Trying to buy my 1st motorhome and the real state of the market

[R100ELP]

I've been trying to purchase my 1st motorhome carrying out as much research as possible and have a list of must haves and would likes and don't wants. Everyone says the prices have went through the roof due to demand but I have another theory. I have a feeling dealers are responsible for pushing the prices up to supplement the lack of profit they are making from selling new motorhomes as owners find it easier to sell their 2nd hand motorhomes privately. I am increasingly finding privately advertised homes ending up on dealers websites at prices up to 9 or 10k above the previously advertised price. They are also buying these without disclosing that they are traders and in some cases are posing as private buyers to help secure the sale. Some sellers I have had contact with have felt anger at the tactics the dealers have used to secure the sale.
Personally it has probably put me off buying right now but you never know as foreign holidays return we may also see an increase in the number of homes entering the 2nd hand market again.

 

[Eggs]

I've been trying to purchase my 1st motorhome carrying out as much research as possible and have a list of must haves and would likes and don't wants. Everyone says the prices have went through the roof due to demand but I have another theory. I have a feeling dealers are responsible for pushing the prices up to supplement the lack of profit they are making from selling new motorhomes as owners find it easier to sell their 2nd hand motorhomes privately. I am increasingly finding privately advertised homes ending up on dealers websites at prices up to 9 or 10k above the previously advertised price. They are also buying these without disclosing that they are traders and in some cases are posing as private buyers to help secure the sale. Some sellers I have had contact with have felt anger at the tactics the dealers have used to secure the sale.
Personally it has probably put me off buying right now but you never know as foreign holidays return we may also see an increase in the number of homes entering the 2nd hand market again.

I might be missing something, but isn't that called supply and demand?

 

[R100ELP]

It is supply and demand but when demand is being falsely inflated to take advantage of the less well informed I fear it's not going to end well and we will end up with a lot of purchasers with the motorhome equivalent of negative equity.

 

[Tony68000]

Looking for my first too, and have asked this question of others and myself.

I fully accept I’m going to lose money on my purchase (2nd hand market), the market may get back to normal in the next 3/6/12/24 months, but in the meantime, if I wait I’ll miss out on all the fun and experiences I could be having now.

If prices drop, then I’ll get less for mine when I resell, but also if I buy another that’ll be correspondingly cheaper too, so unless I totally sell-up, I’ll be relatively no worse off. The ‘equity’ I lose, I’ll offset in my head against the life-value I’ll get. Or at least that’s what I hope!

 

[R100ELP]

I'm old enough to be able to say that I'm looking to spend up to double what I spent on my 1st house so either way it's a large investment and I don't want to mess this up

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[EuroTrotters]

We purchased a Eura Mobil 716HB in 2004 off Ebay, 8,000 miles, 3 years old for £29,000

We ran it until for 5 years until 2009 and traded it in for a Frankia, we got £28,750 as a trade-in.

This year, the Eura Mobil popped up on Ebay. NOW, 20 years old, not in the best conditions sold for £23,000

 

[Stealaway]

I don't think anyone buys a motorhome with a view to making a profit. It just like buying a bottle of wine - simply for the pleasure and sod the cost

 

[Eggs]

It is supply and demand but when demand is being falsely inflated to take advantage of the less well informed I fear it's not going to end well and we will end up with a lot of purchasers with the motorhome equivalent of negative equity.

Nothing is being falsely inflated, unless you can tell me different? Vans are selling for top end money because they are in demand.

 

[pelican]

I don't think anyone buys a motorhome with a view to making a profit. It just like buying a bottle of wine - simply for the pleasure and sod the cost

Let me know when you throw it away

 

[Stealaway]

Let me know when you throw it away

Could be a while. I'm enjoying every minute.

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[R100ELP]

And that's the thing because I'm a first time buyer what I don't want to happen is spending £50k and finding l can't live with the layout and going to sell it and it being worth £20k less it's made me think I'd better hire first and then maybe go down the new route as I'm prepared to wait as retirement is still a few years away yet and I'd have more time to save

 

[Northernraider]

I don't think anyone buys a motorhome with a view to making a profit. It just like buying a bottle of wine - simply for the pleasure and sod the cost

I beg to differ lol ...ive sold every one of mine for a profit.

 

[Jev88]

Start at £20K on a well maintained one and you risk loding less. You might even find the layout suits you first time but frequently it changes.

 

[Simon Select]

I've been trying to purchase my 1st motorhome carrying out as much research as possible and have a list of must haves and would likes and don't wants. Everyone says the prices have went through the roof due to demand but I have another theory. I have a feeling dealers are responsible for pushing the prices up to supplement the lack of profit they are making from selling new motorhomes as owners find it easier to sell their 2nd hand motorhomes privately. I am increasingly finding privately advertised homes ending up on dealers websites at prices up to 9 or 10k above the previously advertised price. They are also buying these without disclosing that they are traders and in some cases are posing as private buyers to help secure the sale. Some sellers I have had contact with have felt anger at the tactics the dealers have used to secure the sale.
Personally it has probably put me off buying right now but you never know as foreign holidays return we may also see an increase in the number of homes entering the 2nd hand market again.

Wow first post and all dealers are evil lol…..

 

[Northernraider]

And that's the thing because I'm a first time buyer what I don't want to happen is spending £50k and finding l can't live with the layout and going to sell it and it being worth £20k less it's made me think I'd better hire first and then maybe go down the new route as I'm prepared to wait as retirement is still a few years away yet and I'd have more time to save

The market is being flooded with vans right now and will be even more over the next month. Many are not selling and being relisted time and time again as those who payed over the odds in the spring are now trying to get back what they paid ... unsuccessfully. Ive been watching the prices for the last 6 months. Theres less of market for them at this time of year. And the new emmision zone areas coming in to force are also having an affect ...lots of vans around london coming on the market.

Its some of the self builds that are on another planet what they are asking ...

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[Stealaway]

I beg to differ lol ...ive sold every one of mine for a profit.

Did you plan to or just get lucky?
I never thought it important.

 

[Northernraider]

Did you plan to or just get lucky?
I never thought it important.

Well i tend not to buy one I can't at least get my money back on ...but admittedly its mostly because im a cheeky bugger when buying it so i knocked a fair bit of the last 2 when i bought them.

 

[Tony68000]

Well i tend not to buy one I can't at least get my money back on ...but admittedly its mostly because im a cheeky bugger when buying it so i knocked a fair bit of the last 2 when i bought them.

Any tips?

 

[Northernraider]

Any tips?

Dont be scared to do a bit work

 

[Northernraider]

Wow first post and all dealers are evil lol…..

Some are a bit cheeky i got pipped to the post with this one last week

Dealer bought it ...has done nothing to it and out it up for

Mot history says the subframe has serious corrosion ...and its got loads of bodywork damage too

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[roadwarrior]

Well OP i will be frank with you, considering you have never bought a Mh before you do seem to be amazingly knowledgable on the currest state of lack of motorhomes. Whist your theories are wonderful about dealers and private sales ect, the very simple truth is that covid has forced everybody to stay in the uk. So folk are looking at alternatives and alighting on motorhomes as a staycation option. The same thing has happened with dog ownership as stay at home folk look at exercise options ( walking a dog) was regarded as a legit way out and rescue homes are getting a unprecedented demand for dogs, although they are bracing themselves for the reverse to happen soon as the euro floodgates happen as new owners promptly dump the pets in a renewed rush to get on a plane. If your keen to get a bargain - wait 2 years as the staycationers find out owning a MH isnt a cheap business and dump therm back on the market. I bought my latest MH around sept last year from a place down southampton - whern i bought it he had a full selection of vans ( about 20) a month later he had 3 .... and told me he couldnt get Mh's for love nor money.

 

[roadwarrior]

Northern is right about vans coming back onto the market at silly prices as they try to get their money back - wont happen- the boom is turning to bust now - its a shame but market forces control supply and demand. If you can wait - 2 years will level it out a bit.

 

[uzsnowdrop]

Well OP i will be frank with you, considering you have never bought a Mh before you do seem to be amazingly knowledgable on the currest state of lack of motorhomes. Whist your theories are wonderful about dealers and private sales ect, the very simple truth is that covid has forced everybody to stay in the uk. So folk are looking at alternatives and alighting on motorhomes as a staycation option. The same thing has happened with dog ownership as stay at home folk look at exercise options ( walking a dog) was regarded as a legit way out and rescue homes are getting a unprecedented demand for dogs, although they are bracing themselves for the reverse to happen soon as the euro floodgates happen as new owners promptly dump the pets in a renewed rush to get on a plane. If your keen to get a bargain - wait 2 years as the staycationers find out owning a MH isnt a cheap business and dump therm back on the market. I bought my latest MH around sept last year from a place down southampton - whern i bought it he had a full selection of vans ( about 20) a month later he had 3 .... and told me he couldnt get Mh's for love nor money.

Drove past Marquis Golden Cross today, their sales car park has tumbleweed blowing across it. They’ve spaced the few remaining vans widely ,

 

[Spriddler]

I am increasingly finding privately advertised homes ending up on dealers websites at prices up to 9 or 10k above the previously advertised price.

There's nothing stopping you buying privately for £9k or £10k less if you are prepared to spend days travelling around the country to view potential motorhomes (frequently fruitlessly) and accept the risk of buying one with undeclared faults, needing work (you can't check everything at a single viewing) and with no warranty.
Ten years ago to buy a specific model privately I once went by train from Brighton with a wad of cash to view privately advertised m/h's at Guildford, Bristol, North London and Bradford in a single day. In spite of the sellers' photos and descriptions they were all in poor condition, over-priced and not even worth offering on. A thorough waste of time and money which if I was a dealer would be a cost to the business.
After a couple of years I sold the one I eventually bought at at a good profit. If you want a good private deal you have to be prepared to put in the time and effort and take the chances that a dealer has to do.

 

[Coolcats]

I've been trying to purchase my 1st motorhome carrying out as much research as possible and have a list of must haves and would likes and don't wants. Everyone says the prices have went through the roof due to demand but I have another theory. I have a feeling dealers are responsible for pushing the prices up to supplement the lack of profit they are making from selling new motorhomes as owners find it easier to sell their 2nd hand motorhomes privately. I am increasingly finding privately advertised homes ending up on dealers websites at prices up to 9 or 10k above the previously advertised price. They are also buying these without disclosing that they are traders and in some cases are posing as private buyers to help secure the sale. Some sellers I have had contact with have felt anger at the tactics the dealers have used to secure the sale.
Personally it has probably put me off buying right now but you never know as foreign holidays return we may also see an increase in the number of homes entering the 2nd hand market again.

Dealers are doing the right thing, maximising their margines whilst they can, it won’t last. I stopped by Travel world last week and their stock is down and Motorhomes are spaced out on their forecourt. It is a sellers market at the moment. We saw some vehicles around 3 years old at a price similar to what they would have been from new.

This is a first world lifestyle choice you do not have to buy one now if you find the pricing offensive. Wait until the heat is out of the market then look again, for some the Motorhome lifestyle will be something some people will do for as long as they can, for others it’s a stop gap until they can fly off to Holliday destinations again.

Regarding dealer buy and sell price when we wanted to sell our T5 camper an dealers showed little interest, the major Motorhome outlets would not re-sell it but move it on within the industry we were being offered around £21k we sold it privately for £30k and that was around three and half years ago. I would suggest that dealer markup between buying and selling has not changed just because of current demand but has become more noticeable by the buying public.

Having nothing to part exchange we then found we were being offered a bigger discount. As always never consider a salesman (order taker) your friend it’s a business transaction.

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[TonyEmm]

I'm old enough to be able to say that I'm looking to spend up to double what I spent on my 1st house so either way it's a large investment and I don't want to mess this up

That would be less than £9000 in my case, which wouldn’t be a very flash Motorhome!

 

[chaser]

It is supply and demand but when demand is being falsely inflated to take advantage of the less well informed I fear it's not going to end well and we will end up with a lot of purchasers with the motorhome equivalent of negative equity.

Always has been , always will be
Think before you get your money out, as long as there are people with more money than sense there will always be people to take it off them.

 

[Don Campbell]

I'm old enough to be able to say that I'm looking to spend up to double what I spent on my 1st house so either way it's a large investment and I don't want to mess this up

Depends how old you are. If I use your maths, you won't get much of a moho for £10000. It was still a large investment when I did it though.

 

[Riverbankannie]

I beg to differ lol ...ive sold every one of mine for a profit.

You are a bit of a one off though !

That would be less than £9000 in my case, which wouldn’t be a very flash Motorhome!

Ditto

 

[Northernraider]

Dealers are doing the right thing, maximising their margines whilst they can, it won’t last. I stopped by Travel world last week and their stock is down and Motorhomes are spaced out on their forecourt. It is a sellers market at the moment. We saw some vehicles around 3 years old at a price similar to what they would have been from new.

This is a first world lifestyle choice you do not have to buy one now if you find the pricing offensive. Wait until the heat is out of the market then look again, for some the Motorhome lifestyle will be something some people will do for as long as they can, for others it’s a stop gap until they can fly off to Holliday destinations again.

Regarding dealer buy and sell price when we wanted to sell our T5 camper an dealers showed little interest, the major Motorhome outlets would not re-sell it but move it on within the industry we were being offered around £21k we sold it privately for £30k and that was around three and half years ago. I would suggest that dealer markup between buying and selling has not changed just because of current demand but has become more noticeable by the buying public.

Having nothing to part exchange we then found we were being offered a bigger discount. As always never consider a salesman (order taker) your friend it’s a business transaction.

One of the reasons i have never bought from a dealer and never will.