# Which RV should we get?



## foggyparrot (Aug 28, 2006)

Hi Guys, found this forum whilst looking for RV's for sale in the UK.

We are looking to buy a used RV but don't really know enough about them to make a qualified judgement about the best value for money,reliability, build quality, equipment levels etc.

We are looking to full time in about two years but would like to at least get a good taste for it now. We are a couple in our 50's used to caravanning and currently have a brand new Elldis Crusader Super Scirocco so are used to a high level of home comforts. We would ideally like a good sized comfortable bed, ample food preperation and cooking facilities and be able to tow a trailer with car. I do have a PSV licence so am not phased by size but need to know that we will able to visit most UK camp sites so size is important (I'm sort of hoping that most sites will accept up to 32 feet but maybe you know different!).

How important is the 110v versus the 240v issue?

I think I'm quite clear on the legal issues but really don't know what other problems I'm likely to encounter. At the moment all we have to go on are looks and how comfortable the seats are!

We have a maximum of 28k to spend.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

foggyparrot,

Welcome to MHF!

Well, it depends of the TYPE of sites you want to frequent, but as a general rule, I would say as soon as you go above 28ft, you probably need to put more effort into planning your stops, whether by selecting the site from a degree of prior research, or phoning ahead to check. It's not a cliff-edge, but you get the gist.

As to the rest, there is plenty of reading material posted on MHF already, just use the search forum facility halfway down the left-hand side of the front page. If you are unfamiliar with searching, then a degree of patience and persistence may be required. 

You should be aware that the UK maximum width excluding just mirrors and lights is 100.4", 2.55m.

There are many ways of skinning that 110V cat, and the forum material deals with that.

Dave


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## MicknPat (Jul 18, 2005)

Foggyparrot, 

Welcome also to MHF, we are is a similar situation and dilemma regarding the size of the RV to buy. 

Because we will be living 24/7 in the RV we would like to buy the largest RV on the market, but that is no use if there is no camp sites to accommodate it. 

We are currently looking at RVs with 4 slide outs to maximise the living & sleeping area. 

One of the excellent facilities of this forum is in my opinion its unique campsite data base. 

The data base not only allows searches country by country but in 'our' case you can search for campsites suitable for RVs/Large MHs which at the moments stands at 446 sites and locations in the UK & Europe.


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## Sparrow (May 10, 2005)

Hi
Having bought a 34' rv the issue of site access has been there but easily dealt with by a bit of pre planning and as Dave says 'phoning ahead'. I have found this has added to the fun (well some of the time anyway).

Your price range may be the deciding factor but I would recommend the place we bought ours. He is a one man show who has really looked after us and the rv. He is based on the A47, 30 miles from Lincoln/Norfolk border. Not wishing to fall foul of any advertising rules on the board if you pm me I will reply with details.

Good luck with the search.

Mike


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## foggyparrot (Aug 28, 2006)

Thanks chaps, 

I really would like to PM you Mike but clicking the PM button gives me the old 'access denied' trick!! If your 'man' has a web site, then I'm sure we couldn't fall foul of any laws if you were to post it on the forum.

I assume that, as with any other purchase, word of mouth is the preferred method of forming aquaintances.

It all still seems to be very much hit and miss and, as I said before, all we actually have to go on is how pretty is it and how comfortable are the seats. I have been trolling through the forum and have seen all sorts of references to magic cr*p crushers, loo vents, gennys, undefinable buttons and switches and reference to many gizmos and gadgets that are totally alien to me. It does seem, however, that UK law deters us from even considering slide outs as an option. It seems that almost every RV with one or more slide outs is on the DVLA blacklist! That beggars the seemingly unanswerable question: why are there still so many for sale at dealerships throughout the UK? Will I fall foul of the law if I get one and if so will it ACTUALLY matter as there are so many on the roads now anyway?

A very large local dealership is an accredited agent for Damon Daybreaks with the aforementioned slideouts, and, despite the rhetoric, is openly selling them to the unsuspecting public (I almost bought one!) despite ALL their stock models being on the oversize list.

Can anybody actually see my dilemma? I want an RV but don't know which one to go for and who to buy it from. If a well respected and award winning dealer is selling oversize RV's, does that really represent a problem for me as a buyer. I hear what every one is saying but I have found over two hundred RV's for sale that are registered and (more importantly) have been used on and MOT'd for the UK roads. Of those, almost 60 percent are on the DVLA death list! If I HAVE to buy a street legal one, then it's likely to be less than 30ft long and not benefit from the slide outs. If that's the case, then I might as well buy a blooming Autotrail! (No offence to all the Autotrail owners, but I want to live in this thing in comfort and two Golden retrievers take up far too much space in a standard European option!).

Buying (and more to the point, running) one of these beasts represents a massive financial investment and commitment. Making an early mistake can, and I suspect has often been, the first step on the path to financial ruin.

I don't suppose that the 110 versus the 240 volt argument really is too much of a concern because good old ebay opens the door to buying good ole' yankee appliances through the mail anyway, but any other pointers and pitfalls would be very much appreciated.

Thanks again,

Mike


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## 100775 (Aug 30, 2006)

We (me wife 2 kids) have a 24ft Fleetwood Tioga C class and are downsizing to a VW Winnebago Rialta but only because we want to go down some small lanes on the coast.

Our experience with the C class is as follows.

The Tioga is a pleasure to live in, excellent layout, loads of storage, good build quality, and the V8 Ford is pure driving luxury...

Even though only 24ft most campsites say "Oh its one of those big American ones" I have met many people with 30ft + units who are nothing short of stressed with campsite hassle over size.

240/110 As well as the genny, we had a solar panel fitted and 3x110 batteries, we also had a 600w invertor fitted to give us 240v when required. As a back up I bought a 240 hook up with a 3 plug socket so we could use mains if ever needed, in the 14 months we have had it we have never hooked up.

Check out ebay - always vehicles of interest on there.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Mike,

Yes, I do understand your situation. Not that it is much consolation, but IMHO at least in intending to buy from a UK dealer you are better protected than in pursuing a personal import as you have the opportunity for obtaining a letter in writing from the dealer that the vehicle is legal for use on UK roads. Should this be refused, apart from raising your suspicion anyway, you can then point out that:



> Anyone selling (or offering to supply) a vehicle is responsible for ensuring that it complies with all applicable laws. It is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 if a vehicle offered for sale is too long or too wide.


This doesn't necessarily help from the point of view of invalidating your insurance in the event of a claim, but in that case you can wing it by quoting:



> "He held that neither non-compliance with the Regulations as to maximum width or the fact that the width of the motor-home was wider than normal vehicles on United Kingdom roads was material to risk, and that, therefore, there was no obligation on Mr and Mrs Bramhill, or on anyone to whom they might want to sell it, to volunteer to potential insurers breach of the Regulations in this respect." The appeal judges, while acknowledging the limited evidence to make this ruling, were content that the original Mercantile Court judge had considerable relevant personal experience of such matters.


More constructively, how about pursuing this vehicle and knocking the price down to your budget:
http://castlemotors.org/vech10.htm
It is close to your budget, long enough for fulltiming, has a slideout, and crucially is of legal width:
http://www.smmt.co.uk/motorhomes/
http://www.smmt.co.uk/motorhomes/Motorhome_Directory.pdf

Dave
PS Overhang, what overhang?


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Edg1e said:


> I have met many people with 30ft + units who are nothing short of stressed with campsite hassle over size.


No need to be stressed, a phone call is all that is needed BEFORE arriving with a large unit, we have toured both France and Germany without problems.. obviously not all sites have suitable access for a 36ft RV but it's actually shorter than our last towing outfit, a twin axled caravan + Land Rover which had a total length of around 40ft



> If I HAVE to buy a street legal one, then it's likely to be less than 30ft long and not benefit from the slide outs. If that's the case, then I might as well buy a blooming Autotrail!


Around 90% of all new RVs are on the wide bodied platform but there are plenty of UK legal on the second hand on the market. 
Slides were introduced to give more space in the shorter RVs but the fashion caught on and triple and quad slide are common on even the 40 footers .. 
Personally I don't see the need for slides on a 36 footer, they reduce payload, increase the width and can be another potential source of leaks.. and problems .. unless of course you are planning to hold dinner/dance parties for ten guests .. how much space do you need to sit and read or watch telly..? we can comfortably accommodate seven people or more, all with a comfortable seat...


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## 88781 (May 9, 2005)

Is there a listing of RV freindly campsites for both UK and Europe to be seen anywhere?

Dave


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Hi Dave 

Not in a publication that covers Europe, there is the "BIG site" book for the UK but it's a club publication which cost £36 to join.. needless to say I haven't got it .. :lol: :lol:


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