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Just a note of warning to anyone looking to buy a little used motorhome. I bought a year 2000 Autosleeper Symbol (Petrol) last year with 17000 miles on the clock (now 27000) and whilst I got it reasonably it has cost a few bob to bring up to scratch. The list so far:-

Four new tyres.(Looked fine but the valves were perished...Lucky we're in the AA.Called out twice.Tyres were manufactured in 1999. £268.00

Replacement timing belt. Replaced every 5 years About £200.00 plus full service on top

New Exhaust system. £150.00

Today....Internal Cylinder Head Gasket. No bill yet but advised in excess of £500.00

Still love her to bits though!

David

you can't beet using your van every week . they last a lot longer

Quote: Originally posted by dsewell103 on 13/2/2008

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you can't beet using your van every week . they last a lot longer

 

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Timing belt (camshaft belt) should be done every two years IMHO. I do mine every year; stinking cheap against the price of the head off

Tyres? at that sort of age and bearing in mind that the vehicle has probably stood in place without being moved, all I can say is that I would expect to have replaced them.

Head gasket? Can't give you a decent reason for that to have gone though: Let us know what how you get on please.

I know exactly what you mean David, we bought a 5 year old Duetto with 22,000 miles on the clock.  The leisure battery was as good as dead although the delaer exchanged it with no quibbling at all.  Like you we immediately needed 4 new tyres about £250 then the service was about £500 with other work needed afterwards.  The trouble is people buy an expensive van then cheat on  the servicing them as they think the mileage since last service is only 1500 miles etc.  With ours it was oil seals and things.  Oh I forgot the exhaust needed changing too.

We now have a 3 year old van which has done 30,000 miles and has been correctly serviced and is driven weekly if we aren't away camping and serviced properly.  Spoke to a dealer last week who would prefer a van that has done some mileage rather than sitting there but then dealers say ours is high mileage and consequently would get £1500 less on part ex.

The motorhome dealers and magazines appear to be the people who lead the "low mileage is best" as there are so many vans that do less than 1500 miles a year.  Look at any of the adverts in the magazines, ours may do 1500 in a week if we are touring Ireland or Scotland. 

Perhaps we should start a campaign "big mileage is better" lol.

Ooops... forgot the leisure battery... add another forty quid ! My repairers said that if the vehicle had done 90,000 miles there would not be the problems. Am still in pocket so just hope I'm nearly through the woods. Mine was a private purchase.

Just hope my post and others gives others a word of warning and they leave older low mileage vans on the forecourt until the price is more realistic.

David

We do about 7-10k per year. I use it to nip in to town or go to the caravan shop about once per week at least. The milage is irrelevant, age is the factor which is why I find it amazing seeing people buy a van of 10+ years old simply because its got low miles and then paying more for it because its a top class coach builder. My van was 20k at two years old private. There are Kontikis and alike (lovely vans) that are 10 years old or more being sold for more than that, simply amazes me.  Loverly to have a decent coach build but not much fun if the motor keeps packing up on you. But it's all to do with choice.

On the subject of dealers and milage. The buying dealer faced with an above average motorhome milage will nod wink and say "ooh lot of miles for a motorhome that mate might knock of its value" when selling, " Hardly any  miles that, not even run in these vans are designed to do 200k +" so you cant win. When I change my van I will be looking for the newest van I can afford for my money, with the right layout regardless of coach builder. That way Im likely to get something quite new without the whats happened previously problem.

On the otherhand it's nice to have things go wrong as it all adds to the fun of it. My kids remember fondly our holiday to France where we broke down towing a caravan and had to be towed all the way home from Dover in a big recovery lorry overnight, They thought it was magic.

  We had problems with our Talbot due to it being stood for long periods of time before we got it, (it did 200 miles in the space of 4 years) and had 33,000 miles on the clock when we got it. It needed 4 new tyres (the tyres it came with were cheap and could not take the weight of a motorhome so the sidewalls lost their strength and the tyres became mishapen and could have blown-out at anytime.)

  The wastegate on the turbo was stuck so we were losing power and at the same time the engine wasn't performing at it's best but injector cleaner sorted that out.

   The cambelt had only been on for 5,000 miles so we never changed it in all the time we owned the van so i suppose we were lucky for it never to snap.

  We always used the van at least once every two weeks to keep everything moving and move the weight off the tyres. It had 50,000 miles on the clock when we sold her so she never stood still long

Looks like a familiar story.

I got my "minter" last year, 7 years old but only 20000 miles. Have had to replace the leisure battery, four new tyres and a timing belt and service, replace hoses on waste and clean water tanks so far. Having said that its not let me down except for the battery, the rest has been me bringing her up to scratch to make up for a lack of care by previous owners. I have been told that keeping on top of the oil and changing the tyres every 5 years should be considered routine.

John

PS off to get her reupholstered next week but thats just me "buying myself a present"!!!!!!!