macka

Given the high cost to hire a motorhome for a month it has been suggested that I could buy a 2nd hand combi/motorhome from a departing tourist at the airport carpark. Is this feasable? Has anyone bought or sold one at the airport? Apart from the obvious mechanical risk what are the pitfalls for new players? Any comments welcomed.

alanRow

Apart from legally registering it, getting insurance, ensuring that it isn't stolen, ensuring that it is fit to drive, trying to find someone who is doing it, having to carry several thousand pounds in cash I can't think of many problems

alanRow

And doing all that after not having a proper sleep for anything up to 36 hours

Heimdall

Let's put it this way: if you were the seller, would you wait until your flight was about to depart to put your motorhome up for sale? Anyway, most of the airport car parks are miles from the terminals.

flanneruk

alanR's understnting the problem.

You've also got to find a departing tourist who's legally registered it, got insurance etc.

Now there used to be thriving markets fot campervans (back in the days when visiting Ozzies didn't need the effete creature comforts of a motorhome, but just piled six in the back of a car and lived in it till the cash or women ran out), first along the South Bank of the river, then around Caledonian Rd in north London.

You don't see them any more. Whether British bureaucracy, or the increasingly namby-pamby variety of antipodeans we get these days, has killed the market, or whether it's moved somewhere I don't know. You might try the thorntree site, which gets a lot more long stay upside-downers who'd know about this kind of thing.

It's certainly not at any of our airports, or within 15 miles of them.

Dukey

IMO the only thing "namby pamby" are Alan and Flanner not telling you that it is EXPENSIVE to travel in the UK...accept that fact and don't make it even WORSE by even considering a ridiculous idea such as this one.

alanRow

Well I've found someone who'll do it

http://www.gumtree.com/london/camper...le_1028_1.html

Now for the legal registration / insurance / fit to drive / proof seller owns the vehicle / carrying LARGE sums of cash / making a decision when jetlagged & tired...

WillTravel

I met a middle-aged Aussie couple in 2004 who were traveling around Europe with a small van that had kitchen facilities and a toilet/shower. They had purchased this van in the UK from a dealership. They were going to sell it back when their 6-month tour was over. I know they're not the only ones who've done this. They stayed in various campsites all over Europe.

But I doubt I'd suggest that buy it from a random tourist.

Heimdall

Assuming you did buy a campervan to use for a month, I wonder how long it would take you to sell it? Some of those listings in alanRow's link date back to mid-January.

walkinaround

>>>>
IMO the only thing "namby pamby" are Alan and Flanner not telling you that it is EXPENSIVE to travel in the UK
>>>>

what do you mean? many people travel around the UK by campervan/motorhome...they are almost all diesel and not as bad with the fuel as you would imagine. this is not a ridiculous idea. i do agree that buying the rig at the aiport can be dodgy for many reasons....this is clearly not the answer.

i'm not suggesting this either but just recently i was resting in a service lay-by off the motorway and i saw someeone pull up with a pop-up camping trailer. another couple arrived in a car (obviously pre-arranged), checked the trailer out, exchanged some cash and drove off with the trailer. it happens all the time.

nona1

I think that you would spend all of the first two weeks trying to buy a motorhome and all of the last two weeks trying to sell it.

janisj

macka: your other thread seems to have scared you off renting a motor home.

Well your new idea is absolutely, 100% certifiably nuts! Besides all the issues alalRow clearly spells out, there is no queue of folks hanging around airports waiting to sell cars/vans/motorhomes.

(Lots of people do rent motorhomes but it would probably be cheaper to hire a small car and stay in B&Bs)

NeoPatrick

It's a wonderful idea. Someone has a motorhome for sale and a noon flight, so they arrive at this special designated "motorhomes for sale" lot about 9 AM, and sure enough by 10 AM someone comes along who has just flown in and needs to buy a motorhome, so does so by handing over the cash. Of course, the motorhome for sale is exactly what the buyer wanted and the seller and the buyer had exactly the same price in mind. It's easy since there is an office at the corner of the lot where they handle registration, paperwork, and insurance. Then when you are ready to fly home, you only need to arrive at this lot a couple hours before your flight because someone will be arriving within an hour or two looking to buy your exact motorhome at your price.
Yea. It's a great idea.

Are you nuts?

WillTravel

All this is likely true if you just hope to run into someone selling a motorhome without doing any legwork in advance.

But if you are willing to buy from a dealer, and you are starting your trip in an area where you can take some time to make the purchase (as the Australian couple I mentioned did, because they stayed for some time in the UK prior to making their van purchase), and then you are staying enough time to make the sale back to the dealer, it can work.

janisj

WillTravel: From his other thread macka will be in the UK for <u>two weeks</u>. Hardly worthwhile to even consider renting, let alone buying.

macka: I see you've just started another thread about this --

anyway, for just two weeks you will be much better off just renting a car. Why so set on a motorhome????