Finding a (Motor) Home in Europe
Finding a motor home in your price range with all the amenities that you want is a significant challenge in the best of situations. If your price range dictates buying a used one the difficulty of the task is increased. If you’re trying to buy a used one in a foreign country some 20,000 km from home the difficulties are magnified ten or twenty fold.
We started the day after our arrival – thank goodness coming on the QM2 means that we didn’t have to deal with jet lag. Ostende in the Flanders on the English Channel has a major motor home dealer, Urbano boasting about 300 new and used rigs. Enroute there we stopped at another smaller dealer and were shocked at the prices of used rigs there.
On the freeway to Ostende we hooked up with Carmen and Freddy, friends of Jeannine and Edouard that we have met on previous trips. Freddy, a big figure in Belgian’s postal service, is a Rod Stewart look-alike who loves to sing in a Rock group with Edouard’s cousin and others. He is a really good performer! While we had a good time and saw some great new motor homes (nothing under 34,000 Euros – about $51,000 Canadian) and only one used one with a diesel engine and the basic amenities we needed (24,000 Euros, $36,000 Canadian). So again we were faced the dilemma of paying too much for too little.
Edouard put his car at our disposal to continue our search. Two days later we were wandering around Waterloo, while he went fishing. Enroute to one of his favourite fishing spots he spotted a used, clean-looking motor home for sale at a garage in Nivelles. Casting his line on fertile waters, he was bothered by the image of this motor home and the possibility that it could disappear. Packing up his gear and cutting short his expedition, he drove back to the garage in his own motor home, gave it a quick inspection, found it very clean and priced very well at 14,000 Euros (about $21,000 Canadian). He spent the rest of the day frantically trying to get in touch with us through four people with cell phones, none of whom answered before evening. When we got home and heard the news we quickly realized it was clearly time to line ourselves up with a European cell phone.
The next day we all went to inspect the motor home, found it to our satisfaction and discovered that Mario, the garage owner, had made a couple of extended trips to visit his aunt and uncle in St.Catharines and Port Dalhousie in his teens. It’s a small world after all…
Agreeing on a price and a few additions, we quickly shook hands on a deal and within a few working days the money was transferred from our account to the garage’s and we were the proud owners of a VW based diesel powered motor home just under 19 feet long (560 cm), 7 feet wide (215 cm.) and a little over 9 feet high (280 cm). This will definitely be big enough for many of the roads we will be using.
The ugly vertical fly barrier was quickly removed. The height of the sleeping area above the cab and the three windows make it functional and comfortable. Many are so low and the windows so small that the area is claustrophobic.
Dutch door is very useful when you want to keep animals in or out. For us it will be out since we don’t have any pets other than each other.
Propane-fired hot water, furnace and twin burner stove top will keep us warm, clean and fed.
At the back of the unit on the driver’s side the washroom has a window and a roof vent, sink, and a shower that is unfortunately not in a separate stall. But with a 110 litre water supply (about 26 gallons) we won’t be taking many north american style showers anyway.
At the back of the unit on the passenger side is a counter with 3-way (12 volt, 220 volts and propane) fridge. Moving forward on the passenger side we have a counter-top work space, sink and stove top, (both of which are covered by a hinged top when not in use) with lots of storage underneath.
Just ahead of the kitchen is the exterior door and then a settee to stretch out on to read that buts up against the passenger seat.
Opposite the door is the dinette seating four and it backs up against the driver’s seat.
Another shot of the dinette showing the blind that comes up from the bottom and the mosquito screen that comes down from the top of the window. We can use either or both at the same time, or neither if we want the window clear. All four windows have the same set up as do the windows in the sleeping area. So the entire unit can be totally darkened for sleeping.
While the dinette can be converted to a double bed, we anticipate that we will be sleeping over the cab in a double bed with its reasonably high headroom.
Or the curtains and blinds can be opened.
Part of the deal was a new 80 litre, refillable propane tank with gauge that should save us a lot on propane. The normal set-up in Europe is exchangeable propane tanks that results in significantly higher costs. Also included in the deal was a new radio/CD player to keep us awake and entertained on the road.
After the insurance was finally arranged, the final pass awarded at the Technical Control and the plates installed, Roger got to drive it.
We think that we lucked out on this and clearly we could never have found a unit in our price range without local assistance – in this case from our relatives.
We started the day after our arrival – thank goodness coming on the QM2 means that we didn’t have to deal with jet lag. Ostende in the Flanders on the English Channel has a major motor home dealer, Urbano boasting about 300 new and used rigs. Enroute there we stopped at another smaller dealer and were shocked at the prices of used rigs there.
On the freeway to Ostende we hooked up with Carmen and Freddy, friends of Jeannine and Edouard that we have met on previous trips. Freddy, a big figure in Belgian’s postal service, is a Rod Stewart look-alike who loves to sing in a Rock group with Edouard’s cousin and others. He is a really good performer! While we had a good time and saw some great new motor homes (nothing under 34,000 Euros – about $51,000 Canadian) and only one used one with a diesel engine and the basic amenities we needed (24,000 Euros, $36,000 Canadian). So again we were faced the dilemma of paying too much for too little.
Edouard put his car at our disposal to continue our search. Two days later we were wandering around Waterloo, while he went fishing. Enroute to one of his favourite fishing spots he spotted a used, clean-looking motor home for sale at a garage in Nivelles. Casting his line on fertile waters, he was bothered by the image of this motor home and the possibility that it could disappear. Packing up his gear and cutting short his expedition, he drove back to the garage in his own motor home, gave it a quick inspection, found it very clean and priced very well at 14,000 Euros (about $21,000 Canadian). He spent the rest of the day frantically trying to get in touch with us through four people with cell phones, none of whom answered before evening. When we got home and heard the news we quickly realized it was clearly time to line ourselves up with a European cell phone.
The next day we all went to inspect the motor home, found it to our satisfaction and discovered that Mario, the garage owner, had made a couple of extended trips to visit his aunt and uncle in St.Catharines and Port Dalhousie in his teens. It’s a small world after all…
Agreeing on a price and a few additions, we quickly shook hands on a deal and within a few working days the money was transferred from our account to the garage’s and we were the proud owners of a VW based diesel powered motor home just under 19 feet long (560 cm), 7 feet wide (215 cm.) and a little over 9 feet high (280 cm). This will definitely be big enough for many of the roads we will be using.
The ugly vertical fly barrier was quickly removed. The height of the sleeping area above the cab and the three windows make it functional and comfortable. Many are so low and the windows so small that the area is claustrophobic.
Dutch door is very useful when you want to keep animals in or out. For us it will be out since we don’t have any pets other than each other.
Propane-fired hot water, furnace and twin burner stove top will keep us warm, clean and fed.
At the back of the unit on the driver’s side the washroom has a window and a roof vent, sink, and a shower that is unfortunately not in a separate stall. But with a 110 litre water supply (about 26 gallons) we won’t be taking many north american style showers anyway.
At the back of the unit on the passenger side is a counter with 3-way (12 volt, 220 volts and propane) fridge. Moving forward on the passenger side we have a counter-top work space, sink and stove top, (both of which are covered by a hinged top when not in use) with lots of storage underneath.
Just ahead of the kitchen is the exterior door and then a settee to stretch out on to read that buts up against the passenger seat.
Opposite the door is the dinette seating four and it backs up against the driver’s seat.
Another shot of the dinette showing the blind that comes up from the bottom and the mosquito screen that comes down from the top of the window. We can use either or both at the same time, or neither if we want the window clear. All four windows have the same set up as do the windows in the sleeping area. So the entire unit can be totally darkened for sleeping.
While the dinette can be converted to a double bed, we anticipate that we will be sleeping over the cab in a double bed with its reasonably high headroom.
Or the curtains and blinds can be opened.
Part of the deal was a new 80 litre, refillable propane tank with gauge that should save us a lot on propane. The normal set-up in Europe is exchangeable propane tanks that results in significantly higher costs. Also included in the deal was a new radio/CD player to keep us awake and entertained on the road.
After the insurance was finally arranged, the final pass awarded at the Technical Control and the plates installed, Roger got to drive it.
We think that we lucked out on this and clearly we could never have found a unit in our price range without local assistance – in this case from our relatives.
posted by Retired and on the Move | 3:27 AM
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