When To Buy New? (1 Viewer)

[stevec]

We're pondering getting a new van as we can't find a used one that fits our requirements. Am I better to wait for a major show (like Lincoln) to get the best deal rather than go to my local dealer? This will be for an ordered MH not new in stock. Never done this before but I'm sure lots of Funsters have.

 

[Miss Daisy]

We bought ours new and locally, after a lot of research etc we found this the best for us

 

[rosalan]

People do say that Motorhomes are cheaper at the end of the season when dealers find it is not a popular time to buy. In which case it may equally not be a good time to sell.
As for Motorhome Shows, I personally think they are the best place to choose a motorhome, with often huge selections to explore both new and old vans. There are always bargains but it the chance to find the layout and other details at a Motorhome Show which will offer better choices than any single dealership. Malvern, Newbury, Bath, Lincoln and the biggest of all Peterborough are the ones to watch out for.

Alan

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[DBK]

My suggestion would be decide what MH you want, or perhaps a very short list of models, then find what you want at the best price. However, take into account where the dealer is based. We bought from someone 3 miles away and though we haven't had problems in the first two years it is nice to know help isn't far away!

 

[Adbt]

We saw at show ( NEC ) and then bought localish . We bought a Bailey which is maintained by a Bailey Warranty Caravan / Motorhome Specialist ( NOT the dealer we bought from ) who have provided amazing A1 service ....... A and E Leisure ( Northwich )

 

[Cal54]

Shows are great for selecting a MH but once you have decided and got the best price I would always give your local reputable dealer the chance of sourcing. I know to my cost the problems with buying from a dealer miles from home. The alternative, if buying miles from home is to agree that any warranty work can be done near you and the dealer picks up the bill. HOWEVER make sure this is all in writing.

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[Soozywoozy]

We bought ours new from the NEC October grand show and went with a wish list of requirements which we ticked off. we were happy with the price we paid and got exactly what we wanted. However be aware of lead times - ours was bang on for March, apparently Knaus are pretty good, but there are loads of people out there still waiting (in july) for their orders. I think Bailey and Swift are having problems this year, but the year before it was Hymer

 

[Theonlysue]

Wouldn't spend too much on your first van. Once you've used it for a while voucher will have more of an idea what you want in your next van lol
Cheaper to buy at end of season, or even january,
Good luck

 

[dabhand]

New van.... Go to Düsseldorf !

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[carolyn]

I would not buy brand new again unless i was buying the one as seen in stock. We pre ordered, waited 6 months, some of the things had not been fitted,some could not be retrofitted without leaving holes. The most annoying thing was that the specification changed and we no longer had one of the things we particularly liked, it was a small thing in the greater scheme of things but annoying. We thought that having the extras so called factory fitted would be better, in fact we would have got better quality elsewhere.
Go to the shows to find out exactly what you want though, its great fun especially if you go to the rally.

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Your local dealer is the best bet for peace of mind, Becks is highly reccommended, tell John I sent you !

Peter

 

[stevec]

Whilst we have not bought from Becks (yet), we are impressed with the good treatment we have had from the sales staff there. We will give them our custom if we possibly can. We are aware that buying local is worth something monetarily for peace of mind and less hassle if things go wrong.

John, if I mention your name do you think he'll give me a couple percent more discount? Or would he charge extra instead!!

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[Paddywack]

I would not buy brand new again unless i was buying the one as seen in stock. We pre ordered, waited 6 months, some of the things had not been fitted,some could not be retrofitted without leaving holes. The most annoying thing was that the specification changed and we no longer had one of the things we particularly liked, it was a small thing in the greater scheme of things but annoying. We thought that having the extras so called factory fitted would be better, in fact we would have got better quality elsewhere.
Go to the shows to find out exactly what you want though, its great fun especially if you go to the rally.

But who did you order off?

 

[sedge]

'Johns Cross' is the name of the place where Johns Cross Motorcaravan & Camper Centre are situated - not the name of the bloke who owns it! That's Peter !

 

[carolyn]

Hi fastpat, I think we may have just been rather unlucky but it has been a very frustrating and disappointing process although the van is mainly OK now after 4 months, although sone of the finish isnt as neat as we expected. Hope I havent tempted fate. The dealer was new to the franchise and had a big move of premises and the manufacturer changed his business model of only selling direct to selling through dealers and quality control and communication went wrong. I hope for all their sakes that these problems are now sorted as individually they were nice people but I think we caught them all at the bottom of a learning curve! Its an ih 630 rl bought from Nickwhale. We have had problems with the conversion and the base vehicle, Adam Morey in Southampton were great, a pity it was two round trips of 120 miles!

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[Candapack]

The best time to buy new is never. We never have, so that opinion is based on all the horror stories about spending £50k plus on something that just isn't right.
The best time to buy used is when you see something you like.
The best place to buy used is as near home as possible. (If buying from a dealer)
It's quite difficult to balance these things without waiting for years, so the big thing to remember is - compromise.
Another option is to buy privately, you'll save money and it won't matter how far away it is as you'll not be taking it back for repairs. That requires a degree of confidence in your ability to spot problems and dodgy customers which so far, we haven't had.
All the above is why we've still got our first van, bought from a dealer 200 miles from home, despite having talked about changing it for 2 years.
Good luck.

 

[scotjimland]

A very satisfied Becks customer..
bought our Hymer from them ..

Nice people to do business with , van well prepared.. new timing belt kit, full mechanical service + four brand new tyres.. all part of the deal.

They have their own very well equipped workshop and are a main Hymer dealer.

A few weeks later, the step switch failed, and without quibble sent me a replacement.. at £70 .. not a cheap item , if it had been I would have bought myself.. 5 min. job to swap out ..

The warranty is provided by Becks.. (not an insurance company) .. vans over 10 yeas get 6 months full mechanical and habitation warranty.. under 10 years I think it is 12 months.

No hesitation in recommending

 

[Wicketter]

My first option would be a local dealer ( if they seem good!) Travelling across the country to get something minor fixed can be a real pain, but life is a compromise! Decide on your layout, price and make and then look around. We found narrowing the choice to a couple of options worked for us. You will always spend more than you intended

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[stevec]

Our requirement to store bikes under a french bed narrows the field significantly, especially if we want to keep a decent payload and be under 3500kg and 6.8 metres. So far found only one and thats a 2015 model and has a higher bed. So we know exactly what we want. Just trying to find one at the right price. This will be our second by the way so we've ironed out the things that are essential to us. And we hope to make this one last and not have to go to a third!