Private or dealership purchase

[Casa Lily]

Hi, I am looking at buying a motorhome in the next six months and not sure whether it's safer to by via a dealership rather than a private seller. Thoughts please ??

 

[funflair]

The advantage of private is that you can ask why they are selling and try to work out if you believe the answer and everything they tell you about the vehicle, I guess the advantages with a dealer are, finance if required, some element of warranty/comeback and a point of contact for service and repairs.

We bought private and very happy but we could just have been lucky.

And if we sold ours private I reckon it would be a better handover than any dealer could do as they wouldn’t know the van like we do.

Martin

 

[Euro330]

Hi, I have bought my last 2 motorhomes privately. If you are not familiar with motorhomes, go round the dealerships, ask questions, sit in them check the layout and build quality. Open and close cupboards, curtains, screens and look at the heating systems.
Privately you will certainly get more for your money but make sure you do all the checks, DVLA, HPi, all history, service records for base vehicle and habitation annual checks.
Ensure warranty is valid and transferable with the manufacturer.
Some dealerships can be a bit funny about booking in a van for work if you did`nt buy it from them.
Once thats done start, start physically checking everything on the van, water, gas, electric. Push buttons to find out how everything works.
Then go home at night drink a bottle of wine!

 

[Bart]

We bought our MH privately, no issues at all. Maybe we were just lucky
Mind you there is a lot of money involved in buying a MH so deffo be sure and do all the checks where ever you part with you money.

 

[nicholsong]

Like Martin above I too bought privately, but then we both bought Niesmann and Bischoff at about 6 years old, maybe his was younger. For both of us it was our first MH. My point about this is that with N&B build quality and the method of construction there is little risk and it has proved so in our 10 years of ownership. Other marques might not have the same assurance.

Buying from a dealer might include a guarantee, but there have been lots of criticism of some, not all, dealers not performing well on their guarantees.

Either way it is essential in my view to have your own checks done on the mechanical and habitation areas and to not rely on sellers' assurances, whether dealer or private.

Buying from dealers you will probably have to pay 10-15% more - this can go a long way to rectifying any faults.

I would suggest that you consider putting the saving of buying privately into buying a better-built MH rather than into a dealer's pocket.

Just my opinion. Maybe like Martin we were lucky, but on balance I think we made our own luck by research.

Geoff

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[Casa Lily]

Thank you....may ask you lots more questions nearer the time. We only want a small one to start 2 berth (maybe a Swift). How did you pay..bankers draft? Thanks

 

[Just smiffy]

I bought my last two vans off funsters of this forum, it meant I could check to some degree of their experience whilst it was in their ownership....

There are some great deals in the classified section on here...

 

[simsy56]

If you have knowledge of vehicles, buy private. You will get a better price, you will know how they live, by their home and surroundings, you will find out how they have used it, you will know why they are selling it, and you will know if they are genuine.

Craig

 

[Four of us]

We bought privately and saved at least 10% off dealer prices. As long as you do the checks as mentioned by others you're likely to get a better deal. We paid by bank transfer and picked it up on the day the money was in their account. Good luck with your search.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

First thing is not to confuse "CHEAPER" deal with "BETTER" deal
There is more to a deal than the transaction price

My late father, in the motor trade all his life, used to say "There are 25,000 straight car dealers in the country, and 60 million bent ones"

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[Southdowners]

If you have knowledge of vehicles, buy private. You will get a better price, you will know how they live, by their home and surroundings, you will find out how they have used it, you will know why they are selling it, and you will know if they are genuine.

I think almost the opposite to Simsy...

You may know vehicles but buying a motorhome is very different to buying a car. I'd also say that you can't tell how they have used it or why they are selling or whether they are genuine.

Unlike dealerships, private sellers don't have user reviews to consult, so you really have no idea of their reputation.

 

[nicholsong]

I think almost the opposite to Simsy...

You may know vehicles but buying a motorhome is very different to buying a car. I'd also say that you can't tell how they have used it or why they are selling or whether they are genuine.


Unlike dealerships, private sellers don't have user reviews to consult, so you really have no idea of their reputation.

You have obviously not heard of self-serving and bent reviews on the internet.

 

[Casa Lily]

I bought my last two vans off funsters of this forum, it meant I could check to some degree of their experience whilst it was in their ownership....

There are some great deals in the classified section on here...

Thank you will have a look at some....just nervous ensuring people are genuine when spending this amount of money.

 

[Ivory55]

If you’re nervous or it doesn’t feel right just walk away

 

[Just smiffy]

I think almost the opposite to Simsy...

You may know vehicles but buying a motorhome is very different to buying a car. I'd also say that you can't tell how they have used it or why they are selling or whether they are genuine.

Unlike dealerships, private sellers don't have user reviews to consult, so you really have no idea of their reputation.

But buying a second hand one from a dealer you wouldn’t know a thing.....

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[Rusty Pumper]

If you’re nervous or it doesn’t feel right just walk away

Or take a trusted friend who knows about motorhomes with you to ask knowledgeable questions, check for damp, check the engine, etc...

 

[Casa Lily]

Or take a trusted friend who knows about motorhomes with you to ask knowledgeable questions, check for damp, check the engine, etc...

Thank you...I am putting together a checklist. Would you recommend using the AA or RAC and a mobile caravan engineer re habitation area?

 

[Rusty Pumper]

Other learned folks on this forum will have their own opinions. For habituation check try:

Habitation Check | Motorhome Habitation Check | Caravan Servicing

A habitation check makes sure that your motorhome or caravan is safe to spend time in and sleep in, providing peace of mind for you and family. Book your caravan or motorhome servicing now.

habcheck.co.uk

Search the forum to see what others have done regarding both habituation and mechanical checks, as you’re not the first to ask this question. The answers are here, you’ve just got to find them.???

 

[138go]

If you are looking at Bailey, Swift or Auto-Trail it may be advisable to use a Dealer at least that way you can get it put back together when it falls apart unless of course you are happy with DIY. The first thing to check is DAMP. No matter what anyone says it's a KILLER. Trying to repair it or even find out where the water is coming in can take ages. So if it's got ANY SIGNS OF DAMP walk away. Check the paperwork especially the Habitation paperwork on all British MH's if its not been done then any Water Ingress Warranty will be void.

 

[TheDogMan]

I got my first one private and it is a bit of a worry handing over £45k, but all was good my present one was from a dealer, great PDI, great handover, full chassis and habitation service and 3 years warranty which I used and the dealer dealt with everything, for me buying from this dealer was good move, just my luck I small problem now and its going back to the manufacturer to be fixed and its 6 months out of warranty BUT the dealer is contributing 50% of the cost that's what I call a caring dealer, so its peace of mind for Private vs Dealer

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[Campervan_man]

Do some 'FREE' Motorhome research by searching the internet.
Search Motorhomes on ebay. Many different types of leisure vehicles are available.
Van derived, Coachbuilt, C Class, A Class, etc. Find something that suits you. Fine tune the search by visiting a dealer with the vehicle You are after. Compare the prices and extras of the private and dealer van. Paying with Finance gives You a better chance of rejecting the van as it is owned by the Finance Company until paid for. Pay with your own money and it is harder to reject a vehicle { from a dealer }.
Buy with your head not your heart.
There are plenty of good vans, bad vans, good sellers and bad sellers out there.

 

[andyman]

There are some great deals in the classified section on here...
[/QUOTE]
There are also some advertised on here with a premium attached. Not sure if its a premium due to being owned by a funster or an add due to all the wonderful places it has visited.

 

[Casa Lily]

If you are looking at Bailey, Swift or Auto-Trail it may be advisable to use a Dealer at least that way you can get it put back together when it falls apart unless of course you are happy with DIY. The first thing to check is DAMP. No matter what anyone says it's a KILLER. Trying to repair it or even find out where the water is coming in can take ages. So if it's got ANY SIGNS OF DAMP walk away. Check the paperwork especially the Habitation paperwork on all British MH's if its not been done then any Water Ingress Warranty will be void.

Oh no! Is this personal experience? I have been looking at Swifts and know a couple of people who have them, and they have not mentioned anything. Would be a second hand one as well probably 2015/2016 so presume out of warranty?

 

[Basildog]

If you are looking at Bailey, Swift or Auto-Trail it may be advisable to use a Dealer at least that way you can get it put back together when it falls apart unless of course you are happy with DIY. The first thing to check is DAMP. No matter what anyone says it's a KILLER. Trying to repair it or even find out where the water is coming in can take ages. So if it's got ANY SIGNS OF DAMP walk away. Check the paperwork especially the Habitation paperwork on all British MH's if its not been done then any Water Ingress Warranty will be void.

??
Add HYMER to your list
Most continental vans have a stipulation for a dealer moisture check to keep water ingress warranty, a five year old was given an aerosol can of underseal to play with under our van ?

 

[The Wino]

How do you usually buy cars? I would buy a motorhome the same way if you like to use a dealer and pay the extra hoping you have more chance of redress if its a lemon fine. We bought our first privately and it was good for the price if well used looking back we could have easily come unstuck. We then bought new from a major dealer but their aftersales was very dissapointing once they got the cash they didn't seem bothered. If you are looking at secondhand be aware the dealers seem to not be any more choosy what they buy in than anyone else and thats what they will be selling.

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[Simon Select]

If you are looking at Bailey, Swift or Auto-Trail it may be advisable to use a Dealer at least that way you can get it put back together when it falls apart unless of course you are happy with DIY. The first thing to check is DAMP. No matter what anyone says it's a KILLER. Trying to repair it or even find out where the water is coming in can take ages. So if it's got ANY SIGNS OF DAMP walk away. Check the paperwork especially the Habitation paperwork on all British MH's if its not been done then any Water Ingress Warranty will be void.

Don't forget the German stuff for Damp!

 

[GAVLAD]

I very nearly bought two Motorhomes privately.
The first one was off eBay and I asked for the chassis no. And Reg and told the seller it was to get an insurance quote as she was querying why I wanted them.
I did a hpi check and both hpi and the finance company phoned me within 30mins to tell me not to buy it as the seller was not the legal owner.
Lesson 1 learnt - do your homework.

Next mh seemed everything that I was looking for but just a tad over priced.
I quizzed him on its past mechanical issues and specifically the clutch to which he kept insisting he’s never had any issues. As it was a toss up between this and one at a dealer I told him so and would be back in touch.
I later looked at his Facebook page whereby he had documented his last holiday around Europe in his gas guzzling Motorhome - which spent most of his holiday in garages whilst they had to check into hotels.
So why had he not told me it had had a new clutch and issues sorted with the gearbox? That would have been a selling point to me that everything had been fixed. What else was he lying about?
Lost sale for him.
Lesson 2 learnt - do your homework (more)

Incidentally, I bought from a dealer.
It was the worst big purchase experience I have ever had.
Disinterested, take it or leave it attitude, stood over us all of the time - even when I asked for some breathing space, warranty included covered diddly squat and had to pay £1000 to upgrade to a decent warranty.
Parts that failed where ‘wear & tear’ and not covered under said premium warranty.
Took all extras out of Motorhome when we went to collect it and only put back in when questioned where they were.
Gave us someone else’s awning which didn’t fit ours - only realised when we came to put it up a few months later as bought van in January and weather not suitable to test it there and then.
So, buying from a dealer (and note, not all dealers will treat their clientele like this one did with us are the same) has its pitfalls.
Lesson 3 learnt - do your homework moreso

 

[138go]

Oh no! Is this personal experience? I have been looking at Swifts and know a couple of people who have them, and they have not mentioned anything. Would be a second hand one as well probably 2015/2016 so presume out of warranty?

Personal experience of the product and the way they are constructed. Personal experience of how a Dealer attempted to repair some of the faults. If the Dealer does not fix the fault that they have been paid by Swift to fix then it's up to the owner to get the Dealer to fix it properly. Swift will not pay to have it fixed again. If you look round the MHs that are on offer and the way they sell them you will realise that the British ones have far more tempting features like full size cookers with an electric hot plate, microwave oven, rear lounge is a classic but you have to find room for all the bedding and the obligatory mattress topper because the bed is so uncomfortable. Windows that are just screwed to the outside so they cover the hole that has a rubber surround rather than a properly fitted window frame. Massive bathrooms which take up loads of room and are only used or a few minutes a day. Most of the British built offerings do not have a garage. Nothing worse than trying to get chairs etc through letterboxes with flaps.

What you should really do is find a Dealer you can trust. One who has staff that know how to sort out relatively simple problems quickly.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Oh no! Is this personal experience? I have been looking at Swifts and know a couple of people who have them, and they have not mentioned anything. Would be a second hand one as well probably 2015/2016 so presume out of warranty?

My New Autotrail started falling to bits in the first 3 months I owned--chopped it back in against a NEW SWIFT
Swift had "forgotten" to fit camera when it turned up, window surround fell off 1st trip
Needed new roof back at factory due to de-lamination after 4 months- took factory 3 months to fix
Got rid
Never had a Bailey

Now got an Adria-----SUPERB