A 10 Step Guide to a Test Drive

1. Make an appointment, as few dealers will be able to make a specific test vehicle available at short notice. It is best to take plenty of time to cover every detail, so ask the sales person about planning a route and make any other specific requests, such as loading and additional passengers. If you're test driving a demonstrator model, check whether it has the same engine and specification as the model you are considering as a purchase.
2. If it's an older motorhome you want to try, ask if you can start it yourself (if the engine is warm when you arrive, it may have been pre-warmed to disguise starting difficulties). If the clutch bites at the top of the pedal's travel, it's probably worn, so ask about a replacement. If the steering pulls to one side, the tracking needs to be adjusted. If there's a lot of play in the steering wheel, the steering gear may be worn and that is fairly serious.
3. Take the maximum number of passengers you are likely to be carrying: can their feet touch the floor? Is there enough room for a child booster seat? Will the heater or air-conditioning be up to the job in extreme conditions? If possible, simulate a full load – if it's a garage model, ask the sales person if you can load your bikes or scooter to see how the motorhome copes with the weight distribution. If you like to drive with a full water tank, ask to fill it. Ideally, visit a weighbridge to check the motorhome's weight, either unladen or, better still, with your kit in it. (Remember, many weighbridges need to be booked in advance.)
4. Plan your route to sample all possible driving conditions and make it long enough so that you can get a genuine feel for the comfort levels of the travel seats. Include a steep hill, a section of motorway or dual carriageway and some urban driving. Try a hill start, to see how the clutch feels. Consider long-trip factors: for example, will the stereo provide enough volume for all passengers to easily listen to audio books or music on long journeys?
5. Does the motorhome fit in your driveway? If the dealer is local and your drive is difficult to get into, it's worth checking to see how easily you can park. Consider whether it will be more difficult to negotiate at night and assess the security of where you intend to park. Check how easy it would be to empty the waste outlet on a campsite with no dedicated service point. Can you fit an extension to empty the waste water into an ordinary drain?
6. Try parking, as you would on tour – if you prefer smaller motorhomes and like to park in town centres, see how this works. If it's an older motorhome, will anyone else likely to drive the motorhome be able to cope without power steering? If you sometimes drive alone, try parking on your own. If the motorhome is an A-class (which may have only one cab door), or an import with an offside habitation door, where will each passenger alight?
7. Do any retro-fitted accessories, such as reversing sensors, work as they should? Consider which accessories you need to fit and how these might affect visibility. The obvious one is a rear cycle carrier, which lengthens the vehicle and restricts your rearward view.
8. Cover all the angles. Simulate any difficult visibility conditions you may face, particularly if driving abroad, such as driving on the right-hand side of the road and turning left down a hill, with poor visibility of oncoming traffic. Can your passenger see enough to tell you when it's safe to pull out and will rear passengers obscure the view?
9. Be quiet. Drive the motorhome over an uneven road surface to see whether its squeaks and rattles set your teeth on edge. But, before you set out, make sure you've done everything sensible to stop noise, such as removing grill pans and baking trays from the cooker. Check the cupboard locks before you drive away, and that everything else is secure.
10. Identify the best service agent for the base vehicle in terms of quality of service, size of workshop (availability of short-term servicing) and cost. Ideally, this will be the supplying dealer or one of its sub-contractors. Consider spare parts costs and servicing cost over the vehicle's life span.

A 10 Step guide to the Right Floorplan

1. Beds

   Fixed beds are the most comfortable, but they have their limitations. Corner beds have cut-off corners, reducing one partner's legroom. Overcab (below) and garage beds may have restricted headroom and one partner will have to climb over the other to leave the bed during the night. Mattress quality is also important: a seating group bed (below) may make up quickly into a perfectly comfortable bed… or it may not – just try it out!

2. Ambiance

   Colour is a matter of taste, but how might the fabrics wear over time and would they be likely to put off other buyers when you come to sell? Also consider how different styles may favour certain seasons: dark woods can be a bit oppressive in summer, and bright colour schemes can appear cold in winter. If the motorhome is in a well-lit showroom, try closing the blinds to judge what the electric lights are like. Try to assess how much daylight the windows and rooflight will provide on dull or rainy days.

3. Kitchen

   Consider storage space, equipment, and worksurface area. And, are you likely to use an oven or a separate freezer compartment enough to justify the space they use? If you plan to stay exclusively on sites with electricity, a microwave could be practical. If you're unsure about how much space you will need, consider a week's touring and what you might be cooking. Also consider how others may be affected: can they sit comfortably in the lounge while someone is cooking?

4. Internal design

   Is there enough headroom for you to be able to stand up straight, or manoeuvre throughout the motorhome? Can two people pass each other when one is seated, or working in the kitchen? Can you get to the loo when other occupants are asleep? If children will use the motorhome, are there separate areas where they can read, sleep, and keep their things? And are there clear pathways, at their height, with no sharp edges?

5. Washroom

   If you plan to stay on sites all the time, the loo or shower space is not a major consideration as long as it's OK for occasional use. Many washrooms are narrow, so the simplest way to test whether there's enough room for your needs is to physically act out showering, washing etc. If you plan to camp away from facilities, how easily can all occupants get to the bathroom in the morning and is there room for everyone's towels and toothbrushes?

6. Seatbelts

   Many motorhomes have only two belted seats. Also, some travel seats are not permitted to be used on a 3.5-tonne chassis (to which some drivers are restricted). But more seats don't necessarily mean a bigger motorhome: some campers can seat up to seven, while most coach-sized US RVs seat only two. Remember that using all the travel seats will take up some of your payload.

7. Size

   Among other decisions you must make are: what weight of vehicle you can legally drive, the amount of space you have in which to park the motorhome, and what size of motorhome you feel most comfortable driving. Confirm these points before looking at any motorhomes because you will invariably want to buy the biggest model possible to gain the maximum amount of living space. Try to be realistic in your choice – you will not enjoy owning a motorhome if you are dreading manoeuvring it into your driveway at the finish of each trip.

8. Lounge space

   This becomes more crucial the longer you spend in the motorhome. If you like reclining, is there somewhere to rest your head, or position a cushion? Could one of the beds be used as a sofa? Could the swivel seats become recliners? If you plan to use your motorhome for active family trips, you may prefer a dinette (better for mealtimes than for lounging). Can everyone see the TV? If you like socialising, can four or more people sit around with a cup of tea, and come and go in comfort?

9. The future

   Consider a change of circumstances. If your eldest child has just got married, or you plan to have a child yourself, how could a floorplan cope with new occupants, or visitors for a day, or a week? Maybe you will retire soon and take longer trips than you have in the past, or perhaps visit friends in the UK? If you're a couple and plan to go south for the winter, is there enough room for you to keep out of each other's hair?

10. Dining

    How many people can sit at the table and comfortably reach their plates? Check for table extensions and adjustment mechanisms. If there are swivel cab seats, can the height be adjusted so that shorter occupants can reach the table? And, can both swivel seats be occupied without neighbours knocking knees? Finally, how easy is it to serve food to the table from the kitchen?

Buying secondhand: 10 step guide to INSPECTING A USED MOTORHOME

1. Check the motorhome's registration document carefully. In particular, look at the model and type, and taxation class details: avoid any motorcaravan whose vehicle registration document carries incorrect details under either of those two headings. And think twice before buying a motorhome which does not have some form of service history. At the very least you should ask to see the previous MoT certificates so that you can check whether or not the claimed mileage is genuine.
2. Check that the tread on all tyres has worn evenly and that there are no cracks or splits in the walls. And do not forget to check the inside tyre walls. Uneven tread wear could be an indication of more serious problems, so walk away.
3. Check the chassis and exhaust system for corrosion. Look for obvious signs of oil leaks and inspect the condition of the hydraulic pipes, electrical cables, water and waste pipes.
4. Look down the sides of the motorhome, from each end, for signs of dents and other damage. In the case of aluminium sides also check for signs of corrosion, likely to manifest itself by tiny pinholes where the paint has come away. Also, signs of paint over-spray can mean a poor bodywork repair following an accident. If it looks serious, it probably is, so walk away. Gaps in the sealant, or sealant which is no longer adhering to the bodywork, are signs that resealing is necessary, which is certain to be expensive. Also, don’t forget to check the roof – a dirty top-side may be concealing damage, for breaks in the sealant.
5. Inside the motorhome, especially in the case of a coachbuilt or A-class motorhome, press the walls and ceiling firmly to check for any signs of softness which would indicate possible water ingress. In particular, do this low down, in the corners under the seats and base units because this is often where water ingress first appears, only to be overlooked by the owner. Stained wallboard is another adverse sign which should not be ignored.
6. Check all plastic windows in the motorhome for gouges and deep scratch damage. Scratches can often be polished out but deep marks or other damage may mean that the window has to be replaced – a plastic window for a motorhome is an expensive item. While you are examining the windows, gently lift the seal, at intervals: if the frame is black, this is almost certainly due to water ingress, so look for another vehicle.
7. Make sure you walk all over the floor, feeling for soft spots which may indicate delamination. It is possible to repair this but it may be a sign of more significant structural problems, now or in the future.
8. In the washroom, check the condition of the sealant around the toilet, shower and basin. If a mat is fitted in the shower tray, lift it to check for cracks in the tray: depending on the age of the motorhome it can sometimes be impossible to find a replacement for a damaged item such as this.
9. Ask to see the owners' manual, and suppliers' instructions for the various items of equipment in the motorhome. Careful owners will have kept them.
10. Avoid any van which sports too many home-made modifications as these may cause problems such as water ingress due to the work carried out, or accessories having been poorly fitted, and could invalidate a warranty.