Anyone Speak German? Potential RMB Purchase. (1 Viewer)

[Bellini]

Hello lovely people,

Maybe this is a Pinkie Take 2 thread, although let's see how it goes.

OK, Dave (Snowbird) has been immensely helpful in acting as my second opinion on an RMB 670 for sale on mobile.de that I'm giving very serious consideration on buying.

I'm in negotiation on price and what's included. My non-German and the dealers good but not great English is confusing the finer details and I feel a fluent German exchange will help clarify these final negotiations.

If anyone is prepared to help email the seller to assist, my eternal thanks will be given.

 

[Wildbill]

her we go again eany takers just a bit harder as most duch speak english good luck :

 

[Jaws]

Will not google auto-translate help ? It has improved leaps and bounds nowadays and even works with conversational German

Unlike the old Babel Fish and the like newer versions do not confabulate and confuse !

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[hilldweller]

My non-German and the dealers good but not great English is confusing the finer details.

Take a leaf out of Pinkie's book, get your ass over there. So many Germans speak excellent English, face to face you'll soon sort it out and it costs peanuts to get you ass over there.

 

[Wildman]

there are a number of German Speakers, papa john, Onderweg, probably Meor as well. I thought Snowbird had passable German as well. Must be others someone will be along any minute.

 

[Bellini]

In an ideal world that's exactly what I'd do.

But I'm so close to establishing the deal and I don't have time available to do this for the next few weeks, hence the emails.

I've received loads of extra pictures and it all looks good. Snowbird has been an oasis of sense and good advice all along.

Point taken on the translation thing. I just wanted the correct syntax and figured a native speaker would be better than a translation app. I just don't want any misunderstanding on terms as it could potentially be a big problem.

Translation app employed and fingers crossed.

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[hilldweller]

I just don't want any misunderstanding on terms as it could potentially be a big problem.

Simples.

Send it all in English with it clearly stated that the English is correct and any computer translated German is secondary to the English.

If there is any doubt he'll get the English translated no trouble.

 

[bailey]

Hello lovely people,

Maybe this is a Pinkie Take 2 thread, although let's see how it goes.

OK, Dave (Snowbird) has been immensely helpful in acting as my second opinion on an RMB 670 for sale on mobile.de that I'm giving very serious consideration on buying.

I'm in negotiation on price and what's included. My non-German and the dealers good but not great English is confusing the finer details and I feel a fluent German exchange will help clarify these final negotiations.

If anyone is prepared to help email the seller to assist, my eternal thanks will be given.

What ever happens don't mention the war

 

[Mel]

Sorry no German
My German is very limited to transport German
Just enough to get by in Haulage.

Mel

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[hilldweller]

Sorry no German
My German is very limited to transport German
Just enough to get by in Haulage.

Mel

Ah - noch ein bier bitte.

 

[Mel]

Brian

I bet you can ask for more than that in German

Mel

 

[hilldweller]

Brian

I bet you can ask for more than that in German

Mel

Ja zwei biere bitte, und macht schnell.

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[veevee]

Bellini

Where in Germany is the MH?

 

[Bellini]

Waddeweitz. According to Google maps, it's a 2 hour drive south east of Hamburg.

We've agreed a price as-is. I'm just waiting on an answer concerning user manuals and service history (not essential but useful) and a further price for the vendor to fit a 4th seatbelt so we can all fly over and drive back.

Then it's also agreeing a payment method and collection date. I feel, but can't be completely sure, that the vendor would prefer to wait until January for tax reasons.

That said, my 11 year-old son's passport has expired and that needs renewed anyway before we can collect. oh: Urgent job for tomorrow.

Once those details are finalised and agreed, then we're good to go.

 

[Snowbird]

Just an add on here. Whenever I have bought in Germany there is always a mountain of service history with files for just about everything on the vehicle. A German would not even consider buying a motorhome with no history, so they are fastidious regarding keeping records. It generally takes me a couple of days translating as my German is about as good as Hilldwellers .
At this rate there will be enough RMBs in the UK to start an owners club :thumb:.

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[Bellini]

:thumb:

The funny thing is, I really want this RMB. Snowbird has given me huge confidence :thumb: and it's exactly what I want.

My wife still isn't convinced as I've really got to sort some house subsidence work first. Just waiting on a borehole inspection and report to be done and then I'll know how much that'll definitively cost. I can see the sense in waiting but the timing of the right car / motorhome / house is rarely good, in my experience, and so you have to jump and hope.

But this is a £15,000 motorhome that looks at least three times that. And I'm convinced the 'risk' is worth it. And it's very exciting.

So once I get the vendors response, I can make a final decision with (I hope) my wife's buy-in.

 

[elamessa]

Waddeweitz. According to Google maps, it's a 2 hour drive south east of Hamburg.

We've agreed a price as-is. I'm just waiting on an answer concerning user manuals and service history (not essential but useful) and a further price for the vendor to fit a 4th seatbelt so we can all fly over and drive back.

[HI]Then it's also agreeing a payment method[/HI] and collection date. I feel, but can't be completely sure, that the vendor would prefer to wait until January for tax reasons.

That said, my 11 year-old son's passport has expired and that needs renewed anyway before we can collect. oh: Urgent job for tomorrow.

Once those details are finalised and agreed, then we're good to go.

You could use //http://www.currencyfair.com/ for any money transfers it cost €3 per transaction and the exchange rate is usually within a centime.

HTH
Steve

 

[hilldweller]

My wife still isn't convinced .

Oh dear.

Oh dear, oh dear.

Dry rot, wet rot, rotten chassis, knackered engine, kaput heating you can cure.

But to convince a wife. Good god, you're brave man.

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[veevee]

My initial thoughts were take 36 hours and go alone to speak with the people face to face while standing at the van. This way you can be happy with what you have bought and take a more leisurely approach to collecting by leaving a good deposit.

It's easy to get to Hanover, Germanwings is one option.

I think when you do something out of the ordinary such as you and Pinkie are doing then you have to make your opportunities by doing something you wouldn't normally do.

That said i bought our current MH in the same circumstances, it was in the UK, I was in France. Bought it unseen from not too helpful sellers.

All the major stuff we wanted in a MH is there and then plus some. Some of the minor items were not always as wanted but that was an acceptable trade-off for not looking first.

We are whatever is more than delighted with our lovely classic Hymer, can't ask for more.

I learnt German more than 40 years ago by living there, used to be able to speak reasonably well. Still have German friends that I can make myself understood to so if you want me to speak to someone I'm happy to do than for you. All I need is a landline, a name and a time/date. Phoning mobiles/handys from here doesn't work for me.
Speaking on the phone is more difficult in a foreign language but I can cope give or take.

What I can't do is write German too well or read enough to make guarantees to you, but can understand pretty well what is being said to me.

Let me know and good luck

 

[Snowbird]

Buying any motorhome is a huge decision, even when in the UK but buying from a none native speaker is very stressful indeed. What I can say is that 2 funsters have bought RMBs in the past having spoken to me regarding them and both have never regretted there purchase. One has recently sold his only because he bought a villa, and sold at a profit. The other told me in confidence that his wife would have to go before his RMB .
There are 3 more funsters desperately trying to find the RMB that suits them, of which one has just returned from a German buying trip empty handed. Only a couple of years ago these vans were almost unheard of here in the UK as they never came onto the market second hand as the original owners never parted with them, simply because there was nothing better out there. Its only since the Germans have turned most of there cities LEZ that they are becoming available. There were not that many made so there will come a day when they will become impossible to find. According to the friends of Arnold who keep a register of these vans, 95% of all those ever built are still on the road. Considering that some of these vans are now over 30 years old I think that says it all regarding the build quality of them.

 

[Bellini]

3 more looking!

Does that mean I have some competition for mine then?

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[Snowbird]

3 more looking!

Does that mean I have some competition for mine then?

Those things will always have competition Simon. Thats only the 3 that have contacted me . Since the advent of the internet the world has become a very small place.

 

[Bellini]

True. Can't expect me to be the only one.

If it's meant to be, it'll happen. If not, then that's OK also.

 

[Bellini]

A brief update, whilst my mind is still foggy from my 2 year-old's antics last night.

I put a deposit on the RMB last night, so have assumed it's sold to me.

My wife gave her reluctant, but measured, approval yesterday after examining every other RMB for sale and making comparisons on the amount of storage, size, configuration and colour. I'm glad to say that the one I picked fits all criteria. Thanks again to Dave (Snowbird) for his unending patience in answering my questions.:thumb:

The dealer says he's happy to store the RMB until January 2014 if I want, but I'm aiming for collection in mid-November, or whenever my 11 year-old son's passport renewal comes through.

I just hope it all works out. Loads to do... flights, routes, car hire, hotel, ferry, food, storage, MOT, registration. Quite exciting really.

So, a 40-something with an 11 year-old buying their first MH and importing it. Good job no other threads are like this, eh!?

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[hilldweller]

So, a 40-something buying their first MH and importing it. Good job no other threads are like this, eh!?

This place is turning into a kindergarten. Where will a chap go for an afternoon kip ?

 

[Pat4Neil]

Good luck and happy travels with your new rmb.

We bought our motorhome in germany, we were very fortunate to have very good german friends to help us out.

Pat