B licence good enough

thetyreman

Hi folks as above is a B licebce sufficent to drive most of the normal like 4/6 berth campervans,i think a Ballows upto 3500kg i think,are 4/6 berths mostly below this weight.
Also i know everone has there on preferences on which camper may be the best to go for,but is there anyone in particular should veer towards,im not worried about the chassie/engine because i am either going to go with a ford or mercedes (as i had a fiat ducato van last year and it broke my heart,not to mention my wallett)just wondering what to go for in bodywise.We have a Coachman caravan at the minute and i must say it would be known to be of a much better spec/workmanship than alot of the others,but i feel we would be more inclined to go away more often if we had a campervan.So basically in a nutshell what should i be looking out for in 6/8 berth CV,spending around 20k-25k.

aerosol

Hi tyreman, I believe your right about licence,ie up to 3.5 your ok,but not 100% sure.

Most motorhomes 4/6 berth would be under this weight but always best to find out before journeying to see one! Bigger vans going upto 8 berth could easily be over the 3.5.... This is the majic weight for VRT payments if your planning to import(standard €50 )

In todays climes you could get a real good van for your budget. if you want to stay clear of the Fiat chassis your chance going to be really narrowing your options though...:)

peasant

There will be plenty 6-8 berth vans out there that come in at 3.5 tons max ...on paper.

Problem is that most of these will come in at over 3 tons already when empty. Fill them up with fuel, water, some food & clothes and you can leave half of the intended passengers behind as you will be well above 3.5 tons.

Driving with an overloaded van could have serious insurance implications in case of an accident, it also makes it unsafe to drive.

On the continent you can also reckon with an inspection and a very hefty fine.

In case you're looking for such a big van because you really want to bring that many people, I would recommend getting the appropriate licence and then look for a van that can safely handle the weight


As for chassis: I've only heard good things about Iveco based vans (got one myself)

thetyreman

Slight change in topic,but i would imagine there will be alot of CV comeing on the market with the recession and stuff,weather due to reposession or people just under financial pressure to sell yes/no what you think.

thetyreman

Is there any difference between a A-class and a Coachbuilt camper,besides the obious ?

stapeler

thetyreman wrote: »

Slight change in topic,but i would imagine there will be alot of CV comeing on the market with the recession and stuff,weather due to reposession or people just under financial pressure to sell yes/no what you think.

You might be correct but as yet there doesn't appear to be a flood of them on the market. Already Motorhome Ireland has gone bust. They had a liquidation auction a few months back where there was a few bargains to be had. Wilsons auctions sold them at auction and there may still have a few of them on offer, Here's their NI link
Traditionally motorhome owners were of an older generation (retired) who may not be as exposed to the current financial climate. There are a few dealers out there who appear to have the same stock for the past year/two and may be forced to drop their prices a bit more.

Your question re: A Class v Coach built, The A class appear to be a bit more spacious up front with more dining space, on a negative side I'd say windscreen, front panel replacements etc. may be a tad more expensive for an A Class.