include safety critical items such as gas and electrical systems as well as appliance function and structural damp checks.

4. Check your weight

Anyone who passed a driving test after 1997 is by default, restricted to a weight limit of 3500kg unless they undertake an additional ‘C1’ heavy vehicle driving test. This weight limit also applies to drivers who reach the age of 70 unless they take an annual medical to maintain the Category C1 licence. Whilst most (but not all) panel vans typically sit at 3500kg or below, it is important to check the maximum gross vehicle weight (normally listed on the V5C) and make sure it doesn’t exceed what your licence allows you to drive.

5. Set your budget

There is no point having an amazing motorhome if you spend every moment away in it racked with guilt and worry about how you are going to pay for it. Finance deals can be a great way to help spread the cost of a motorhome and may allow you to get a vehicle that is newer with less maintenance costs, so we’re certainly not dismissing them. But you do need to set yourself a realistic budget and be prepared to upgrade your motorhome as time and budgets allow. Don’t be put under pressure to spend more than you’re comfortable with and take your time to read any small print. Investigate other finance options - there may be cheaper options than those on offer by the dealer.

6. What about storage, maintenance and charging?

Have you thought about where you are going to park your motorhome? Can it be stored outside your house? (check for any restrictions in your deeds or lease), or have you found a storage facility? If so, is it secure? is there access to a power supply to keep the leisure batteries topped up? If you don’t have access to power, will you be happy to move your vehicle regularly to charge it up or can you afford to have solar panels fitted? Have you got a local motorhome service centre who can look after your vehicle? Check that your local service centre is prepared to do warranty work on the particular vehicle that you want to buy. Beware when buying long distance as you may have to return to the place that you bought it if for warranty work.

7. Motorhome or Caravan – which one is right for you?

Are you someone who likes to wake up to a different view every day? Or do you prefer to stay in one place and thoroughly explore the surrounding area. Motorhomes are great for touring, but if you want to stay in one place, it can be annoying to have to unplug the motorhome and secure all loose items every time you want to pop out to a shop or local attraction. Caravans on the other hand allow you to unpack and make yourself at home, nipping out in the car when needed. You may well end up doing both types of holidays at some point, but how do you think you prefer to travel most of the time?

8. Panel van or coachbuilt?

If you are able to store a motorhome under cover, the type of vehicle construction may not be something you need to think about too much. However, most motorhomes spend a great deal of their lives exposed to the elements, so you need to be aware of the different motorhome construction techniques and the potential for damp. Panel van style motorhomes have a metal shell which generally, offer a solid resistance to water and if a window or rubber seal does leak, there is less potential for structural damage. A coachbuilt motorhome however is usually built around a wooden frame joined together with screws and sealant. If water ingress happens on this style of vehicle, you could be facing expensive repair costs and structural damage to your pride and joy.

9. Beware of scams!

Buying a stolen motorhome is easier than you think. When buying a motorhome always undertake a credit check, most dealerships will do this for all vehicles they sell, whether trade-in’s or brokerage stock, but you can also pay for your own credit check with a company like Experian. When you view a motorhome, also ask to see the paperwork. Does the VIN number on the vehicle (window & chassis) match the paperwork? Look at MOT’s and servicing history – does it all add up and are dates and mileage logical? V5C’s show who is the registered keeper of a vehicle, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect the legal owner (this could be a finance company for example) – so you need to do credit checks in addition to V5C checks. If buying a motorhome privately, you should meet at the address listed on the V5C. Does the seller really live in that property? Is this really their vehicle to sell?

10. Consider the long-term aftercare

So you’ve seen a new motorhome model that you absolutely love and you know it’s right for you. You viewed it in your local dealership, but a quick online search shows a cheaper one at the other end of the country. Do you go for the instant cash saving, or do you think about the long term? Does the vehicle have a warranty? Where will you need to go to have any warranty work done? Manufacturers rarely cover the full cost of warranty repairs leaving the dealer to cover the shortfall, which is why many dealerships will only undertake warranty work on vehicles that they sell. At Highland Campervans we have an NCC Approved Workshop where after-sales and warranty work can be carried out. Try to balance any savings in the purchase price against the potential cost of taking the van back to the supplying dealer should warranty issues arise.

Read our ‘Top Tips’ to help you find the perfect van whether from a dealership or a private sale

Visit a Dealership

1. Take time to look at various styles of vehicles and actually spend time sitting in each type, whether it’s a coachbuilt or panel van. Never eliminate a particular style just from looking in magazines - how they feel when you sit inside can be completely different. If you are unable to visit a dealer, then do you have friends or family with motorhomes? Find out what they like and dislike about their motorhome. 

On-line groups and forums can also be a good place to research, although opinions are likely to be wide and varied. When you have decided which type of motorhome is right for you, consider hiring one with a similar size and layout first – this is the very best way to find out if it really does suit you. Some dealers offer a ‘try before you buy’ scheme where you can reclaim some of the cost of your hire when you purchase a vehicle from them.

Write a list

2. Make a list at home of the types of places you will be going in your motorhome and the luggage that you would like to take with you. Will you be doing long trips abroad to Europe or do you plan to island hop around the Hebrides? Do you want a vehicle you can park easily in a town centre or are you happy to park/camp on the outskirts and use a bike or public transport to get around? Do you need roof racks for canoes, or large storage areas for golf clubs or hillwalking kit? If you spend time thinking of these things at home, you can take your list with you when looking around and work out where/if it will all fit. Dealers can advise on whether accessories can be fitted to tailor the vehicle to your needs, or they may recommend an alternative vehicle.

Check the servicing history

3. Before placing a deposit on any second-hand vehicle, whether buying privately or from a dealer, always ask to see the most recent habitation check and damp report. Most people know that the base vehicle (i.e. engine and chassis) should be regularly serviced, but so should the habitation area of the motorhome (i.e. gas and electrics). Critically, in coach built motorhomes, the seals that hold the motorhome together can sometimes leak, allowing water ingress to cause damp and structural problems. 

You normally cannot see or smell damp until serious damage has occurred and only a competent engineer with a specialist damp meter can identify tell-tale signs. We strongly advise that you never place a deposit on a vehicle without seeing a recent damp report and if damp has been identified, check what has been done to stop the problem getting worse. Small sections of damp are quite common and can usually be easily remedied by a professional motorhome technician so it isn’t necessarily a major problem- but do continue to have a damp check each year as part of your annual habitation service.

Make sure you get a thorough handover

4. When collecting a new vehicle, you should be given a comprehensive handover (ours normally take 1-2hrs depending on the customers prior knowledge) and you should see all the appliances working i.e. hot running water, air con units or heating systems. 

In older vehicles this is particularly important. Highland Campervans provides buyers with a handover video, which allows you to watch the instructions as many times as you want (and since Covid allows handovers with minimal contact). If this isn’t provided, it’s a good idea to record your handover on your smart phone – this makes it much easier to remind yourself of how everything works once you’ve driven home!

Does it have a warranty?

5. Check that any warranties provided cover both the base vehicle (engine) plus the habitation area (water heaters etc). Some of the modern heaters cost over £1700 so you don't want to find out two months after you buy a vehicle that the warranty supplied only covered the engine area. If you buy a new motorhome from a dealer you will also be covered under the Consumer Rights Act. Extra reassurance comes if your dealer is a member of the NCC Approved Dealership Scheme. Brokerage vehicles are usually cheaper to buy, but they often don’t come with the same immediate level of warranty protection and consumer rights. However, independent warranties are usually available to purchase as an extra from the broker – again these vary in what they do and don’t cover, so check the small print to make sure you are getting all the protection that you need. If you buy privately there is no post-purchase protection so really do your research and remember – if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is!

Factory or custom build?

6. It is often tempting to consider commissioning a custom van conversion or even converting one for yourself. Indeed there are a myriad of campervan converters to be found in the small ads of the motorhome magazines and many self-build conversion kits advertised on websites such as Ebay. Our advice if thinking to custom build, is to ensure you fully price out the project from start to finish. Think about how long you intend to keep the vehicle and consider if your custom design misses out any key features that might make it harder to re-sell (re-sale prices for van conversions are also typically much lower than factory built vehicles). Costs for component parts quickly add up and if outsourcing work the labour costs aren’t cheap if you use properly qualified technicians. Make sure that you or your converter are familiar with the relevant British and European safety standards for leisure vehicles and that your safety critical items such as the gas and electrical systems are properly installed and certified. Failure to do so may invalidate your insurance. Ensure that the added weight of your conversion will not exceed the maximum weight of the base vehicle and that the finished vehicle will qualify as a 'leisure vehicle' under DVLA rules. As you can see - there is a lot more to consider than first meets the eye. In many cases, buying a new or used motorhome built by an NCC approved manufacturer gives greater reassurance that the vehicle will be safe, compliant and retain a good re-sale value. External Advice

If in doubt, ask!

We pride ourselves on our helpful and honest approach at Highland Campervans and we like to ensure that if you buy a vehicle, it's going to be the right one for you. We will never put pressure on you to make a snap decision and we love to hear back from our customers who have been off exploring in their new vehicle. There are also lots of external sources of advice if you are thinking of purchasing a motorhome, campervan or caravan. We have listed some very helpful websites below which may help guide you through the decision making process:

MMM - Out & About Live

The National Caravan Council

The Camping and Caravanning Club

The Caravan and Motorhome Club

Practical Motorhome