I love MHs but, the price!! (1 Viewer)

[Julie and Charles]

What a super weekend.
Loved meeting Terry L on the MHF stand. No we didn't buy it Terry.
Lots of beautiful MH in this show also, lots of Tat.
Had second viewings of a few vans, looked closely at the quality of the build. Rejected a few on this alone. Surely I'm not the only person that wants good quality in exchange for extortionate amounts of cash.
The pre loved at the show had never been loved, apart from, a very good Auto sleeper Topaz on the loudhams stand. Immaculate throughout, 3 years old but, 45k!!!!
How!!!!!!!
Until I saw the price I was wanting to buy it. My hubby said, guess the price. I said 35k. I woke to the familiar scent of smelling salts, these are a handy addition to our MH viewing days out.
Wow these things are so expensive, more than the price of our last house.
We had a great day, climbing in and out of everything, learning what we can get for our monet, in our case nothing! We will continue looking and saving, I hope we manage to get one in spring. I'm chomping at the bit to get touring.
Lovely to meet some of you.
Bye for now
Julie

 

[Blue Knight]

Lots of beautiful MH in this show also, lots of Tat.
Had second viewings of a few vans, looked closely at the quality of the build. Rejected a few on this alone. Surely I'm not the only person that wants good quality in exchange for extortionate amounts of cash.
The pre loved at the show had never been loved...........

Bye for now
Julie

Hi Julie,

I really feel for you I do.

We bought our new van in February of this year and after visiting 17 different dealerships we found that we had no other choice (for our own piece of mind and living standards) than to buy new.

The 'previously loved' stock were expensive while the interiors of most of the vans we examined stunk from a combination of smelly dog, cheesy feet, damp interiors, old deposited cooking grease and looked dated with minging interior designs. - and those were just the good ones!

There also seems to be quite a few Funsters pushing the old Hymer range at you but I wouldn't touch most of them (the vans that is) with a barge pole. Most are rotten and that's one complication that you could honestly do without.

The only options that I would consider in your position is to buy something very cheap (to get you started) or something fresh and new.

I'm still not sure how a large number of the secondhand stock get sold because they are disgusting.

Sorry but that's just my honest opinion.

I have my fingers crossed for you and your husband.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Richard n Ann]

Or in the case of my Hymer, a Mercedes Sprinter van. These routinely cover 250,000 miles which is more than most motorhomes will get near.
Having said that, the Ducato has a good reputation as a solid workhorse.

Yes I've no doubt that's true but my point was that a 10+ year old van won't be as reliable as a 1+ year old van. There will be exceptions of course but generally speaking.
Also parts for a 10+ year old van won't be as available as parts for a 1+ year old van. Just think you'll only have had it 5 years and it will be 15! I look at 15 year old vans today and think they look very dated (and slow) and won't be around much longer.

Also if considering A class vans the windscreens costs thousands and sometimes are just unavailable.

Anyway buy what you feel happy with, it's you that will be using it

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[JeanLuc]

Me too.
This group has directed us towards Hymer too, I've had a quick look on line this morning however, I've noticed that they are very wide. 3 meters on some. I need to find a slimmer model. This MH will have to be a car replacement too, we can't afford two vehicles.
So it's looking like a Hymer research day. *jumps up and down with excitement *

As Lenny has said, they will not be 3 meters wide. I don’t know what your space requirements are. But here is a very nice small Hymer Star-Line from a Hymer expert workshop. The price is a bit high but I’m sure you could try an offer. Link Removed

 

[Northernraider]

Yes I've no doubt that's true but my point was that a 10+ year old van won't be as reliable as a 1+ year old van. There will be exceptions of course but generally speaking.
Also parts for a 10+ year old van won't be as available as parts for a 1+ year old van. Just think you'll only have had it 5 years and it will be 15! I look at 15 year old vans today and think they look very dated (and slow) and won't be around much longer.

Also if considering A class vans the windscreens costs thousands and sometimes are just unavailable.

Anyway buy what you feel happy with, it's you that will be using it

That's the biggest misinterpretation ever, the most unreliable vehicles I've owned or the ones that have required the most money spent or lost the most value have been the newer ones, older vehicles I've always sold for more than I paid for them having recouped any money I spent on them.


To the OP my biggest tip would be buy preloved but buy privately without the ridiculous dealer price hike you'll find a much better van at a better price

 

[TMFTM]

That's right, the price.
You can tell it was our first MH show, we are shocked at the prices.
It wasn't just us though, we spent time talking to people who were kind enough to point things out as they looked for their 5thMH.
Everyone was walking round stating how overpriced they were.
I think we will take on the majority of the advice here and look and focus on pre loved, learn what we can expect from our budget.
Many thanks for all your valuable advice funsters.
Julie

We found that prices were way to excessive at a recent MH show we visited in Romsey, Hampshire. So, on the way home we went to a couple of places who were smaller companies that dealt in pre-owned vehicles. Much better value for money and not so much of the 'Hard sell'! Take your time, list what you need in the price range you can afford and be prepared to compromise a little. Something will turn up and you will just KNOW when it's the right one for you.

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[Julie and Charles]

Hi Julie,

I really feel for you I do.

We bought our new van in February of this year and after visiting 17 different dealerships we found that we had no other choice (for our own piece of mind and living standards) than to buy new.

The 'previously loved' stock were expensive while the interiors of most of the vans we examined stunk from a combination of smelly dog, cheesy feet, damp interiors, old deposited cooking grease and looked dated with minging interior designs. - and those were just the good ones!

There also seems to be quite a few Funsters pushing the old Hymer range at you but I wouldn't touch most of them (the vans that is) with a barge pole. Most are rotten and that's one complication that you could honestly do without.

The only options that I would consider in your position is to buy something very cheap (to get you started) or something fresh and new.

I'm still not sure how a large number of the secondhand stock get sold because they are disgusting.

Sorry but that's just my honest opinion.

I have my fingers crossed for you and your husband.

All the best,

Andrew

Oh yes,

I agree with everything in your post.
I have been in some that have never been washed since the day they were delivered. Some stink so bad I've nearly been sick.
So glad someone else found the same.
Julie

 

[MillieMoocher]

You might want to consider this one : https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/bryan-the-hymer-for-sale.154992/unread

Nothing to do with me, just a cracking looking van at a great price and might be a good way of seeing if you like the hobby/lifestyle

 

[duffs]

You might want to consider this one : https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/bryan-the-hymer-for-sale.154992/unread

Nothing to do with me, just a cracking looking van at a great price and might be a good way of seeing if you like the hobby/lifestyle

Love this one but too soon for us

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[Julie and Charles]

Love this one but too soon for us

Just been looking at Hymer and putting a few through the online MOT search.
Talk about not being looked after. For a start, advisories on a few things, still there after four years. The MOT list lit up in shades of Orange and Red. Still, we read on to learn what is common fault/s.
More enlightening information about how people buy things and just don't care about them. Hymer are too big for our drive and to be a car replacement. I think we will be looking at Autosleeper Topaz.
Great size and all facilities. Good build quality, now to find one from an owner who cared enough to carry out advisory notes, clean and look after the van. I'm not asking for a lot really. Anyway, we still have the tent and love camping. So no rush, ready to pounce on the best we see.
Fingers crossed
Julie

 

[funflair]

Also if considering A class vans the windscreens costs thousands and sometimes are just unavailable.

Anyway buy what you feel happy with, it's you that will be using it

Yes the A class windscreen costs thousands and your insurance pays, actually that's why they cost thousands

Never heard of an A class screen that wasn't available please enlighten us.

Martin

 

[SpeedyDux]

Me too.
This group has directed us towards Hymer too, I've had a quick look on line this morning however, I've noticed that they are very wide. 3 meters on some. I need to find a slimmer model. This MH will have to be a car replacement too, we can't afford two vehicles.
So it's looking like a Hymer research day. *jumps up and down with excitement *

We wanted a MH with full facilities that also works as a car replacement. In the end we bought a new 5.4m Fiat based PVC because it ticked all the boxes for us. It is a Rapido but there is a corresponding cheaper entry level version badged Dreamer. Previously we had a VW T4 Westfalia California pop top which was excellent as an economical everyday driver. That is a well developed and equipped campervan (no washroom, obv) that served us well for 10 years, as long as we stayed on campsites. The Fiat Ducato is significantly wider than the VW, so the driving is less car like and more stressy on narrow lanes and tight urban streets.

There are other affordable used PVCs. If you liked the AS Topaz, take a look at the AS Symbol (Fiat) and Duetto (Ford). The coachbuilt AS Clubman and Gatcombe on the VW T4 are worth considering too because the monocoque hab conversion is pretty much damp proof. These are quite compact and include a washroom. All of them might work as a car replacement.

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[Deleted member 29692]

Me too.
This group has directed us towards Hymer too, I've had a quick look on line this morning however, I've noticed that they are very wide. 3 meters on some.

They aren't. A 3 metre wide van wouldn't be road legal anywhere in Europe. The maximum width of any vehicle is 2.55m

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Also if considering A class vans the windscreens costs thousands and sometimes are just unavailable.

Anyone who owns an A-class, if they have any sense, makes sure they have adequate insurance cover for their windscreen without it affecting their no claims. This is standard practice and all the insurers are used to it. Anyone who doesn't bother to find out the likely cost of their windscreen and ensure they're covered can't really blame anyone but themselves.

When have you ever come across one that's unavailable? They might not all be carried in stock by Autoglass but that's not the same thing at all.

It's not unusual for the glass to need to be ordered from Europe, or the US in the case of an RV, and it take 2 or 3 weeks or more to arrive but again that doesn't mean the same as unavailable.

 

[duffs]

Just been looking at Hymer and putting a few through the online MOT search.
Talk about not being looked after. For a start, advisories on a few things, still there after four years. The MOT list lit up in shades of Orange and Red. Still, we read on to learn what is common fault/s.
More enlightening information about how people buy things and just don't care about them. Hymer are too big for our drive and to be a car replacement. I think we will be looking at Autosleeper Topaz.
Great size and all facilities. Good build quality, now to find one from an owner who cared enough to carry out advisory notes, clean and look after the van. I'm not asking for a lot really. Anyway, we still have the tent and love camping. So no rush, ready to pounce on the best we see.
Fingers crossed
Julie

The online mot is invaluable x

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[tonyidle]

Anyone who owns an A-class, if they have any sense, makes sure they have adequate insurance cover for their windscreen without it affecting their no claims. This is standard practice and all the insurers are used to it. Anyone who doesn't bother to find out the likely cost of their windscreen and ensure they're covered can't really blame anyone but themselves.

When have you ever come across one that's unavailable? They might not all be carried in stock by Autoglass but that's not the same thing at all.

It's not unusual for the glass to need to be ordered from Europe, or the US in the case of an RV, and it take 2 or 3 weeks or more to arrive but again that doesn't mean the same as unavailable.

My last A class van was 18 years old when the screen was damaged by stone lifted by the vehicle in front. I contacted Autoglass via my insurance. It was delivered & installed fuss-free and within 2 weeks. The cost to the insurance company? £2300. The van remained usable until the replacement was available.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

One other important factor that I don't think has been mentioned is the engine & it's euro emissions rating, given that most Moho's are diesel powered & with the current witch hunt against diesels, currently including token critair charges for some French cities & the l.e.z. in London etc, I can foresee that in the not too distant future probably euro 1,2,&3 & possibly even euro 4 rated vehicles being, in the worst case scenario, increasingly banned from many places in Europe & the U.K.

As far as I'm aware euro 4 became operational in 2005/6 & obviously euro 3 & less prior to that.

Quite aside from the excessive pollution these older diesels emit, I'd not be keen on buying an older diesel & finding out that I can't drive it where I want to, or being charged an ever increasing surcharge for doing so.

 

[gus-lopez]

One other important factor that I don't think has been mentioned is the engine & it's euro emissions rating, given that most Moho's are diesel powered & with the current witch hunt against diesels, currently including token critair charges for some French cities & the l.e.z. in London etc, I can foresee that in the not too distant future probably euro 1,2,&3 & possibly even euro 4 rated vehicles being, in the worst case scenario, increasingly banned from many places in Europe & the U.K.

As far as I'm aware euro 4 became operational in 2005/6 & obviously euro 3 & less prior to that.

Quite aside from the excessive pollution these older diesels emit, I'd not be keen on buying an older diesel & finding out that I can't drive it where I want to, or being charged an ever increasing surcharge for doing so.

But in the UK under 2,5 T & diesel are exempt in the LEZ & elsewhere, & nominally classed as Euro 5 & up to 3,5 T are also exempt dependent on date registered.

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[funflair]

The other way to look at the prices @Julie and Charles is that they are high because in general motorhomes hold their price better than cars so once you have one your investment will not depreciate as rapidly.

Martin

 

[MC 55 FUN]

But in the UK under 2,5 T & diesel are exempt in the LEZ & elsewhere, & nominally classed as Euro 5 & up to 3,5 T are also exempt dependent on date registered.

Under current rules maybe, however I'm looking ahead, even euro 5 & up to 3.5t could well be in emissions catchment at some point & there's not many, if any Moho's under 2.5t G.V.W.

 

[tonyidle]

Under current rules maybe, however I'm looking ahead, even euro 5 & up to 3.5t could well be in emissions catchment at some point & there's not many, if any Moho's under 2.5t G.V.W.

I can't imagine wanting to go anywhere where there are enough people living there to warrant a LEZ .

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[TheBig1]

What a super weekend.
Loved meeting Terry L on the MHF stand. No we didn't buy it Terry.
Lots of beautiful MH in this show also, lots of Tat.
Had second viewings of a few vans, looked closely at the quality of the build. Rejected a few on this alone. Surely I'm not the only person that wants good quality in exchange for extortionate amounts of cash.
The pre loved at the show had never been loved, apart from, a very good Auto sleeper Topaz on the loudhams stand. Immaculate throughout, 3 years old but, 45k!!!!
How!!!!!!!
Until I saw the price I was wanting to buy it. My hubby said, guess the price. I said 35k. I woke to the familiar scent of smelling salts, these are a handy addition to our MH viewing days out.
Wow these things are so expensive, more than the price of our last house.
We had a great day, climbing in and out of everything, learning what we can get for our monet, in our case nothing! We will continue looking and saving, I hope we manage to get one in spring. I'm chomping at the bit to get touring.
Lovely to meet some of you.
Bye for now
Julie

this could be your lucky day

 

[MC 55 FUN]

I can't imagine wanting to go anywhere where there are enough people living there to warrant a LEZ .

Us neither, but it doesn't take a huge stretch of imagination to figure that all major cities in the U.K. & Europe could easily adopt critair / l.e.z. / similar cleaner air schemes for older diesels, probably sooner rather than later & sometimes one has to pass perilously close to, or within, exemption zones in order to get from A to B.

 

[mikebeaches]

One other important factor that I don't think has been mentioned is the engine & it's euro emissions rating, given that most Moho's are diesel powered & with the current witch hunt against diesels, currently including token critair charges for some French cities & the l.e.z. in London etc, I can foresee that in the not too distant future probably euro 1,2,&3 & possibly even euro 4 rated vehicles being, in the worst case scenario, increasingly banned from many places in Europe & the U.K.

As far as I'm aware euro 4 became operational in 2005/6 & obviously euro 3 & less prior to that.

Quite aside from the excessive pollution these older diesels emit, I'd not be keen on buying an older diesel & finding out that I can't drive it where I want to, or being charged an ever increasing surcharge for doing so.

And just to take this point forward.

We are all aware that a motorhome / campervan that has been looked after will retain it's value well. Up until now, that is...

BUT, will that low depreciation still apply to Euro 1; 2; 3; 4 etc vans in the near future? Or will the values fall off a cliff, as is beginning to happen with some diesel cars?

It might be worth thinking carefully about spending £25k; £35k; or £45k on that older 'premium' brand motorhome with higher emissions, when all of a sudden they fall out of favour and fashion!

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[Richard n Ann]

Anyone who owns an A-class, if they have any sense, makes sure they have adequate insurance cover for their windscreen without it affecting their no claims. This is standard practice and all the insurers are used to it. Anyone who doesn't bother to find out the likely cost of their windscreen and ensure they're covered can't really blame anyone but themselves.

When have you ever come across one that's unavailable? They might not all be carried in stock by Autoglass but that's not the same thing at all.

It's not unusual for the glass to need to be ordered from Europe, or the US in the case of an RV, and it take 2 or 3 weeks or more to arrive but again that doesn't mean the same as unavailable.

Yeah right... OK the insurance company pays for it. You don't need me to tell a man of your calibre that insurance companies will factor in windscreen costs for A class vans. And don't mention NCB because that's a scam, they say your NCB is protected but when it's renewal time your policy goes through the roof.. Switch to another company? Err.. guess again.. that's not going to work as you've had a claim in the last 5 years.

Regarding the availability of old A class windscreens, I read it a few days ago on another forum, might have been ukcampsite.co.uk the poster was worried the van might be scrap.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Yeah right... OK the insurance company pays for it. You don't need me to tell a man of your calibre that insurance companies will factor in windscreen costs for A class vans. And don't mention NCB because that's a scam, they say your NCB is protected but when it's renewal time your policy goes through the roof.. Switch to another company? Err.. guess again.. that's not going to work as you've had a claim in the last 5 years.

Regarding the availability of old A class windscreens, I read it a few days ago on another forum, might have been ukcampsite.co.uk the poster was worried the van might be scrap.

It's got nothing to do with protected no claims.

My motorhome insurance covers windscreen replacement up to an agreed value without it affecting my no claims in exactly the same way your car policy does. I've made sure that the agreed value is enough as I'm sure everyone else with a similar van has.

If such a claim was made it only has to be declared as a standard windscreen claim with no detail about the value of the claim. Such claims usually have no effect on renewal premiums.

If the cost was more than the agreed value they would still pay but the NCD and future premiums would be affected as it would have to be declared as a fault accident claim.

I don't know who's been telling you about A-class motorhomes but they've fed you a load of duff info in this case.

 

[bladerunner]

We had a great day, climbing in and out of everything, learning what we can get for our monet

If you have such a decent impressionist painting at home, you should have no problem buying a good van

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[Jagtazman]

We bought one which was 7 1/2 years old for £10k less than the one we were looking at new admittley a different spec and manufacture. In the end we went for second hand quality over a cheaper new model but each to their own.

My recommendation would be to buy a well cared for older German van. We have had our Hymer for 10 years now and it is still in good condition. Admittedly it was just 4 years old when we bought it so an equivalent today would still be rather more than you want to pay. However, there are loads of 10-15 year-old Hymers about if you take your time and choose carefully. They will give many more years of excellent service - just note the number of early 'brown and tan' Hymers still running the roads of Europe and they were built in the 80s and early 90s.
Other makes to consider are Euramobil, Knaus, Weinsberg, Frankia, Dethleffs and Burstner, but my money would be on a Hymer.

You missed off the best one Rapido
Okay French not German but in the same class.

Everytime I look around I always end up back looking at Rapdio, Pilote and Burstner (well Burstner Elegance twin axle model which wifes says is too big lol).
Glad we only window shop these days as plan to keep ours for a good few years yet.

 

[funflair]

Yeah right... OK the insurance company pays for it. You don't need me to tell a man of your calibre that insurance companies will factor in windscreen costs for A class vans. And don't mention NCB because that's a scam, they say your NCB is protected but when it's renewal time your policy goes through the roof.. Switch to another company? Err.. guess again.. that's not going to work as you've had a claim in the last 5 years.

Regarding the availability of old A class windscreens, I read it a few days ago on another forum, might have been ukcampsite.co.uk the poster was worried the van might be scrap.

I dont believe A class vans are any more expensive to insure than coachbuilt even with the expensive windscreen claims, ours certainly isn't and thats with a £6500 claim for a screen, possibly we are being subsidised by the coachbuilt and PVC insurance and we have switched companies

Our screen was in stock in the UK and fitted within a couple of days and N+B Flair are not the most common A class on the road.

Martin

 

[Richard n Ann]

I dont believe A class vans are any more expensive to insure than coachbuilt even with the expensive windscreen claims, ours certainly isn't and thats with a £6500 claim for a screen, possibly we are being subsidised by the coachbuilt and PVC insurance and we have switched companies

Our screen was in stock in the UK and fitted within a couple of days and N+B Flair are not the most common A class on the road.

Martin

How much was your insurance if you don't mind me asking?

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[CazPaul]

Wow £6500, thought max were about 4k. Doesn't it just annoy you that somewhere, someone in the chain is making a bleeding fortune, seriously I wonder what the price is for the windscreen from the maker of it?
They must be sick, we make and supply a windscreen for a few hundred quid and it sells further down the line for £6500.