Buy British, why not?

Folkranger

Folkranger

Joined
May 2, 2014
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Washington
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31,281
MH
Hymer B 584DL
Exp
17 years + 35 tugging
Many on this forum, including myself, would say that continental models especially German are better than British. Now a typical German model could cost some £40k more than its British equivalent. But £40k more?
 
Folkranger said:
Many on this forum, including myself, would say that continental models especially German are better than British. Now a typical German model could cost some £40k more than its British equivalent. But £40k more?
Click to expand...

Can you give me some idea of the vans you are comparing?
 
We seriously considered buying a new british motorhome to export use and eventually sell in NZ (very restrictive rules for what you can register) but having re-examined a few they just don't offer what we want in terms of layout or quality.

Tbf there are crap foreign mhs as well but you can also buy at an upper level that is only available in UK from RS which don't have the layout/configuration we want.
 
Think the Germans are still trading on their old reputation, cannot see the quality of new one getting better unfortunately think it only going to get worse.

They are all bragging about how many vans they build/sell but would be better bragging about how they have improved quality and customer care.

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Folkranger said:
Many on this forum, including myself, would say that continental models especially German are better than British. Now a typical German model could cost some £40k more than its British equivalent. But £40k more?
Click to expand...
Some of it is down to differences invisible to the naked eye such as construction techniques, some to materials that are very much on display and some to the name and reputation of the brand in question.
Personally I think of it like buying a BMW/Mercedes compared to say a Ford Mondeo. The Mondeo isn't a bad car by any stretch of the imagination, but the BMW/Mercedes will be more luxurious and have more toys...all for a cost of course!
We took the plunge and bought a new van earlier this year. We would have loved to own a Hymer (is still a dream of mine to be honest with you) but the cost involved getting one that matched our list of requirements was simply cost-prohibitive. We chose to go with a Challenger (re-badged Chausson) which is firmly in the "Ford Mondeo" bracket of motorhomes, but which we are incredibly proud to won and thoroughly enjoy!
 
Ours is Italian. Very pretty, flamboyant, but not, I think as practical as some. More internal LED lighting than Heathrow.

Would I buy British in preference to a non-British model? Yes, if the specs & layout were the same. We couldn't find a British bus layout that did what we wanted.
Would cost make a difference? Yes-ish, but if me buying British kept a British person in work, that would be a wavering factor.
Do I think that German kit is better made and more reliable? Than Chinese, yes. Than French? Yes. Than British? Not necessarily.
 
You pay your money and make your choice. Same as it ever was. I think people are remembering the days when European vans were the same price or cheaper than UK vans. Apart from the differences in dealer markups across the UK and Europe, and any additional costs associated with the RHD vs LHD base vehicle - which I assume are not great, the main determinant is going to be the exchange rate. Most people don't buy motorhomes every year or two and therefore they encounter the impact on big ticket items only occasionally, perhaps once or twice in 20 or so years. Since 2000 the value of the £ compared to the Euro has oscillated between its high of 1.72 (May 20th 2000) to its low of 1.068 (March 23 2020). If you are thinking of buying a European van it is worth considering drip feeding funds into a Euro account to even out the effects of such fluctuations. The cost of an €80,000 motorhome at the best exchange rate in the last 22 years would be £46,510. The cost at the worst £74,906. I'll buy wherever I can get the best product for the best price. That in my opinion and experience is sadly, rarely in the UK. It's mainly because of the way businesses are financed and managed I think.
 
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Basic and inexpensive for me regardless of origin; with more widgets and toys there's more to go wrong.
I bought mine as a step up from a tent to have travelling adventures, not to replicate the comforts of home.

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Well we’ve had both and must say we had more serious problems on German vans than ever we had on our new Autotrail chieftain, the Autotrail was mainly silly stuff and did not stop us using it,
On the other hand the Hymer and Carthago both had faults that made it dangerous or impossible to use ie no wipers 2x failed control panels kitchen draw locking cab double glazing misted up toilet filling up (with clean water)
I accept some of these parts are bought in but are still on their products most parts that have to be ordered from Carthago take around three months to arrive and if you go to the supplier direct they just send you back to Carthago.
It’s all down to how your luck goes🙂
 
I would always try to buy British where possible but the decision is really based on layout and spec, I want long front benches and most European vans have the euro lounge which is useless to me. Even the larger ones seem to stick to that layout. As to quality I have owned European and British, in terms of reliability my old Bessacarr E795 was probably the best, the others have all had faults mostly annoying more than serious.

Waiting for someone to bring out a kiss version with not a PCB in sight. What was wrong with lighting a gas fire manually or with a match if that failed, filing the tank with a hose etc....
 
Now on my second Hymer new in 2016 and the previous was a 2003 B544 , same model and both very well put together , cannot compare with U.K. models as never had one although comparing on visual only would stick with my Hymer.
 
Jim said:
Can you give me some idea of the vans you are comparing?
Click to expand...
Hi Jim. I'm not currently doing any comparisons having recently bought my current van but I'm sure you know the general price positions of British and say German.

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jongood said:
We seriously considered buying a new british motorhome to export use and eventually sell in NZ (very restrictive rules for what you can register) but having re-examined a few they just don't offer what we want in terms of layout or quality.

Tbf there are crap foreign mhs as well but you can also buy at an upper level that is only available in UK from RS which don't have the layout/configuration we want.
Click to expand...
There are good and bad in everything. I'm speaking in general terms.
 
RubyOptics said:
Some of it is down to differences invisible to the naked eye such as construction techniques, some to materials that are very much on display and some to the name and reputation of the brand in question.
Personally I think of it like buying a BMW/Mercedes compared to say a Ford Mondeo. The Mondeo isn't a bad car by any stretch of the imagination, but the BMW/Mercedes will be more luxurious and have more toys...all for a cost of course!
We took the plunge and bought a new van earlier this year. We would have loved to own a Hymer (is still a dream of mine to be honest with you) but the cost involved getting one that matched our list of requirements was simply cost-prohibitive. We chose to go with a Challenger (re-badged Chausson) which is firmly in the "Ford Mondeo" bracket of motorhomes, but which we are incredibly proud to won and thoroughly enjoy!
Click to expand...
Well a BMW comes with no toys as standard and the Mondeo will get you where you need to go in comparative luxury. By the way, Mondeos are made in Spain. but my point is can anybody justify to me whether they think say German cars and motorhomes are worth some 50% more than British.
 
Folkranger said:
Hi Jim. I'm not currently doing any comparisons having recently bought my current van but I'm sure you know the general price positions of British and say German
Click to expand...

Not really, which equivalent models cost 40k more?
 
I made the mistake of buying another British caravan a few years ago. What a disaster that was! It was riddled with serious structural faults, and was so bad I eventually rejected it after just a couple of week use. First of all was a 5ft chunk of plywood that fell off the ceiling, followed by cupboards falling off the wall, 7 cupboard doors all with hinges coming loose, the roof collapsing in the middle, so you could push it back up with one hand, I could go on.

3 years with a Spanish motorhome and no problems at all. For some strange reason I've now got a British van. Its actually not badly built, but there are a few niggles which I am fixing as I go along, but not at all bad for the price.

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RubyOptics said:
Some of it is down to differences invisible to the naked eye such as construction techniques, some to materials that are very much on display and some to the name and reputation of the brand in question.
Personally I think of it like buying a BMW/Mercedes compared to say a Ford Mondeo. The Mondeo isn't a bad car by any stretch of the imagination, but the BMW/Mercedes will be more luxurious and have more toys...all for a cost of course!
We took the plunge and bought a new van earlier this year. We would have loved to own a Hymer (is still a dream of mine to be honest with you) but the cost involved getting one that matched our list of requirements was simply cost-prohibitive. We chose to go with a Challenger (re-badged Chausson) which is firmly in the "Ford Mondeo" bracket of motorhomes, but which we are incredibly proud to won and thoroughly enjoy!
Click to expand...
I would certainly not put our Hymer in the quality category. It fully fulfills our need regarding layout and reasonable payload in a sub 3.5t van, but it’s easy to see where it has been made downto a price. As Lenny HB is always saying, these days they are a mid range van. Ours was a forced replacement for a 4t Chausson Allegro 96, which I think had the edge on the Hymer in terms of quality.
 
Sillious Sodus said:
Imo UK manufacturers are still building caravans without the towbar, nothing I've seen from a home made brand would make me buy one but I know they have faithfull customers who love them 🌝
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Agree about the caravan part but that mainly applies to layout and furniture quality, The rest is the same base vehicle, chassis and appliances as most others.
 
Coastal Cruiser. said:
Think the Germans are still trading on their old reputation, cannot see the quality of new one getting better unfortunately think it only going to get worse.

They are all bragging about how many vans they build/sell but would be better bragging about how they have improved quality and customer care.
Click to expand...
They're not as good as they were, but what is these days.
 
Imo making them down to a price and/or weight is increasingly becoming a problem even with newer N&B etc, the smoves are flimsy beyond belief. We could easily afford new but can't see us ever being more happy than we are with our 2003 clou.
 
emjaiuk said:
I would certainly not put our Hymer in the quality category. It fully fulfills our need regarding layout and reasonable payload in a sub 3.5t van, but it’s easy to see where it has been made downto a price. As Lenny HB is always saying, these days they are a mid range van. Ours was a forced replacement for a 4t Chausson Allegro 96, which I think had the edge on the Hymer in terms of quality.
Click to expand...
There is so much of the quality in our Hymer that I like but it is very flimsy in places. I've had to reinforce curtain supports as there is nothing for them to screw into and they fell off. I've had to reinforce cupboard shelves as a single sheet of this plyw0od is not fit for purpose. My holllow cupboard handles are starting to peel and LennyHB has a cottage industry replacing plastic door hinges with metal ones. However it does not take away the fact that, new, they cost in excess of £110k. See travelworl example below:

HYMER B Class ModernComfort BMC-I 680
Available to view
£123,150.00 inc VAT

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Jim said:
Not really, which equivalent models cost 40k more?
Click to expand...
Bear with me Jim. I'm just exploring attitudes in a subject that seems to be very polarised.
 
I suspect the majority will buy based on several factors but for some reason there probably is some badge snobbery. If you look at cars for instance across the VW owned brands are some of the brands really a lot better made than others yet an Audi badge is considered a lot more prestigious than Seat or Skoda
 
We have always bought British vans, mainly because we much prefer their layout compared to the Continental ones.

We have only had one disaster which was a combination of poor workmanship, which I could correct, and basic design flaws, which I could not correct and which were not evident before actually using it. As an example, a fresh water tank that spilled water during transit into its locker which also contained electricity connecting blocks at its lowest point. We would arrive on-site and find that the electric had tripped out being under 10mm of water.

Otherwise all of our new m/hs have been good. A few minor niggles at first, on some, but no more than I read about on threads regarding Continental models.
 

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