LORNA Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Hi, I am a potential new motorhome user and I am looking for an Autosleeper, possisbly an Inca or even a Legend if in really good shape. Anyway, having searched Google and various dealers, it doesn't seem as if there's much about at the moment. Is it better to wait to the Autumn when motorhomers have returned from their fab holidays in the vans and might be looking to trade in their models? I don't need the motorhome to go on holiday at the moment but if the right one came up, I'd buy it anyway but not much choice out there presently! Any advice very gratefully received! Thanks a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 The very best time to buy a van is when you find the van you like at a negotiated price that you can live with! That means any time and as with many popular models - and particularly many Auto Sleepers - which are well regarded both by buyers and by the trade. You might, or might not, find dealers more willing to haggle after the end of the 'show' season or as the year end approaches or in the depths of a January blizzard - so when what you want is rare and you see what you want grab it quick before someone else does! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Be patient and wait, keep looking and the right van will turn up, there are lots of good vans out there but there is some rubbish as well. It took me 12 months to find the right one! Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Tracker has summed it up perfectly. I was given the same advice by Todds of Preston when we first decided to move from caravans to motorvans. There does not seem to be the same monthly, or quarterly targets to meet as in car sales, so when you see it and it's right; buy it! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted August 10, 2009 Author Share Posted August 10, 2009 Thanks for your interest and quick reply - I am certainly looking in earnest at the moment but compared to when I started to research motorhomes and prior to me renting one out to test if I like it, there seemed to be loads to choose from in the Autosleeper used sales (this was Feb - April). Anyway, I will try to mix those very 2 different qualities: patience and decisiveness and continue with my search! All the best, Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Oops - this got posted twice........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Purely personal view (those of others will no doubt differ): Big ticket "luxury" items like MH's are taking an utter bath at the moment. And it's gonna get worse for sellers (commercial sellers, both new and used; and private used sellers before it gets better. And it's gonna be at least another couple of years before it gets better. As a prospective buyer, I'd suggest you're better placed now and in the hard winter ahead that possibly ever before.....particularly if you are that now incredibly rare breed of animal: seriously wanting to spend tens of thousands of pounds, and having it in cash/in the bank. The life-blood of all businesses, including MH new and used dealers is cashflow. I imagine most dealers current cashflow statements resemble a Hammer House of Horror film this far into the recession, as consumer speanding on big-cost, non-essential items tends to be the first thing that people cut back on as they perceiev themselves (whther it be true or not) to be less and less financially secure. With a winter looming, my guess would be that by Feb/March next year any and all dealers will be offering huge discounts to try to bring in at least some sales revenue, and shift their ever-increasing pile of stock. Maybe the seasonal sales effect is less pronounced in the private person-to-person second hand market. But there are only going to be more and more people, increasingly desperate to sell their own MH in the coming months, as the real-world effects of the recession continue to ripple out to more and more Companies, more and more people lose their jobs/have to take pay cuts/lose overtime etc etc. There are currently unprecedented numbers of second hand MH's being offered for sale by private owners via ebay. Sorry. Not a pleasant economic picture. Unless you want to buy an MH with your own money in the coming months and want to pay as little as possible for the spec/age/condition of MH that you want. As others have said, if you see the perfect MH now, then buy it.....but offer a long way below any ticket price if offering cash. Then haggle damn hard. And then haggle some more. And don't be afriad to walk away. There are a helluva lot more MH's for sale now that there are buyers. It's your hard earned moeny you're going to be janding over. Otherwise wait through this coming winter to pick up some sale-of-the-century bargain early in the New Year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted August 10, 2009 Author Share Posted August 10, 2009 Think my first reply jumped off the screen but just in case ... here's my thanks and response to your very valid and vivid opinions: the motorhome market does seem quite sparky on the Autosleeper front here (2 out of 4 I have enquired about have sold over the last month from private sellers). However, I take your points very much to heart: I certainly don't want to deprive anyone of a fair price but neither do I want to be on the receiving end of more depreciation than is reasonable. All in all, I will continue to look but as I am in no rush, will be selective and cautious (at least until I fnd that perfect Van!). I hope motorhome owners out there are able to hang on in until the downturn starts to upturn - but they're probably enjoying their vans so much they haven't even thought of the recession - what do you think!? Many thanks - I really enjoyed reading your reply, Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vernon B Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 BGD - 2009-08-10 9:50 PM As others have said, if you see the perfect MH now, then buy it.....but offer a long way below any ticket price if offering cash. Then haggle damn hard. Well yes - but leave the poor sod a bit of profit so that he's still in business to be able to service your new pride and joy V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Vernon B - 2009-08-11 11:36 AM BGD - 2009-08-10 9:50 PM As others have said, if you see the perfect MH now, then buy it.....but offer a long way below any ticket price if offering cash. Then haggle damn hard. Well yes - but leave the poor sod a bit of profit so that he's still in business to be able to service your new pride and joy V Soz - but in the end (whether it's a Dealer or a private sale) it's up to the SELLER to decide whether or not to accept the prospective buyers 1st/2nd/3rd/final offer. If you want to really get the best deal that you can for whatever spec of MH you're gonna buy....and I'm assuming the OP is looking to buy 2nd hand this first time round, as she'll save so much money over buying equivalent brand new........then the odds are the actual MH you want is gonna be elsewhere in the UK. Perhaps unlikely that you'd travel "X" hundred miles repeatedly after the purchase to get it serviced at the same dealer....especially as the mechanical side of the vehicle can usually be serviced by any "competent person" without affecting any warranty. This is certainly true of a purchase of a brand-new vehicle. Ultimately, just like in any other form of business enterprise, it's for each MH Dealer to run his business, not for the customer to pay a penny more than the customer believes he needs to in order to obtain the product quality/service quality that satisfies their individual requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted August 11, 2009 Author Share Posted August 11, 2009 Am enjoying the debate! Have actually just returned from viewing a possible MH which was over 100 miles away but it didn't turn out to be what we expected. The seller was very open and adamant over the phone that he wouldn't accept a penny less than the asking price but the asking price was approx £2,500 less than an equivalent MH at a dealers that is being advertised at the moment. So... we thought that was a reasonable stance, in that we would have been getting a better buy than a dealers albeit without any warranty thrown in. What are anyone's opinions on the above scenario - am I being naive or mean? Difficult one!!! Thanks for all the points so far - have really made me stop and think! Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 No Lorna - you are not being naive or mean! It's your money and you have the absolute right to spend it as you see fit and if any seller, dealer or private, refuses your offer that too is their right! Remember that one day you too will be a seller and any buyer, private or trade, will have no qualms about squeezing you (metaphorically speaking!) Squeeze the buyer till they squeak is my advice as there are more vans than there are buyers right now and unless and until a seller adamantly refuses your offer you know that you (and they) still have some leeway to make up! Buying from a dealer is not only about warranty. It is about protection from buying a tarted up pile of junk - in theory anyway - and once paid for you have no redress from a private seller. You should also get both base and habitation checked and serviced and any faults rectified by a dealer - but some are better than others and many often only do jobs if you point them out at the time. Caveat Emptor - let the buyer beware - is as true now as ever it was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 If you are buying privately, try to make sure the seller actually lives where he/she says. There have been cases of stolen vans being sold off the drives of people who are away on holiday, and similar scams. Try to make sure the seller comes to the front door from inside the house, and doesn't appear from around the side. Try to get a quick peek past the seller, or even ask to use the loo, so that you can verify the place is inhabited and not vacant. Obvious possibly, but the stolen vehicle will be repossessed, and the buyer then tends to be the loser.Re BGD's points, all I'd say is that given a cash customer and another needing credit, both offering the same price, most dealers would accept the offer from the one needing credit. Guaranteed money in the bank, zero risk, and commission into the bargain! It's an 'ard world, ain't it! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 tTanks once again for the wise words - certainly found the general advice from MMM very helpful when going for my first visit to see a MH and I did follow their guidelines and it was a useful way of ensuring the sale was 'genuine'. It's an odd world that would see a buyer paying on credit with the accruing interest as 'better' than a cash one who has saved up for their MH. Still, it does leave the private sales more competitive for the private buyer - I think? Thanks again for the confidence to go out there and view and hopefully, buy! Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I seem to recall seeing in MMM that VAT will go back to 17.5 % in a couple of months time (on everything ?) this might make a difference on the dealers price ? Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted August 15, 2009 Author Share Posted August 15, 2009 Thanks for all your replies - plenty of sound advice eloquently put! Best wishes, Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Hi Lorna, As I am rather old (77) and disabled my wife thinks it is time I got rid of our Legend. I saved up for years to get and automatic Legend on a rear wheel drive Transit, so I am not all that keen to sell it but I expect SHE will win in the end. It is a 1996 with just passed 40,000 on the clock, new cam belt a couple of weeks ago, MOT & Tax to end of February 2010 generally in good condition, all the odds & ends like flat water hose, levelling chocks, traction pads for muddy fields, electric hook-up cable, etc etc will go with it. If you would like to email me and tell me what sort of price you are thinking about, we can take it from there. Yours sincerely David.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Hi again Lorna, Don't know your email so I have sent you a P.M. on this Forum so if you look in your "in box". Thanks for your email..........DAVID Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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