Caveat emptor (1 Viewer)

[Ex111]

Hi everyone. 'Caveat Emptor'...buyer beware! I must have learnt that phrase over 40 years ago but, until now, it's had little significance to me. However, now that my wife and I are seriously looking into buying a motor home, it has suddenly become a huge consideration.
After what seems like forever, our research and shortlist has produced 2 makes and models; the Chausson 640 and the Bailey 69-4. Given the scarcity of both on the used market, we're probably going to be buying new: And that's were my caution kicks in.
Spending circa £60k makes it about the second most expensive purchase outlay of our lives. So, getting it right is vital and the subject I'd love to hear about from some experienced MH owners.
How do you sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to selecting a dealership? There must be a reliable league table of dealerships somewhere?
Are you tied to that dealership for servicing through the warranty period or can you go elsewhere after the purchase?

As a MH Sprog (newbie), I'd welcome any guidance on the matter of choosing a dealership.
Regards

 

[Figaro]

I can`t help with your query, but

I`m sure others will be along soon to give some advice

 

[Chris]

The answer to your question is in your question.

No matter the dealer, get your van checked out by someone who knows what they are doing.

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[mark49]

I think you could get a very nice 2 nd hand hardly used German van for that, with some of the extras already fitted that you are going to be needing.

 

[Ex111]

Thanks Mark, we did look at Dethleffs and, for a while, they were a contender but then we moved on. You know the biggest issue with choosing a MH... There's so bloody many of them to choose from!
I don't particularly want to succumb to research fatigue and buy whatever I happen to be sat in when the music stops but, at some point I need to make a decision. Maybe there should be the MH equivalent of a personal shopper that could navigate you through the makes, models and permutations.

 

[Steve and Denise]

Well you are not tied to any dealership but you may be one of the lucky ones who gets any after care and we have bought a few vans from numerous money earning firms, but that’s life in this Motorhome fraternity
Good luck
Oh by the way we will never buy new again

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[TUCANO]

Sorry can't help with your model choice as I know nothing of them, Fords are supposedly easier to break into as far as I am aware.
I would NOT be buying new for the first time, although I did myself .
I have in the past bought second hand from Tyne Valley and found them as indifferent as other dealers post sale
To keep within warranty you usually have to return to the dealer but not always the case, enjoy the search but don't rush, it will be an expense as you say so enjoy the experience and to the fun.

 

[Bailey 15]

 

[Ex111]

Thanks Guys,
Buying new is not a given, or a preference. I understand the cost of depreciation and the risk of warranty issues etc. I also accept that there has to be some compromise in any MH layout etc. However, if needs must then I'd sooner bite the bullet to get what I want.... Assuming I ever get to the point where I know what I want

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[TUCANO]

It has been said on here many times, layout, layout, layout and then payload

 

[Ex111]

"Fords are supposedly easier to break into as far as I am aware".

19 years of my colourful background was spent as a copper so, whilst I don't want to worry you, one look at any MH should be enough to tell you that they're all fundamentally easy to break into. The only question is how much mess and noise you are prepared to make doing it.

 

[Ex111]

Agree... layout is our prime influence at the moment. Payload is a significant factor also. However, I do sea kayak expeditions where choice of what you take, weight and volume are critical so I'm pretty comfortable with the 410kgs of the Bailey and 450kgs of the Chausson. I just need to understand how the resale market views those figures.

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[DumfriesDik]

Hi, we have just been through the buying process and were not very impressed with the dealers we went to. We decided to go down the second hand route due to availability, and the price was more 'affordable'. I did stumble upon something, a lot of firms that do pre-inspection reports do not go over 3500kg, DEKRA for example. I struggled to find someone who would do it but ended up using National Vehicle Inspections. So, if you do go down the second hand route - get the vehicle properly inspected.

 

[Cal54]

I can appreciate your concern about getting the right dealer. I made the mistake of buying new from a very well known dealer that was over 130 miles away from home because they gave me the best trade in deal on my previous van. I won’t make that mistake again! I had to return to the dealer 3 times in the early days to have things done that should have been picked up on the PDI.
IF I was ever to change my van again (unlikely) I would be using the local dealer who I had previously dealt with and can highly recommend - Todds Leisure at Lostock Hall. Too far for you I appreciate, but do consider how far you are prepared to travel for return trips!
The forum has members reviews of dealers and it might be worth you taking a look at that.
Another comment re the Fords - a friend and fellow funster had a brand new Ford and on the first outing there was an attempted break in at a motorway services. Thankfully they must have been disturbed as lock was damaged but they didn’t gain entry. She immediately had extra door security fitted - admittedly it was an extra £200 approx but well worth it for peace of mind. You may wish to consider this as part of your budget if you choose the Chausson.

 

[Podney]

No,there isn’t a league table of dealers.

I strongly suggest that you start off with the assumption they are all useless. Then,only you can start to sort the wheat from the chaff,by visiting them and getting to know them.

There is a buyers guide on here which Jim has produced,it’s very good.

Most people don’t seem to find their ideal van until their third purchase.

I would recommend you buy a used van first. After a couple of years you will have a better idea of what you need and more knowledge generally. You can only learn so much from any forum.....valuable though that learning is,it is no substitute for actual experience owning your own van.

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[jonsea]

Hi and

 

[AndyPK]

Welcome from Ciren!
Our first ‘van was 15 years old when we got it - AS Clubman GL - and we kept it
for nearly 12 months before we traded it in for a Marquis Majestic 120, which we replaced last year with another Majestic (155) having finally got the layout we wanted (). The first ‘van was from a small dealer in Cambridgeshire, the next two from Marquis Motorhomes who have a pretty good dealer network in England, but opinions about them differ, as you can read on Fun!! Unless you like trekking a good distance to get warranty repairs carried-out, try to pick a dealer reasonably close to where you live. Most of all, don’t get too hung-up on layout, as you’ll probably not get it right until your third ‘van at least!.
Good luck!

 

[Dave_E]

I think the general rule is you pay your money you take your chance.You can contact a good dealer but still have the office idiot answer the phone.We bought our first van new and are very happy with it.I think the rule of thumb is research research research and this forum will help you with that.Know exactly what you want before setting foot in the showroom and don't assume that they know what they are talking about.We had a dealer that told us you don't need a regulator for a solar panel one that didn't know what an AGM battery was and one that quoted £400 to fit an external bbq point.So knowledge is power.After all that the van is brilliant we have not had a single warranty problem but I understand if we do we can go to our nearest dealer.Good luck and enjoy.

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[jongood]

. However, if needs must then I'd sooner bite the bullet to get what I want.... Assuming I ever get to the point where I know what I want

This is the point - the chances of anyone getting it right first time is slim. My advice is set yourself a lower budget (30-40k perhaps) and buy something used as close as you can afford to what you think you want. Have it thoroughly checked over before you part with the money. Then use it until you ve worked out what works for you and what you think you might like next time. The benefit of doing it this way is that you will have less depreciation and more leverage when you come to change to your next MH.

 

[BusyBuilder]

Whatever model/make you get, I pretty much guarantee that within 2 years you'll want a different layout.

 

[HugoBNB]

Welcome from Northumberland. First bit of advice from me would be to pay the subscription and become a full member. It is worth its weight in gold to you. Then, get into all the topics on here that are relevant to you. It will save you a heck of a lot of time.
Stay safe and happy hunting.

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[suavecarve]

Agree... layout is our prime influence at the moment. Payload is a significant factor also. However, I do sea kayak expeditions where choice of what you take, weight and volume are critical so I'm pretty comfortable with the 410kgs of the Bailey and 450kgs of the Chausson. I just need to understand how the resale market views those figures.

Welcome,
At the risk of turning this thread into a weights thread, 450 kgs of payload after what ? If this is the "official" figure that they sell you the van from the garage brand new or something you have read on the internet from their glossy websites then unfortunately you may be shocked.
All is not lost on the likelihood you have a C1 and can uprate the motor and save money.
We have another sea canoeist from your area with (if i remember correctly) a similar job background but name is escaping me at the moment
Weight will depend upon how many of you using it for how long and for what reason.

Best of luck, and for what its worth, keep your money in your pocket, fork out about £30 k to get something that you think is perfect, intend to keep it a year or so, stick th eother £30k in premium bonds, hope to win, then in the intervening period work out what you actually want then buy it, is what i would do.

 

[Kev and Ju]

I haven't read all the above posts so this may have been covered, but from experience I would if at all possible try and buy from a dealership that's within a hour (or reasonably close) of your home address because YOU WILL be popping back on a regular basis during the warranty period no matter what make / model you buy and it can be a 'right pain' and expensive in terms of ££ and time to keep having to trek across the UK for a 10 min fix.
We have a Bailey 79-4T which was 18months old and had covered only 1000 miles and only had to return to the dealers only an hour away twice in 12 months (for an alarm issue (kept resetting) and a poorly fitting hab door- 10 min fix) but even that took up the best part of a day.

 

[Vipar]

Greetings peeps welcome from Bexley

Get recommendations from other satisfied customers
Outlay,Layout, location of dealer your bound to have to go back to have something sorted. Take your time that’s what MHing is all about.

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[Googlebot]

Agree with everyone about weight and I would never buy a new van. Get one three years old with all the bugs sorted with the hassle that goes with it by the previous owner.

Regarding payload, I quickly discounted the Bailey range as we have the kids too. It’s really tight with 2 adults, with kids you have no chance! I quickly worked out on one of them that by the time I had filled the water and added second battery and awning, with the wife and kids on board we would be 100kg overweight with nothing else in!

Also beware of ground clearance, while the Bailey is great to get in and out of, it won’t do anything other than smooth flat tarmac or grass. Well, it will but you will be picking up bits from the waste pipe etc that have ripped off.

For the above reasons, we went for a Hymer Exsis I with a generous 600kg payload and good clearance. It was expensive though compared to the Bailey models which we also liked.

Welcome and good luck in your search.

 

[David and Sally]

 

[BusyBuilder]

I live way up in Highlands and bought used privately for this exact reason, I can fix most things and didn't want to be traipsing hundreds of miles for something I can fix myself.

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[WillH]

I cannot recommend any dealers I have personal experience of. I bought new and couldn't wait to be out of warranty so I could get stuck into fixing things and improving the van to my requirements. As for choice, it's all about layout, layout and layout.

 

[ambulancekidd]

 

[HugoBNB]

We got our (Adria) from Marquis in Birtley. As said above, nothing is perfect and we have had a couple of trips back for things. Third after-sales service has been excellent so far. We had a Hymer caravan prior to this that had a host of problems. We bought it in The Midlands as it was the best price. I bet we eroded those savings, and some, in trips to and from the dealers getting them sorted.

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