Why Are Vans So Expensive In The Uk? (1 Viewer)

GWAYGWAY

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My friend has just brought back his new Westphalia Columbus that he has bought in Belgium. apart from a bit of mucking about getting the lights changed he will have no problems, So why was it so much cheaper than here. The price is in pounds the same as he paid in Euro.
He gave me the dealers sales pamphlet ant they sell a large range from PVCs to A class . What is surprising is that the full price in euro is almost exactly on parity to pounds throughout the whole lot, and the extras as well, the sign at the front of the prices have just transposed the £ and euro sign.
Most of these vans are imported directly by the dealers here with no actual importer taking a cut so they really are taking us for total mugs. They even ADD on the delivery and PDI charge on top of the inflated start price. I guess that I will be going over there when the time comes to buy a new one. There is just the little matter of why does a EURO change to a pound when it is about 1.40 different.
Treasure Island is alive and kicking. Maybe there is a dealer or someone at one who could explain without the bulls==t about right hand drive being expensive. It applies if you want a LHD only it brings a surcharge on top.
 

vwalan

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thats because the factory has to convert them to rhd . if you want lhd then buy abroad.
but if buying a motor caeravan abroad watch out they have some crap conversions . no grill no oven . etc . some do . choice is yours .
 
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I remember an article about car makers a few years back where it stated that Peugeot sold some 10% of its vehicles in the UK but they contributed 32% of company profits. Same with electronic stuff Uk & US. There was an article last week about the price of new I -watch in UK- As pappajohn said they'll pay.

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vwalan

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The motorhome manufacturers buy the chassis in LHD or RHD from Fiat, MB, Ford etc. probably for the same price. I don't see much extra cost there. An excuse for profiteering maybe
only a small percentage of vehicles need to be rhd . lhd is the standard . in europe we are the only rhd .
 

vwalan

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ok ireland but since when as australia , new zealand ,japan been in europe .
thats why uk as lots of jap imports like the mazda bongo. europe doesnt want them . even america doesnt want them .
 

CWH

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Why Are Vans So Expensive In The Uk?
He gave me the dealers sales pamphlet ..... the sign at the front of the prices have just transposed the £ and euro sign.
Well it's obvious innit? - Saves them having to print a new sales pamphlet (y)
 

vwalan

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just dont buy a european vehicle .

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Ian789

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We ordered a Westfalia Amundsen (the Columbus' little brother) from Lowdhams having looked at it at the NEC in October - and I also looked at the European pricelist to compare with the UKs. At that time on Westfalia's website the prices at least for all the options were identical betweem Germany and the UK, but the German pricelist at was net of VAT whereas the UK pricelist included VAT. The current brochures are both inclusive of VAT and the option prices are 20% more expensive in the German brochure.So they seem to be still working on an exchange rate of 1.2 which is obviously well out of date. Having said that I was quite happy with the deal we managed to negotiate, including a show option pack which included everything we would have opted for separately anyway. We have just taken delivery and are really pleased with the van (first trip away on Monday to Vanbitz), but I agree it would be interesting to see if the 2016 pricelists for European built RHD vans reflect the new reality of the Sterling- Euro exchange rate. I wont be putting any money on it though.
 
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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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then there's the tax....!
There are no difference in the tax involved other than the VAT and that is calculated on the selling price, almost the same rate throughout the EEC just in the UK it is more because the selling price is a damn sight more so the VAT is 20% of the increased price.
I am still looking at a chausson 610 and the price in Euro is the same figure again of the price in £ I really think that we ARE BEING RIPPED OFF by the dealers who must be making a LOT more profit but I should think that the dealers abroad are making a fair share themselves but there is a LOT MORE competition, as there are a much bigger geographic areas where you can go a shop around, unlike here where you are stuck with a few dealers in a pricing cartel.
 
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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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Why Are Vans So Expensive In The Uk?

Well it's obvious innit? - Saves them having to print a new sales pamphlet (y)
The prices on the brochure were all Euro, the prices I was comparing were on the UK dealers price list, it was the UK price sheet that was the cheap copied paper sheet.

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The real answer to the OP's question is that there is a larger and more competitive market for motorhomes in much of mainland Europe than there is in the UK. Ownership is much higher there than here. And it is a wide market too, because anybody living in the Eurozone can go and buy their motorhome in another Eurozone country much easier than we can.

If the dealers truly were making so much money there would be a lot more of them. After all, all you need to start up is a second hand car lot, and there are plenty of those about. I suspect it is as much about the manufacturers making more money when they decide to enter our market
 
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Robert Clark

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But what about warranty cover if you import a van from Europe?

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Emmit

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That list keeps on getting bigger,
Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore
 

Judge Mental

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For the same reason we pay more for fuel than all but one EU country, because UK purchasers WILL pay the price.....why make them cheaper when theres no need.

we pay more for fuel because it is taxed higher...along with alcohol:cry:
 

Judge Mental

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The motorhome manufacturers buy the chassis in LHD or RHD from Fiat, MB, Ford etc. probably for the same price. I don't see much extra cost there. An excuse for profiteering maybe

and that's all it is..charging what the market will stand, as a direct comparison I know one manufacturer that I can get RHD versions of vans from occasionally from a German dealer (not many will sell RHD ) Difference in price less then 2000 €. considering you dont need to change headlights and speedo as van UK spec to begin with. the difference approx £1200 (and a long wait as they don't build as many)

Now to me seeing as we are still in a European market and they charge bundles for delivery anyway that should be the price difference. but magically UK dealer ad on well over £10,000 to the price to sell an identical van here?:coffee:

example: a friend went to Germany last week and organised a PX on a new Hymer. he had 2 quotes here before he went one was £13K more the other £19K for nigh on identical model LHD vans:rolleyes:

chassis side covered by pan european warrenty and Hymers can have warrenty work and yearly checks done in the UK. I'm looking at both Hymer and Carthago for next van. and no way would I consider buying here as they are well over 15k more! fo what exactly?lol:)

I just see it as pure greed as prices unjustifiable just because a van is RHD?:whistle:

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Judge Mental

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The real answer to the OP's question is that there is a larger and more competitive market for motorhomes in much of mainland Europe than there is in the UK. Ownership is much higher there than here. And it is a wide market too, because anybody living in the Eurozone can go and buy their motorhome in another Eurozone country much easier than we can.

If the dealers truly were making so much money there would be a lot more of them. After all, all you need to start up is a second hand car lot, and there are plenty of those about. I suspect it is as much about the manufacturers making more money when they decide to enter our market

Agree with first paragraph but the rest is so wrong!lol its the importers that"adjust"the price in their favor
 

Judge Mental

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There are no difference in the tax involved other than the VAT and that is calculated on the selling price, almost the same rate throughout the EEC just in the UK it is more because the selling price is a damn sight more so the VAT is 20% of the increased price.
I am still looking at a chausson 610 and the price in Euro is the same figure again of the price in £ I really think that we ARE BEING RIPPED OFF by the dealers who must be making a LOT more profit but I should think that the dealers abroad are making a fair share themselves but there is a LOT MORE competition, as there are a much bigger geographic areas where you can go a shop around, unlike here where you are stuck with a few dealers in a pricing cartel.

that will change if we end up outside Europe! Re 610 a dealer I know gave up on Chausson as they had so many problems with them...Just a word of caution.

the price difference is more then the exchange rate as well. as its pretty easy to negotiate a substantial discount, unlike here where your lucky to get an awning thrown in :D

mobile.de a good source of in stock vans that may have been used as demonstrators etc....
 

JJ

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watch out they have some crap conversions . no grill no oven .

Cripes!

I never realised my superbly built, Hymer 660S with its shower/toilet room, u shape rear lounge, water heater, central heating with blower option, air cooling system, one piece grp roof, PUAL wall construction and six berths was a "crap conversion"! ;)

JJ :cool:

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