How to Buy a Motorhome: A Complete First-Time Guide

Motorhomes and campervans are often treated as the same thing, but a motorhome is a different proposition: bigger, more comfortable and built to be a holiday home on wheels rather than a weekend conversion. If you are buying your first one, the key decisions come before you ever open a wallet.

Pick a body style

Motorhomes in the UK fall into a few broad families, and the style drives everything else. Van conversions are closest to a campervan, with a bolted-in interior and the best drivability. Coachbuilt motorhomes have a separately built body on a base chassis, offering far more headroom and a proper washroom. A-class motorhomes sit on a coachbuilt body with a streamlined nose and the most living space. Low-profile models keep a standard cab and are easier to park than a full A-class.

Match the size to your licence and plan

Size is the decision that costs money twice: once to buy, and once every time you park. Most buyers need a licence allowing vehicles up to 3,500 kg. Anything heavier generally requires a C1 licence, which many drivers who passed before 1997 hold automatically — check your licence entitlements before you fall in love with a 4-tonne coachbuilt. On the practical side, measure your driveway and think about everyday parking, because a 7-metre motorhome does not squeeze into the spaces a campervan does. Motorhomes for sale listings always state the size and weight, so filter by what your licence and drive allow.

Look past the glamour

At a viewing, run the same checks you would on any used vehicle, plus the habitation side. Damp is a bigger risk on coachbuilt bodies because of their size and construction — pay special attention to the roof join and the corners. Check that the gas locker, water tanks and waste tanks all drain and seal, and that the toilet cassette mechanism works. Ask how the van has been stored; a coachbuilt that sat outside for years will show more wear than one kept under a cover.

Budget for the running costs

A motorhome is more expensive to run than a campervan. Heavier vehicles use more fuel, wider tyres cost more to replace, and insurance and vehicle tax scale with size. Add in the cost of a regular habitation service and you have a real ownership figure. Compare models before you buy, and keep enough back for the first year of ownership rather than spending your whole budget on the van.

The right order to do things

Do your history check first, your inspection second and your professional damp and habitation check third — then negotiate. For the walk-around part of the process, our 30-minute viewing checklist transfers directly to a motorhome, with the same checks in the same order.