Changing high value for low....?

[snobbyafghan]

I'm looking for them musings of the hive here - what I should really do is stir myself and get on the phone and internet and start researching properly. And I probably will but I'm interested in tapping in to the knowledge available here.

 

So, what I'm thinking of is changing from a 2 year old, small motorhome to a small caravan, such as (but not necessarily) an Eriba. I haven't had a value put on the MH but let's say about £25,000. I don't want to spend more than £10,000 on a caravan. I'm looking for an ease of transaction rather than squeezing the absolute best deal. The trouble is, dealers I've spoken to aren't really interested in exchanging a lower for a higher price item. So, am I doomed to having to sell privately (makes me shudder to think of the hassle) or is there a another way.

 

Ideas, suggestions - preferably helpful and positive - would be welcomed.

 

Doug

[bob b]

I wouldn't have thought that you'd have much trouble selling your motorhome. They do seem popular.

On another thread a chap sold his motorhome through a dealer. Apparently, he told the dealer the price he was after, the motorhome was sold two weeks later and the money paid into his account.  

Safeguards, regarding while the motorhome is on the dealers forecourt, have been discussed on previous threads.

[Randonneur]

Try Johns Cross Motorhomes; they are always on the lookout for good second hand motorhomes Telephone peter on 01 580 881288. www.johnscrossmotorhomes.co.uk. I have no connection with this company.

[david lloyd]

Hi Doug

 

Last year we traded our 18 month old motorhome for a new caravan (second hand towcar bought separately) at Lowdhams at Nottingham with the cash difference coming our way. The deal went easily enough BUT within six months we were selling the caravan and returning to a motorhome! If you have not done so before maybe a trial with a caravan before taking the plunge may be useful?

 

David

[snobbyafghan]

David

 

What were the negatives?

 

My problem with the MH is that we don't use it enough to justify the overheads whilst at the same time it is depreciating. I'd be less bothered with having an £8000 caravan sitting round doing nothing for most of the year than a £30,000 MH doing the same AND needing to be taxed, insured and serviced, even though we love it when we DO use it.

 

Doug

[PJay]

Thinking of doing the same thing. Will be interested to know why the senario happened ? We could do with the transport afforded by car/caravan,while on sites, (unable to ride bike!) but like the Mh for convienience .What I would really like is one of those detachable /pickup type.

 

[david lloyd]

snobbyafghan - 2009-09-28 10:13 PM

 

David

 

What were the negatives?

 

My problem with the MH is that we don't use it enough to justify the overheads whilst at the same time it is depreciating. I'd be less bothered with having an £8000 caravan sitting round doing nothing for most of the year than a £30,000 MH doing the same AND needing to be taxed, insured and serviced, even though we love it when we DO use it.

 

Doug

 

Hi Doug (and PJay)

 

We may have made the same mistake as the motorhome and got a caravan (Bailey Senator Indiana) larger than we really needed. Although I have no problem driving or towing anything, it did seem like a bit of a 'drag' (sorry!) towing the thing across France and down to the Cotswolds in December. My wife didn't like the idea of towing in winter either - although we did use a Kia Sorento (4x4) and the 'van had the new Alko traction control + a stabiliser hitch.

 

I lost count of the number of times last year when we arrived on site in the rain - and, of course, there is more setting up/breaking up to do on arrival and departure. I suppose this was the biggest inconvenience for us and we certainly missed the ease with which we could just stop and have a cup of tea without having to wind legs down etc. Similarly, on the french trip we definitely missed using the aires even though we also used a mixture of campsites in between.

 

The tax/insurance/servicing wasn't a factor since we had to retain two cars and the caravan still needed servicing and insurance which came to about the same as the motorhome. We do manage to use our van enough to feel it is not being wasted and our present circumstances could change soon giving us the opportunity to go away for extended periods.

 

To sum up, the main advantages that we felt came with the caravan were more space and a vehicle onsite to use for days out. Although the panel van we replaced it with did not have anywhere near the space we had we have found in use that we kind of prefer it, can live without much of the stuff we filled the caravan with (simply because we could rather than needed to) and we have a suitably sized vehicle to use off site.

 

As motorhomers or caravanners we all know that compromise is always going to be close by when choosing the right vehicle and downsizing the motorhome seems to have been ours.

 

Good luck with the thought process!

 

David

[PJay]

Thanks David . I agree with all you say.except the aires, as we don't use them much, so not bothered about that. I suppose for the us the answer would be to tow a little car, though I feel that defeats the object,as that puts us in the Car/Caravan situation. Still considering that option. We have two cars anyway, as well as the MH, so maybe swop my beloved 16 years old car, for a Smart car?

Pauline

[fjmike]

Have you thought about simply asking a dealer if he is prepared to buy your van?. You obviously won't get as much as selling private but it would mean a lot less hassle. I don't know about other dealerships but the better ones are crying out for good used stock as most of the recent buyers have been first timers with no trade in, meaning that the used stock levels are low at the moment

[snobbyafghan]

If I take the plunge and change to a caravan, it would have to be an Eriba which seems to be the closest in spirit to a MH and may even be accepted on an aire (not sure about that - can anyone enlighten me?). However, they seem expensive for what they are and you don't see many around; for example, I'm currently on a Caravan Club site in the New Forest and I cycled round the site earlier to see if there were any Eribas here and to maybe fnd out what their owners thought about them but there isn't a single one on site.

Hmmm

 

Doug

[Randonneur]

snobbyafghan - 2009-09-29 11:37 PM

 

If I take the plunge and change to a caravan, it would have to be an Eriba which seems to be the closest in spirit to a MH and may even be accepted on an aire (not sure about that - can anyone enlighten me?). However, they seem expensive for what they are and you don't see many around; for example, I'm currently on a Caravan Club site in the New Forest and I cycled round the site earlier to see if there were any Eribas here and to maybe fnd out what their owners thought about them but there isn't a single one on site.

Hmmm

 

Doug

 

The Dealer we bought our van from is an Eriba Dealer as well and also sells their caravans. Apparently, he told us, that they are all Stainless Steel in the framework so will never rot and that is why the price is so high. A small new one was about 22000€.

[david lloyd]

snobbyafghan - 2009-09-29 10:37 PM

 

If I take the plunge and change to a caravan, it would have to be an Eriba which seems to be the closest in spirit to a MH and may even be accepted on an aire (not sure about that - can anyone enlighten me?). However, they seem expensive for what they are and you don't see many around; for example, I'm currently on a Caravan Club site in the New Forest and I cycled round the site earlier to see if there were any Eribas here and to maybe fnd out what their owners thought about them but there isn't a single one on site.

Hmmm

 

Doug

 

I don't think you will be able to use the aires Doug - I have seen caravans moved on before now when they have tried.

 

David

[Brian Kirby]

Have you considered this option?

Small VW type camper (maybe one of the Bilbos models), bespoke built to provide, primarily, the day use functions.  Kitchen, fridge, dining facility.

A small, Eriba Familia, type caravan to provide a comfortable bed and night time toilet facilities.  Good tow, very stable, and about the same width/height as the camper.  It will come with a small hob and a fridge, so brekky in bed is a possibility :-), plus a decent wardrobe.

You then have the long stay accommodation between the two vehicles, and a good multi-purpose general purpose tow car that will give you days out with a cooker plus fridge, plus a bed for the odd overnight if/when required.

Not the cheapest solution, but possibly one that might suit your requirements in the short/medium term?  Could be the best, or worst, of all possible worlds, of course.

[david lloyd]

Brian Kirby - 2009-09-30 6:02 PM

Have you considered this option?

Small VW type camper (maybe one of the Bilbos models), bespoke built to provide, primarily, the day use functions.  Kitchen, fridge, dining facility.

A small, Eriba Familia, type caravan to provide a comfortable bed and night time toilet facilities.  Good tow, very stable, and about the same width/height as the camper.  It will come with a small hob and a fridge, so brekky in bed is a possibility :-), plus a decent wardrobe.

You then have the long stay accommodation between the two vehicles, and a good multi-purpose general purpose tow car that will give you days out with a cooker plus fridge, plus a bed for the odd overnight if/when required.

Not the cheapest solution, but possibly one that might suit your requirements in the short/medium term?  Could be the best, or worst, of all possible worlds, of course.

Hi BrianShortly after changing to the caravan option we changed the Kia Sorento for a small panel van conversion (La Strada Avanti) along ther liones you suggest. Admittedly, the combination of Avanti and Bailey Senator caravan is much larger than the combination you suggest, but all it did for me was reinforce how much I missed the motorhome lifestyle. It was shortly after that we changed back to an IH Tio R accepting the compromise of on-site space.David