Buy brand new just now or wait for good second hand

[Jimuck]

any advice on whether I should buy a brand new motorhome just now or wait for a good 2nd hand one.

Never bought brand new before and I am not to sure of the pros and cons.
Newish Second hand are a rare breed at the moment and any out there are very expensive and are still selling quickly. Will it slow down?

 

[Parrot Face]

Do you have a vehicle to trade in? Thats a factor to consider . Easy to just trade it against new one or alternatively get a good price for it through a private sale. From recent accounts second hand prices have gone up.

 

[Geo]

Personally I believe anyone buying new looses so much dosh as soon as they leave the forecourt
why worry about waiting for a used bargain you have already saved yourself 10k buying used

Example local dealers sticking out for Max price on bog standard 2015 version of what I wanted.
I bought from Motor Home Depot this month (Effectively a private sale)
A 3 year newer vehicle 2018 4000 miles with 6k worth of toys for virtually the same price as the dealer was asking for his
Bonus...... Let someone else take the financial hit and sort out all the warranty and niggles for you
Get it now there are still bargains to be had out there with due diligence of course

 

[bobnick]

Used nearly new is always the better option IMO (now).
We recently went to buy new fully aware how it would depreciate in the first couple of years. Identified 3 models we would like. 4 different dealers said the same, non in stock delivery next year.
Bought a 2 year old at a greatly reduced price, however buying used it is very difficult to find a van with everything you want so bear in mind retro fitting what it might not have.
Good luck in your search.

 

[bobnick]

Just read Geo's post properly, god talk about mirror images, identical scenario, 2018, 4000, bout £5k extras, like new................................sure we must have gone to different schools together!!!!!!????

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[Solwaybuggier]

In principle I’d always buy used, although recognise that balance may have changed if used prices have risen. The benefit of a newish used vans is that the initial snagging problems should have been resolved. You are also likely to get useful extras included, eg awning, bike rack, etc etc. (For most continental vans, don’t forget the basic price bears little resemblance to what most buyers end up paying to get the spec they want.)
Against that, some people value the thought that no one else has slept in the beds, etc, but that’s not an issue for us.
We’ve had 3 vans - 2 used, 1 new - and it was the new one we had by far the most problems with.

 

[Blue Knight]

any advice on whether I should buy a brand new motorhome just now or wait for a good 2nd hand one.

Hi Jim,

Some people recommend buying a good second hand MoHo but IMO don't always expect it to be in tip-top condition and fully fettled.

Example: We got rid of our Autotrail Imala when it was about three months old(via a dealer) because it had dozens of problems and it was easier to get rid of it than keep it. In this particular instance someone got a crappy MoHo and I got rid of a headache.

Also, in some instances, a dealer may be selling a van which is only a month or two old and in cases like this you should scrutinise the dealer as to why a few week old MoHo is up for sale. Be aware that some vans get 'rejected' by their new owners due to faults so be mindful that these vans get repaired and are thrown back on the forecourt.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Scotch mist]

We bought new (2 years ago) not ordered In but from their stock , We haggled a 10% discount so Worked out better for us

we looked a 1 year old van , they were quoting the saving from a current retail price , when I looked at the retail price last year & took off my 10% discount I was Only saving 3k which would have been the depreciation Of the van anyway SO not any cheaper

 

[Mr porky]

we lost 13% of purchase price after 2 years 6 months of ownership.
i think that’s a good result, plus motorhomes don’t generally devalue as fast as a normal vehicle.

 

[138go]

We prefer to buy new. Advantages include, a nice shiny motorhome free of any sort of wear and tear, you don’t inherit dog/tobacco/cooking/human odours, there aren’t any nasty surprises waiting for you, because you’re never sure what you’re going to get and why second hand is for sale, you get an up to date model, you get a two or three year’s manufacturer’s warranty with new, you can reject a new motorhome (30 days), if you’re unhappy with the state of it, we’ve had very good after sales from our dealer (Southdowns).

We’ve traded in two motorhomes with problems, one that was an utter heap (we now avoid British built).

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[PCmag]

I can see pro's & cons of both as above.
Like earlier post we bought through Motorhome Depot, (3 year old) and the process was spot on, the guy who was selling was present as well as the broker and answered all our queries.
Got a few extras, and only going on gut feeling the seller came across as a genuine/honest guy who had really looked after the mh.
Cheers
Peter + Diana

 

[Jimuck]

Thanks for All the replies. I sold my old pilote on gumtree at the beginning of the month within 24 hrs so I have no trade in to bargain with but I hope being a cash buyer would help onnew vehicle. I want either a bailey alliance 76-2T or a elddis 185 so restricting my models is another factor in new or2nd hand choices. I am thinking that when all these vans that have been bought since lock down easing started come on the market the prices will still be high.

 

[bobnick]

Cash is not king nowadays. Dealers don't want/cannot take over a certain amount. They want you to take finance as they get a cut. The last thing you should mention is you will pay cash. Get as much as you can discount xtras blah blah and only when you have to say cash please.

 

[Sapper520]

We’re buying new, we ordered back in January. We went to the Dealership yesterday to look it over.

Whilst talking to the manager, he said that he can’t get another of the type we have ordered until 2022. He’s already sold his 2021 stock. He’s selling a new van a day at the moment, when we arrived he’d just taken a deposit on a used van as well. His stock levels are so low he Won’t have much to show people soon.

Looking at prices, I told him I wouldn’t have been buying one at the current time, if I hadn’t of beat the lockdown madness.

 

[peterc10]

I would wait until this buying spree ends. A lot of people who bought motorhomes in a rush this year will realise that it is not for them and decide to sell next year I suspect. Prices will come down, but whether or not they return to what they were before the pandemic is another matter.

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[Sapper520]

I would add, that we took a long time picking our van to ensure it was as close to what we wanted as possible.

I’m sure once we’ve got it there will be a few things we will need to add, but this is a long term van for us so depreciation wasn’t high on our list.

 

[Brains]

We are the first owners of our van, we bought the dealers demonstration vehicle which meant it was a year old when we put down the deposit, it had 5,500 miles on the clock as it had been to every trade show in the country, but at least tit had been de-bugged for rattles and squeaks and bits that did not work, and it came with every visible optional extra (but no non-visible extras, which meant we had a TV and a Satellite dish, but nothing in-between!)

 

[Keep Right On]

After a lot of research, we opted for new. 2nd hand availability seemed to be higher mileage possibly a breakdown waiting to happen. New gave us full manufacturers warranties and dealer had discounted around £3k off list price. It was the last 2020 model available (apart from one £5k higher!). We were told 2021 would be about 5 months and 5-10% more expensive

 

[Driventemple]

For both cars and caravans we have moved towards buy new and keep for around ten years. With the cars - small hatchbacks (Festas/Polos) the vehicle is worth a few hundred quid when finally sold. Motorcaravans is a different story. The last campervan was traded in for £8000 less than we paid for it new, 9 years earlier.

 

[TerryL]

Our story is in the current MotorhomeFun Magazine.

If you don't "need" a van right now my advice would be to just keep an eye open for the models you are interested in to become available, perhaps register with a dealer or two you trust. When (and it will be when) one pops up that ticks all the boxes then go for it. Personally I wouldn't delay for a "just in case" scenario, who knows what is going to happen. If you'd been asked in December what was the situation going to be in May what would you have said?

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[peterc10]

After a lot of research, we opted for new. 2nd hand availability seemed to be higher mileage possibly a breakdown waiting to happen.

Just the opposite. All motorhomes are built on commercial chassis with commercial diesel engines designed to pile on the miles each year. Think delivery driver or tradesman. Low mileages and prolonged periods of standing cause more problems than using them regularly. Because of the lockdown my 5 year old motorhome has stood unused longer than it ever has before. So far the fridge element has failed and the airbag warning light now stays on. Both need to be fixed before I can use it.

 

[Jimuck]

Thanks for all the helpful advice.
I think because I know exactly the model we want that newish 2nd hand models could be hard to source and probably not much cheaper than new, I will try for the best deal I can get on new. This will probably be our 'forever' van so I am not too concerned about depreciation.

 

[bobnick]

Do you have an idea of the delivery time from date of ordering???????
Have to say it's lovely to drive away in a brand new motor.