# Been bitten by the RV bug



## dcummin (Jan 21, 2008)

Whilst I was meant to be enjoying the beautifull hills and countryside of North Cornwall - unfortunately my neighbour on the campsite turned up in a Tail Lite RV...and I've fallen for the sheer luxury and space of these - and now I'm seriously considering taking the plunge.

I've got some questions that hopefully an experienced RV owner will be able to help me with

first and foremorst - I've measured my drive and a 32ft Rv will fit comfortably (certainly wouldnt want any bigger). I have a C1 entitlement on my licence so ok to 7.5t & I'm fine with LHD

I accept that these are large and heavy vehicles and fuel economy is generally poor (this particular one had an 8.1litre petrol with LPG conversion - & he said he got the 'equivalent' of 25 to the gallon.
What is best option to go for petrol or diesel?

I will be looking on the used market and there seems to be a lot of Damon Daybreaks around and Georgieboy's - both seem like good choices - but is there any particular brand I should consider - my budget would be 35k ish - but could stretch a bit more - and would not really want anything too old - 6ish years ideal 10yrs max and the smaller the better (does that make any sense with an RV??) - Should the milage be a major consideration or is age more important

I would love to avoid paying a dealer premium & there are lots being privately sold, but I'm concerned how you would get the vehicle checked over prior to buying - not sure if this is the sort of thing the AA would do? Am I best to consider dealer only

Servicing - where do you go for these - do you have to find and RV speacialist? typical cost?
Tyres - ball park figures & what could you expect to get in miles for average wear.
Insurance - currently pay £350 a year for my mh - expecting this to be a lot more expensive - but is it massively more expensive?

LEZ - I've no doubt that London would become a no go - but because of this - will it mean prices have come down compared to a couple of years ago

finally - any do's/don'ts that you can suggest

sorry for a long winded post

any advice appreciated - many thanks

David


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## des (Aug 13, 2005)

hi david. 

lots of questions there. a search of the forum will find some of the "answers" but most are a matter of opinion, not fact. we have a daybreak, an "entry level" a class, have had for 3.5 yrs, still in love with it - know many daybreak owners and most are satisfied. we have lpg conversion - get about 8mpg at 45p per litre. beware - our 32 footer is actually 33'7". No probs with LEZ with petrol/lpg of course. 35k should be plenty of budget for 6 or less yrs old. insurance about £500 ish depending on ncb. maybe less? biggest worry is water ingress. RVs are generally under-used, say 4-5k per yr miles, so mechanicals are usually ok.

good luck

des


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

Gulfstream Independence 2005 30ft twin slide for sale Pm for more info

Loddy


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## 107558 (Oct 10, 2007)

dcummin said:


> snip...
> What is best option to go for petrol or diesel? ... snip


I went for diesel in my 30 footer. I get between 14 and 18 mpg depending upon how I drive it. The big factor for me was using it on the continent where diesel is much cheaper and LPG way more expensive.



dcummin said:


> I will be looking on the used market and there seems to be a lot of Damon Daybreaks around and Georgieboy's - both seem like good choices - but is there any particular brand I should consider - my budget would be 35k ish - but could stretch a bit more - and would not really want anything too old - 6ish years ideal 10yrs max and the smaller the better (does that make any sense with an RV??) - Should the milage be a major consideration or is age more important


Umm both. Though I would go for a younger one with a higher mileage depending upon wear and tear.



dcummin said:


> I would love to avoid paying a dealer premium & there are lots being privately sold, but I'm concerned how you would get the vehicle checked over prior to buying - not sure if this is the sort of thing the AA would do? Am I best to consider dealer only


Quite a few people offer a check it over service Duncan (DamonDunc) is one though I haven't been able to contact him recently



dcummin said:


> Servicing - where do you go for these - do you have to find and RV speacialist? typical cost?


Again quite a lot of people do this - try DamonDunc. There's even a chap who offers Mobile Servicing on the web.



dcummin said:


> Tyres - ball park figures & what could you expect to get in miles for average wear.


Mine are weird sizes and cost about £250 each. The metric tyres can be cheaper - try Gates Tyres Tyres probably won't wear out but have to be replaced due to age.



dcummin said:


> Insurance - currently pay £350 a year for my mh - expecting this to be a lot more expensive - but is it massively more expensive?


Paid about £450 inc 6 months European and breakdown



dcummin said:


> LEZ - I've no doubt that London would become a no go - but because of this - will it mean prices have come down compared to a couple of years ago


No idea as I avoid LEZ like the plague



dcummin said:


> finally - any do's/don'ts that you can suggest


Talk to someone like DamonDunc.
Bodywork must be perfect
Engine must have been serviced regularly with full history
Habitation must be in good order and A habitation service history
Generator must have been serviced regularly and have a service history (Yes you will use it more than you think as shore power is not always available). My gennie runs on LPG and drinks gas. RV need and use a lot of electricity, batteries are only for very short periods.
A solar panel (with battery master or the like) is useful even in the UK for keeping the batteries topped up.
Biggest leisure batteries you can fit in the space available
A decent Pure Sine wave inverter would be a nice >=2500w (square wave will fry things)
Reversing Camera is a must
Rhino Hose for waste or even better a macerator
LED lights would be an advantage
Fridge mustn't gurgle when switched on or cooling
Extend-a-stay with Gaslow would be nice
Gas BBQ point would be nice
Awning should be in good order - no nicks or tears.
Aircon should be the non-CFC variety.
Cab Heater controls must work correctly - hot and cold
Habitation Heater must start easily when only on battery.


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi even amongst Rver's you will get conflicting answers :lol: my take on it:

Diesel, only if its a pusher, front engined (FRED's) are to noisy. 

No 8.1L GM or 6.8L Ford is going to do much more than 12MPG unless he's stealing the fuel, and you get less MPG on LPG. Just think about it, 8100cc pulling 7ton, compared to a Eurovan of 2400cc pulling around 3.5 ton, how many of them do 30MPG? I get the "equivalent" of 13-14mpg on LPG

LPG abroad is slightly dearer than here in some countries, cheaper in others, you still save money.

Engine-wise spares are easily available for any engine, be it Diesel or petrol.

Makes, I wouldn't touch a trailite, the name says it all, apart from that try to avoid an orphan, that's one where the manufacturer has gone west.

Insurance will depend on your no-claims, value etc. my insurance company transferred the no-claims from our micra to the RV, this year it was £700 with 60% no-claims.

I have an 1800watt modified sine wave inverter, and it doesn't fry things, so I don't know what that comment was about.

LEZ is for Diesels only.

To sum up the most important thing is MPG, if its important you shouldn't be getting an RV. :? :lol:

Olley


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## gdleeds (Mar 15, 2008)

Hi A neighbour of mine who grew up in Canada imports parts for US cars and RVs, may be worth a google
Rodley Motors Bradford West Yorkshire, 

he`s called Richard and a really nice bloke, runs a Garage, MOT etc may be able to help in looking over a vehicle.


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## des (Aug 13, 2005)

as usual, olley, nail hit on head with big hammer!

des


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