With predictions that we’re going to have one of the best summers in the recent years, people are snapping up the fantastic range of used motorhomes for sale. The motorhomes market is more buoyant than ever before, and there are more and more new models coming onto the market, resulting in more and more used motorhomes to choose from than ever before.
And what a choice there is, but it’s not just as easy as knowing your budget, the size of used motorhome you require, or even the make or model you like. So, let’s say you’ve gone through the hardship of waking up in the morning and screaming ‘buy my motorhome’ and ‘sell my motorhome’. You have the cash in your pocket, and you think you know which used motorhome model you’re interested in.
Well, before you even decide upon a make and model, you should look a little deeper into whether or not it’s going to be suitable for the purpose intended. You should ask yourself about its safe and legal weight restrictions. How many passengers will be travelling with you. and will you be adding additional weight, such as a bike stand, roof rack and more? And then there’s the MTPLM, being the manufacturer weight, plus the furniture, the camping equipment and the occupants. In other words, this is the complete weight of the loaded motorhome. There’s also the Mass in Running Order (MIRO) to consider too; i.e. the weight of the motorhome as it left the factory, including the furniture, the fuel and the essential equipment needed in order to function properly. This doesn’t include the weight of any additional baggage and occupants. So research your needs and base your model decisions on this.
When you’ve found the motorhome you’re interested in, whilst you do have to act fast when it comes to snapping-up the best motorhomes for sale, you do need to ensure that some thorough checks have been carried out on the vehicle first. First of all, a thorough inspection of the interior should be undertaken to check for dampness. Holes, bad smells, damp mattress sets, springy floors, discolouration and mats around the doors can all be indications of damp.
Apart from damp, used motorhomes have in some cases been modified and personalised, and this is generally to cover something up. Perhaps something nasty, like a fire or damp damage. So look a little deeper. And whilst examining the interior, don’t forget that, as well as all the fitted equipment, it is imperative to make sure that the gas and electric are in tip-top condition. Failure to do so can result in a real risk to those staying in the motorhome.
The exterior inspection should be looking for dents, scratches and broken surfaces. Seals and sealants should be high on your used motorhome checklist, and you should also inspect all the handles, windows, aerials, lights, doors, wheels, and the hitch and its electronics too.
Mechanical leaks should be identified; so you should focus around automatic transitions, leaking brake components and radiators. If any of these are leaking at all, these could be signs of an expensive repair job to make the motorhome safe.
The chassis and running gear should be inspected thoroughly, as hitch and suspension repairs can be expensive. Look for corrosion, signs of new paint or sealant, split rubber gaiters; all of these can be signs of disrepair, neglect or previous problems, and check that the handbrake is effective and moves freely.
So you’re satisfied with the state of your used motorhome. Well, now it’s time to check the history. With a number of very dodgy used motorhomes for sale, you want to check that the mileage matches the dashboard. An Experian check will reveal the history of the motorhome i.e. whether its been stolen, written off, still has outstanding finance, mileage discrepancies and more. And a good indicator of a quality used motorhome is a well filled-out logbook.
HPI checks are also very much worth carrying-out too! Since 2001, motorhomes have been sold carrying a unique Motorhome Identification Number (MIN), a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and of course, a Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM). An HPI check references these and will tell you if a motorhome has been stolen and if it has any outstanding finance on it. They don’t cost much either.
