What is the most ridiculously over priced factory option that you bought? (1 Viewer)

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Dec 24, 2020
111
202
North Wiltshire
Funster No
78,590
MH
Hymer Free S 600
Exp
Extensively by motorcycle, now trying it with a little more luxury!
Just wondering, when I spec'd a safe in my Hymer Free S 600, it's a metal plate, must be about 9" x 4" and 1/4" thick with a lock in the middle that fits into an existing hole in the Mercedes Sprinter seat base, it was £300, the brochure picture shows a fitted back box but it didn't even come with that!, probably lock down shortages. I felt that I had my pants well and truly pulled down.
 

funflair

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 11, 2013
20,051
33,044
Guisborough
Funster No
29,351
MH
MORELO palace
Exp
since 2012
Jen said lithium batteries🤔 well we do have a lot, but she Jen added “I would do it again though” 👍 she might not if she knew the proper price.

Tick and forget is my advice though 😉

There were a few that got away as well, close to €1000 for carpet for example.
 
Jul 18, 2009
11,626
19,147
Manchester UK + Javea/Xabia Spain + Abu Dhabi
Funster No
7,543
MH
HYMER B644
Exp
2004
The best option I ever fitted, not to a motorhome but to the first series of BMW X5.

It came with a Diesel Add heater. The options list was to upgrade to programable with a remote control that worked very long Distances. £295 Bargain .

Many of you will have diesel heaters fitted to your Sprinter Chassis for engine warming options whilst the engine is running. You can have it retro fitted to heat/pre-heat.

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Feb 20, 2022
397
3,774
Stoke-on-Trent, UK
Funster No
86,984
MH
Kon tiki 599 sport
Exp
Im a newbie
Asked for another leisure battery ,so we would have 2 .Quoted £505 for a lead acid battery .When I asked why it was so expensive .They told me it was to match the exsisting 1 .I told them to replace the old 1 with another new 1 different make .£208 for 2 .Swift must think you are barmy .
 
Feb 20, 2017
870
2,500
Kent
Funster No
47,422
MH
Bailey 75-2
Exp
Tugger now Motorhome
A matching bedding pack for a Bailey Autograph £280 in 2017 - absolute rubbish - made the duvet into a bed for the Pussycat. Milneco Mirror Protectors - even worse value for money.
 
Dec 24, 2014
9,885
51,973
Hurstpierpoint. Mid Sussex.
Funster No
34,553
MH
Compass Navigator
Exp
Ever since lighting was by Calor gas.
12v Black & Decker hand-held vacuum cleaner. Too much of a rigmarole excavating it from the bottom of a locker, untangling the cable and fitting the pipes and brush head and it hardly sucks.
I just use an ordinary brush and sweep the detritus out of the door every week or so.

( :) Ah, just noticed the OP said FACTORY option. Never mind).
 
Last edited:

dna

Jan 17, 2010
719
4,423
Llandudno
Funster No
9,981
MH
AT Tribute 680 pvc
Exp
since 2009
12v Black & Decker hand-held vacuum cleaner. Too much of a rigmarole excavating it from the bottom of a locker, untangling the cable and fitting the pipes and brush head and it hardly sucks.
I just use an ordinary brush and sweep the detritus out of the door every week or so.

( :) Ah, just noticed the OP said FACTORY option. Never mind).
Hang on 5 minutes and someone will be along to flag this as worse than dumping grey waste 😀
 

Minxy

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 22, 2007
33,474
69,488
E Yorks
Funster No
149
MH
Carthago Compactline
Exp
Since 1996, had Elddis/Swift/Rapido/Rimor/Chausson MHs. Autocruise/Globecar PVCs/Compactline i-138
The TV ... as we bought an existing model that the dealer had in stock it had already been kitted out with extras which UK purchases usually wanted including a media system (dash sat nav/radio thing) and a TV with all the gubbings ... there's' no way we'd have added it especially as the TV alone was £1,000! :oops: Also the bedding kit that was over £300 (flogged on Ebay), we also got other stuff too but the only one we would have paid for was the auto box however with the great deal we got the cost of all these extras was zilch in reality.
 
Nov 19, 2021
947
2,162
Nr Wigan, UK
Funster No
85,517
MH
Rapido A Class
Exp
2002
The best option I ever fitted, not to a motorhome but to the first series of BMW X5.

It came with a Diesel Add heater. The options list was to upgrade to programable with a remote control that worked very long Distances. £295 Bargain .

Many of you will have diesel heaters fitted to your Sprinter Chassis for engine warming options whilst the engine is running. You can have it retro fitted to heat/pre-heat.
Had something very similar on our Range Rover Sport but couldn’t beat the Heated Steering Wheel.

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Oct 29, 2016
4,682
57,777
Surrey
Funster No
45,842
MH
Carthago C Tourer
Exp
Motor Homing 5 years, caravan previously
Last 3 new BMW's I got charged "Extra" as "Options" for
Centre Arm Rest
Auto dimming rear view mirror £165
Heated, self parking side mirrors
Electric Front seat lumber support
Alcantera Roof Lining
Some alloy wheels, like split rims are extra £1760.00
Xenon Headlights (dont ask)o_O
Harman Kardon Hi Fi Upgrade.
Contrary to the belief of most, self cancelling indicators:xThumb:


LES
 
Nov 19, 2021
947
2,162
Nr Wigan, UK
Funster No
85,517
MH
Rapido A Class
Exp
2002
One of the Bmw’s we bought brand new didn’t have any paint on it.
Rejected it but had to wait 4 months for another to be built. Kept hold of the first one until the replacement was delivered. Put 8k on the clock while we had it.

Sorry, looking at the title it says option. The paint was standard or maybe it was an option and that’s possibly why we didn’t get any.

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Jan 30, 2020
3,546
16,783
Mid Bedfordshire
Funster No
68,408
MH
RS Endeavour
Exp
Just a tad..
The last M5 I bought I drove from the dealers following the smoke and light show reveal of my car (why bloody bother) to Evolve Automotive to have my brand new forged alloys removed and some very (VERY) nice, very light, individual designed, forged ones fitted. $12k USD plus shipping, plus £1800 of Michelin Super Sport 4s tyres… I did sell the (brand new) OEM alloys and tyres though.
 

stewartwebr

LIFE MEMBER
Jun 6, 2010
1,255
4,018
Edinburgh
Funster No
11,937
MH
Morelo Empire Liner
Exp
36 years and 16 motorhomes
We spec'd the built-in vacuum cleaner on our last Morelo thinking it would be great to just plug in the hose and off we go. In reality the suck would not have pulled the skin off a rice pudding and the hose you plugged in was more cumbersome than the Dyson we had in the previous Morelo and to add insult I think we paid around 1300GBP for it.
I think over the years I have come to the conclusion that almost all factory fitted options are charged at an inflated price. Some cannot be retro fitted so you need to just suck it up if you want it. Others can be fitted later if you still feel you need them. The trick of course is the evaluation of the aftermarket cost. Simple things like awnings etc. are easy, leather and interior additions not so easy.
I opted to have my leveling system fitted on the current van after market due to Morelo having difficulty supplying me with the new E&P touchscreen. However, when I came to have it fitted at a cost saving of around 5K to Morelo price. It could not be fitted as some brackets were in the way of the E&P brackets. There is of course always a way around it if you know the right people and, in this case, it was Mick at SAP in Doncaster who was able to fit it, of course this was much more hassle and a lot more stress and there is not always a Mick to work a magic solution.
 

MattR

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 18, 2013
4,170
42,694
Beds
Funster No
27,578
MH
Panel van
Exp
Years
Last 3 new BMW's I got charged "Extra" as "Options" for
Centre Arm Rest
Auto dimming rear view mirror £165
Heated, self parking side mirrors
Electric Front seat lumber support
Alcantera Roof Lining
Some alloy wheels, like split rims are extra £1760.00
Xenon Headlights (dont ask)o_O
Harman Kardon Hi Fi Upgrade.
Contrary to the belief of most, self cancelling indicators:xThumb:


LES

Were they in case the driver tried to use the indicators?

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Mar 23, 2012
10,132
34,494
sleights
Funster No
20,245
MH
c class
Exp
1
Our RR was brilliant, total cost of repairs in the 4yrs we had it was £400. Faulty fuel sender and passenger door lock.
Sold it with 127k on the clock, still looked looked and drove like new.
And the depreciation cost how much?
 
Mar 23, 2012
10,132
34,494
sleights
Funster No
20,245
MH
c class
Exp
1
The type of vehicles we tend to buy you have to accept the depreciation costs. It was a work tool and got my wife up and down the country safely in all weathers. What price do you put on that.
I wasn't criticising just thinking that it might only have cost £400 in repairs but that would be nowhere near the total cost.
Back to the thread title. The thing with factory fitted options is they don't really add much if anything to the resale price so in effect you're renting them for the length of time you own the motorhome for.
 

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