Buying a Motorhome or Campervan

This is the first part of a two part article.

People who are dreaming of the motorhoming lifestyle often ask us "How much does it cost to buy a motorhome?" The answer to this question is very \varied and can be anything from $500 to $800,000 or more. But before you can answer or even ask this question you need to have a few parameters laid out before you start getting in the ball park.

We have bought and sold a number of motorhomes in our time and helped others also buy. There are many things to consider but above all note that all things in a motorhome are a compromise and your decision will be based on a series of compromises. You will not necessarily buy only one motorhome and the second and subsequent motorhomes choices will be based on lifestyle and comfort of the previous one.

Do you want new or pre-loved? Obviously new will cost more but it will offer you the pleasure of all nice and new and it may offer you some peace of mind with warranty. Second hand can be cheaper, can have the advantage of already having had all the bugs ironed out, and can often be well maintained and looked after making them a very good option in many cases. This decision will point you in the direction of where to start looking - either with dealers or the second hand ads. Either way they both have the same considerations.

The first consideration is size. Usually the bigger the more expensive but there are other considerations other than just the money in buying a "bigger" motorhome.
Are you planning to live in the vehicle full time, doing the one big trip or just use it for short trips on weekends and holidays? This will dictate to some degree the size and comfort level required.

When considering size you will find there are compromises both with large and small. If you go small you will obviously compromise on space both storage and living. If you go large you will then have the considerations of weight, parking and licensing.
Do you have a class of licence suitable for driving a vehicle other than a car (or over 4.5 tonne gross)? If not, do you have the desire or capability of learning to drive a bigger vehicle and sitting a written and driving test to obtain a different class of licence? If not you will need to stay within the range of vehicle under 4.5 tonne. This includes campervans, small bus conversions like Coasters, Mazdas and the smaller "C" class vehicles.

Does your partner have the same class of licence? If not will the one person be happy to do all the driving?

Even if you have the suitable class of licence do you have the required skill to manoeuvre a large vehicle. If you have not driven a large vehicle for some time this may require some re-learning of skills. Remember that when travelling for pleasure you will take many roads that you are not familiar with. We have on many occasions got caught in situations where we have had to back out of a spot or do a "many" point turn. This requires skill and patience as well as a very supportive partner in the passenger seat who is prepared to get out and give directions where necessary.

Do you have room at home to park a motorhome? If you are planning on living at home and using the motorhome for trips you will need to park it somewhere preferably at home close to a power source in a relatively level area. If you are going to sell you home this may not be a consideration but you will want to sometimes park with family and friends. How much time will you be spending parked on other peoples' property? Size need not be a consideration here but if you are planning of travelling the country visiting family and friends this will need to be considered.
With size comes weight and with weight usually comes higher fuel consumption. Are you prepared for the higher cost of getting form point A to point B if you choose the larger motorhome?

Another very important point - without getting too personal and offered as advice and not intending to offend - are you a large person either in height or width? Will you fit in the bed or the shower and toilet of the motorhome you are considering? For the tall remember not only to check that you can stand up in the main living area but can you stand in the shower.

Link to Part 2