A Complete Guide to Buying and Using a Motorhome on Your Trips

Before going any further with your road trip preparations, the choice of vehicle is one of the things you need to tick off first.

Road trip cars are usually the first that comes to mind, and they can prove cheaper and faster. Most likely, you will find them available for rent at your destination of choice. However, comfort and convenience are two intangibles you’ll have to compromise by using cars.

If you want a seamlessly pleasant experience, there is no better contender than a motorhome—whether you’re going alone or with family or friends.

An Overview Of A Motorhome

Also known as a motor coach, a motorhome is a self-propelled car that offers mobile living accommodation. It typically has a kitchen area, sleeping space, bathroom facility, storage space, and passenger seat.

You might think motorhomes are a recent invention, but that isn’t the case. They were invented in the early 1910s and made a debut in Madison Square Garden. Of course, being primitive, they weren’t equipped with the complex systems that modern motorhomes have. They were like carts with beds, meaning they had no storage facilities, kitchen areas, bath spaces, etc. That has changed with time, especially with technological advancements, and today, you can even find several electric motorhomes for sale.

There are three major classes of motorhomes: A, B, and C. Class A motorhomes are larger and tend to be built on bus chassis. They can accommodate up to ten people and have kitchen, sitting, storage, and bathroom spaces.

Class B motorhomes are smaller in size. They have less space and accommodate about four people. However, they’re more economical when it comes to fuel consumption.

Class C motorhomes are medium-sized motorhomes. They fall somewhere between class A and class B, with a capacity of between five and eight people.

Benefits Of Using A Motorhome On Your Trip

There are many benefits of taking a motorhome for your trips. They include the following:

When travelers want to purchase motorhomes, they often consider it a huge expense. But in reality, using your motorhome when taking trips helps save money in the long run. Once you purchase a motorhome, you’ll rarely spend money on it other than when taking it for service, making a few repairs, or renewing your annual insurance subscriptions.

But it eliminates the need to find accommodation and think about where to have your next meal since it has a kitchen area and a sleeping space. Therefore, you won’t spend your money on the expensive hotels in the town. First, however, you’ll have to pay for gas.

Using your own motorhome could be your best deal if you want to enhance your flexibility on a trip. It offers complete freedom when traveling. If you want to change direction or stop when you spot something interesting on the road, you can do so. But you need to consider the maximum trip length specified in your travel insurance policy to ensure you don’t lose your protection.

Another great benefit of taking a trip using a motorhome is the comfort and convenience it provides. As noted earlier, it comes with everything you need—kitchens, bedrooms, bath spaces, etc. Simply put, it lets you feel at home while on the trip. That goes a long way in promoting your comfort.

• Puts You In The Driver’s Seat

If you dislike the frustration that comes with public means of transport, then consider finding a motorhome. Traditional modes of travel come with many challenges, like congestion and delays at the bust station or airports. In certain instances, you might be at risk of contracting the virus from that coughing traveler. In simple terms, you will be compromising your travel experience if you use most other traditional modes to travel.

A motorhome puts you in the driver’s seat. You can travel anytime, change routes to avoid traffic jams, avoid crowded places, etc. As such, you’ll likely be happy and enjoy your trips.

• Allows You To Carry Everything You Want

You may want to add many essentials to your carry-on luggage, but that might not be possible if you use other means of transport. For instance, with airplanes, you won’t be able to bring all the items you need and want. If they exceed the maximum weight limit on luggage, you might be forced to leave so many things behind.

With a motorhome, you have the luxury of bringing everything you need since there are no limits. And if you’re traveling with your family, you won’t be worried about all the baggage you usually bring on family trips.

• Enables You To Form A Strong Relationship With Your Family

Investing in a motorhome isn’t all about saving money and enhancing your comfort when taking trips. It can actually strengthen your family bond. Tourist destinations and most camping areas you’ll see along the way are typically designed to allow children to explore and have fun. Participating in activities like swimming, playing volleyball, dancing, etc. may allow your family members to get close to each other. A motorhome will also allow you to go with your pets on the trip.

If you are one of the many people who love slow traveling, then the motorhome is the vehicle you need. A motorhome allows you to travel at your own pace and stop whenever you want.

You’ll also likely meet like-minded people and develop a bond with them, expanding your social network. Furthermore, it allows you to join online motorhome-user platforms where you can get lots of useful information and recommendations about which destinations you can plan to explore next.

Buying A Motorhome For Your Trips

As detailed in the previous section, there are several benefits of using a motorhome for a road trip. However, you must utilize the right equipment. But with thousands of them out there, sometimes, it can be challenging to decide which is right for you. Here are some important steps to simplify the process of finding motorhomes for sale.

• Define Your Goals And Set Your Budget

When shopping for a motorhome, the first step is to define your goals and set your budget. When setting your goals, you need to answer questions like why you want to buy the motorhome and how you will use it.

Once you see your goals, the next thing is to define your budget. This involves deciding how much money you’re ready or willing to spend on shopping. For instance, when you go to a dealership, you’ll likely be attracted by many modern motorhomes. But some of them are very expensive, and if you aren’t careful, you can be forced to spend more than you have. Avoid that by budgeting and sticking to it.

• Decide If You Want A New Or Secondhand Motorhome

Another important strategy to ensure you find the right motorhome is to decide whether you need a brand-new or used one. Buying a new motorhome will likely cost you more money. However, you won’t be worried about the wear and tear of its various systems. It also allows you to work with a manufacturer to customize it. Therefore, it can offer more comfort and better experiences than a used one.

A secondhand motorhome, on the other hand, can allow you to save money on your initial investment. However, it’s safe to assume it might have already experienced some damage and require replacement or repairs. If you decide to buy a used one, ensure you conduct a thorough inspection first to ensure it won’t cost you a lot of dollars on potential repairs.

The model and make will significantly depend on your preference, but you must choose something within your budget.

To help select the most suitable motorhome model for your trip, ensure you visit the various dealerships to see what they have in store. But you should avoid making your purchase from the first dealer you encounter. Spend at least a few weeks seeing all the available motorhomes in person. In simple terms, you should compare all the available options on the market.

Now that you’ve got an idea of your budget and have settled on a particular motorhome model, you can consider organizing your finances. This involves collecting and bringing money together in preparation for the purchase. It also allows you to decide on the most suitable source of funds to finance the equipment.

You can get the money to purchase your motorhome from various places. But the best source is your savings. However, if that isn’t sufficient, you can opt for other methods like disposing of some of your old assets for cash or applying for loans. If you decide to apply for a loan, ensure you meet all the criteria before you apply. For instance, most financial lending institutions require you to have a good credit score and provide collateral for the loan.

• Select Your Motorhome Dealer

The dealer will most likely be the one who will service and repair your vehicle as well. So it’d be a good idea to find someone you can trust and form long-term relationships with.

If you’re going to be traveling nationwide, ensure you find a motorhome dealer with many shops across the country. That enables you to access them easily when you need their help. On the other hand, you can find a dealer near you if you plan to go on local trips. But whichever is the case, partner with a reputable vendor.

When finding the best motorhome dealer, you should read online reviews. This gives you a clue of the quality of services to expect from them. Clients value a dealer with a good reputation. You can read comments by those clients to see what they have to say about the dealer. A company with more positive feedback than negative is a brand you can trust.

You can also consider asking your dealer to give you a few references they’ve previously worked with. This allows you to interview them about their experiences with your prospective seller. That also enables you to make an informed decision when finding a motorhome for sale.

Once you’ve selected a dealer, it’d be a good idea to ask for an inspection. This is important, especially when buying secondhand equipment. It involves partnering with a third-party company to perform detailed inspections inside and outside of the motorhome.  

An inspection done by a professional will give you a full view of the motorhome. It can also help determine the value of the equipment. As such, you’ll be able to negotiate the price. You can also use the inspection report to plan for the repairs if necessary. Research to find the best motorhome inspection service provider in the region. 

• Test The Motorhome Before You Pay For It

Like any other machine, the best way to tell whether a particular motorhome is the right one for you is to actually try it. Therefore, before you make your payment, consider test-driving the motorhome for a few kilometers. That way, you can decide whether it’s the right for your camping needs or not. In others words, it’ll help you to make an informed decision.

• Make Sure Everything Else Is In Order

Before you take your motorhome from the dealer, ensure everything else is fine. For instance, ensure you’ve got a valid driver’s license and that your motorhome is fully insured against any potential risk. You may also want to ensure that one or two of the people you’re going on a journey with knows how to drive a motorhome. Such people will help you to drive it when you get tired. You should also consider purchasing insurance for your next trip. It can help cover emergency medical bills. 

Takeaway

Investing in a motorhome is one of the best ways to prepare for your trips. It allows you to save money, enhance your comfort, and form strong relationships with family members, among other benefits. First, however, you must find the right equipment. Then you can follow the steps in this guide for a smooth purchase of a motorhome for your trips.