New Motorhomes - What do you really get?

[The Lord Squid]

Wondering if it’s worth investing in a new Jag
Apparently the electric one is meant to be a Tesla beater

I had an afternoon with Jaguar at Oulton Park a couple of months ago driving I-Paces on the road and on the track. I was very impressed, but the SUV style is not for me. I also prefer to buy second-hand.

 

[Rosemary1]

My sister once said to me "I wouldn't buy or sleep on a second hand bed"

I replied - how many hotels have you stayed in?

...

We married many - many years ago and bought a friends 2nd hand bed - in fact come to think about it everything was 2nd hand when we set up home.

Talking to an worried engaged colleague at work who was getting into serious debt to furnish her new house and mentioned this along with Preloved and Gum tree sites and was treated to such distain! She said the same that she would NEVER sleep where anyone had been sleeping and I wished her well getting a double bed plus pillows and sheets etc to her very expensive and exotic honeymoon destination.

Come to think about it she is avoiding me now - obviously I am now tainted in some way

 

[Northernraider]

With a new motorhome you can be certain that nobody has pooped in your toilet, peed in your shower, shagged in your bed, or worst of all

Crunched your gears

New is best !

Can you really ?


There's a thread on here currently that would suggest not lol.

 

[Northernraider]

Base vehicle will have more toys and features, especially environmental and safety. So same size engine has more power, for hopefully better MPG and less emissions. Modern vehicles now start to have things like stability controls, hill hold. I suspect you've got toys like DAB radio (OK so you could upgrade older vehicle) inbuilt sat nav, air con, depending on models.

Conversion is probably a better overall spec for things like insulation. Most lighting will be efficient LED (so yep that could be upgraded). In theory newer appliances are better, but I'll agree it's difficult to see how you can make much difference to a cooker or hob unit.

On the other hand, perhaps the older tried and tested vehicle conversion has proven to be robust, compared to the modern lighter weight trends.

I went back from a 2008 3.0l fiat motorhome to a 2004 2.8l fiat motor home

Drives better, pulls better, climbs hills better , costs less to fix , gets better mpg

And the 2004 has cruise control and aircon the 2008 didn't.

So not always the case

 

[Pausim]

I buy new so that in a few years time there will be second hand vans available. I think of it as a public spirited thing to do.

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[Northernraider]

The newest vehicles I've bought were 3 years old and both times I didn't keep them long and returned to older second hand models.

I think in some ways cars improve each year but equally they get thrown together with cheaper made often substandard parts that wear out quicker or cost more to repair.

Somehow after owning nearly 700 cars several motorhomes , couple of dozen camper vans I'm much more content with looked after higher spec older vehicles.

I doubt I would ever buy brand new even if money was no object.

But I understand why others do it

 

[Midland Nomads]

I've also got a 1989 Lotus......now that's a 'drive'....

Snap always puts a smile on my face,but unfortunately dont have enough time to enjoy especially now we have the Motorhome. After 20 years ownership will sell this year any takers

 

[Lenny HB]

Having never been very well off but now we are older and now have savings & investments it's nice to buy new. On our 3rd new Motorhome, it's been cost effective as depreciation has been very low.

 

[busby]

Not sure I totally agree.

We are on our third MH - first was a 2004 X240 Ducato base, then a 2010 X250 Ducato base and then a 2016 X290 van conversion with comfortmatic. The latter two purchased new.

The driveability is what is different. The brakes in particular, are vastly superior. I had the brakes on the first 2004 van rebuilt, but they were still relatively rubbish. The newer vans also have better steering, come with cruise control and cab a/c as standard.

They just need to make the suspension a bit more comfortable and I think they've cracked it - mind the latest van is much better on that score than the 2004 version.

You have to remember they are built on a goods vehicle and made for load carrying so suspension is never going to be like a car..I honestly did not think my brand new Fiat back in 2008 was anywhere near as good to drive as my next van a 2005 Peugeot of the old shape,,Brakes i hardly use,,still use gearbox for slowing..My supposedly underpowered 2002 Peugeot 2.0 litre HDI non turbo takes us all around Europe twice a year for 3 months at a time with in my mind excellent comfort,BUSBY.

 

[busby]

OK, I'm sure it does; but again possibly not directly comparable to driving say a modern XE, which we are fortunate to own.

I drove an E type back in 1963,,never driven anything modern to touch it..BUSBY.

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[PhilG]

Mine cost £2k off Ebay 2 years ago.....best value for money car I've ever bought..

80k miles and all the goodies

Sounds like my kind of motor. Big old stuff like that had be had for buttons.

 

[Northernraider]

2003 S-type 4.2 V8 Sport Automatic

Goes like the proverbial

I had a nice 3.0l v6 s type back in 2015
It was a 2002 ex wedding car in silver with black leather ...60,000 miles on the clock 1 owner. It was immaculate throughout and I picked it up for £1100



Sold it 8 months later for £1900

 

[DL42846]

I can see the point of buying new if you needed particular features but apart from that what do you get?

I have 2 MHs, a 5.5m 1991 poptop Eriba and a 7.5m 2001 mobilvetta A class.

They both have similar spec, blown air heating, boiler, toilet and shower. One is a daily driver but you have to make the bed up, the other has more space and a fixed bed.

The Eriba is 'basic' wind up windows, no electronics.

The Moby has electric windows, mirrors and step and aftermarket cruise - it's a 2001 - what, apart from styling has really changed in nearly 20 or even 30 years?

.

They have become less reliable in recent years.

 

[MHdreaming]

I can see the point of buying new if you needed particular features but apart from that what do you get?

I have 2 MHs, a 5.5m 1991 poptop Eriba and a 7.5m 2001 mobilvetta A class.

They both have similar spec, blown air heating, boiler, toilet and shower. One is a daily driver but you have to make the bed up, the other has more space and a fixed bed.

The Eriba is 'basic' wind up windows, no electronics.

The Moby has electric windows, mirrors and step and aftermarket cruise - it's a 2001 - what, apart from styling has really changed in nearly 20 or even 30 years?

.

If you are happy with your old vans and cars I'm very happy for you.
I like new, I think they're not just a little better but a lot better. So I'll keep buying new as I've got enough money for a few more before I die and you can keep giving me a few quid for my leftovers I've peed and slept in. Not slept in the pee just in the bed and peed in the loo, just so we don't have any misunderstanding, don't like that kind of thing

 

[mfw]

Nice way to get rid of a pension pot if you take a lump sum - and it could sit on drive then if you cant afford running cost or have to go back to work to earn money to survive and use it

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[mikebeaches]

deleted

 

[mikebeaches]

deleted

 

[mikebeaches]

Nice way to get rid of a pension pot if you take a lump sum - and it could sit on drive then if you cant afford running cost or have to go back to work to earn money to survive and use it

Corr, that doesn't sound like the most positive outlook on life...

But not suggesting it's a point unworthy of consideration.

 

[gwyntaxi]

With a new motorhome you can be certain that nobody has pooped in your toilet, peed in your shower, shagged in your bed, or worst of all

Crunched your gears

New is best !

Not necessarily true, they peed in longjohns toilet, took his van for a drive scratched it, watched his tv.

 

[Robert Clark]

Not necessarily true, they peed in longjohns toilet, took his van for a drive scratched it, watched his tv.

I guess he chose the wrong dealer

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[maison]

Can’t remember the year but we bought a new Autoquest (320?) on a Talbot chassis. Somewhere in the early to mid-eighties

Severe right shin ache on long distance trips owing to distance between floor and accelerator pedal.

Pushed around whenever overtaking/being overtaken by a lorry or bus when the bow wave hit.

Couldn’t hear the radio for engine, wind and road noise.

With a modern motorhome we no longer notice any deviation caused by passing vehicles.

However, there was a lot less to go wrong in those days. Manual changeover on fridge, no microwaves, basic heaters etc.

 

[Duckato]

The running gear in new vehicles is probably the biggest selling points as for the conversions ye gods! We visited the NEC several times before deciding to save thousands by going down the diy route. I was shocked how tacky, and badly finished some of the show vans were sticky back plastic egg box construction and iron on edging seems the norm in the obsession to save weight.

The story of the person who blew £100k on a van without even bothering to inspect it prior to acceptance is an extreme example of how gullible people can be! Caveat empter and all that

 

[tony dellar]

Polystyrene gearbox ?