Bluey

BLUEY ...decided on this name because its very Australian and the model of our motorhome is a Blucamp Sky 20. It is a 2013 model manufactured in Italy by Rimor.

Decision # 1 : To buy or hire?
For a 7 months holiday, buying is definitely cheaper than hiring, even though the initial payment is more, we will get some money back when we sell it. We also plan to keep the motorhome for more trips in 2014 and beyond! You will need to be an EU citizen and have a residential address or a “domicile agreement”  to register and insure the motorhome. Although many have bought cheaper in Germany, due to having French citizenship, we focused on buying in France.


Decision # 2 :  Which motorhome to buy? Buy new or second hand?  
There are so many motorhomes to choose from. We did lots and lots of research on....makes, models, layouts, vehicles, sizes and prices. We started by defining our requirements: length - to be no longer than 6.5m: layout - to have a side bed (also known as French bed), a separate toilet and shower and 2 bench seat dinning area that can become an extra bed (just in case we have visitors!) this also gives us a larger living area: Vehicle - we heard Fiats had had issues so we focused on a Ford Transit. We didn't want to spend an extra 10,000 euros on a German brand. We finally settled on a Blucamp Sky 20. Now we needed to find someone to buy it from! 
We found a very helpful and informative Englishman running a hire company called France Motorhome Hire , who was willing to sell us an ex-rental 2012 model. However,we decided we would prefer a new 2013 model, which offered a few extras and full warranty periods (2 years Ford and 5 years Blucamp). We contacted  Blucamp. An Italian company from the website quoted us a great price, but it ended up being too difficult. So we did another search in France and found an importer (JL Loisirs) who also quoted competitive prices. He would also do the necessary paperwork to enable us to drive around for a month while we organised the registration. He also organised any extras we wanted: an awning, 2 x 100ah AGM house batteries and 2 x 13kg gas bottles. Unfortunately Mr Martin speaks very little English! We paid 3,000 euros deposit and the balance is due on pickup.
We feel a little uncomfortable about buying without seeing or touching, but to save time sometimes you need to do these things.  On the up side, we have seen some photos and he has given us the VIN of the Ford! 

Next there's the setup: BBQ, narcotic gas detector, safe, outdoor table and chairs, bedding, toilet chemicals, kitchen appliances & cutlery etc. oh... and lets hope a good coffee machine!

Motorhome Update:
The purchase went smoothly. The installation of the extras and then reversing camera/GPS and the inverter was done well.
The registration process was handled by the seller. We were issued with provisional plates for 1 month and when the registration had not been finalized in that time it was extended for another month.
The Ford Transit van is powerful and great to drive.
All the appliances worked well. It was big enough for two.

Stuff  for Bluey
Cadac Gas BBQ - great for all types of cooking- even roasts

* For a comprehensive packing list see Our Tour