Buying and choosing a motorhome
What to look for, what we drive now, and what nineteen years and eight vans have taught us about choosing the right one.
We are caravanners looking at our first motorhome. What should we look for?
Four things catch caravanners out. First, berths and travelling seats do not always match: a four berth van might only have three seatbelts, so count both. Second, weight: if you passed your driving test after January 1997 you are limited to 3.5 tonnes on a standard licence, and a lot of the family sized coachbuilts weigh more than that. Third, where you will keep it, because a big coachbuilt on an ordinary driveway is a squeeze. And fourth, be honest about the layout you will actually live in. If you like fixed twin beds, look at rear bedroom layouts: they tend to give the best bedroom space, often with a garage underneath.
Full guide: The best family motorhome
What motorhome do you drive now?
Two vehicles. The main motorhome is a Dethleffs XL Family, a six seat, six berth coachbuilt with an automatic gearbox and VB air suspension, which we took on in 2026. Alongside it we run a Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo, our electric campervan, for solo trips and short runs. Before the Dethleffs, our main van from 2022 to early 2026 was the Swift Kon-Tiki 874.
What was your first motorhome?
A 1989 Talbot Pilote, bought in 2007, and we would not swap that first one for the world. The old Talbot got us going and gave the whole family the bug. Steve has even tried to track her down since we sold her. If your budget says older van, take heart: ours was eighteen years old when we bought it and it started everything.
How many motorhomes have you owned?
Eight vans since 2007, with a brief caravan detour early on and a couple of RV hires in America along the way. The full run: the 1989 Talbot Pilote, an Ace caravan, a Swift Lifestyle 630, a Bessacarr E495, an Itineo SB740, a Swift Kon-Tiki 649, the Swift Kon-Tiki 874, and now the Dethleffs XL Family, plus the electric ID Buzz campervan. Every one of them taught us something about what we actually needed.
Full guide: Buying a used motorhome: our checklist
Would you tow a car behind the motorhome for towns and cities?
We never have. Our answer to towns and cities has always been to park the van somewhere sensible on the edge and use bikes, buses or our own feet from there, and most of the family cycle anyway. A towed car adds weight, length, cost and a licence consideration, so before committing, try a trip or two without one. Plenty of people tour Europe for months and never miss it.
Any regrets moving to the new van?
An honest answer, because we film the lows as well as the highs: the Dethleffs gave us real mechanical trouble on this summer's trip, losing turbo power on hills on the way down to Spain, and the recent videos cover the whole saga rather than pretending it did not happen. That is touring reality with any van, new or old. The choice itself we still stand by: the automatic gearbox and air suspension are genuine upgrades over the manual Kon-Tiki, and six proper seats with six berths is exactly what a family our size needed. Teething problems test your patience, not your decision.