It's all about the motorhome layout
No doubt about it, it’s the floorplan of the living quarters that should be your start point for deciding what vehicle is best suited to you. It’s not just about the bedroom / seating / washing / sleeping configurations. Check out key dimensions too, such as standing height, bed sizes etc, as well as the ergonomics of making beds, washing-up, the process of using the washroom facilities, as well as storage.
Travel arrangements are critical, too. Although most new motorhomes are bought and used by couples, they often want the facility to carry occasional extra passengers, especially grandchildren, at certain times.
Shield top tip: Size is important, too. Not just for living in, but you do need to take into consideration motorhome storage or rather where you will be keeping your motorhome when not in use.
Where to buy
It’s a funny little world, motorhomes. Can you believe a lot less than ten thousand new motorhomes are registered each year? Compare that with the millions of the car market and you can start to understand a bit more about this highly specialised sector.
Mainstream makes are sold in the normal way via a network of retail outlets. These will be independent operators (very rarely are these actually owned by the manufacturer) who, in most cases will have a number of official franchises.
There are alternatives. A number of smaller-scale converters sell direct rather than through agents. One advantage here is the vehicles could cost less and/or tend to be a bit more specialist again; the big disadvantage is it could involve a lot of travel for you, the customer – not just to go and view, but also when it comes to servicing and repair work etc.
Finally, there are a large number of small set-ups that produce bespoke conversions to individual design and order.
Fortunately, as far as motorhome insurance is concerned for any of the types of motorhome listed above, Shield has you covered. In particular, speak to us here at Shield first to find out which bespoke motorhome converters we recognise for insurance purposes – that’s also a pretty good guide to who the more important players are in this small sector.
Shield top tip: Do check the provenance of your dealership/supplier. How long have they been trading under their current name, what after-sales facilities do they boast, any details of customer testimonials etc etc. Are they part of any authorised network, such as the Approved Workshop Scheme, etc? Strange as it might seem, the state of the toilets at any dealership might give you a clue as to what they really think of their customers!
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