Buying a new camper

[Ro55y]

Apologies if this has been covered already but what is the general consensus from experienced motorhomers as to when to buy a camper/motorhome for a good deal?
In autumn via a dealer or attend a Campervan/Motorhome exhibition like the NEC?

 

[Vansflyer]

IMHO Shows are great to see lots of vans and then work out what layout suits you best. Buying now is more about who has stock and what deal (if any) you can do. With stock tight the days of big discounts have largely gone. You might find a dealer at a show like the NEC in October that will be taking some of the vans on display back to the dealerships part of his "stocking plan", and these may have a deal on them as cash in the bank is better than tyres sitting on tarmac.... but that depends on when they pay for the vans. Find the layout first an then find a van is how we have done it in the past. Good luck.

 

[Spriddler]

If you really must buy a new one get it from a dealer where you'll be happy to keep taking it back for stuff to be fixed and faults corrected under warranty. Very few (if any) dealers will sort out one under warranty that wasn't bought from them.

As far as when to buy the straight answer is 'whenever you see one of the right layout, payload and price'.
You are no doubt aware that lead times for new orders are very long and often not achieved.

Frankly, I'd rather have one at 2 or 3 (or 10) years old.

 

[Guigsy]

At the moment (and for the previous 2 years), the usual rules don't apply. New stock is still in extremely low supply. Demand is still very high. Inflation is high and manufacturers have long lead times, so they're boosting their prices even higher to hedge their bets. Nearly new stuff is still selling for retail price. New stuff can have have well over a year of wait time. It's very much a sellers' market.

It might remain like this for a while. Or, it might be that in 12 months, the bubble has burst and vans are worth considerably less than the current price and buyers will have a glut of choice. But for the foreseeable future, expect limited choice and little to no discounts.

 

[AndyPK]

Decide what layout you want; see as many ‘vans as you can; revise your layout requirements (!); look at some more ‘vans; hire a couple (if possible); revise your layout requirements again; see what’s on the market……and, if buying from a dealer, choose one that is within easy distance from where you live - you will be going back there whether buying new or second-hand……!!!

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[Guigsy]

There's lots of stuff that you only discover and only makes sense once you've tried to use a motorhome/campervan. Experience matters. If you've never driven and overnighted a van before, hiring first is definitely a good call.

 

[funflair]

For the vans that we are interested in I would say that the best deals for ordering new are at Dusseldorf show, wether this translates to good deals at the NEC I am not sure but as others have said there is no point getting a good deal unless it's the van that you want.

But with the state of the market at the moment I was tempted to just say "two years time"

 

[Branston]

I think ( unusually ) that many may agree with me. Do you really want to buy new first time around? As soon as you take hold of the keys it depreciates at least a little. Buy a decent pre-owned one to start after about 3 purchases you may have found the one that NEARLY suits. I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud, whatever you buy you will get a great deal of enjoyment from.

 

[Ro55y]

IMHO Shows are great to see lots of vans and then work out what layout suits you best. Buying now is more about who has stock and what deal (if any) you can do. With stock tight the days of big discounts have largely gone. You might find a dealer at a show like the NEC in October that will be taking some of the vans on display back to the dealerships part of his "stocking plan", and these may have a deal on them as cash in the bank is better than tyres sitting on tarmac.... but that depends on when they pay for the vans. Find the layout first an then find a van is how we have done it in the past. Good

Decide what layout you want; see as many ‘vans as you can; revise your layout requirements (!); look at some more ‘vans; hire a couple (if possible); revise your layout requirements again; see what’s on the market……and, if buying from a dealer, choose one that is within easy distance from where you live - you will be going back there whether buying new or second-hand……!!!

Thank you for your reply. I have hired and also were caravan owners so we do have experience of the lifestyle. I've been researching layouts and models for over 18 months and always return to WildAx Aurora XL. WildAx fits our criteria to a T.

 

[Ro55y]

I think ( unusually ) that many may agree with me. Do you really want to buy new first time around? As soon as you take hold of the keys it depreciates at least a little. Buy a decent pre-owned one to start after about 3 purchases you may have found the one that NEARLY suits. I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud, whatever you buy you will get a great deal of enjoyment from.

Hi, thanks for your response.
No, I don't have to buy new but the particular model we like isn't found So readily. If I had a choice through availability, I wouldn't hesitate buying a used (depending on age, condition and mileage of course) but alas, it's availability is somewhat scarce

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[Guigsy]

I researched for a year. I spent a lot of time thinking about how I wanted to use the van. I'd previously done a lot of tent camping. My parents had caravans. My grandparents used to use a VW camper. The first van I bought we kept for a few years and did 6 months around europe in it. But there were a lot of things that I didn't realise the importance of until I'd used it. My van was a post-conversion and I didn't mind making quite a few changes to it. But I still think I got a van that was well suited to me more out of luck than pre-research judgement.

I changed to a 6m a-class last year. I really like a lot of aspects to it. And I'm using it in a different way, which I didn't expect. Because it's more comfortable inside, we're tending to say on sites a bit longer and using our bikes and public transport more. Whereas before I'd just drive site-to-site, rarely stopping for more than a couple of nights.

Basically, you learn from experience. And your opinions and view will change with experience.

 

[nicholsong]

Decide what layout you want; see as many ‘vans as you can; revise your layout requirements (!); look at some more ‘vans; hire a couple (if possible); revise your layout requirements again; see what’s on the market……and, if buying from a dealer, choose one that is within easy distance from where you live - you will be going back there whether buying new or second-hand……!!!

In some countries there is only one dealer for some marques.

In Poland there was no dealer for N&B for a couple of years. There is only one in UK.

Has anyone tried approaching a factory and stating 'That unless they are willing to sell direct I am not buying your brand' ?

 

[berni109]

Do a search on here for wildax. Think it was recently that someone had a bad experience quality wise with them since they were taken over.

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN.

 

[mikebeaches]

Traditionally, late autumn and into winter has been a good time to buy a used van (including nearly new). Historically, it would be a challenging period for trading, with vans otherwise hanging around for months in the cold and wet.

But as everyone is saying, these aren't normal times - so guess it's a case of just tracking down what you are looking for and buying it.

Factory orders for new are likely to have a VERY long lead time at the moment.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

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[Ro55y]

Do a search on here for wildax. Think it was recently that someone had a bad experience quality wise with them since they were taken over.

Hi mate, thanks for your tip. I do very frequently trawl for info on WildAx's.
We have exacting standards today from our drive for perfection. Anything one buys today that is complex will ultimately experience faults along the way. I have owned a Mercedes and it was riddled with issues. The ultimate test is how the dealership responds to them. I wont know that till I buy - whatever it is I buy!
Almost everyone I have spoken to who owns a WildAx is thrilled with their veh. That speaks volumes

 

[stuartholmes]

Hi mate, thanks for your tip. I do very frequently trawl for info on WildAx's.
We have exacting standards today from our drive for perfection. Anything one buys today that is complex will ultimately experience faults along the way. I have owned a Mercedes and it was riddled with issues. The ultimate test is how the dealership responds to them. I wont know that till I buy - whatever it is I buy!
Almost everyone I have spoken to who owns a WildAx is thrilled with their veh. That speaks volumes

So how did it work out? Enjoying the van you wanted I hope ?