Here at MMM, we regularly look at the choices of interiors and layouts when buying a new or used motorhome, but here I am concentrating on what steps to take to check over a base vehicle. And, if you're already a motorhome owner, then these steps are equally useful to carry out regularly to ensure your base vehicle remains in good condition.
If you are a novice and are buying your first motorhome, consult someone trusted and experienced, and read up on everything from heaters to toilets.
Check out What Motorhome, the annual Buying Your Perfect Motorhome guide and attend one of the Warners’ many outdoor shows, which offer helpful buying advice seminars and Q&A sessions.
But back to base vehicles and, far as drivetrains are concerned, for all but the very largest of motorhomes, front-wheel drive (FWD) is best. Handily, the majority of motorhomes are FWD. They are almost exclusively powered by diesel engines, too.
As far as power is concerned, I always thought that more is best but, for most vehicles, 120bhp to 130bhp is adequate. More than this is only needed if you are buying or own something very large or you tow a car or trailer behind you.
Manual gearboxes on used motorhomes are the norm but fully automatics are becoming more commonplace on newer models and we expect they will soon become the norm. Semi-automatics (Comfort-Matic, Quickshift, Sprintshift, Agile…) are the middle ground and
