ken nugent Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Hi all you knowledgable motorhomers, who have been so helpful in the past. Can you tell me why van conversions are so expensive compared to what I would call a proper motorhome ( I use the word proper without wishing to affend anyone as it seems the only way to differentiate between a van conversion and say a pofile). To me they are smaller there is less interior and there are no labour costs in constructing the body or body materials. I carnt see where the extra £4,000 to £8,000 comes in. :-S Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yrocker Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 I would think that some of the additional costs are due to the fact that the furniture and fittings have to be shaped to follow the irregular profile of a steel van. Not as easy as fitting fairly standard, and square sided, equipment into what is in effect a large rectangular plastic box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Often wondered the same thing myself. ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Its quite simple really. Its all down to production costs Coachbuilt production line. Cabinets in first then walls fitted last. Many units made Van conversion one man at a time building inside out so to speak. Much slower operation and less volume of model built. Trigano make a low cost van conversion because of volume. IH or timberland ( that was ) make low volume but quality models so a higher price Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 ALSO if forgot Chassis cabs bought direct from factory Vans are usually sourced from dealers, and there is a big price difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Makes sence i suppose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 ken nugent - 2010-08-10 10:40 AM Can you tell me why van conversions are so expensive compared to what I would call a proper motorhome ( I use the word proper without wishing to affend anyone as it seems the only way to differentiate between a van conversion and say a pofile). Some might say campervan vs motorhome Others would use terms PVC(panel van conversion) vs coachbuilt. Anyway as said above it's cheaper to slap a caravan on the back of a chassis cab than build a proper camper in a panel van :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 Although, now the bigger boys are onto the PVC game and seem to have rationalised production the cost differential is narrowing. Whereas many PVCs were made to measure in small volumes, once you gear up for high volumes, and get modular, pre-profiled furniture delivered in chunks that can simply be lifted in through rear or side doors, with precut floor and wall linings coming off CNC machines, wiring harnesses and gas runs pre formed and assembled, the fact that only one person at a time can work inside becomes less of a restriction. It is just a case of sequencing the right people through the van, in the right order, as the build progresses. For example, look at the prices for Globecars in Germany, or some of the Trigano group PVCs in France/Italy, and compare with the smaller UK producers. I assume they're also getting quantity reductions on the vans, by ordering these along with the chassis/platform cab variants they usually go for.If the Hymer and Trigano groups suddenly stopped using SEVEL vans, there'd be the biggest pole of poo in history somewhere in Italy! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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