Motorhome hints please

SpringyChicken
Tell your friends to look on the Motohome Wildcamping site.
There are hundreds of free beautiful parking sites all over the uk and in Europe.

SpringyChicken- yes, great advice, HIRE first and see how you get on. The cost is mind boggling- and you can spend months in good Hôtels or apartments for the same.

Congratulations NfkDumpling. Welcome to motorhoming!
We have a large motorhome and tow a car behind it, a bit daunting at first but you get used to it.

As regards depreciation, certain makes hold their value very well.

My friend and her husband have a camper van and she wishes they hadn't bought it. She doesn't like driving it or having to make up the bed every night (it's not a new one, more modern/larger models might be better in this respect). They often stop overnight in pub carparks for free (she likes a bargain) but then feels obliged to eat there which doesn't always suit. She recommends hiring one to try out before buying.

we have thought about this many times - but honestly, the cost is huge and they depreciate so quickly + use masses of petrol/diesel. We have come to the conclusion that we can stay in modest Hôtels and B&Bs all over the place much more conveniently.

NfkDumpling
Just pick your car park
We have a Hymer S740 ( 7.62 mts) long towing a smart car.
You won't have a problem with the one you have.
If in doubt, make sure you've got everything and then drive into a car park where you feel comfortable.

Go shopping outside peak hours, or choose a supermarket with a large car park. Much easier whatever size vehicle you own.

I think that Park and Rides will be OK.
There is a good website called MotorHome Fun that has lots of forums and discussions about motorhomes that might be useful. I agree that the fixed bed will give you lots of storage space underneath, we looked at ones without fixed beds as we wanted shorter length. Motorhomes do force you to be organised and to travel a bit lighter than you maybe would in a caravan.
Wishing you lots of happy travels!

We've found one and put a deposit down! We hadn't intended to but the price was too tempting and it was ever so slightly an impulse buy. Best Beloved is now getting a bit panicky about what we've done!

It's 6.3 metres which is longer than we'd intended but its got a fixed bed so that cuts out the need for storage for bedding and gives a good amount of storage underneath accessible from inside and through the back doors. Lots of top cupboards and a reasonable wardrobe. A hanging bar in the loo too (the loo is a bit small - I tried it out for size as I feared I may not fit!). Wet boots will be a problem and we will need to be a lot more organised. We cleared out the caravan last week and found stuff we didn't know we had!

Thanks for the reassurance about supermarkets. We don't go into towns or cities that much but had hoped we'd be able to get on most Park and Rides?

We have an A-class motorhome, the wheel base fits into a standard car parking space, it is 5.7m. The body work may overhang a bit. Being less than 6m is a good size for parking.
Parking at big supermarkets is not a problem, park at the edge out of the way. Public car parks more difficult you may take up 2 spaces but as long as you pay for 2 spaces there is not a problem.
Due to the nature of our holidays (spent in countryside walking the dog) we tend not to park in town centre car parks.
Be aware of car parks that are height restricted, it will not go under.
We thought of trading in our current motorhome for a van conversion, but decided against it as they are rather limited for storage space. We have looked at a number of different ones & struggled as to where we would store elec leads, water containers, boots, coats, bedding etc. Maybe you will be OK with this, but worth some thought.
Could you hire one before you decide to buy?
I do love our motorhome - good luck with finding one that works for you.