Price of Motorhomes (1 Viewer)

[Makingtrax]

Having had my new Knaus almost a year, and been away 6 times. Motorhoming is superb fun.

But there's something I don't understand. We had to pay over £60000 to get what we wanted but some friends of ours have recently retired and bought a new car for £22K and a fantastic caravan for £20K. That's £20K cheaper.

Now the differences between motorhoming and caravanning aside, they have a lot of kit for that price. The car has auto headlights, auto dip, and a whole stack of safety features including emergency braking, lane alerts, 360 cameras etc, none of which my basic Fiat has.

Is there a reason why motorhomes are so much more, particularly when nearly everything is an add on item (TV, reversing camera, awning etc) and the cab door doesn't even come with an alarm.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Your motorhome was over priced. Ours was £36k new 3 years ago. Cheaper than their car and caravan. And it's a good spec van with AC, cruise control, Thatcham alarm, awning, bike rack... And loads more.

 

[Zains Pops]

Interesting point. Caravans don't have the tanks etc. Built in, but you do wonder where the price comes from.A Ford chassis cab is £21k retail so probably £16k to a converter, a Caravan retails at £20k so £40k would seem to be a reasonable estimate..not too many at that price.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jockaneezer]

Motorhomes are overpriced but they charge what the market will stand. Lots of babyboomers with pension pots to play with, not sure what they'll do once this generation croaks ?

 

[Chris]

I think motorhomes have hugely increased in price in the last 10 years.

We bought a new Burstner in 2008 for £47,500. The same van new now is C£80,000.

I know the £ is weaker but it doesn't account for that difference.

 

[Makingtrax]

Your motorhome was over priced. Ours was £36k new 3 years ago. Cheaper than their car and caravan. And it's a good spec van with AC, cruise control, Thatcham alarm, awning, bike rack... And loads more.

Jeez, if only I'd seen one like that. And you got alarm, awning, bike rack and loads more, all for £36K.

Can you post a link to these vans?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Makingtrax]

Interesting point. Caravans don't have the tanks etc. Built in, but you do wonder where the price comes from.A Ford chassis cab is £21k retail so probably £16k to a converter, a Caravan retails at £20k so £40k would seem to be a reasonable estimate..not too many at that price.

Thinks that 's a reasonable estimation. Seen brand new Fiat chassis cabs on Autotrader for £16000.

 

[Alistair33]

Motorhomes are overpriced but they charge what the market will stand. Lots of babyboomers with pension pots to play with, not sure what they'll do once this generation croaks ?

Surely it is Broken Link Removednow ?

 

[Richard n Ann]

They don't list the exact van this is the one above ours. Seems like they now come with a solar panel and wired reversing camera!
The 105 will probably be 40k by now mind.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Deleted member 29692]

We had to pay over £60000 to get what we wanted but some friends of ours have recently retired and bought a new car for £22K and a fantastic caravan for £20K. That's £20K cheaper.

So it was £20k cheaper, and it might have been what they wanted.

I'm assuming it wasn't what you wanted because you bought a motorhome so it's not really a legitimate comparison.

At the the sort of price you've paid you've got a decent mid/upper-mid range van so even comparing it to the budget ones doesn't really work. You wouldn't get anything even approaching the quality you've got for half the money.

 

[Alistair33]

I think motorhomes have hugely increased in price in the last 10 years.

We bought a new Burstner in 2008 for £47,500. The same van new now is C£80,000.

I know the £ is weaker but it doesn't account for that difference.

Dam £80,000 for a 2008 Burnster,and I bought a Hymer

 

[Makingtrax]

I think motorhomes have hugely increased in price in the last 10 years.

We bought a new Burstner in 2008 for £47,500. The same van new now is C£80,000.

I know the £ is weaker but it doesn't account for that difference.

£50000 in 2008 would be worth about £63000 today according to inflation calculator. So £80000 is a huge rise

How do know the model is the same?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[G7UXG]

Different priced vans for different peoples' needs, desires and budgets. They all do basically the same thing.

Same with cars. Why buy a BMW or a Mercedes when a budget car would do the same job.

In my case it's because I wanted to and caravans have never appealed to me.

 

[Makingtrax]

So it was £20k cheaper, and it might have been what they wanted.

I'm assuming it wasn't what you wanted because you bought a motorhome so it's not really a legitimate comparison.

At the the sort of price you've paid you've got a decent mid/upper-mid range van so even comparing it to the budget ones doesn't really work. You wouldn't get anything even approaching the quality you've got for half the money.

Good point

But we didn't want a caravan, just trying to compare like for like, is all.

Their gear is not budget stuff though. Just thought their might be a reason why motorhomes are so much more expensive.

 

[Chris]

£50000 in 2008 would be worth about £63000 today according to inflation calculator. So £80000 is a huge rise

How do know the model is the same?

I can't say it's exactly the same but the model ( Aviano) is what I am basing it on.

I was looking at 2 at the time one was a 3 litre priced at £59,995 and ours a 2.3 litre at £49,995. I suppose I could be basing my £80k on the more expensive model ( I don't know to be honest). But even so the increase even including inflation seems daft to me.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[maison]

We have experienced both sides, motorhome and car/Caravan.

We could always afford the "higher" spec caravans but the lifestyle was not exactly to our taste.

We returned to motorhomes paying just under 40k new for a "last year's model" three years ago, saving about 6k on the "current" year.

It does everything we want, very well.

You do not have to spend a fortune to enjoy motorhoming, some do , some don't. I wonder if the person who has spent £80k experiences more fun than someone who has bought the best they can afford, albeit below £20k, secondhand?

 

[busby]

Having had my new Knaus almost a year, and been away 6 times. Motorhoming is superb fun.

But there's something I don't understand. We had to pay over £60000 to get what we wanted but some friends of ours have recently retired and bought a new car for £22K and a fantastic caravan for £20K. That's £20K cheaper.

Now the differences between motorhoming and caravanning aside, they have a lot of kit for that price. The car has auto headlights, auto dip, and a whole stack of safety features including emergency braking, lane alerts, 360 cameras etc, none of which my basic Fiat has.

Is there a reason why motorhomes are so much more, particularly when nearly everything is an add on item (TV, reversing camera, awning etc) and the cab door doesn't even come with an alarm.

Sounds like there is plenty of kit on that new car to go very very wrong,,,Plus how much will the car be worth in 10 years time at the side of a 10 year old motorhome,,?? BUSBY 9

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Good point

But we didn't want a caravan, just trying to compare like for like, is all.

Their gear is not budget stuff though. Just thought their might be a reason why motorhomes are so much more expensive.

A motorhome is a bit more than a car and a caravan bolted together and anyway not all motorhomes are so much more expensive.

As someone has posted it's perfectly possible to buy a new motorhome for sub £40k. What you need to do is do some research, have a look at some of those models and decide whether you want to or not. For my part I very briefly owned something from that end of the market and now I wouldn't have one if they were going to pay me £40k to take it away. Not going to say more or this thread will end up going the way of all the others on this topic.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Makingtrax]

They don't list the exact van this is the one above ours. Seems like they now come with a solar panel and wired reversing camera!
The 105 will probably be 40k by now mind.

That's an incredible van for the price with all those extras.

Does the alarm cover the hab door?

 

[EX51SSS]

Surely it is Broken Link Removednow ?

 

[Richard n Ann]

That's an incredible van for the price with all those extras.

Does the alarm cover the hab door?

Yes there is a Reed switch in the frame
And the bonnet

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Makingtrax]

Sounds like there is plenty of kit on that new car to go very very wrong,,,Plus how much will the car be worth in 10 years time at the side of a 10 year old motorhome,,?? BUSBY 9

Yeah, guess car and caravan will depreciate faster. But because we've got a motorhome, we've got to have a car as well.

 

[Makingtrax]

Surely it is Broken Link Removednow ?

You mean Generation Jones surely

 

[bladerunner]

I'm struck by the lack of parking aids.
My short bijou open top slk has parking sensors all over - beeping like crazy despite the fact I can reach over the back and almost touch the rear of the boot.
My 8m A class does not!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

I think you have to compare like with like our Hymer was 75k but a decent tow car is going to set you back 30-40k and a good caravan well over 30k so not a lot of difference.

 

[busby]

Yeah, guess car and caravan will depreciate faster. But because we've got a motorhome, we've got to have a car as well.

Well i have to manage with a van that cost £15000 and a car that cost £2500..they both do everything i ask of them,,always do at least 6 months a year away in the van all over Europe,,Horses for courses i suppose but you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy yourself,,BUSBY

 

[Littlewheels]

Isn't it all relative? Brand Awareness and Cost.
Brand A) £200.000
Brand B) £100.000
Brand C) £50.000
When you come to move it on 1,2,3,4, etc, years later they will all have a relative value in respect of depreciation, therefore, the return will be a similar percentage dependant on Condition and Desirability not withstanding the fact that the higher value Brand A will probably hold more value as a seriously desirable MH and because of cost it will be the rarest to find on the second hand market.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Makingtrax]

Well i have to manage with a van that cost £15000 and a car that cost £2500..they both do everything i ask of them,,always do at least 6 months a year away in the van all over Europe,,Horses for courses i suppose but you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy yourself,,BUSBY

Like your positivity Busby. You're absolutely right. Enjoyment comes from within, not from gadgets.

 

[EX51SSS]

I'm struck by the lack of parking aids.
My short bijou open top slk has parking sensors all over - beeping like crazy despite the fact I can reach over the back and almost touch the rear of the boot.
My 8m A class does not!

My 5.45 my one does and a reversing camera. Doesn't cost much to have them fitted.

 

[EX51SSS]

Like your positivity Busby. You're absolutely right. Enjoyment comes from within, not from gadgets.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}