Help in changing from caravan to motorhome

Make sure everything suits your needs. Don't just look, try everything out as if you were away in the van. A nice seperate shower is great but, as we found out, not a lot of use if it's too small for comfort. We had one that was so small you couldn't bend down to wash your feet!

Check that the seating is comfortable for the way YOU sit, what looks nice is not neccessarily comfortable for you.      Make the bed up, don't just assume it will suit you, try it out.  We have had a few motorhomes and have learned from our mistakes. You might not find the perfect van but make sure you can live with any compromises. It gets expensive if you get it wrong and need to change it for another one. I talk from experience in that we bought an Autotrail excel which had a step half way along the floor. No problem says I, but once the bed was made up you were way up in the air as you had to step down to the lower level when you got out of bed. I made things difficult to say the least. Hope you find what you want and enjoy your trips. we certainly do. 

Adrian,  The  two  main  Motor/van  Mags  are  M M M  &  Practical  M/home.  These  regularly  display  the  layouts  of  Motors  from  the  car-derived  ones  up  to  the  gi-normous  ones  with  "Slide - outs".   These  will  show  you  the  entire  range  of  lay-outs  available  from  which  you  can  select  your  preferences.  Then  I'm  afraid  its  a  case  of  hunt  thro'  the  For  Sale  ads  for  some  close  to  you  and  go  out  &  push  &  prod  both  the  seats  ,  beds  etc  &  the  Sales  reps  too  !!

Try going to the outdoor motorhome shows.  There is a big one at Peterbrough 15-17 April.  The first of the year is at Harrogate 18-20 March, but it is a lot smaller than Peterborough. All the information is in MMM  magazine.

There should be a good selection of used motorhomes there. You should be able to do a deal using your caravan as a part exchange if you find something you like.

Fair  points  Meg  !!

And Biggarmac should know having done her deal with not only caravan but tow car too a few months ago!  Don't forget the big show at the NEC very soon too.  Masses to look at there to give an idea but of course shiny new.   I won't be giving up the caravan anytime soon I enjoy the freedom to leave it and go exploring in the car.  You will still have to make the bed up in a MH unless going pretty large Won't you?  I now roll up the mattress topper And duvet into the front end and cover with a throw.  It makes a comfy back support for feet up time!  And so quick to unroll at bedtime.  

for research without too much legwork, MMM has a very comprehensive section on layouts....the mind will boggle a bit, but its all there....

once you have a coulle of brands in mind (definitely have two or three alternatives as getting stick on one might mean a long search to get your 'ideal') get out there and have a look and try it all out....

£25 will,het you a nice van....at a dealer with a warrenty.....see all, documents for service and damp check etc...

try the beds, dont be afraid, its your cash.....

swift bolero 600 EK is bang on 6 m and a direct rival for the Nuevo.....all down to personal taste..

....Swift a bit more modern in style all round, Nuevo, a nice van.....but those interiors.....40 yrs out of date..........lile sitting on your Nans sofa.....

dont forget/rule out Continental vans....well made and tough, many small vans on the market, might get quite new for your budget...

see Roller Team, Pilote, Rapido, Burstner.....all make great small vans but will seem 'different' to a uk caravan......keep eyes open and dont be afraid to try out.....

also check payload if on a 3500kg chassis....shouldnt be a problem on a 6 m van but best to check....

small vans generally have poor external storage and locker access.....

where will you put your outside dirty kit.....levelling ramps, chairs, table, windbreaks....try and get away from carrying unneccessary aquarolls etc, fill tanks with hose, much smaller to carry, no freezing.....will you have a wind out canopy in lieu of a full awning.....if not, how will ypu carry it.....bikes for getting about (if you dont take the van) outside rack?.....

remember, you dont have a towcar to dump all this 'stuff' so think carefully....do you want al, this coming through the van...? thought not.....

finally, for now...., beds.....if you want singles and are happy to use sleeping bags, check the length of the sofas....small van means (sometimes) smaller sofas.....if you want to use the transverse bed, length should be ok....again....is it sleeping bags or sheets and duvets.....

we are in the latter group and making up a proper bed (we are away for around 230 nights a year) became a chore.....perhaps if we slept in our own separate sleeping bag this would have been less of an issue....ok for someone own their own, but not for us, ensure its for you....

good luck...

BB is right to touch on payloads. Moving from a Dart I agree you might not have a problem, but for others mindful of making a move to a MH it might, as for us be a real issue. Stating the obvious you have not got the car to take is share including the passenger, and even the driver might be over the 12 stones allowed. Whilst it is obvious to me the MH is going to need a healthy payload current research is indicating the MH builders, certainly those targeting the aging driver and so the 3500 kg limit market, have not given it anything like enough thought. That conclusion is drawn even before addressing the weight distribution on the axles and if they individually are overloaded. To me I can’t understand why rear axles are not sufficiently over rated as with how MHs are carrying the loads they can so readily be abused even whilst keeping the summated mass within the rating.

I read that many MHs stopped and checked recently were overloaded. Having looked at weights and the clobber carried by many I can easily see why.

We looked to changing and probably will have to soon but this payload issue with MHs in the sub 3500 kg bracket is a minefield and becoming a nightmare. It points to becoming minimalist and forgetting the bikes and so much as caravanners we take.

NEC is fine for new vans but better for second hand vans are the open air shows, the biggest being at Peterborough. Some of the shows, such as Peterborough, have a broad remit whilst others, such as Harrogate, focus on sales. Lincoln is great for end of season bargains.

I would strongly recommend anyone new to motorhoming to feast on the Out & About Live website. It has a wealth of knowledge easily laid out. It also has a decent forum where you can ask questions. Viewing two forums is a good idea.

https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/

The Nuevo is a good van with a good repuation from a highly respected UK manufacturer. There is a perception that damp is always a problem in UK motorhomes, and some foriegn ones, but it seems to be less on an issue with Auto Sleeper than others. 

We sold our caravan to a caravan dealer. It supplied the van and was desperate for good quality second hand ones. Some dealers sell motorhomes and caravans. If you can afford to take the hit, trading in is the easiest but make sure your caravan is in good nick because dealers can reduce the trade in price, if on exchange, they notice a problem.

We've had 6 motorhomes, three 6.3m long and three 6m long. If you want to use the van for day's out or to park up in tight areas, then a Panel Van Conversion might be a good buy. It will look cramped and feel claustrophobic but it is perfect for touring using sites, rather than staying for long periods on site, ideal for reaching some out of the way places, and unlikely to suffer damp [they can leak!]. Also PVCs are not as well insulated as coachbuilts.

Just be sure you want a motorhoming lifestyle. Oh, and accept there will always be someone who says they bought cheaper and better.

Both of our motorhomes have been under 6m, our first was a re-badged Autosleeper van conversion and we part exchanged our nice big caravan for it. No problems involved, we never saw the caravan again, it must have sold on quickly.  We could have pt x'd our 4 x 4 too but used this as part ex for a smaller car. It was an easy change over all round. We chose a reputable dealer with plenty of stock and I looked on line at all the layouts and prices first. We never felt cramped or claustrophobic in our van, a good lay out and design can create a spacious feel. The main compromise was in the washroom area but even that proved ok (make sure there is a heat outlet into it.)

Our second van, a coachbuilt, an Autosleeper by Marquis is also under 6m, the heating and insuation is better. Worth considering  if using the van all year round as we do. We are now cosy and warm and our van fits into most spaces although not as easily as the van conversion. Happy hunting for a van, as others have said visiting the big shows gives you a good idea of the sort of van that will suit your needs.