How do you double the value of a Skoda?...Fill the petrol tank.
Buy British, why not?
- Thread starter Folkranger
- Start date
Coolcats
LIFE MEMBER
- Jan 24, 2019
- 6,445
- 11,697
- Funster No
- 58,207
- MH
- HymerCar Ayres Rock
And there is a reason why a VW transporter is a desirable vehicle, comfy drives well and well built. Small enough to be used and parked on a drive not overly tall or long it’s about as perfect a van as you can buy. Also it has that camper icon lifestyle status that other vans do not have.
Maybe
all this is just shallow nonsense but you pays your money and takes your choice. Mine has increased in price over the past two years.Whilst they are great vans that drive like a car unlike the lotus it understeers when cornering which can be disconcerting….then I remember it’s just a van
I tend to agree with you.
There are no new British cars; even Morgan is foreign-owned. This national one-upmanship is based largely on bonnet badge snobbery and brand image. Reliability surveys are the the better measure of quality than subjective perceptions about interior plastics and the latest dashboard toys.
How many British-owned volume motorhome manufacturers / PVC converters are there today? Swift, and Bailey? For how much longer ...
Hymer Group itself is no longer German, having been acquired by Thor Industries of the USA.
FIAT Chrysler and PSA (which now includes Vauxhall) have merged into the forgettably-named Stellantis. They have over 80% of the motorhome chassis market in Europe. That's a monopoly by any other name, meaning customers like us have little else to choose from except a limited range of VW or Mercedes based conversions, and the premium pricing that goes with those badges. Unless you opt for the big MHs over 5 tonne GVW.
The rear-engine Skodas were built like tanks and were great rally cars especially if you had a low budget. Good engineers those Czechs.
In deciding whether paying more is worthwhile you have to take into account residual values as well as initial cost. When I traded my Hymer in against a new Carthago I got a better deal than I was expecting. I suspect if I had been trading in a vehicle with a lower initial price against a comparable lower priced new vehicle I would have had to find just as much money to make the deal, if not more. At the time of the deal the dealer said he was happy to give top dollar on the trade in because he knew he could shift it from his own forecourt without risk.
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
Our Honda has weird wheels that don't look like alloys and have silver plastic covers. The upside is no scrote would ever want to steal those alloys.Wonder what steel polished up and lacquered would look like. Got to be a better option than the monkey metal alloys
I am a fan of steel wheels as long as they have more paint on them than is normally applied by the manufacturer.
There are too many expensive alloys that crack because they are not fit for purpose on the UK's potholed roads.
I had a T4 Westy for about 10 years. It was increasingly costly to maintain. T5s and now T6s have known issues so not all they are cracked up to be. VW must try harder if they are to maintain their brand image of reliability.And there is a reason why a VW transporter is a desirable vehicle, comfy drives well and well built. Small enough to be used and parked on a drive not overly tall or long it’s about as perfect a van as you can buy. Also it has that camper icon lifestyle status that other vans do not have.
Maybe
Whilst they are great vans that drive like a car unlike the lotus it understeers when cornering which can be disconcerting….then I remember it’s just a van
The best that can be said is that they are nice to drive, frugal on diesel, and very useable campers. If people want to pay the VW "scene" tax that's up to them.
- Jul 18, 2009
- 11,929
- 19,980
- Funster No
- 7,543
- MH
- HYMER B644
- Exp
- 2004
The main reason I have always bought German is, design. Our Eura Mobil was very good quality. Frankia, Good Design (Aluminium Frame), bathroom etc. La Strada Was also very Good, Nova M.
The Hymer we have is an older Fiat with 6 seat belts, having had a lot of issues with Every Mercedes.
I am looking for a CS Amigo (Mercedes though). There are no UK manufacturers who make a SWB High roof Motorhome. They all build on MWB, LWB or XLWB.
Also, many UK manufacturers do no produce models with 4-6 seatbelts. The Market is full of Auto Sleepers and similar manufacturers with just two belted seats. Do any Manufacturers in the UK produce models with something similar to the Frankia "Vario" bathroom?. How many produce models with Double floor is the UK?. I can only think of one manufacturer who Make anything Similar to Concorde or Morello.
I am with Lenny HB on Hymer Quality in that its is not what it used to be though.
And we wonder why so much of the car manufacturing went elsewhere from the UK. Germany took most a lot of it and now Produce it elsewhere. Our Eura Mobil Sprinter Chassis was not built in Germany.
Might Be interesting to search where you Car was produced !
Germany, Spain, Portugal, China, Mexico, USA, India? I bet there are quite a few BMW, Audi and Mercedes Drivers who will be shocked to find where their car was produced.
The Hymer we have is an older Fiat with 6 seat belts, having had a lot of issues with Every Mercedes.
I am looking for a CS Amigo (Mercedes though). There are no UK manufacturers who make a SWB High roof Motorhome. They all build on MWB, LWB or XLWB.
Also, many UK manufacturers do no produce models with 4-6 seatbelts. The Market is full of Auto Sleepers and similar manufacturers with just two belted seats. Do any Manufacturers in the UK produce models with something similar to the Frankia "Vario" bathroom?. How many produce models with Double floor is the UK?. I can only think of one manufacturer who Make anything Similar to Concorde or Morello.
I am with Lenny HB on Hymer Quality in that its is not what it used to be though.
And we wonder why so much of the car manufacturing went elsewhere from the UK. Germany took most a lot of it and now Produce it elsewhere. Our Eura Mobil Sprinter Chassis was not built in Germany.
Might Be interesting to search where you Car was produced !
Germany, Spain, Portugal, China, Mexico, USA, India? I bet there are quite a few BMW, Audi and Mercedes Drivers who will be shocked to find where their car was produced.
funflair
LIFE MEMBER
Are German vans better ? I don’t really know as I don’t have a direct comparison to work with, when we had our caravan it was far cosier than any German offering and over 12 years the build and quality was spot on.
Our 2006 N+B Flair was spot on and a testament to German design and build quality, but there was and still isn’t anything British built to compare it to.
I think that if indeed you are paying a premium for a German van then a good proportion of that goes into design and development, point in case being how long has it taken the British market to build a “A class” and adopt some of the German construction technology.
We have a MORELO palace
Not the cheapest van out there and only British van to compare would be RS and we don’t like the style but I don’t believe the RS would be any less money (might even be more
)
So in conclusion it would be easy to say yes but if they are £40k or £50k more then you would expect something better be it in the design or the build detail.
Our 2006 N+B Flair was spot on and a testament to German design and build quality, but there was and still isn’t anything British built to compare it to.
I think that if indeed you are paying a premium for a German van then a good proportion of that goes into design and development, point in case being how long has it taken the British market to build a “A class” and adopt some of the German construction technology.
We have a MORELO palace
Not the cheapest van out there and only British van to compare would be RS and we don’t like the style but I don’t believe the RS would be any less money (might even be more)So in conclusion it would be easy to say yes but if they are £40k or £50k more then you would expect something better be it in the design or the build detail.
Last edited:
OP
OP
Point is motorhomes are mainly all the same vehicles, its mainly furniture and some of the shell that differs. Cars are all different. I drive a Mercedes PHEV and a VW id3 electric so I know what I want. so back to the original topic.
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
OP
OP
I was about to add Elddis, but remembered they are now owned by Hymer. Now there's something for the badge snobs. The worst British manufacturer becoming part of what used to be one of the best German brands. Next you'll be telling me that a Skoda is really a VW.
OP
OP
Never haad that problem with steel wheels and plastic hub caps. And we were all satisfied until the marketting men made us want alloys.And wheels at £950 each!!
Went to have 2 new rear tyres fitted and the alloys had cracks in them one of rear had 3 cracks
View attachment 562799
In what way was your caravan cosier than any German offering?. We had a hobby caravan 20 years ago it was a lot better made than anything available from a British manufacturer I used to get on the roof to clean it on a British one at the time I recon you'd be lucky not to end up inside. The traveling community at the time bought German caravans for a reason.Are German vans better ? I don’t really know as I don’t have a direct comparison to work with, when we had our caravan it was far cosier than any German offering and over 12 years the build and quality was spot on.
Our 2006 N+B Flair was spot on and a testament to German design and build quality, but there was and still isn’t anything British built to compare it to.
I think that if indeed you are paying a premium for a German van then a good proportion of that goes into design and development, point in case being how long has it taken the British market to build a “A class” and adopt some of the German construction technology.
We have a MORELO palace
So in conclusion it would be easy to say yes but if they are £40k or £50k more then you would expect something better be it in the design or the build detail.
OP
OP
Wouldn't pay for a VW camper. Miles overpriced. I drove a bedford mini that I converted (great van) My daughter had a Mazda Bongo conversion. VW come quite low in reliability reports despite this being their past marketing glory. Anyone remember "tough as old boot" commercial, recited by a japanese actor if I remember. Japanese makes still top the reliability charts.And there is a reason why a VW transporter is a desirable vehicle, comfy drives well and well built. Small enough to be used and parked on a drive not overly tall or long it’s about as perfect a van as you can buy. Also it has that camper icon lifestyle status that other vans do not have.
Maybe
Whilst they are great vans that drive like a car unlike the lotus it understeers when cornering which can be disconcerting….then I remember it’s just a van
It depends what you want it for. If its to pose in undoubtedly the Aston. If you want it to commute to work in a city and park on the street all day undoubtedly the mini. It also depends how much spare cash you have and how important to you a flashy car is. I can't think of any road use where the Aston would be the budget friendly sensible option
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
VAG brands in pecking order by price and/or badge snobbery:
Bentley
Bugatti
Lamborghini
Audi
VW
Skoda
SEAT (and now Cupra)
Did I miss anything out? Do they not share common platforms and many parts?
- Nov 19, 2019
- 793
- 2,605
- Funster No
- 66,935
- MH
- Challenger 287GA
- Exp
- Since 2020
I think that people ARE giving you their answers to the original topic, it's just that the original question is so open as to be impossible to have an actual "answer" as it is so subjective. I mean, why did you choose a Merc and a VW for your car choices? There are certainly cheaper options around and I would hazard a guess that there are options with a similar price difference to that in your original post.
To some, the 40k that you quote is absolutely worth it, whether that be for difference in quality (whether that be real or perceived), brand image (again, real or not) brand loyalty etc etc. There are simply too many reasons why one may choose a higher monetary value item over a cheaper option. I myself alluded to this when i said that it has been a dream of mine since the age of 11 to one day own a Hymer. Many then stated how the brand has gone downhill, it isn't what it used to be etc, but it doesn't change the feeling for me of "God I'd love a Hymer one day!"
So really, the only person who can answer your question is you and the answer is only really relevant to you. You can compare spec sheets, building techniques, material specifications, base vehicle equipment and specifications as much as you like, as it will only answer a part of why people choose one make or model over another.
You mean my Octavia estate is on a Bentley platform.....wow
OP
OP
I had a 1969 Skoda Octavia Estate (Czech copy of a big Volvo). before Jasper Carrot made Skoda into a joke car. It had lots of features not commonly found in British cars and was built like a tank. It had a radiator blind that you operated by a cord under the steering wheel. I remember driving on a cold day and pulling the radiator cordthat was actually the bonnet release cord. The bonnet flew open, broke the windscreen and dented the roof as well as demolishing itself in the process. As dealers were rare it cost me a small fortune in repairs but I still harbour fond memories of that car. This ones not mine as ours was British Racing Green.
Last edited:
- Jan 11, 2010
- 2,855
- 10,217
- Funster No
- 9,901
- MH
- Auto-trail
- Exp
- Well that`s our 14th year & still loving it.
I wouldn't put Skoda in the cheaper bracket, Chris has just bought a new Skoda Karoq 2'0L DSG Edition with all the extras not much change from 36K.
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
You wish! I understand that your Octavia shares the A3 / Golf platform.
funflair
LIFE MEMBER
We looked at Hymer caravans but never Hobby, friends had a Fendt but quite stark and tutonic inside, no doubt you could walk on the roof but I never felt the need to be honest and preferred the layout and “cosier” furnishings in our Vanroyce, I guess “cosier” is a subjective thing and down to individual taste.
I agree with this tbh, German quality is not as good as it used to be but nothing is imo.
We bought our first and only van just over 3 years a go, an Autotrail Comanche and have absolutely loved owning it, its had its niggles but certainly none too serious and if i'm being honest not all Autotrails fault either, i'm referring to Dometic here btw, junk comes to mind.
Its taken us the 3 years to finally, and this literally happened last weekend at Burrs, to "get it sorted", when I changed the cable between the Sargent unit and the 3 way charger, once again not an Autotrail issue, and everything works exactly how it should. Autotrail themselves have been superb, I have nothing but praise for them even fixing faults I didn't even know I had. Danum Leisure, the dealer have once again been great, nothing too much trouble and only being around 20/25 mins away I think has been a fantastic bonus, I personally think this is the "KEY" to owning a motorhome.
Would I buy another Autotrail, yes and from the same dealer no question............ if they'd make them the same quality as the Rapido i'm buying. The new Autotrail GF88 is £116k, the Rapido is £132k and from my limited viewing of it is on another level for £16k difference.
Moving forward, i'm hoping and preying the Rapido and Brownhills give me the same buying experience we've had with the Autotrail and Danum
I have always been a great believer in 'better the devil you know' and IF like you, I had, at last, got a vehicle that was reliable AND a dealership that I trusted, I would keep it.
Why, spend 1000's of pounds on a UNKNOWN vehicle and dealership? I truly hope not BUT once again you may be in for years of problems????
Until I became too old, I bought used, well looked after vans (mostly VW) and converted them as I, personally, wanted them.
This way, I got EXACTLY what I wanted, knew HOW they were bolted together so I could fix them, and saved myself thousands!
Today, as well as my 1979 VW, I have a 2007 Murvi Morello (which is a solid ENGLISH make) that I bought 4yrs ago for the 'right' money which left me enough to renew timing belt, clutch, brakes, suspension, fluids etc. NOT because it needed it, but I do demand RELIABILITY be it in a person or vehicle....TOTAL cost £35,000.
(I would have preferred a 307D Merc chassis rather than the Fiat X250, but as there are thousands about, I thought spares would be plentiful)
This is NOW a reliable vehicle with reliable interior units from a reliable company, what more could one want??
I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone chooses a lesser lifestyle choice when buying a MH than what they enjoy at home, why travel and accept discomfort it makes no sence.
I think the furnishings are a personal choice. One reason we chose a hobby was at the time a lot of British ones looked like an old folks bungalow with lots of chintzy trim and were built from a timber frame with alloy panels .
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
I suppose it depends how much time you spend in your motorhome and house how much spare cash you have and what you want to spend it on
Tell that to the rally drivers that won races!
OP
OP
I would agree that British caravans were cosier. They were nicer looking inside and out. They had carpets and soft nice looking fabrics. We often looked at Hobbys as they seemed so solidly engineered. even the table was apparently made of girders with a hydraulic lift mechanism. We never got one. They were sparse on comfort, had hard seats, no gas bottle locker or oven and weighed far more than we wanted to put on the back of our Wolsely six.
If cash is tight don’t bother stay in the comfort of your home or find a cheap way in buying a crap van with bad heating,a bed that will give you a bad back,a stiff neck,damp issues,no shower,poor hot water etc etc,l know what l would choose but then again l don’t have to l’m loaded
OP
OP
Quite right. They're both equally good quality but the Aston is a higher grade.
Subscribers do not see these advertisements
Join us or log in to post a reply.
To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun
Join MotorhomeFun
Join us, it quick and easy!
Log in
Already a member? Log in here.
Latest journal entries
-
1 year USA road trip - Late Gap Year
- Jez1966
- Entries: 10
Latest entry: Month 12 of Late Gap Year USA road trip,