Poll Buying a 2nd hand Motorhome

[joncris]

As you can see from our avatar we own a Rimor Katamarano 12p + Auto which we purchased from JustGo a MH hire company now based near Toddington
The advantages were/are that it has a full service history, has been well maintained as everything worked and when collected it was spotless and still has a decent time to run warranty both from Renault and Rimor. It also had all of the equipment you would need such as a TV, Pots, Pans, Crockery, Knives Forks, Food quality water hose, 25m cable hook up when leccy is available, floor brush and pan 1st aid kit, fire extinguisher + Florescent Jacket + Warning Triangle + all the other things you might want + GasFlo refillable bottles AND most important of all a BOTTLE opener all bought for much less than a dealers price or looking on some of the websites even less than some private sellers
The downside is that it won't be brand spanking new and it will have mileage. Ours was 36K.
The upside of that is that any faults will have been rectified long ago

What do YOU think Good idea or Bad one

 

[Bertie Bassett]

I voted yes jc not because I have any experience but because from this and previous posts you are obviously very happy with the van...........Say no more, that does it for me.

 

[davidbaldam]

We bought our van from man who thought he could make a mint buying a van then renting it, after two years he relished that the market was too small in our neck of the world so sold it with everything ready to go at a very good price and I haven't looked back.

 

[Cat53]

I said yes too. Because of everything you said in your post....plus I think, when you hire things the costs are punitive if you don't look after the hire vehicle!

 

[joncris]

We bought our van from man who thought he could make a mint buying a van then renting it, after two years he relished that the market was too small in our neck of the world so sold it with everything ready to go at a very good price and I haven't looked back.

Yes I don't know when you purchased yours but MH hire has really only kicked off big time in the last few years, perhaps within the last 5-6yrs I would think

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[joncris]

I would like to point out that I have no axe to grind nor am I connected in anyway to a dealer or hirer of anything.
I just think that if like us you have a limited budget then its a good place to start. The Missus will tell you I'm all about saving a few bob or as She would put it a "tight arse"

 

[Peter & Elaine]

So long as it's what you want and in good condition why not

 

[joncris]

So long as it's what you want and in good condition why not

Quite but there's some here that wouldn't and I think they're losing out soooooo I'm trying to get them to think again cos they're spending money they don't have too if they go down this route they'll save lots & lots of money

 

[Terran]

Great way to find the layout and size you want, voted Yes,

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Quite but there's some here that wouldn't and I think they're losing out soooooo I'm trying to get them to think again cos they're spending money they don't have too if they go down this route

The word think and this lot in one sentence whatever next

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[DanielFord]

A big yes from us, ours is also an ex-rental, in fact we rented the exact van that we now own a couple of years ago.
Another plus that wasn't mentioned, the hire companies generally sell them off at less than market price so you get a bit of a bargain. I like a bargain

 

[Carol]

Not like me I know but I am sitting on the fence with this one, I think if you know what you are doing then you could be all right, what would concern me a little is that not all Hire Vehicle company's are that reputable and faults that could be caused through the people not knowing how to use the vans properly could show up later, also on resale some people would just walk away from a hire van.

 

[scotjimland]

some here that wouldn't

that's me, ex hire I wouldn't touch.

 

[MitchandJenny]

No.

 

[Bobby22]

I voted yes, you should consider, but when i enquired and had a look at this I decided it wasn't for me.
The van i looked at was what i was looking for and i got one.
The hirer buys new each season and sells the vans every october.(6months old) I looked at the van earmarked for me in the July. At that time you could see a bit of wear and tear cosmetically without finding other things wrong.
It would have covered 16k miles when i got it.
It did have all the toys fitted eg. awning, tv. reverse camera, Gaslow and bike rack.
But in the end I bought new for 3.5k more with the full warranty with only the TV+ Aerial and Gaslow.

I was worried that the van would have had what amounts to 4 or 5 years wear in the six month period with inexperienced people driving and using it every week or so.
They do sell the at a fair price but they certainly get their monies worth from them.

And don't believe that they are selling them at a big discount the bloke told me he didn't even pay what he was asking for at the end of it's rental life.

And he sells the full fleet (10 or more each year)

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[Zains Pops]

Ex rental should be fine if fairly new. I would draw the line at 3 years old. It all depends on the original manufacturer and the price. The only downside I can see is the condition of the internal fittings, MH interiors are somewhat fragile and very dependant on maintenance, a hire van will have had plenty of use, should be ok if a decent manufacturers and the maintenance regime. The chassis part will be fine, probably better than most as it's actually been used as designed

 

[scotjimland]

I voted yes, you should consider,

yes, I considered for all of 5 secs then voted no..

the poll should be a straight question .. would you buy ex hire .. yes or no

 

[DanielFord]

Not like me I know but I am sitting on the fence with this one, I think if you know what you are doing then you could be all right, what would concern me a little is that not all Hire Vehicle company's are that reputable and faults that could be caused through the people not knowing how to use the vans properly could show up later, also on resale some people would just walk away from a hire van.

That is very true, you would have to ensure that you trust the company concerned.

Being that it is sort of in my area of expertise, the reason that they will be sold cheaper is to do with the way that limited companies are allowed to state their assets. They will purchase the vehicle new, and then each year HMRC allows the asset to be written down to allow for depreciation, and the company receive a tax allowance for this. After roughly three years the asset will be pretty well fully written down, so any sale value is technically profit that can be put back into the company.
I'll shut up now, because I am sure no one really cares about that

 

[joncris]

I voted yes, you should consider, but when i enquired and had a look at this I decided it wasn't for me.
The van i looked at was what i was looking for and i got one.
The hirer buys new each season and sells the vans every october.(6months old) I looked at the van earmarked for me in the July. At that time you could see a bit of wear and tear cosmetically without finding other things wrong.
It would have covered 16k miles when i got it.
It did have all the toys fitted eg. awning, tv. reverse camera, Gaslow and bike rack.
But in the end I bought new for 3.5k more with the full warranty with only the TV+ Aerial and Gaslow.

I was worried that the van would have had what amounts to 4 or 5 years wear in the six month period with inexperienced people driving and using it every week or so.
They do sell the at a fair price but they certainly get their monies worth from them.

And don't believe that they are selling them at a big discount the bloke told me he didn't even pay what he was asking for at the end of it's rental life.

And he sells the full fleet (10 or more each year)

You do realize that vehicle hire companies don't pay VAT on the vehicle hence getting it cheap as your seller claimed. The taxman gets his cut from the rentals
Not paying VAT means that there can be no private use by either the owner or a member of staff UNLESS they pay the full whack including VAT

 

[Lenny HB]

If I were to buy S/H I would only consider a Hymer from a German dealer. Hymer will not allow them to rent out vans more than 2 years old most are sold in the 1st year. Put on the road in April and sold off in September. Having hired a couple of Hymers in Germany they are so fussy about the condition of them, they keep them in mint condition.

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[joncris]

Ours was and is in mint condition and its less than 2 years old hence the warranties (both Renault and Rimor) still have sometime to run

 

[Puddleduck]

I would certainly consider ex-hire. Whether I would buy ex-hire would depend on cost and condition - like any second-hand vehicle.

 

[joncris]

Whats all this about 'Trust' cos as we note almost daily many UK dealers and those that manufacture here can be right sharks selling even new vans that have a myriad of problems many of them quite serious. Before we bought any dealer we contacted including JustGo was completely researched. So Trust doesn't come into it. I'll trust them when I'm sure beyond doubt that I can trust them
eg
I know about Justgo's bank account where and which branch they use
I also know that any bank liens on the MH had been removed.
I know how solvent they are.
I know how long they've been in business both here and NZ.
I've read just about all of their customers reviews and 99% are good to excellent
I've spoken to owners who have bought their ex-hires.
I know what the owners wife does how many kids they have and their ages
I know where they live AND for good measure the owner knows that I know all of these things

Moral! go in with your eyes wide open. There is so much info on the Web that there's no excuse for NOT doing your research before buying

 

[maison]

On our return to motor homing, after several years with a caravan, we bought an ex-hire Swift a Sundance, largely because of its cost.

We have kept it for 18 months and travelled as far as Slovenia and Crotia as well as extensively in France and UK. No major problems at all as they had been sorted out by the hire company as they arose.

It has allowed us to reasses exactly what we need in our "keeper" M/H. We have traded it in now for a new Swift Esprit 454, with fixed bed which we will collect at beginning of March.

Coming back to motorhoming the step up in cost of purchase from caravans meant it was essential to be sure of our requirements before buying new.

 

[deleted-member02]

I'm an undecided.

The pros.
You can buy at a big discount, often one or two years old for the price of a five year old. That's certainly appealing. You also get the benefit of latest engines / models / that recent registration (if it concerns you).
Hopefully a well maintained vehicle. My view, higher mileage is a good thing.
Buy a discounted van, keep it for a couple of years then sell it on, who would ever know it was ex-hire ? You might well even make a profit ?

The cons.
Many (all ?) are taken to music festivals. I've seen some vans getting horrendous abuse, I pity the poor souls who buy these vehicles.
Damage repairs - I have no evidence but wonder if hire vans suffer more accident repairs and wonder about the quality of the repair?
Do hire companies do a cheap cover up repair, knowing it'll be fine for the next twelve months ?
I'm a fastidious buyer and am always surprised at the poor quality of some repairs ( I know this could be any van )
Quite often hire vans are low spec and built to a price. Personally things like slatted beds are an essential, many hire vans have bed bases made from sheet material - a big no for me, fine for a short term hire.
The thought of many people having slept / dribbled / whatever else in the beds. Might not bother some but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with it...

I have previously made enquiries and have looked at buying an ex-hire. In my limited experience, sellers are not always keen to answer specific questions, especially if done in writing. Makes me wonder what they have to hide ?

Same with any van I guess, you pays your monies....

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[cruiser]

i said no. i have seen some of the people who hire some of the vans. we are really surprised that they got them back to the hire co

 

[joncris]

In the case of ours any repairs needed are undertaken by the companies own highly trained staff. What they don't know about MH's ain't worth knowing AND I've seen their repairs (usually rear bumpers which is why their vans now have reversing censors) and you cannot see the repairs as they blend in perfectly, as they should.
As to the people who hire I agree some are plonkers BUT its in the T's & C's that if they return the van dirty, damaged, no gas, empty of fuel their rather large deposit will be forfeit. So it would appear that in the case of this firms customers are very careful not to abuse the vans.
AND I agree a van that spends most of its life stood still is not, in my view, a good buy.

For a well maintained van a low mileage doesn't equate to a fault free van as you would want it to be in regular use. Meaning that any unforeseen/unknown faults will have shown themselves to be present long ago and been repaired

 

[joncris]

Also the 'deal' that was discussed and agreed was always confirmed by email.

 

[TheBig1]

i voted yes, as i would consider it at the right price to sell it on at a profit. in certain cases there are bargains to be found. wouldnt personally like to sleep in a bed that a different person has slept in or done worse in every week since it was delivered

would you buy an ex rental bed for your house??

 

[joncris]

I can only speak of our experience and that is that this company provided the bedding and a protective mattress cover to their hires. The result being that there are no marks or unwanted smells from the mattress it was and is still spotless. Had it not we would have insisted on a replacement

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