Buying a used motorhome: our checklist, from eight vans since 2007
We have bought about half of our eight motorhomes used, from a £5,000 first van with no idea what we were doing to a dealer-bought A-class that did not put a foot wrong. Here is our checklist, and what buying eight of them has taught us about getting it right.
The short answer
Check for damp in the roof seams, window surrounds and floor, ask for a service history and an up-to-date habitation check, and confirm the belted travel seats match the number of berths you need. Price and mileage matter less than condition and how honestly any faults have been disclosed.
We have written up the fuller version of this, layout by layout and family stage by family stage, in our original first-motorhome advice. This guide is the checklist we would take to a viewing today.
We bought our first motorhome in 2007 for £5,000, privately, from a couple called Darryl and Karen, with absolutely no idea what we were doing. We have bought seven more since, about half of them used, and along the way we learned what to actually check before handing over a deposit. This is that checklist, not a spec sheet, but what we would genuinely look for on a viewing today.
Why we would almost always buy used first
Learn what you like before you commit
A new motorhome loses a lot of its value in the first few years, and most families want to change layout as their children grow, from bunks for toddlers to twin lounges for teenagers. Buying a well-kept used van lets you learn what you actually like without paying the depreciation on finding out. We have made this exact point in our best family motorhome guide, and buying eight vans has only confirmed it.
It is also worth deciding early whether you want a motorhome or a smaller campervan, because the used market and the checks differ a little between the two. We have weighed that choice honestly, using our own coachbuilt and electric campervan side by side, in our motorhome versus campervan guide.
What to actually check
The list we would take to a viewing
Damp is the big one, and we cover it properly below. Past that, ask for the full service history and confirm the cambelt has been done on schedule if the base vehicle needs one. Check the mileage makes sense for the age and stated use of the van, rather than judging it as simply high or low. Confirm there is a current habitation check, or budget for one straight away if there is not.
Count the belted travel seats, not just the berths, and check that number against how many people you actually need to carry, not just sleep. Look at the payload too: the number left over between the unladen weight and the MTPLM, once you add passengers, water and kit, is what actually matters, and it can be tighter than it first looks. And always take a test drive, on a motorway and somewhere twistier, before you commit.
Damp and the habitation check
The one we would not skip again
Our very first van, a 1989 Talbot Pilote, did everything we needed and got us completely hooked, but it also had a faint smell of damp that we did not think to properly check for at the time. We were new to all of this and did not know better. We do now.
An independent habitation check, with a proper damp meter used on the roof seams, window and skylight surrounds, the floor and locker seals, is worth every penny before you buy. We went into what a habitation check actually covers, and whether you really need one, in a video of the same name, worth watching before your next viewing.
What buying eight vans taught us
A few real examples from our own history, and the lesson each one taught us about buying used.
- 1989 Talbot Pilote R470
Bought privately for £5,000 with zero experience. It was gorgeous and full of character, but it did smell faintly of damp, something we would check far more carefully now. It still got us completely hooked.
- 2012 Bessacarr E495
Newer and in better condition than the van it replaced, and four years of unfussy, reliable motoring followed. Nothing memorable went wrong with it, which for a used family van is about the highest praise you can give.
- 2016 Itineo SB740
Bought from a specialist dealer, Wokingham Motorhomes, rather than privately. Twelve thousand miles in eighteen months without a mechanical issue. Buying from a specialist who knows the stock is not the cheapest route, but it can be the safest.
- 2016 Swift Kon-Tiki 649
Found near Ipswich for a fraction of what it would have cost new, and it carried us to Croatia and Slovenia within months of buying it. A well cared for used van, found in the right place, can be a genuine bargain.
Used motorhome questions we get asked
What should you check when buying a used motorhome?
Damp readings in the roof seams, window surrounds and floor, the service history and cambelt record, an up-to-date habitation check, mileage against the age and use of the van, and the number of belted travel seats against the number of berths. Take your time on a viewing rather than falling for the first one that looks nice inside.
How do you check for damp in a motorhome?
A proper damp meter, used by a habitation engineer, is the reliable way, checking the roof seams, window and skylight surrounds, the floor and any locker seals. A musty smell or soft, spongy panels are a warning sign even without a meter. We learned this lesson the hard way on our first van, which had a faint damp smell we did not think to check for at the time.
Is it worth buying an older motorhome?
It can be, if the price reflects the age and the damp and mechanical checks come back clean. Our first van was a 1989 model bought for £5,000, and it did everything we needed for a first motorhome despite its age. What matters more than the year is condition, service history and how honestly any faults have been disclosed.
Should I get an independent habitation check before buying a used motorhome?
Yes, if the seller cannot show you a recent one. It covers the gas, electrics, water system and damp, the things that are expensive to fix and easy to miss on a walk-round. We have covered what a habitation check actually involves and whether you really need one in a dedicated video, worth watching before you view a van.
How many miles is too many for a used motorhome?
There is no fixed number. A motorhome that has covered high mileage but has a full service history and has clearly been looked after can be a better buy than a low-mileage van that has sat unused, because standing still is often worse for the seals, tyres and habitation systems than steady use.
Is it better to buy a used motorhome from a dealer or privately?
Both have worked well for us. We bought our Itineo from a specialist dealer and had a trouble-free eighteen months, and we found our Kon-Tiki 649 privately near Ipswich at a genuinely good price. A dealer usually costs more but gives you more comeback if something goes wrong; a private sale can be cheaper if you do your own checks properly.
Written by Steve and Lyndsay Radford. Every van and lesson named here is from our own buying history since 2007. Roaming Radfords is a trading name of Yowzer Limited.