Used ’van challenge: sub-£20k starter motorhomes

Want to get into motorcaravanning but don’t have a massive budget? Don’t worry!

There’s plenty out there on the used motorhomes for sale pages – and keeping your budget modest doesn’t mean missing out. We’ve found a trio of super secondhand ’vans to prove this point!

Indeed, you shouldn’t expect anything less in terms of aftersales service from the dealers you buy from, whatever price you pay.

All three motorhomes we’re featuring here were, at the time of writing, on sale for less than £20,000, which is a typical starting price for many considering their first ventures into motorhome ownership.

Buying from the right dealer can make all the difference in terms of support – from general advice to knowing how to source spares and fix little glitches, as well as backing it up with a suitable warranty.

It’s at lower price levels that dealers’ own warranties are more effective – there’s potentially far less quibbling over minor details.

There’s also the peace of mind of knowing that your purchase will have been fully serviced prior to purchase – both the base vehicle and the habitation aspect – and is fully ready for the next stage of its life, with you.

So, let’s get stuck in!

As good as new – 2003 (03-plate) Benimar Aereo 6000 CC

This low-mile, French-bedded Benimar is packed full with all the extras you could need.

The Benimar features a generous specification and a very keen price.

This Aereo is based on the Maxi version of Fiat’s Ducato, as evidenced by the 16in wheels, with the beefy 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine. It’s had five owners, but they’ve kept the mileage down and looked after it well.

It’s also packed with kit, such as rear automotive heating, an electric sunroof, and a solar panel. It’s best used as a two-berth.

There’s a front lounge with swivelled cab seats and two short settees around a rectangular table.

The kitchen’s spec includes a Smev cooker (four gas rings, a separate oven and grill), a circular sink, and an automatic energy selection fridge/freezer with an added microwave above.

The washroom is in the nearside corner. Features include a clear window, a swivelling toilet, a small corner sink and a fully lined shower cubicle.

It also has a full-size bed with minimal cut-away, and a large side window.

This motorhome has a lot of owner add-ons, including various hooks, a clock in the lounge, and a kitchen roll holder. The TV fitting in the overcab area has a DIY look to it, too.

Also, remember that the satellite dish pushes the ’van’s overall height quite a way over 3m.

Price now: £18,995
Price new: £38,760
Base: Fiat Ducato Maxi
Engine: 2.8-litre turbodiesel, 127bhp
First registered: 2003
Mileage: 24,000
Berths/travel seats: 4/2
Length/width/height: 6.76/2.21/2.95m
MTPLM: 3500kg
Payload: 600kg
Extras: Awning, bike rack, towbar, stereo, TV, microwave, satellite system, Fiamma door lock, habitation air-con
Plus points: Superbly equipped, low mileage
Minus point: Several DIY modifications

Value for money – 2004 (54-plate) Bessacarr E425

A brilliant Bessie for two, with extra-cosy sleeping quarters, for less than £20k.

This Bessacarr E425 motorhome has had two keepers to date, comes with the more powerful 2.3-litre engine, and would make a great ‘starter motorhome’ for two.

A Gaslow system and a Beeny Box exterior storage locker are among the extras here, but some of the other changes are of more interest.

There’s a reinforced section of floor in the habitation doorway, for instance. Doorways are subject to more use than other areas, so this could be a handy update.

Check out the overcab bed, too, and you’ll see it has a custom-made, thicker, one-piece mattress. This causes it to lose its ability to hinge up to allow easier access from the cab to the living zone. Still, the original, much thinner two mattress pieces are still here.

There are no additional travel seats, but you can sleep two more at the back by extending the seating.

The washroom behind the driver’s seat has an owner-added duck-themed shower curtain, which gives it a lift.

The kitchen along the nearside has a Smev cooker with four gas rings and separate oven and grill, while a Dometic fridge sits under the sink, which also features a plastic cover-cum-chopping board.

Price now: £19,995
Price new: £30,742
Base: Fiat Ducato
Engine: 2.3-litre turbodiesel, 108bhp
First registered: November 2004
Mileage: 38,499
Berths/travel seats: 4/2
Length/width/height: 6.16/2.22/3m
MTPLM: 3400kg
Payload: 507kg
Extras: Beeny Box, Gaslow system, awning, bike rack, Pioneer stereo system
Plus points: Keenly priced, popular two-person layout
Minus point: No airbag for passenger

Super saver – 2001 (X-reg) Hymer B-Class 584

Here’s your chance to buy into legendary Hymer build quality at a knock-down price – so where’s the catch?

A Hymer for less than £18,000? What’s the catch?

Well, it is left-hand drive. This needn’t be a deal-breaker, though, particularly if you subscribe to the theory that the larger the motorhome, the less important it is which side the steering wheel is on.

Moreover, left-hand drive could make sense if you plan to use your motorhome abroad.

The B 584 is one of Hymer’s most popular models in the UK. It is an initially curious two-berth/three-seater format, with a third captain’s-style travel seat in the lounge.

There’s Hymer’s A-class pull-down double bed over the cab, and other signature features include the wind-up sunroof.

This example is a vehicle that has been well used, although it remains solid. It’s had a chassis upgrade, but could be re-plated to its original 3500kg if required.

The payload on 3500kg would have started at 445kg, but the extras here will have eaten into this. That engine will have been an upgrade, too.

This Hymer B 584 has had five keepers, picking up quite a few DIY modifications along the way. If anything offends you, though, you could ask for it to be removed.

The other good news is that parts – although pricey – can be sourced from Hymer.

Price now: £17,495
Price new: £39,441
Base: Fiat Ducato/Al-Ko
Engine: 2.8-litre turbodiesel, 127bhp
First registered: 2001
Mileage: 106,870km
Berths/travel seats: 2/3
Length/width/height: 6/2.3/3m
MTPLM: 3850kg
Payload: From 450kg
Extras: Side awning, awnings to lounge windows, SOG toilet fitting, triple bike rack, external TV socket
Plus points: Build quality, plenty of handy extras
Minus point: It’s LHD

The small print

Vehicles are viewed and reported on as seen. Bear in mind that this is usually before any base-vehicle and habitation servicing, including any rectification work, before they go on to their next owners.
Dimension and payload figures refer to official measurements before the addition of any extras, unless stated otherwise.
Call ahead before making any visit to see a featured vehicle. Stock shifts fast!

Many thanks to Meridian Motorhomes for supplying the ’vans for this article

Keeping your budget modest doesn't mean missing out

nickharding

Nick’s first caravanning memory is his younger brother falling out of the bunk bed above him. That was over half a century ago. Around a decade later, his first driving experience was taking the family campervan across a field on his uncle’s farm. He’s now well into his fourth decade as a journalist specialising across the whole leisure vehicle sector. In that time, he’s worked for a wide variety of publications, testing literally thousands of vehicles and visiting almost as many different places throughout the UK, Europe and even beyond. These days, he’s never happier than when he’s out reviewing new or pre-owned motorhomes or researching and writing touring articles for Practical Motorhome. Or, failing that, you may well find him pitching near you in his latest campervan, a Volkswagen California (more often than not with his short, suffering partner, Lin, and crazy sprocker spaniel, Bonnie).