Lizzie Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 We travelled to the two motorhome dealers in Peacehaven today but were disappointed in both. The first ASM had all their vans locked. The chap inside said to let him know if there were any we wanted to see inside of and he would unlock them. So we asked to look inside one and then he reluctantly opened another but did not seem to want to open the rest. We then went on to the next one on the same road, Stewart Mouland. We could not find anyone at all to speak to but fortunately most of their vans were opened so we at least got to see inside them. No one appeared the whole time we were there and most of the used vans were really grubby and smelled stale. I would not feel encouraged to buy from there. At least we got to see inside quite a few different motorhomes and now know we don't want the Knaus Sport as OH did not like the transverse bed. The chap at ASM did say that he just cannot get hold of enough decent motorhomes at the mo. I think we will have to head to Nottingham, which is a bit further from us but at least there seems to be a few different dealers to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Yes there are..........................but don't get your hopes up too high. :-S We undertook a 400 mile round trip on one occasion to view a van at one dealers in that neck of the woods and described as in excellent condition, it probably was a few years before they had it. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Could be worse. Having travelled 300 miles to pick up a new motorhome I can only say I am disappointed to say the least. 1 Several fairly major items that I had been assured were present were in fact missing; the missing reversing sensors had to be installed quickly and I ended up with black ones on a white bumper, lashing rails were missing in the garage and I had to put up with a quick and dirty installation of four eye bolts, the bunk filler cushion was missing and I am waiting for a "non Hobby" cushion to be made up and forwarded. 2 My adjustable wrench went missing when the gas bottles were transferred. 3 Most incredible of all the DVLA rejected the dealers application to register the vehicle in my name as its' Registration Number did not match the number given on the application form! I was driving an uregistered vehicle without insurance for ten days. The police, lawyers and courts would have had a field day if I had had an accident. 4 Minor issues include water in one of the rear lights, fogging in one of the windows and one of the light switches not working. .......................and this in a "quality" german made m.h. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Lizzie - 2014-11-15 6:35 PM We travelled to the two motorhome dealers in Peacehaven today but were disappointed in both. The first ASM had all their vans locked. The chap inside said to let him know if there were any we wanted to see inside of and he would unlock them. So we asked to look inside one and then he reluctantly opened another but did not seem to want to open the rest. We then went on to the next one on the same road, Stewart Mouland. We could not find anyone at all to speak to but fortunately most of their vans were opened so we at least got to see inside them. No one appeared the whole time we were there and most of the used vans were really grubby and smelled stale. I would not feel encouraged to buy from there. At least we got to see inside quite a few different motorhomes and now know we don't want the Knaus Sport as OH did not like the transverse bed. The chap at ASM did say that he just cannot get hold of enough decent motorhomes at the mo. I think we will have to head to Nottingham, which is a bit further from us but at least there seems to be a few different dealers to try. I know it's a pain when that sort of thing happens, but once you've seen a good few vans, you'll notice that some folk will steal anything, and break stuff as well. I do understand why dealers keep them locked. As for the state of used vans, it puts me off too, but again, a van can be on a forecourt for many months with lots of viewers trailing in and out. It would be unreasonable to expect a dealer to always keep all vans in showroom condition. I'm don't know why I'm defending dealers here, I'm pretty sure the one I bought my current van from stitched me up, but being Scottish and currently watching the noble game of Rugby Union (Scotland v New Zealand), I seem to be overwhelmed with the notion of fair play. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 I know the vans will end up a bit muddy on the floor etc but crumbs and smells are not on! The first dealer we visited - Southern Motorhomes in Taplow, Berkshire was what I would expect. Many vans were already valeted and then had plastic on the floor so that viewers did not spoil it and if not valeted, they were all clean and none smelled of the last occupant! The salesman came out a few times to chat but not in a way that made us feel we were being pushed into buying. And if you are not willing to open up your motorhomes, how will you ever sell them? We are genuine customers who could easily have purchased the right van. Perhaps the answer is to wait until Southern Motorhomes has the right motorhome for us. I would feel very comfortable buying from them as they offered a professional service which does give confidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 There does seem to be a shortage of good secondhand motorhomes available. We have reached a deal to exchange our four year old AutoTrail for an Autosleeper. To say it is in as new condition would be an accurate statement. The dealer was positively drooling over it. He was honest enough to admit how much he wanted it and did me a very good deal. He told us he would probable have a customer lined up for it even before he had it. If not he reckoned he would have it sold within two weeks with a reasonable profit Just goes to show it is worthwhile looking after your motorhome to make it saleable when the time comes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 Stalwart - did you buy the motorhome as a new van? Just interested as beginning to think we should go for a new one but wondering how much it depreciates in the first 2-4 years. Can anyone comment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Lizzie - 2014-11-15 8:02 PM Stalwart - did you buy the motorhome as a new van? Just interested as beginning to think we should go for a new one but wondering how much it depreciates in the first 2-4 years. Can anyone comment? It all depends on what you buy and how desirable it is secondhand. In other words - how long is a piece of string? Some vans still make almost what they cost new when they are 5 to 10 years old but that value will have dropped initially and then risen as supply of good examples of durable vans diminishes - for example many Auto Sleepers and Autocruise (pre Swift era) coachbuilts of the early noughties to name just a few. Research the used asking prices for any van you fancy on the for sale lists on here and on Auto Trader websites for an idea and knock off up to around £6,000 for a rough trade in value. Views will vary on this very thorny topic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Would make a change if the dealers posted a thread about disappointing customers. I bet that would make interesting reading (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 Stalwart - your comment is not helpful. I am trying to make a decision on how to part with a substantial sum of money and the more useful advice I can glean the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pampam Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Lizzie if you do go to nottingham go a bit further to newark theres brownhills right next to the A1 junction where you can look in loads of motorhomes , they are all open for you to look around (yes i know they get a lot of bad press) but they have the best forecourt and showroom that ive seen anywhere else : also an accessories shop and restaurant , Lee Hardy is a good salesman there and will always cut you a good deal on a van (in my experience anyway and we have bought four vans from them in the past )good for an afternoon out :). Pp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Lizzie - 2014-11-15 8:54 PM Stalwart - your comment is not helpful. I am trying to make a decision on how to part with a substantial sum of money and the more useful advice I can glean the better. People are taking the trouble to try to help you - if you take that attitude nobody will bother. Used values and depreciation are not as set in stone as cars as they depend on so many more variables and no matter what anyone says it is only their own views and experiences. It is your responsibility to do some research of your own rather than rely on heresay if you want to preserve as much of your own capital as possible. Be warned - motor homes are expensive and not for the faint hearted - with megabucks depreciation in the early years and huge dealer margins used so if loss of capital is your prime mover buy used and let someone else take the initial hit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Hi Lizzie, We bought both our first and current motorhome from Southern motorhomes and get on really well with everybody who works there. Being able to store our motorhome there is great and their onsite workshop is very good. Why not leave them contact details just in case they get something in that suits you. Good luck Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 "People are taking the trouble to try to help you - if you take that attitude nobody will bother." - Don't know how to do the fancy box round the comment Tracker. I think you have missed the point I was referring to which was Stalwarts comment on disappointing customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Lizzie - 2014-11-15 9:26 PM "People are taking the trouble to try to help you - if you take that attitude nobody will bother." - Don't know how to do the fancy box round the comment Tracker. I think you have missed the point I was referring to which was Stalwarts comment on disappointing customers. Being new to the forum Lizzie it may take you a while to appreciate that this is an open forum where people add their views which are often intended as irony or humour and should not be taken as unhelpful. If you want to quote a previous posting, click on the 'quote' box, edit the text leaving in the points you wish to respond to making sure the paraphrased 'quote' boxes at the start and end remain and then add your own response. Stalwart refers to the level of membership - the poster's name is at the very top (as is yours), which is why two people are both seen as 'stalwart' on this thread. Hope this helps, just bear with us, go with the flow and you will learn a lot - I've been motorhoming for half a century (first home made sort of conversion in 1964) and I'm still learning from this forum every day - well almost! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Tracker - 2014-11-15 10:23 PM Hope this helps, just bear with us, go with the flow and you will learn a lot - I've been motorhoming for half a century (first home made sort of conversion in 1964) and I'm still learning from this forum every day - well almost! Plus you still have all your own teeth Rich :D ...................................probably in a glass (lol) ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Lizzie As a newbie to the forum, you will find comments on posts.You have to take some in the measure they where meant, (light hearted) On the whole you will get helpful comments. May I say that when repling to comments by NAME , It (name )is at the top in BLUE. Stalwart/new user? etc are status of usage Unfortunately you , like me, live in the south, where there are not many dealers, but it is better to buy (if possible) close to home, as you may have to return to dealer for work, so I would take that in to consideration ,. You don't want hundreds of miles round trip. Wish you luck in your search, BUT take your time in choosing PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Pampam - 2014-11-15 9:01 PM Lizzie if you do go to nottingham go a bit further to newark theres brownhills right next to the A1 junction where you can look in loads of motorhomes , they are all open for you to look around (yes i know they get a lot of bad press) but they have the best forecourt and showroom that ive seen anywhere else : also an accessories shop and restaurant , Lee Hardy is a good salesman there and will always cut you a good deal on a van (in my experience anyway and we have bought four vans from them in the past )good for an afternoon out :). PpDon't forget SMC just down the road from Brown hills. They knock spots off them as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Sorry to hear about your experience at dealers but not surprised. Fortunately, there are enough good dealers to compensate for others and at least you know two where it will not be worth spending your cash. John Cross motorhomes at Robertsbridge, East Sussex have a good reputation. It is active on at least one forum as is Premier Motorhomes at Chichester. Heart of England motorhomes had a good reputation.It is based at Weedon. Northamptonshire. You can look at the Approved Workshop ratings to see which dealers do well on maintenance - if they do well, they are probably ok. Michael Jordan Caravans score 90% satisfaction from 19 responses. Magazines do a dealer of the year award but I can't find the MMM one so perhaps they stopped doing them. It is always worth ringing a dealer before you visit if you are genuinely looking for a motorhome. Some salesmen are not the brightest when it comes to identifying people who want to buy. If you post the area you live and how far you are willing to travel, forum members will guide you towards the better ones. Also knowing your budget helps forum members advise as does any thoughts you have on what you want - for example there is at least one dealer with a good reputation for LHD models. Some dealers are better for good value second hand vans and others for almost new/new vans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Lizzie, as a newbie you're probably used to levels of service served up by car dealers, which aren't perfect but are light years away from some motorhome dealers. My experiences are mixed, my recent purchase was made at a very long established dealership which should have been seamless. However they're going through a split of their caravan and motorhome sales and it's us the customer that felt the aftershocks. Alls well that ends well but at these amounts of money well... I absolutely agree with Richard (Tracker ) who spoke about depreciation etc, this "lifestyle choice" isn't for the faint hearted. That said, with sensible purchasing and length of ownership, you can ease the pain 8-) Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 LordThornber - 2014-11-16 7:45 AM Lizzie, as a newbie you're probably used to levels of service served up by car dealers, which aren't perfect but are light years away from some motorhome dealers. Martyn In fairness there is a lot less to go wrong with a car than a motorhome. Its the most complex consumer durable I can think of, built for lightness and cheapness, and pulled about by ham fisted people who don't understand them.. As Brian pointed out, the dealer who offered the 'Best Customer Service' fixing every customer's concerns regardless of cost, would go bust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 I agree Brownhills Newark is worth a visit. Always a huge selection, and you can spend as long as you like looking round them - nobody bothers you. Nice Cafe on site too. Never bought a motorhome though - just bits from the shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikejkay Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Tracker - 2014-11-15 9:11 PM Lizzie - 2014-11-15 8:54 PM Used values and depreciation are not as set in stone as cars as they depend on so many more variables and no matter what anyone says it is only their own views and experiences. Be warned - motor homes are expensive and not for the faint hearted - with megabucks depreciation in the early years and huge dealer margins used so if loss of capital is your prime mover buy used and let someone else take the initial hit. Some hard numbers - I have just exchanged a 3 1/2 year old Chausson Flash S2 for a new Hobby Siesta T65 GE. The Chausson was a year old when I bought it privately. The difference between the purchase price of the Chausson and the p/x was £2000. I think that I did quite well, particularly as the Chausson was no longer pristine However, you ought to factor in the added value of a solar panel and varoius small bits and bobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Dunno if anyone has experience of Marquis Motorhomes, but they have branches around the country and with the usual caveats I guess, offer a full 3 year warranty on their used stock, might be worth the OP checking them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Joe90 - 2014-11-16 1:11 PM Dunno if anyone has experience of Marquis Motorhomes, but they have branches around the country and with the usual caveats I guess, offer a full 3 year warranty on their used stock, might be worth the OP checking them out. dont be fooled by 3 . year s , the second year only covers up to 1000 pounds, and 3rd year cover up to 500 pounds, both with restrictions.. generally , warranties are also subject to having annual service done which cost a lot for items that any competent person could do himself...checking function of water system , and lights, battery status , tyre pressures , damp checks even gas systems function and leak detection,fridge checks, and heating checks....please note I say checks, añd Not repairs where you are not Qualified.. good luck with your searches, I hope you find your ideal one soon. Tonyg3nwl Habitation Checks cost a considerable amount and should reveal whether any necessary Repairs have to be undertaken..Repairs may need qualified persons to do them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.