Hi Kirstenhartvig. Best bit of advice I can give is.......Take your time, have a good look round the dealers to see what is available, don't buy spontaneously unless you are really sure and most of all beware of damp problems, sadly loads of vans these days are found to have damp problems, get your chosen van checked out by an independent engineer and ensure you get a warrenty if buying from a dealership. Hope that helps.

Thank you, Old Soldier and KatMax, for your excellent answers. Very useful tips.
We went to a dealer today and saw a Coachmen Catalina and an enormous Winnebago.
We'll probably go back and see them again later in the week, although the Winnebago was much too big for the kind of mountain roads we are planning on frequenting.
Amazing how much space there is in an American motorhome though. They were both from the 1990s so a bit dated, but thus within our price bracket. Still beautiful. Good point about checking all the functions!
Thanks again for your helpful comments. Much appreciated. Which models have you all got?

Hi Kirsten,
I have just a small panel van based Auto-Sleeper Duetto ... just big enough now there is only me and my dog
When my partner was alive we did go and look at some Winnebago's as he loved them ... but as you say they are so big it really was not a practical solution ... we had an Auto-Sleeper Executive which had lots of storage ... I must say I miss that in my Duetto ... but he is easy to drive and very good on fuel ... only thing is with him is he is on a Ford Transit base and they suffer from the rust worm ... he may not be pretty but he suits Max dog and I
Look forward to pictures of the motorhome you eventually choose

That sounds SO nice, rusty or not

And Yes, fuel consumption is an important issue. The big ones we've seen only do 20m/gallon, ie about 7.5km/litre, which is a bit frightening since we are planning to do a few thousand miles a year. We'll have to start saving up for the fuel!

I suppose the oak panels and the deep sofas take their toll on the scales. We've even looked at one with a wood burning stove!

How many days a year do you live in your camper?
We're seeing another one on Sunday. Can't wait!

Thank you for reminding us to take time and have fun looking and not be pushed into buying. I've made a check list with yours and Old Soldier's points, so now we sound like we know what we are talking about

This seems to be a good time of year to look.

I have not had this one for long and it needed a few things doing to make it usable ... so last week was our first time out ... Max did very well but the camper not so ... we came home on a breakdown truck
I am not letting it put me off ... van will be fixed in a couple of weeks and we will be off again ...

Breakdown insurance is another thing to look into ... I can say from experience it saves a lot of hassle if you have the correct cover

Enjoy your hunting at the weekend ... and yes this time of year people who have bought on a whim and found it does not suit them are trying to sell ... worst time to buy is spring

Hi there and welcome to the club.
Obviously it depends how big you end up going but my 6 berth motorhome is larger than the VW you had and I get 35mpg if I drive like an old woman, but get 30mpg all day long, even towing a boat or at 70mph on motorways.
The American vans do use a lot more fuel and I feel seem to be large but 'empty' if you know what I mean.
What sort of budget do you have in mind?

Hi Kirstenhartvig and welcome, Good luck with the motorhome search, I personally believe it ends up a compromise on things you require in a MH, I wanted mileage to be premium as once I set off exploring I don't know when to stop lol, also parking anywhere regarding room, I converted a Vito in the end ( 45mpg + ) and gets under 2 mtr barrier and takes up a car space, as I travel France mostly I realised I spent most time outside ( heat ) I simply mention this as my compromise ! I note some good comments by our members so let us all know what you decided on again -- good luck

Thank you for your thoughtful and helpful replies. It is good to feel among friends in this jungle.
We've had an interesting weekend. Saw a lot of different vans at a dealer's and on the net without result.
But today we went out to see yet another private sale, and we liked it instantly, and we liked the sellers very much too. So I think we've found "the one".
I'll tell you more when the deal has gone through.
Very exciting. Fuel consumption not as good as yours but we need to fit kid and dogs too, and we want to be able to live in the van, so we are prioritizing space and comfort. I hope we are making the right decision.
We went through the checklist and are getting the van serviced and habitation checked. Thank you very much for reminding us of the importance of various checks and points. ⯑

Looking forward to seeing which one you have chosen ... lots of pictures please ... plus a few of the dogs thrown in ...