Caterham to Camper
Discussion
Afternoon guys!!
I've been thinking about selling my Caterham and swapping it with a tvr or lotus exige but a motorhome has also come into frame.
Has anyone here sold there fast toy for a motorhome??? If so how was it??
The reason a motorhome has become an idea is that I now have a family and I've always fancied one.
I am looking at 4 and 6 berth motorhomes but what makes should I be looking at. I'm obviously after reliability and reasonably modern interiors. I've got about £20,000 to spend maybe a tad more. What items/extras should I look for?
I'm a total newbie when it comes to these so any info is appreciated.
I will be using it for the weekend away as well as long holidays in Europe etc.
Just not sure how I'd cope without speed lol.
Adam
I've been thinking about selling my Caterham and swapping it with a tvr or lotus exige but a motorhome has also come into frame.
Has anyone here sold there fast toy for a motorhome??? If so how was it??
The reason a motorhome has become an idea is that I now have a family and I've always fancied one.
I am looking at 4 and 6 berth motorhomes but what makes should I be looking at. I'm obviously after reliability and reasonably modern interiors. I've got about £20,000 to spend maybe a tad more. What items/extras should I look for?
I'm a total newbie when it comes to these so any info is appreciated.
I will be using it for the weekend away as well as long holidays in Europe etc.
Just not sure how I'd cope without speed lol.
Adam
Ditto the above - just driven my 416cdi Hymer back from Travelworld (Telford) to Essex and it was an absolute dream. My other car is a X5 40d - ok so no Caterham but no slouch either. But the Hymer is brilliant for kicking back and relaxing whilst driving. Very therapeutic and no concerns about speeding tickets! 
In terms of buying advice; don't forego quality in the pursuit of contemporary looks. That was the mistake I made with my first van and only recognize now with what I've ended up with. As now a bit of a Hymer convert, I'd suggest giving the A class Hymers a look. Might look dated but £20k will bag you a good one and they not only generally go on forever but less likely to succumb to the dreaded damp most other coachbuilts do.
We only had 9 days away in our previous one but it was enough to have us hooked. Watching our then 18 month old have a ball outside in the fresh air and enjoying the journeys was one of the reasons I've just bagged another one. And a good one too!
Do it - there's nothing quite like it.
In terms of buying advice; don't forego quality in the pursuit of contemporary looks. That was the mistake I made with my first van and only recognize now with what I've ended up with. As now a bit of a Hymer convert, I'd suggest giving the A class Hymers a look. Might look dated but £20k will bag you a good one and they not only generally go on forever but less likely to succumb to the dreaded damp most other coachbuilts do.
We only had 9 days away in our previous one but it was enough to have us hooked. Watching our then 18 month old have a ball outside in the fresh air and enjoying the journeys was one of the reasons I've just bagged another one. And a good one too!
Do it - there's nothing quite like it.
You might want to have a chat with Bill on here about having a motorhome on that base.
The other key thing is to sort out the right layout for you. Personally, we went for a double overcab and a double over a garage at the back which works very well for 2 children as well as giving you a large volume for storage of bikes etc.
Don't forget to check available payload too when you have thought about what you want to carry in it....
The other key thing is to sort out the right layout for you. Personally, we went for a double overcab and a double over a garage at the back which works very well for 2 children as well as giving you a large volume for storage of bikes etc.
Don't forget to check available payload too when you have thought about what you want to carry in it....
You won't run into a Tribute 720 at the 20k mark for a while yet, motorhomes hit a depreciation cavern at 25k and almost stop losing money.
For a budget van the Tribute is fine, Ford base is the fwd one that has its issues as do all of the base vehicles but when you're doing 4k a year you're not likely to hurt it.
Main thing is get the size and layout right.
I've a lovely Hymer b584 A class on the forecourt that's like a smaller Fiat/alko version of Spuffingtons but it's £26995 (25 with no px to a pher) and for the same price you would squeak a much much newer van with a lower grade conversion, swings and roundabouts there's no right right answer.
For a budget van the Tribute is fine, Ford base is the fwd one that has its issues as do all of the base vehicles but when you're doing 4k a year you're not likely to hurt it.
Main thing is get the size and layout right.
I've a lovely Hymer b584 A class on the forecourt that's like a smaller Fiat/alko version of Spuffingtons but it's £26995 (25 with no px to a pher) and for the same price you would squeak a much much newer van with a lower grade conversion, swings and roundabouts there's no right right answer.
How many vans have you sold to PHers? 
I used to tow my Caterham behind my van, then I had a child, then some more. The Caterham didn't get used and the van was too small, so we sold both and got a Rollerteam 600g, 6 berth overcab/rear garage effort on a rwd Transit base.
And, economy aside, it's brilliant. It pulls remarkably well but 70mph is at 3k rpm in top and it struggles to get 20mpg. If you drop the speed a few mph it is noticeably better so I'm hoping that the new slightly taller tyres will help, along with a few more miles as it was on 8k when we bought it.
It's not a luxury van and the front seats aren't great if you're tall but it's perfectly comfortable and suits us down to the ground.
I used to tow my Caterham behind my van, then I had a child, then some more. The Caterham didn't get used and the van was too small, so we sold both and got a Rollerteam 600g, 6 berth overcab/rear garage effort on a rwd Transit base.
And, economy aside, it's brilliant. It pulls remarkably well but 70mph is at 3k rpm in top and it struggles to get 20mpg. If you drop the speed a few mph it is noticeably better so I'm hoping that the new slightly taller tyres will help, along with a few more miles as it was on 8k when we bought it.
It's not a luxury van and the front seats aren't great if you're tall but it's perfectly comfortable and suits us down to the ground.
I can vouch for the Hymer 584 at Travelworld - mine was parked up next to it on Fri / Sat and a nice looking van.
We've just spent our first day out in the van; stopped at a local C&C site in order to dump toilet and grey waste and spent the afternoon parked up playing outside with my daughter but eating our lunch inside the van. Layout wise it works perfectly. With our first fan we though we knew what we were looking for, but got it spectacularly wrong. My main bit of advice is to not underestimate how important "living" in the van is as sleeping in it. Try out loads and imagine how you're going to use them before you buy. Thankfully I got out roughly with my shirt last time, but could've been a lot different,
We've just spent our first day out in the van; stopped at a local C&C site in order to dump toilet and grey waste and spent the afternoon parked up playing outside with my daughter but eating our lunch inside the van. Layout wise it works perfectly. With our first fan we though we knew what we were looking for, but got it spectacularly wrong. My main bit of advice is to not underestimate how important "living" in the van is as sleeping in it. Try out loads and imagine how you're going to use them before you buy. Thankfully I got out roughly with my shirt last time, but could've been a lot different,
Not quite the same as you, but....
I have gone through a mk1 MR2, VX220, Smart Roadster, mk1 Eunos and now my weekend toy is a VW T25, 2.0L Aircooled! We have two kids so the two seater sports cars were not getting used. Just gone out for the weekend and had an absolute ball.... kids love it and I actually enjoy the 'slllooowwww' driving experience. Hitting the apex is still important especially when negotiating hills!
It is nice sitting so high so driving down country lanes is a complete novelty compared to a low down sports car. The thrills will not come from speed or agility. But, it is a relaxed experience except the constant gear shifting to get it right for a hill! We have had it for three years now and I am doing 10 times the mileage in it compared to the Eunos which preceded it. The last year owning the Eunos I did 124 miles between MOTs!
I cannot make any recommendations about what to get as ours is basic! Of the things we do have installed I would say the electric hookup and gas hob are the most important - but probably not relevant in the market you are looking at!
Mike
I have gone through a mk1 MR2, VX220, Smart Roadster, mk1 Eunos and now my weekend toy is a VW T25, 2.0L Aircooled! We have two kids so the two seater sports cars were not getting used. Just gone out for the weekend and had an absolute ball.... kids love it and I actually enjoy the 'slllooowwww' driving experience. Hitting the apex is still important especially when negotiating hills!
It is nice sitting so high so driving down country lanes is a complete novelty compared to a low down sports car. The thrills will not come from speed or agility. But, it is a relaxed experience except the constant gear shifting to get it right for a hill! We have had it for three years now and I am doing 10 times the mileage in it compared to the Eunos which preceded it. The last year owning the Eunos I did 124 miles between MOTs!
I cannot make any recommendations about what to get as ours is basic! Of the things we do have installed I would say the electric hookup and gas hob are the most important - but probably not relevant in the market you are looking at!
Mike
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