Is Summer a bad time to buy?

[Devongirl]

Looks like we won't have either the cash to buy or the time to use a new campervan until July/August. Is this a really bad time to be looking i.e availability and price-wise? We'll be after a PVC, something like a Globecar.

Of course we could buy earlier and take out a loan to tide us over but would rather not be paying interest for a camper sat on the drive.

 

[SpeedyDux]

By July/August the choice of new campervans / motorhomes in stock at the dealers could be limited. You might get a big discount if you wait until after the summer /autumn season when dealers need to shift remaining 2020 stock to make room for 2021 models.

I confess that I don't know what current lead times are with most manufacturers. You would have to try asking dealers. From experience, ordering a new one with the specification and factory options you really want probably means waiting several months until delivery. I ordered our Rapido at the NEC in October 2016 and delivery took place in June 2017.

 

[suavecarve]

We made our new purchase just before the NEC show in October.
We managed to buy the Rollerteam 690 with a number of extras for just under 40k and it was the 2017 spec in 2016. Got the van in November.
At the show the price was £46k.
Van wasnt the absolute ideal one for us but it ticked enough boxes, so based on our experience i would suggest buying one before a show !

 

[Garfields]

if you are looking for a factory build order from Globecar you are into 2021 for some models according to the German forum
Dealers will have stock as long as you are not wanting a particular/odd colour etc
If buying used it will be potluck whats available
Our G Car Revolution was the only used one available in uk at the time
More choice if we had went down the import route

 

[Garfields]

if you are looking for a factory build order from Globecar you are into 2021 for some models according to the German forum
Dealers will have stock as long as you are not wanting a particular/odd colour etc
If buying used it will be potluck whats available
Our G Car Revolution was the only used one available in uk at the time
More choice if we had went down the import route

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[peterc10]

It all depends. If you are a bit flexible about exactly what you want, the best time to buy new will probably be the late Autumn. That is when the following year's stock start arriving at the dealers and go on their forecourt. At that time they start getting twitchy about the present year's stock they have got left over. So that is when the ticket prices drop a bit and also their willingness to do a deal increases. Of course there is no guarantee that exactly what you want will still be there, hence my comment about flexibility.

We bought our new motorhome in late October 2015. The ticket price represented about a 14% reduction on list price, and we managed to get a further 5% or so off in negotiations. And we also got a surprising good offer on our p/x.

BUT, are you sure you want to buy a new motorhome? Anecdotal experience suggests that you do not get your ideal layout and type of motorhome until your third purchase So most people suggest buying a second hand one to start with in order to reduce the amount of losses you make on each change. We were lucky in that we achieved what we wanted in our second purchase, which is now our keeper. Our first motorhome was 5 years old when we bought it, and we learnt a lot about what we liked and did not like from that. And we only lost £2,500 on the p/x after putting 15,000 miles on the first one in 2.5 years.

 

[Helen Ariel]

We got a good price on a 2019 forecourt van last early September. Maybe hold off if nothing good comes up in July/aug

 

[trophychap]

Bought our first one in mid-late July after returning home from our last ever camping holiday - decamping before 9am on a site in the Brenne Jenny thought she'd be helpful so would take the inner tent down - and it was so hot and humid she was almost passing out so came outside and stated (in no uncertain terms) that she was getting too old for this. She also said she was immensely grateful to the Brit in the Moho on the next pitch who kept reporting on current temperature and %age humidity displayed on his control panel above his hab door. (Like she needed someone else to tell her, cos she obviously wouldn't be aware already, you 87qwdqdb,dj!)

By the second week in August we were back in France in a brand spanking new Bessacar that was actually the previous year's model and we had a fantastic discount, and have never looked back except with nostalgia.

 

[DaveandJen]

Looks like we won't have either the cash to buy or the time to use a new campervan until July/August. Is this a really bad time to be looking i.e availability and price-wise? We'll be after a PVC, something like a Globecar.

Of course we could buy earlier and take out a loan to tide us over but would rather not be paying interest for a camper sat on the drive.

Good Post - that made us think about what we would do. If you buy early with some months of non use its not just the interest on the loan that you will be paying but the cost of insurance, road tax, habitation and base vehicle servicing even though not used to comply with the warranty dates and depreciation does not help. Buy when you have the cash and ready to use it and wishing you many happy times in the future.

 

[The Wino]

I would buy when you want one. It's a big purchase and if you have a change in circumstances it could be a very expensive mistake especially as it will probably lose 15 to 20% of the value the minute you drive it away.
Personally I'm probably a bit old fashioned but I would only buy what I could save up for rather than borrow on a depreciating asset.

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[rosalan]

The problem with buying early summer is that the high season is summer time and by this time that choice of van may be more limited. However, once you have some idea what you want after visiting a big Motorhome Show in Peterborough or Newbury (April / May) where you can see a wide range of vans, a search through the magazines and internet can often find a specific model that you like. Unfortunately you may not be able to choose your dealer and your van. Choosing a good dealer, as others will advise, can be as important as selecting your van.

 

[Blue Knight]

Looks like we won't have either the cash to buy or the time to use a new campervan until July/August. Is this a really bad time to be looking i.e availability and price-wise? We'll be after a PVC, something like a Globecar.

Of course we could buy earlier and take out a loan to tide us over but would rather not be paying interest for a camper sat on the drive.

If you're buying a Globecar and want it towards the back end of the year (or early next year) then, based on stock levels over recent years, I wouldn't worry so much about rushing into a purchase.

The last couple of years have seen multiple choices of each Globecar variant left on the dealers shelves by Xmas/NY of each year so there's always a good Xmas deal to be had.

The only exception is the Globecar Revolution which are rare beasts but even so, there has always been one of them left too.

Good luck,

Andrew

 

[IRHP]

If you are going to buy a new one this summer and it is a 2020 model you will have to pay the huge price increase for road tax. There are still good deals at some dealers to be had on brand new 2019 models. You can get them on a 2020 plate and still pay the £265 road tax. They may not be around by summer time.

 

[GPW]

July/August. Is this a really bad time to be looking

This year is different from other years: the electronics supply chain is IMO at risk so you may be looking at used models. In my view many lead times depend now on stored inventory, but this is balanced by declining demand in the auto sector. If you think a recession or quarantine will impact your income don't take any loans and plan for getting a discounted one perhaps in the autumn.

 

[Grianan]

Some excellent points made above by GPW and IRHP. In your position I would try to buy a vehicle that is not subject to the new VRD/luxury car tax. Also, after my experience of a 6 month delay in delivery (scheduled June, arrived December) missing our two holiday opportunities, I would never order a factory build again.

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[Busybees]

You don't say if you have experience of motor homing. If not I would look around lots of companies to see the lay out and then try to hire one even if only for a few days and try it out. Try standing in the shower and see if you fit. Is the bed long enough? Is the bed easy to make up ? The lay outs are often very different and you don't know what you will really get along with unless you live in it. Thats why it is said you often don't get the right one first time.

 

[Blue Knight]

There may be a heavily modified 2019 Globecar Summit 640 up for sale soon (with all of the factory niggles sorted).

Just saying

 

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

If you need a motorhome for the summer I would suggest renting and then buying after high season.

Motorhome fun has an excellent buying guide. When we change vehicles we get a HPI check, Habitation check and an RAC or AA inspection done even when buying from a dealer.

Visit as many motorhome shows as possible, remember pictures look deceiving, that wonderful double bed could be a single with a few inches added, that lovely looking cooker may not take a full chicken.

Don't just go in and have a short look. Take time to "pretend to use the habitation area". Take time to turn the lounge into a bed, does it work for you? How many steps as some new motorhomes have different floor levels inside and out. Can you manage the steps into the motorhome several times or are they too steep? Is there somewhere to put the kettle and still prepare a meal - if you are likely to cook rather than eat out.

When you have a shortlist, post on motorhome fun and ask users for their pros and cons.

Wishing you every success in finding your perfect motorhome

 

[Apache]

We bought our Autotrail at the NEC show in October 2015. They did it at the 2015 price but we were getting the 2016 spec van . The one we chose was already on order for their stock and it was on our drive by the 10th November ( My birthday by coincidence) . We got the bigger engine just because that’s what they had ordered in and the media pack . Also got a good px price on our old Autotrail so we were v happy.
Would I do the same again ? maybe but armed with advice from this forum I would negotiate more and consider looking at the outgoing years spec rather than paying for the new model / price. After all , they don’t usually change so much from the previous years spec and sometimes it isn’t worth the extra beer vouchers ?.

The only major change at the moment that I can think of is the upgraded engine in the Fiat based models and if you are wanting an automatic, the new 9 speed auto box .
Otherwise Happy Hunting