Since the pandemic, there has been a marked increase in the popularity of motorhomes, perhaps brought on by the restrictions on foreign travel that were in place during that period.

These days, we are still seeing quite a few newcomers to the lifestyle, and one popular option is buying an older motorhome, almost certainly because of the sharp rise in prices we’ve seen over the past four years or so.

The burning question is, when you’re looking for the best secondhand motorhome, does it make sense to buy a ’van that’s 20 years old, or more? Well of course, it can do if you’re really lucky.

For example, a friend of mine owns a 2003 vehicle that is absolutely immaculate, inside and out; there’s no rust on the chassis and less than 20,000 miles recorded.

He has spent a not inconsiderable amount of money on it over the past few years, though – new clutch, new turbo, new motorhome tyres, new graphics to replace faded originals, and so on.

At the other end of the scale, we have a 30-year-old model in at the moment that has extensive corrosion to the under wheel arch areas, which requires about eight hours of welding repairs. It also needed a new exhaust system, both rear wheel cylinders were leaking, and the brake fluid had to be changed, as did the coolant and a couple of hoses.

Throw in an MOT, service and habitation inspection and all of a sudden, there’s a bill for over £1500 – but at least it already had new tyres.

If you can buy at the right price, and especially if you can do any work yourself that might be required, you can get some really good bargains at the mature end of the market. But never buy just on the look of the interior – underneath all that comfortable upholstery is a motor vehicle.

Careful checks are essential when buying an older motorhome

It’s really important to do your due diligence when looking at buying a used motorhome. I always check the MOT history on any vehicle I’m considering (I use a free app on my phone, Vehicle Smart, which can provide you with a lot of background and all recorded MOT history).

But even I got stung, in this case, buying a classic car. It looked good and had a good spec on paper, and by the time I’d driven 200 miles to see it, I was pretty much committed.

It hasn’t turned out to be a complete pup, but it has cost me close to what I initially paid, to fix the rotten boot floor and overhaul the engine, gearbox and back axle. It’s still only worth about what I paid for it – you win some, you lose some!

If you’ve recently bought a ‘van and are thinking of getting some new accessories for it, don’t miss Motorhome Matt’s 10 favourite motorhome upgrades – they can make a big difference to a touring experience, in his opinion.

Lead image: NorthScape/Alamy Stock Photo

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