If you’re looking to cut the cost of your holidays, and go on a certain kind of road trip adventure whenever the fancy takes you, then it might make sense to invest in a motorhome. Through a vehicle of this kind, you’ll be able to spend time out in the remote wildness, and enjoy a level of comfort and luxury that traditional camping holidays can’t match.
If you’re going to make this investment, however, you’ll need to consider a few key factors. Let’s run through a few of the more consequential ones.
Assess Your Needs and Lifestyle
To begin with, it’s worth thinking about what you’re looking to get from your motorhome. Are you going to be going on short trips that last a single weekend, or are you going to be touring Europe for months on end? How many people do you want to accommodate, and what kinds of features are important to you? For example, if you don’t want to have to shower in a communal campsite facility, you’ll need a vehicle that comes with bathroom facilities built-in. All of these considerations will influence the kind of motorhome you end up investing in.
Budget and Financing
What matters just as much as your intended use of the motorhome is the amount of money you have available to spend on it. Devise a sensible budget ahead of time, and use that to justify your spending decisions. This should cover the purchase price, as well as ongoing costs like fuel, maintenance, and site fees. It might be that financing makes sense, depending on your circumstances. What’s particularly important is that you have money set aside for contingencies. That way, you’ll be able to react if something goes wrong with your vehicle and you need cash to cover the extra expenses before your insurer steps in.
Licensing and Insurance Requirements
Depending on the size of your motorhome, you might need a special kind of license to drive it. A Category B license will allow you to drive a vehicle of up to 3.5 tonnes; if you’d like to drive something bigger, then you will almost certainly need a Category C license instead.
You’ll also need appropriate insurance. For motorhomes, the best bet is to look for comprehensive motorhome insurance.
New vs. Used Motorhomes
One easy way to slash your costs is to look at the used motorhome market. You won’t get many of the features offered by newer models, but you will enjoy much lower costs, and less depreciation. A luxury model from a decade ago might be preferable to a cheaper one that was built yesterday.
When shopping used, however, it’s worth exercising caution. Take note of any wear and tear, even if it seems superficial. Make sure that you test drive the vehicle, and review the MOT and service history. It might be that you can identify problems, which might give you leverage to negotiate a discount – or a reason to walk away from the transaction entirely.
