Mel B Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 pepe63 - 2014-03-18 6:12 PM Mel B - 2014-03-18 5:58 PM David, I can't find anything on their website about the basic models, just about the luxury ones ... so how do people KNOW that there is a basic model???? Also what PRICE do the 'basic' models start at ... still a lot I would think! :-S But what is it they say..?..."If you have to ask the price, then you probably can't afford it..." (lol) ... but that is actually the opposite of what is going on ... I should NOT have to scrabble around to find the price of the lower spec model .... and I could afford either if I wanted to! *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pampam Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I would say they definitely worth the price: and if I was to buy a new one I think the idea of paying for ""extras""is a good one as I wouldn't want an electric step or air con or a solar panel and therefore wouldn't have these items on my final invoice : ih come across as a firm that hasn't grown to big,and therefore offers a more bespoke service . You certainly don't hear bad reports of them ,so I say "buy that new van Colin leake"and then I can buy it off you when you've carefully looked after it and treasured it ,when I retire,lol I personally wouldn't want to pay the vat as I did that a couple of years ago ,and regretted it .but incidentley if you on invalidity benefit you can claim your vat back : happy camping pp:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Vans need electric step, especially if on bigger wheeled maxi chassis, to charge extra laughable.....Mine came with ESP, hill hold, cruise, a/c, long range 120 litre fuel tank, etc...as standard, why you would not want this spec in a modern touring vehicle beyond me! Re bumpers, if you go for a dark colour van the plain bumpers acceptable,and don't look to bad.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Mel B - 2014-03-18 10:39 PM pepe63 - 2014-03-18 6:12 PM But what is it they say..?..."If you have to ask the price, then you probably can't afford it..." (lol) ... but that is actually the opposite of what is going on ... I should NOT have to scrabble around to find the price of the lower spec model .... and I could afford either if I wanted to! *-) Untangle ya pants Mel!...it was clearly a joke..(Oh!, mustn't forget the...." *-) "..) Their website is a bit of a mystery though..I was looking at a spec sheet(minus price!)for a "rear-door" model the other day...God knows what I must've clicked to have found it because I can't for the life of me find it now..? :-S (lol) ..and quality aside,for a "premium" priced vehicle, I think that grafted-in habitation door looks bl**dy horrible...it looks like a concept a self-build guy would come up with(..whilst making use of an old caravan door he had knocking about... :-S ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamw Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-03-19 8:38 AM Vans need electric step, especially if on bigger wheeled maxi chassis, to charge extra laughable.....Mine came with ESP, hill hold, cruise, a/c, long range 120 litre fuel tank, etc...as standard, why you would not want this spec in a modern touring vehicle beyond me! Agree with you entirely as these are what one would consider as standard items on any reasonably priced motorhome. Of course if I were being cynical I might suggest that some UK convertors list them as options so that they can charge the full list price for them and make a little more money on just supplying the vehicle without making the base vehicle look overly expensive. What do UK independant convertors make on simply supplying the vehicle in the first place before they've even drilled a hole in it? Think of a big number! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 grahamw - 2014-03-19 9:55 AM JudgeMental - 2014-03-19 8:38 AM Vans need electric step, especially if on bigger wheeled maxi chassis, to charge extra laughable.....Mine came with ESP, hill hold, cruise, a/c, long range 120 litre fuel tank, etc...as standard, why you would not want this spec in a modern touring vehicle beyond me! Agree with you entirely as these are what one would consider as standard items on any reasonably priced motorhome. Of course if I were being cynical I might suggest that some UK convertors list them as options so that they can charge the full list price for them and make a little more money on just supplying the vehicle without making the base vehicle look overly expensive. What do UK independant convertors make on simply supplying the vehicle in the first place before they've even drilled a hole in it? Think of a big number! Hmmm.........SIXTY THOUSAND POUNDS for a van? There is a another possibility :-D They build on the most basic vans they can get there hands on and still charge crazy money, and as you say charge for every basic extra on top? Have carved out a niche of appealing to a very narrow superannuated clientele that "believe" or are persuaded into thinking they're buying into a quality product (Think Merc/BMW drivers, difference being here is they are! :D). Fine business model for a struggling cottage industry but won't help UK exports 8-) Eddy...bang the drum mate......But "tests" a bit like a horse race..you can only win depending on what other horses are entered *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 In 2012 IH Motorhomes appointed an Adminstrator and eventually entered into a CVA with their creditors. If anyone buys a motorhome from this company they should ask about the arrangements for protecting their deposit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Eddy - 2014-03-19 11:15 AM Deary deary me, then take advantage of the consumer credit act section 75 and pay the deposit by credit card, the most obvious thing to do with any major purchase, don't be complacent... Just as an aside, I've read on here umpteen times that credit card "insurance"(for want of a better word) will not cover you to the value of something like a MH?....even if it covers the deposit amount, as the whole item cost is above, it wouldn't apply..?... Worth checking out, if anyone is ever intending to rely on such things.... :-S Agree that any company can go bust/find themselves in difficulty though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Mike88 - 2014-03-19 11:02 AM In 2012 IH Motorhomes appointed an Adminstrator and eventually entered into a CVA with their creditors. If anyone buys a motorhome from this company they should ask about the arrangements for protecting their deposit. Further to my earlier post - and for clarification - I am not suggesting for a minute that an IH Motorhome should not be bought because any Company can face financial difficulty at any particular time. However, we should all take care when buying motorhomes to ensure our sizable deposits are protected. How that can be achieved is a more difficult question to answer but I believe some companies are now using Escrow/insurance facilities in order to give financial protection to their customers. That is why I suggested that the original poster should enquire about the arrangements for protecting his deposit and not because of the solvency or otherwise of IH Motorhomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Me to...much prefer Germany were dealers have the "confidence" to buy large stock in, with a good spec..you go and pick your van and they fit the extras and you drive away..no financial risk, above all no waiting. its very much like buying a car..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 pepe63 - 2014-03-19 11:29 AM Just as an aside, I've read on here umpteen times that credit card "insurance"(for want of a better word) will not cover you to the value of something like a MH?....even if it covers the deposit amount, as the whole item cost is above, it wouldn't apply..?... Worth checking out, if anyone is ever intending to rely on such things.... :-S ....indeed. Amongst other conditions, for credit card protection to apply, the value of an identifiable single item purchased (or to be purchased in the case of a deposit) must be between £100 and £30,000. In this case, given the nature of the debate about the overall cost, one would be unlikely to be able to protect the deposit by paying by credit card. (It is worth noting, however, that if the overall transaction lies within those limits - say a 'van at £29,999 - and you pay a small deposit on CC, and the remainder in cash, then the protection applies to the whole amount, not just the amount paid on CC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Well we have ordered a Laika, Italian but part of the Hymer group.We have to wait for it to be made.Should be here soon though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 So, what do you think Colin? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 If you pay a deposit for a van or anything else of value get it in writing that your deposit will be held in a "customer account" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pampam Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I don't like electric steps!!!! So stick that in yer pipe and smoke it judge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamw Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 The original post asked the question whether IH vans were worth the premium price and there will be many different answers to that question. However, one area worth considering in answering that question is to examine what you are paying for. Many independent van convertors will claim that by buying directly from them the manufacturer you will cut out the dealer/middleman and save between £6,000 and £8,000. Not entirely true as they are the middleman in sourcing the vehicle before conversion. This vehicle will then be sold on to the customer at list price realising an immediate profit of anything between £6,000 and £8,000 before a hole is drilled in it. I recently worked out the list price of a 2.3 litre Comfortmatic panel van with all the usual motorhome options. It came to £32,310. I then obtained a quote for the supply of the same vehicle including delivery, road tax, registration fee and VAT which came in at £23,289.80 some £9,000 off list price. Volume producers will buy vehicles in at a negotiated price and pass some of that saving on. What does it cost to do the conversion, that is the difficult question as some will be more efficient at the process than others through being better equipped with little need for outsourcing. But if you deduct the cost of the vehicle to the convertor from the asking price of around £60,000 you begin to get the feeling that there is a healthy profit to be made. I think the main issue is that the vans are expensive simply because you end up paying list price for the supply of the vehicle. In some cases I even notice the convertor round up the list price of each individual base vehicle option to the nearest whole £50! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 The other point to be made is that the convertors charge list price for extras. When I bought my T4, for conversion, it had the most powerful engine, auto gearbox, ABS, A/C, electric mirrors, arm-rests, lumbar adjuster and alarm. From memory that added about 50% to the price of the van. I traded quotes between my 2 local VW dealers and got a good discount on the whole package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 Our plan is to go to the October 2015 show and make our mind up on what is available then for delivery early in 2016. As it stands at the moment the IH rear garage model is would be our top choice or possible the Auto Sleeper Kingham which we are waiting to see in the flesh. I know there have been negative comments about the storage under the bed on here but those comments seem to have been made on the basis of a fleeting glimpse on the video which does not show any real detail so we will make our own mind up when we see one for ourselves which we are hoping to do shortly. We also like the Auto-Trail V 620 with its double floor, rear transverse bed and FG roof with a neat built in awning. As it stands at the moment we would defiantly not buy it with that silly impractical fridge and lack of even any facility for a microwave never mind providing one. They have also managed to bugger up a potentially very useful storage area with the gas cylinder locker which could be freed up by using an under slung gas cylinder. Building it on the longer XL platform would give a really useful garage at the back. Having had one we'd not opt for the entertainment pack very impractical for various reasons and in our case we are on our third replacement dash unit. We have sent an email to AT with our comments which they have thanked us for and past it on to their design and marketing departments. Two dealers have told us that the fridge and lack of a microwave are causing them lost sales so by the time we come to buy I would be very surprised if these problems have not been addressed. If they have it will become a very desirable conversion at a very competitive price with a spec comparable with say La Strada. Coming up on the rails as they say is the new Lunar offering based on the Merc. The present layout would not suit us but further layouts are in the pipe line. It's a big bugger but should have plenty of scope for some attractive layouts in all that space. One thing that does interest me is that it would be possible to specify a proper 7 speedy torque converter auto. I don't trust the Fait auto or any automated manual for that matter. At the end of the day if we can't find a PVC that we are happy with then we will stick with a coach built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 It's usually the case for negative comments when lack of experience can sway people away from something that is well designed such as the commfortmatic gearbox. A lot of people think that automatic gearboxes should be clutchless and coupled to a torque converter. For those who aren't aware, 99.9% of heavy commercial vehicles fitted with automatic gearboxes have robotic clutches and run trouble free. In my experience, and I still drive 44ton ADR road tankers, they are brilliant. Volvo also have an engine brake retarder that is patented and regarded as the best in the business. Nobody should be worried about buying a Fiat fitted with a comfort-matic gearbox because normally they run trouble free and are a dream to drive. I'm aware that one owner is currently experiencing trouble but that doesn't mean that every other owner will get the same problem. Based on total vehicles currently on the road it only represents a fraction. Hopefully Northern Commercials supported by Fiat will diagnose the gremlin and get his motorhome back on the road asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 We have a Golf with the 7 speed DSG auto, which is effectively 2 gearboxes running in parallel and preselecting gears. It is totally brilliant. Fuel economy is as good or better than a manual; the shifts are almost imperceptible and virtually instantaneous. It beats all the torque converter gearboxes I have had into a cocked hat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Muswell - 2014-03-20 4:13 PM We have a Golf with the 7 speed DSG auto, which is effectively 2 gearboxes running in parallel and preselecting gears. It is totally brilliant. Fuel economy is as good or better than a manual; the shifts are almost imperceptible and virtually instantaneous. It beats all the torque converter gearboxes I have had into a cocked hat. Couldn't agree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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