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Hello,

I am thinking of buying a Ford Autohome Travelhome, probably early 1990's model. Does anyone own one and if so, do you like it? What are it's pros and cons?

My mechanic says to only buy a Ford or Mercedes from this era, if not this motorhome, which one should I be buying?

Thanks for your help!

Phae

Hello Phae

I cannot answer you on this but good luck anyway I hope you get what  you want.

Thanks Romaway!

I still haven't bought one, looked at one and it had been very neglected, poor thing. I wanted to give it a good home and some tlc, but just wasn't worth the money. I have my eye on a couple at dealers and one on ebay.

What are everyone's thoughts on buying private vs dealers? Is the inflated price really worth the extra piece of mind?

Also, petrol vs diesel- I have heard that diesel engines last longer and don't require as much servicing. However, the petrol version of the travel home has much nicer decor for some reason. Will the turbo diesel have loads much ooommff and do more to the gallon?

Thanks!

Phae

Hello Phae

We used to have a Ford Transit Duetto and it was just lovely.  We went to a few shows to help decide which model we liked and to guage the price so we did our homework so to speak.

We bought it privately and we saw it in the MMM magazine internet site (you can see the private sales before they come out in the mag - you need to get the mag to get a password but have a look on their website to check process) so we were the first to see it.  The couple were elderly and only selling because of ill health.  We went to their house to see it in Leicester (from London) and we just assessed that they were genuine kind people who were only after a fair price and had lovingly looked after it so we did not have any worries about buying privately.  We paid £14,500 (the asking price) and got the same back when we sold it 18 months later, the dealers were asking about \£16,000 for same model but we never saw one in such good condition at a dealership.

the diesel does seem to be a better option as the engine lasts longer (I am no expert I just keep hearing it and it does more to the gallon - check with a mechanic.

We could have done with a turbo diesel but it went absolutely fine without.

When we bought this latest van - a small Romahome - they were not so easily available so we decided to go to a dealer who dealt with them to have a choice and a good look (rather than all over the counrty to see just one at a tiime!!!) We went to Freeborn in Guildford and then to another branch in Southampton.  We were more than happy with the dealer who was not pushy and were very professional.  We felt the price was right although more than possibly a private sale. We liked the peace of mind and have already been badk for minor adjustments and now the OH has pranged the back they are going to do the repair at a reasonable cost.  

I would not adavise you on whether to go private or dealer as there are pros and cons but if you are after a fairly available model or are not too rigid in choice you may prefer private sale and go with your gut feelings about the seller, you should be able to assess by the state of the van.

It all depends on circumstances at the time.#

Good luck

Thanks Romaway. Going to look at a private one tomorrow- fingers crossed!

Phae

Hi Phae

Remember to be careful about how you pay.  When we bought our van privately we took a building society cheque but when the seller and I went to his bank to bank it the Building Society there said that in all fairness they had to warn him that we could stop it if we really wanted to, it would be difficult but possible, this also applied to a bankers draft (as they can also be stolen).  They clearly knew him and were being open and honest with him.  As it meant us going all the way back to london and arranging cash or some other kind of direct payment he agreed to accept the cheque and we drove off with the van.  I do remember thinking that they would have had quite an anxiious time that weekend until the cheque cleared.  He must have trusted us and of course we were trustworthy.  But it did make me think about how we could have been crooks and done a runner and cancelled the cheque.

So when we sold our van we insisted on a CHAPS payment from the buyer where the cash is electronically transferred on the same day and you get a call from the bank to say it has been transferred. So they came to our house and waited for the transfer to be done and then we gave them the keys.  I know this is rather paranoid but you are talking possibly a lot of money.  Just be careful and don't leave yourself vulnerable. Obviously the risk is greater with selling and I am sure that the poeple you are going to see are above board but you do need to be on the alert these days.

PS have a read of the post about motorhome scams.

apart from all this I hope you have a wonderful time when you get your van and enjoy every minute of it.

Don't forget to put your window stickers up so we can give you a wave.