Van Conversion or Motorhome – what to decide on?
It could sound like a easy determination, however it was one of many hardest issues for us to agree upon.
After we began researching our dream life-style of travelling Europe in 4 wheels, we robotically thought we’d do it in a campervan. Ideally, one which we had transformed ourselves – in spite of everything, Paul is a mechanic by commerce; my father is a retired builder, and my uncle a carpenter. We additionally knew of an electrician who I’m positive would have helped with the wiring.
Subsequently, it got here as a shock to everybody once we bought Gulliver.
Gulliver is an Elddis 196 Autoquest Majestic, and a few would possibly say he’s a bit large for 2, and maybe they’re right; in spite of everything, he’s a six berth, 7.3 metre lengthy motorhome. Nevertheless, having spent a few months residing and dealing in Gulliver whereas we journey Europe, I feel it’s honest to say we’re each grateful for the structure.
Meet Gulliver, an Elddis Autoquest 196
Inside, we now have an electrical drop-down double mattress that sits above the eating space, plus the flexibility to show that eating space right into a double sleeping house. Whereas on the different finish of the camper, we now have two couch areas, one for every of us to loosen up on, which turns into one more massive double.
Personally, the flexibleness of this van alone is a winner.
I really like that I can work from one finish of the camper and lounge on the different.
It’s all the time a wrestle to not take your work residence with you, however whenever you work at home, even one on wheels, it’s important to have clear, outlined areas, and for us, the entrance of the van is now very a lot an workplace house in the course of the day (until it’s heat sufficient to work outdoors underneath the awning in fact).
However that isn’t the place our preliminary ideas went, surprisingly sufficient. We didn’t actually think about the working aspect of van life, so why did we select a motorhome over a van conversion?
Earlier this 12 months, we went to the NEC Motorhome and Caravan Present to not buy however to take a look at what structure would work greatest for us, and that is one thing we’d each extremely advocate first-time consumers do.
Not fairly a motorhome, however a good way to get concepts for compact residing particularly if you will full your personal van conversion
It is a large buy and one which shouldn’t be rushed. Even should you purchase a house off-plan, likelihood is you may have checked out some present properties and researched the construct high quality, so the identical consideration needs to be made when shopping for a camper.
It was in the course of the present that we famous a couple of issues:
#1 The worth of a campervan was excessive – in reality, most small campervans had been costlier than the motorhomes on present.
#2 Whereas ingeniously thought out, campervans lacked the seating house we had been after.
#3 Did we would like the trouble of changing the consuming space right into a mattress every day?
Nevertheless, even with these ideas operating by our minds, we refused to rule out a campervan, particularly a campervan conversion. That was till we noticed the worth of vans on the market.
Because the pandemic hit, changing a van has grow to be the factor to do, and I totally perceive why. We had been in lockdown for an extended whereas, so folks needed one thing to do. It additionally meant that when the world lastly opened up once more, folks had the flexibleness to journey however stay self-contained. Good. What a superb concept.
{For anybody occupied with changing a van for themselves, test out these YouTube channels for inspiration and recommendation}.
It was additionally a bump within the highway we had not deliberate for (not that anybody ready for it, in fact! We had been caught in Italy in the course of the lockdown if not, I’m fairly positive that’s once we would have began our van conversion).
It did, nonetheless, go away us with a little bit of a dilemma.
a)Ought to we spend greater than we had hoped to purchase a van to transform it ourselves, realizing that the price of supplies had additionally elevated and that components had been changing into more and more troublesome to supply?
b) Ought to we spend out on a van that had already been transformed?
c) Ought to we discover different choices?
It quickly grew to become obvious that choice 1 was not appropriate for us at this explicit time. That’s to not say we don’t have plans to transform one thing for ourselves sooner or later; it simply signifies that, for proper now, we now have dominated it out.
Possibility 2 sounded nice, nonetheless, we shortly discovered that we both didn’t just like the structure or the end was not what we needed. That meant that, If we bought a pre-converted van, we’d then must spend extra time and money updating issues to our preferences.
We additionally checked out van conversion corporations, and don’t get me flawed, some attractive vans on the market, however once more the worth shocked us, with many wanting greater than what some folks pay for bricks and mortar.
That left us with one choice, a motorhome.
That, nonetheless, didn’t come with out its challenges, and there are definitely a couple of issues we want we had identified forward of our search.
Issues to Contemplate when Shopping for a Motorhome
#1 Shopping for new will not be essentially the best factor to do
It could sound like the proper choice; in spite of everything, who doesn’t need all the things to be shiny and new, however shopping for straight from the manufacturing unit has its issues.
After we introduced a brand new home a couple of years again, our snagging record lined three A4 pages earlier than we even moved in. Over the primary 12 months, we had builders coming out and in, rectifying their errors, together with a window they put in wonky. Clearly, you’ll hope that the home windows in a motorhome could be straight, however that doesn’t imply different faults gained’t seem.
We had been provided a great bit of recommendation once we first began out, one we’re glad we took, and that’s to:
Purchase a camper, be it both a campervan or a motorhome, which has been run in by another person.
Which means that the little niggles ought to have been discovered and resolved, the engine can have been run in, and all the things can have settled into place.
I do additionally suppose a phrase of warning is required right here.
It’s vital to do not forget that in the end you might be shopping for a automobile, and issues can break, leak and frustratingly go flawed whenever you least count on it.
To present you an instance, Gulliver had simply 4,000 miles on the clock once we bought him, he seemed model new, however inside weeks of us shopping for him, we developed a leak. The water pump ran repeatedly, and water seeped by into the again lounge.
Nevertheless, this appears comparatively minor in comparison with the points this household faces.
One of many many motorhomes we thought of
This brings me properly to my second piece of recommendation.
#2 Every time doable, purchase native.
This isn’t an advert for holding the local people going. Nevertheless, should you do have an area dealer, I strongly advise you to make use of them if doable; it’s extra about getting you to contemplate the journey distance.
If one thing goes flawed and you could return to the place of buy, do you actually wish to journey miles?
This isn’t all the time sensible – and we failed miserably at this – opting to journey from Essex to Plymouth – however it’s sound recommendation nonetheless.
When Gulliver had his preliminary points, the corporate we bought from didn’t actually wish to know (that’s one other story and one other weblog publish). We had been miles away in Bedfordshire, and moderately than serving to us (as they promised throughout their gross sales speech), they provided no actual steerage. It in a short time grew to become evident that we would have liked to repair the issue for ourselves, which we did, however had we been nearer, we might have arrived on their driveway and requested them to have a look at it underneath the guarantee we had been given.
#3 Keep in mind that some motorhome salespeople are like some automobile salespeople
I do know that is an terrible assertion to make, however please do not forget that some folks in gross sales will inform you completely something you wish to hear to make a sale. They are going to inform you that they’ve the very best guarantee, supply the very best pre-sale servicing, and are higher than the folks down the highway – this may increasingly all be right; nonetheless, it might even be slightly white lie as a result of they wish to promote you one thing.
Don’t really feel the strain; give your self time to suppose all the things by, be sure you get the solutions you need, and in case you are not blissful, stroll away; there are many different vans on the market.
This additionally applies to any reveals you could go to. As talked about, the NEC caravan and tenting present was an ideal expertise, however the quantity of gross sales folks that advised us if we ordered in the course of the present, we’d not solely get a reduction, however the camper could be with us in July/Oct/earlier than the top of the 12 months.
Realistically, for the time being, with the low quantity of motorhomes and campervans coming into the UK, the wait time has elevated. So should you do resolve to purchase new, you could be ready for greater than a proper now.
I might, at this level, wish to thank the one salesman (who labored for Curler Workforce) who was brutally trustworthy once we requested in regards to the T Line 700. He didn’t lie; he advised us it had a ready record of 18 months.
As compared, a stockist on the identical present; advised us we might have the precise motorhome, and it will be delivered inside three months. Taking into account, it was a model new design, and if Curler Workforce can’t make supply in 2022, what hope do others have?
#4 All of it comes down to non-public choice
Don’t be swayed by others. Van life has grow to be more and more standard, and a few on the market don’t imagine travelling full time in a motorhome is as genuine as travelling round in your personal transformed van.
You’ll be able to see the identical locations, park up on the identical places and dwell the identical means – so it actually shouldn’t matter what automobile you resolve upon.
Sure, up to now, motorhoming has been related to these of retirement age, however they’re now much more inexpensive, which makes it much more interesting, and with the price of van conversions solely growing, it might be extra wallet-friendly to go for a pre-made motorhome.
Likewise, you could be adamant that you just wish to convert your personal van; if that’s the case, go for it.
It’s your option to make.
You may all the time go to the intense and create one thing really distinctive
#5 Be sure to totally perceive what’s and isn’t included within the sale
Be clear with the particular person you might be shopping for from.
– Is it being bought as seen? Is the bike rack included? The elimination tow bar?
– Does it include a guaranty – and if that’s the case, what does it cowl, and for a way lengthy?
– What checks will likely be made earlier than the sale is accomplished?
– Verify all of the paperwork to make sure any servicing they point out has been accomplished.
– Perceive what different prices could also be concerned which have but to be talked about – habitation checks, highway tax, and any excellent work that must be accomplished.
– When was the cam belt modified if shopping for second-hand? On this observe, additionally test when it needs to be modified, which varies relying on the chassis used.
– Within the UK, Gasoline bottles are usually not included within the sale (no less than not from dealerships), which implies you have to so as to add this into your prices.
#6 Get an impartial test accomplished
If in case you have no recourse as soon as the acquisition has been made, be sure you have gained recommendation from an impartial specialist. For those who drive away and the camper breaks down 15 miles away, likelihood is the particular person you introduced it from will deny all duty lies with them. Sure, you possibly can problem it and request a refund, however that might get messy.
Lastly, bear in mind to make use of widespread sense and don’t let your coronary heart solely rule your head!
One final thought to depart you with…
Keep in mind to do a search and learn the way lots of your most well-liked campervan or motorhome is up on the market.
Having too many available on the market isn’t essentially a great factor. Sure, it offers you with extra alternatives to seek out the proper one, however it might additionally counsel that there are usually not the very best autos to buy, therefore why they’re flooding the resale market.
Have you ever bought a motorhome or campervan, or maybe you may have accomplished a van conversion for your self? We might love to listen to about your shopping for experiences and some other high ideas you might need for others simply beginning out.
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