Has anyone got a good one ? (1 Viewer)

[daisy mae]

I am/have been very happy with the two I had/have. that is why I went for the VW Auto-sleeper route, monoquoce sp body and roof, so no seams to leak, had a bit of a leak from a window, but dealer replaced with new one, real wood, I love it. the build, layout engine.:thumb: ten years old, but better than the new ones I looked at, at Newark, didn`t see one that I would change for. jmho

Margaret

 

[GJH]

Regarding warranties on S/H Units, we were told in no uncertain terms by a salesman at SMC in Newark that theirs did not cover any appliances within the Habitation Area.
Is this the norm?
I wasn't very impressed with that (or him for that matter but that's another story altogether)...

Apart from the salesman's attitude I suppose it depends on what the overall deal is. Do you accept a "we haven't checked the appliances but it's only £X" or "we can make sure the appliances are A1 but the price will be £X++"?

Much like buying second hand cars with/without a full MoT to an extent I suppose.

 

[GJH]

[HI]'Damp' - the occasions mentioned by others in response to my comment, are what I call 'maintenance' and 'wear and tear' - not like there's a damp problem from new cos it's been manufactured wrong.[/HI]

We've only had 2 vans so far and been happy with both. Far as we are concerned you reap what you sow; if you do the preventative maintenance or don't do it - then you reap the respective rewards ......

Good point Jenny. We trusted - correctly - that all would be OK when we bought the van and then it was up to us to undertake regular maintenance checks and deal with any new problems.

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[DeuceBG]

Apart from the salesman's attitude I suppose it depends on what the overall deal is. Do you accept a "we haven't checked the appliances but it's only £X" or "we can make sure the appliances are A1 but the price will be £X++"?

Much like buying second hand cars with/without a full MoT to an extent I suppose.

This guy was giving nothing Graham and his attitude eventually made us walk away.
We spent a good hour deliberating over their stock (without anyone at all coming to speak to us I might add, but then they were very busy watching the rugby in the office!!) before finally narrowing it down to either a Pilote or a Bessacar.
Both were around £21k.
When we went in I asked if the screen price was negotiable and was told that, "The price on the screen is the price you pay. We can sell them all day long at that price, in fact I've sold three today already!".
The warranty conversation came later after a few more abruptly answered questions.
Feeling about as welcome as a pork chop at a barmitzvah, we left and vowed never to return. :Angry:

 

[GJH]

This guy was giving nothing Graham and his attitude eventually made us walk away.
We spent a good hour deliberating over their stock (without anyone at all coming to speak to us I might add, but then they were very busy watching the rugby in the office!!) before finally narrowing it down to either a Pilote or a Bessacar.
Both were around £21k.
When we went in I asked if the screen price was negotiable and was told that, "The price on the screen is the price you pay. We can sell them all day long at that price, in fact I've sold three today already!".
The warranty conversation came later after a few more abruptly answered questions.
Feeling about as welcome as a pork chop at a barmitzvah, we left and vowed never to return. :Angry:

Had we met that attitude we should have done exactly the same

Totally different when we bought our current van from Camper NE. After we had been looking around for a few minutes a salesman introduced himself and told us where to find him when we needed help but left us to browse the stock at our own pace. When we did need assistance he couldn't have been more helpful - and the prices were negotiable

 

[DeuceBG]

Had we met that attitude we should have done exactly the same

Totally different when we bought our current van from Camper NE. After we had been looking around for a few minutes a salesman introduced himself and told us where to find him when we needed help but left us to browse the stock at our own pace. When we did need assistance he couldn't have been more helpful - and the prices were negotiable

We met them at Newark when we called in briefly on the Sunday afternoon.
They had a nice "Timberland PVC we liked the look of...

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[magicsurfbus]

Our bought new '05 Carioca 656 is into its 10th year now, and despite a factory recall for the flat roof puddle/seam issue, we've so far only spent £100 on damp repairs (God bless extended warranties), a couple of hundred on a new fuse board, and had a dodgy front wheel bearing replaced, again under warranty. Not bad when spread over 10 years - we have no plans to replace it for the foreseeable future.

 

[eddie]

We bought a Gulf Stream in 2012 and love it. We have had a few teething troubles, as I expected as everything I have ever bought new doesn't show "teething" troubles until we start to use it. Be it boats, cars, sports cars or motorhomes.

Also what I call "maintenance" some refuse to carry out. In our workshops our guys will often tighten something up that they notice is loose to be told by the customer that "they didn't spend XYZ, to fix things themselves":Sad:

Given that we are buying, to all intents and purposes a house, which we then pick up and shake, some on going maintenance, is I believe inevitable, and if you expect it, and are prepared to tighten up the odd bit that shakes loose you'll be a lessed stressed bunny.

Also, try to remember, the more that you us it, the more wear, tear and maintenance you'll have to be prepared to do. People buy motorhomes to live in, when they are simply not designed to be lived in. They are designed for occasional use. A couple of holidays a year, a few weekends away and the odd night here and there.

My friend asked me to have a look at a van that he was thinking about buying, a 2008 van with only 4,000 miles on the clock, he thought that it was a bargain on paper. It was unfortunately worn out

 

[chaser]

Might I just add,we are totally satisfied with our van, have I ever been on here saying there was something wrong, no, I did alter the shower but only because I wanted to not because it failed, but every time you open this forum someone has got some warranty thing to complain about, mostly damp, but as I have never bought a van with warranty I havnt had the chance , maybe if I had it would be different, but as been said I try to buy at the right price and do it all myself or by someone I trust compleatly not some fly by night who is just in the business of selling over priced vans.

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[GJH]

To expand on previous posts.

When we bought our van it was nearly 9 years old with several previous owners so it was never going to be in pristine showroom condition. From our own inspection and that of Camper NE (who could hardly have treated us better) it was certainly fit for purpose.

Because of its age and the fact that we did not know the detailed history of how previous owners had treated it we accepted that it was up to us to undertake proper maintenance and deal with any problems which did arise. We did so with our eyes open.

As Eddie says, more or less, that is not unlike buying a house that isn't brand new.

 

[Snowbird]

At 24 years old my old clunker is boringly reliable, even with 180000 on the clock. The only damp problems I have had was a leaking fresh water pump, that was repaired by tightening a clamp. Not all motorhomes suffer with damp, but I must admit many models seem to have an inbuilt time span. A major part of my motorhoming hobby is tinkering with my motorhome, but there is little to tinker with on my RMB as nothing ever goes wrong with the thing. I spend many hours searching the net worldwide for good interesting vans, but I can say hand on heart, as yet I have found little to compare at any age or price with what I already have. I have said this before, that why anyone would pay what amounts to the price of a house for a vehicle and expect it to have a life span of 10 years is beyond my comprehension. There are motorhomes out there at under £10000 that could be handed down as heirlooms. The only problem is that the number plate would not suit some .

 

[GJH]

There are motorhomes out there at under £10000 that could be handed down as heirlooms. The only problem is that the number plate would not suit some

Good point Dave. We see motorhomes much older than ours in good condition at rallies and think if they can do it why shouldn't we. We will add to and refurbish ours a bit when need be and know that we are comfortable in it - at far less cost than a new one

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[Snowbird]

There are motorhomes out there at under £10000 that could be handed down as heirlooms. The only problem is that the number plate would not suit some

Good point Dave. We see motorhomes much older than ours in good condition at rallies and think if they can do it why shouldn't we. We will add to and refurbish ours a bit when need be and know that we are comfortable in it - at far less cost than a new one

The point is Graham that many forget the biggest expense of motorhome ownership is depreciation. Once a quality built motorhome hits a certain age the depreciation stops and slowly goes into reverse, gaining in value. You only have to look at the likes of Airstreams etc that are over 20 years old. Some are more valuable now than they were when new. Regardless of how much the RMB will cost during my ownership, its better than bank interest at 1% and am getting the enjoyment from it. A win,win situation :thumb:. I know that some owners, such as Rapido etc will not be so fortunate, but am thankful there are such marques, otherwise there would be nothing to compare quality with .

 

[Chris]

I wanted an old Hymer when we first discussed a motorhome.

My wife wasn't having that so we went new.

Hopefully we will keep the current van for a good few years, but it will never compare to an old Hymer for charm or quality or clearly an RMB for durability.

We are the only ones who have used the toilet thoughoh:

 

[treetops1]

No problem with mine 08 ,We have loved it since day 1. It would be difficult to find something better to replace it ,so it will stay with us .Just wished it washed itself lol.

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[cruiser]

yes very happy with ours.over 24 years old no damp and still going well.still getting offers to buy it. the only thing I have had done to it had power steering fitted to it,and the gear selecter.changed.:thumb::thumb:

 

[schojac]

Good word for Autotrail in an awful lot of doom and gloom. Although mine is an older 2006 Mohican when it would appear that quality, both build and furnishings were paramount. Knew it was ours as soon as we sat in it 5 years ago. What kills motorhomes - Love as stated in another post.

 

[eddie]

The is a lot of sense in this. We broke open our piggy bank and bought our first motor in 1988. I was 28 years old and we bought a brand new Autohomes Highwayman

We paid about £14K with extras, it was an F plate

A good example now, still ranges £8K 'ish give or take a grand

I paid a £120K for my current van nearly two years ago, I wonder how much I've lost on this one

We've enjoyed the 13 motorhomes we've bought since oh:

Excellent fun though

Eddie

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[lorger]

We are on our second one and very happy with both so far, our first was an elddis autoquest which could be classed as an entry level model, during the 4 years we owned it we never had a problem apart from very minor niggles. We now have an Adria which in my opinion is far superior to the elddis and so far we are very happy with it.

When we sold our elddis they did damp checks on it and not a drop of damp was found, so not bad for a 6 year old basic motorhome from Scotland

 

[cruiser]

that's almost the same price as my home.

 

[chaser]

We are on our second one and very happy with both so far, our first was an elddis autoquest which could be classed as an entry level model, during the 4 years we owned it we never had a problem apart from very minor niggles. We now have an Adria which in my opinion is far superior to the elddis and so far we are very happy with it.

When we sold our elddis they did damp checks on it and not a drop of damp was found, so not bad for a 6 year old basic motorhome from Scotland

We have a compass avantgauard which I presume is similar to your old one, and just don't see what we could get that was any better for us if we spent £50000, full cooker shower toilet 6.6 double bed , short enough for most car parks and ferries hot water in minutes all complete , no need for hookup or anything else, no damp no probs

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