When To Buy (1 Viewer)

Spanda

Free Member
Jun 13, 2016
157
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Bolton
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43,591
MH
Swift Sundance 590 RS
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Newbie
Hi Everyone,

Having decided to take the plunge and buy a MH we have been to a number of dealers and to a Motorhome Show and we now know they layout which would suit us best - we will be buying second-hand by the way with a budget of around £25,000. So the next question is when to buy. We won't have much time to use the MH until Spring next year, after which we will be able to use it most weekends as well as for a few longer trips. So what do people think, would we get a better deal by buying over the Winter, or would the prices be similar if we waited until April or May ?
 

Puddleduck

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Jan 15, 2014
12,350
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Scottish Borders
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29,703
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Without at present
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On and off for many years.
I don't think there is a good time to buy regarding price. If you see the layout you want and the van checks out make an offer and see what happens. :)

What are you planning to get?
 
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tonka

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Jul 2, 2008
10,776
21,396
Cannock, Staffs
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3,141
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A class Burstner 800
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Since 2000
Sales are slow obviously in Winter and you may grab a good deal.. Keep a watch on the van you want and who has one in stock. BUT as a used model who is to say they will have one at the time you decide to buy... Bit tricky either way, some vans are popular and you see quite a few, others not so and dont see as many and can be rare..
Motorhomes are not like cars, not made in the same volumes so not as many about..

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Mar 23, 2012
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sleights
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c class
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1
We got our first one in January 4 years ago and you will get a better deal privately rather than at a dealer and be able to see what sort of person the previous owner was!! but its more risky. If you find the right one get a habitation check done to check for damp and try to be flexible with when you want it to give a bigger choice. Although motorhomes typically only do 5k miles a year I would not let a high mileage put me off the overall condition the history and what the owner seems like would mean a lot more. Just my thoughts.


David
 
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PP Bear

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Apr 5, 2013
7,726
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Kent, UK
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Auto Trail Dakota SE
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2012
I'm afraid there's never a good time to buy, even through the winter months.

Motorhomes seem to hold their value all year round, so see it, grab it or it'll be gone especially if you find the ideal layout, colour and style you want.

Good luck in your search :)
 
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GaryH61

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Feb 13, 2015
81
172
Horwich Greater Manchester AKA Lancs
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35,087
MH
Elddis Auto Stratus
Exp
Since 2014
If you know what you want and know how much you can spend, if you see the one that ticks boxes, grasp the day and go for it. Once you have one you wont look back and will find time to use it. Even if its only a one night adventure before spring. (n)
 
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deleted-member02

Deleted User
Some good advice already given.
If you have a specific make and model in mind, chances are only a few good ones will come up for sale each year.
I'd take every opportunity to view until you find the 'right' one.
More for sale in summer, prices might be slightly higher. I'd say sellers are keener to sell as they don't want to keep for winter.
Buying in winter gives you more chance of noticing damp or water ingress...
Finally, good vans sell quickly so stay sharp and be ready to act quickly.
Catch a distressed seller and there's opportunity to grab a bargain (doesn't happen every day)
I'd recommend searching ebay, gumtree and autotrader on a daily basis. Setting up email alerts can also help - good luck (y)
 
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DanielFord

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Jun 1, 2013
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We bought ours in October, but like others have said, I don't think there is a good or bad time. When the right van comes up, buy it. You have the benefit of not being in a hurry, so take your time and find that ideal motorhome for you.
Another thought for you, the rental companies will only hang on to their vans for 3 years. When they come to the end of their rental life they will be shipped of to a secondhand dealer. If you get in before they sell them off to the dealer, they will get more money from you than with the dealer. So if you can live with an ex-rental worth a go.

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Spanda

Spanda

Free Member
Jun 13, 2016
157
118
Bolton
Funster No
43,591
MH
Swift Sundance 590 RS
Exp
Newbie
If you know what you want and know how much you can spend, if you see the one that ticks boxes, grasp the day and go for it. Once you have one you wont look back and will find time to use it. Even if its only a one night adventure before spring. (n)

I was starting to come to that conclusion myself after seeing the replies on here.
 
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jumartoo

Funster
LIFE MEMBER
Oct 19, 2015
6,861
187,205
Alhama de Murcia, Spain
Funster No
39,634
MH
Hymer Tramp
Exp
Since 1994
We bought ours totally out of the blue. We already had a Moncayo Spanish registered van that we had from new and put high mileage on. During our summer tour we talked about changing it. Martin wanted a motorhome with a garage. After much deliberation we decided that it would be difficult to sell ours and buy a second hand van with the layout we wanted in the timescale we had. Sooo we cleaned up the Moncayo, changed the tyres and decided to keep it.

We arrived back in Spain in October and went for a dental appointment at the nearby British urbanisation. On the car park, with a For Sale sign was a silver Hymer with a garage. It was older than we would have liked but had not been used much. We advertised the Moncayo at a cheap price, sold within a week and bought the Hymer!!!!!

And ... so far, we are delighted with it.
 
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