To Buy, or Not to Buy?

[Abacist]

Basically agree with what you are both saying but from our point of view we have never earnt a lot so now that we can afford it we like to buy new.
Also if we bought in the UK we could only afford a second hand van of the quality we like. So being savy buyers and buying abroad we can afford to buy a fairly decent van new.

No problem with that at all and you know the history and that everything has been built professionally and is brand new and you get a good deal where you buy in Belgium.

The older the van you buy the more likely it will have had aftermarket additions like, inverter, solar, air conditioning, B2B charger, additional battery bank, mains and other extra sockets, perhaps engine remap, accident damage, previous leaks etc and has it all been done or repaired to professional standards?

Perhaps a business opportunity for someone to set up in business for buyers as an independent professional surveyor of motorhomes or as an addition to a mobile Motorhome specialist business who does not buy and sell motorhomes.

 

[nicholsong]

I'd imagine diagnostics & ECU replacement would be just as expensive for the 2.8jtd as for any other common-rail Diesel. There is admittedly less emissions control equipment on the jtd but it's up there with the rest in terms of engine control & fuelling.

Yes, but maybe the control and fault parameters were not set so tightly, in say 2003, so 'faults' do not flag up so easily on the diagnostics.

Certainly the emissions criteria are not so tight for engines of that age even on current MOTs.

Geoff

 

[hymerman]

I once went to Germany to look at a van from a dealer (not knocking the Germans in general as have had other vans from dealers and no problems), this one was advertised with very low miles on it and at a good price so worth a look.
The thing was an absolute mess inside with everything just about worn out.
Basically it had been driven down to Spain , hardly moved when it got there, hence the low millage but lived in for a number of years.
Message being, don't just go on miles used as you would with a car.