They are far too expensive for what you get when new and the used market is saturated , for the price of a new average motor home you can travel abroad with guaranteed sunshine for a month for 40 years . They peeked during Covid when prices rocketed now they will plummet just like electric cars .
I totally agree it's far cheaper than buying one of these over priced sheds on wheels. Camp sites are far to expensive my neighbour as a caravan he says some sites are charging £55 a night and £4 extra per night for the dog 🐕 but you do get electric hook up and some water thrown in scandalous totally ripping people off typical UK .😊
This makes sense mate what your saying but I do agree with what am hearing on social media about camp sites charging too much the whole idea of camper or motor home holidays is cheaper way of getting away but most camp sites just getting greedy now which is bit frustrating
I'd love a motorhome , but can't afford a nice one and I'd rather not pay 20 to 30 k for a funky looking 1990's model . I got myself a nearly new panel van and converted it myself for around 20k
A crash is now referred to as a correction and the fact we are in a recession/depression is now know as a cost of living crisis. There’s a far bigger picture with the economy but hardly anyone looks!
Another factor that will tend to put more used vans on the market than before exists. It is GREEDY Campsites. The price of campsites is rocketing. The UK clubs have jacked their site prices, to a point that they are starting to match small hotel prices. Money is being lashed out on modernising toilets, WHY? The Modern motorhome is totally autonomous, they do not need showers and toilets, nor do they need hook ups, SOLAR!!! The price of getting to the campsite, as driving a motorhome is akin to driving a heavy loaded van, fuel consumption is a major issue. Not only will MANY dealers go bust, but campsites will go bust too, if neither of them can offer VALUE FOR MONEY.
People finish work friday and get home and might get out of the house to drive to a campsite at 6 or 7pm. Arrive late Friday, leave again for home tea time Sunday, and thats even if you can find a pitch cos the campsites are absolutely rammed and it isnt pissing it down and you actually feel like a trip away. Unless you're retired its a total waste of money spending £70k on a van. Buy a 2k van like me, spend 1k on solar and batteries etc, fridge, usb and lights and convert your own little bargain camper. Owes me nothing if it ends up sat outside my house while im at work👌🏼
That's why I sold mine 2 yrs ago for more than I purchased it 8 years before and an additional 30k miles. Was clear it couldn't last. So have been doing other types of holidaying and will look at a motorhomes again when prices are 'reasonable' again.
£80k purchase price, keep two years and get offered say £55-£60k off a dealer trade in? £80k in the bank with two years @ 5% interest = £88,200. Essentially the two year ownership has cost you £28,200 not to mention any storage, insurance, maintenance etc. £30k cost over two years perhaps?
Thats always been the case buying new even well before the hype of a few yrs ago. Next doors retired brother bought new at 56k nearly 10yrs ago & after one season & 5k miles on it, he decided it wasnt for him. Took him 7mths to sell it ( sept to april...off season admittedly) & eventually cashed it in with a trader & got 38500 back....now thats a sore one!!....nearly 20k of his pension blown in 6mths!! So none of this is new.
Well put. Numbers may go up and down, depending, but truth told, unless you use it 35 weeks of the year, you are probably losing a lot of money? I love them, and wish I'd bought a romahome 15 years ago, but 10 k a year, is a lot of b+b's, and you can take your car and fit under height barriers?
I find campervans to be so versatile. I've Auto-sleeper Symbol and can use it as a second car, while being big enough for my wife and me to easy have 10-14 day holiday. I can also park it in the car park at our flat and despite buying 5 years ago just before covid, I have been offered almost what I paid for it!
Nice one Jason but I think we are far from the bottom yet and this new government will only exacerbate in a detrimental way peoples disposable income and exorbitant UK camp site fees wont help the issue . Cheers K
It is weighted though as you’d expect. If nobody bought a motorhome for a year THEN you’d see a correct correction to more market related prices. It’s the main dealers and manufacturers who are to blame and the fools who buy a new motorhome, these guys have to fight for the scraps. Used Motorhomes from as far back as 2007 are like new if they’ve been cared for. Probably better built! New Motorhomes are being built to cut costs ( not to reduce weight) and sold at stupid prices which is why we are seeing polished turds for sale which will not hold their value when things go wrong due to build quality. Don’t be put off by age!
Its happening in all sectors,cars,bikes,even phones ,with the covid effect over and higher interest rates and the cost of living people are now realising working 60 hour weeks to afford something where the exctiment soon wears off is not worth the stresses in life,like you said cheap flights and foreign holidays cheaper than ever me and my wife could go on a nice foreign holiday 3 times a year for the rest of our life for the price of a motorhome sat on my drive.
It's ok to blow £30k + on a van if there is a high chance of getting most of that back when you sell. But people are getting stung and that will take years to recover from. Market could easily still be downward so now probably isn't the right time to buy.
THIS IS WHY ! The market is in free fall, not a correction..markets take 5 - 10 years to recover . NEC sales come October will be a flop..! People know the quality of the finished product is an ABOMINATION The market will decline further when Labour hit pensioners with possible NI tax bills and the abolishment of the triple lock. Less money about. Bills continue to go up!!! Site fees are through the roof😮 * Storage costs up * Insurance costs up * Caravan site costs up Down ** * Go abroad 🌞 costs 👇 * Quality of leisure vehicles 👇 * Dealer warranty go bust 👇 * Don't pay a deposit to dealers who may go bust on you 👇 * life on a cruise is much easier...keep your older van or caravan as the new ones can be a nightmare..*
I would have thought that those vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are also finding a diminshing market as those under 44.5 yrs old cannot drive them, and this is increasing year on year. Unless of course they undertake HGV training or whatever it is these days.
Watch this space, with the new rules coming into effect in the EU on weight of vehicle you can now drive on a car licence. If the UK choose to follow even a new driver will be able to drive upto 4.25t instead of 3.5t. At the moment this only applies to electric vehicles but could also be for all vehicles. The UK don't have to follow suit, but it would make no sense not to.
LGV or Light Goods Vehicle catagory C1 only covers you upto 7.5t Class 2 is over 7.5t and up to I think its 32t on a rigid body. Over that and a bendy body is Class 1.
Campsites too much, cost of caravans and motorhomes too much. People are watching the pennies more. Uk is rain rain and more rain. Why would anyone want one.
UK always been raining you think that bothers people going to Scotland or the Lake District 😂 Airports are absolutely rammed. Theres many people out on the roads in all kinds of vehicles, they know what peaceful vanlife in the countryside really is about.
The good thing about a Motor Home is you can go abroad via the Ferry Germany is a great place to travel to the sights are cheap facilities are amazing.
Left the UK on 23th April and drove through Netherlands, Germany, Denmark,Sweden,Finland, Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania, Poland and back to Germany.Had an amazing time , No problems and while you had rain we had 20 to 28c even inside the Arctic circle.and ALL of these countries are cheaper and better than the UK for Motorhomeing PS Just booked a 7.5m Motorhome plus 2 Adults from Hook of Holland to Harwich in September for £99
The industry got too greedy, campsites asking £45-50 a night some have electric meters. The campers, motor homes and caravans are ridiculous, even the bottom of the range cheapies are silly money. The industry got very greedy and tried to keep the Covid spike in prices, sold my camper, Airbnb the better option, don’t have a pile of money on the drive and having to maintain it etc, you killed your own industry through excessive prices.
NEC show this year will be interesting... 2023 stock is still hanging about, let alone selling all the 2024 stock. Credit lines are full.... Some are going to go under, hopefully the greedy ones...
Prices are going to go down more next year I think. Campsites are charging too much, there's COVID impulse purchases that will trickle back onto the market. Wild camping is getting harder, we were lucky to sell our moho recently for what we paid, 2010 Autotrail. Want an Adria Twin , mid 2000s but prices are stupid. COVID build mohos have build issues ( as do caravans). Going to be bide our time, enjoy the cheap 2007 caravan we picked up this year and wait.
The price correction is going to have to drop more as the product are way over price. We will a few more dealer go to the wall as they are sitting on over priced stock
The cost of borrowing has gone up and people are waking up to the old favourite rip-off, equity release. Anyone with a pencil could work out that the direct costs and depreciation calculated over the time they actually use the van means that they're paying £300 a night to sleep in it. Borrowing money to fund a depreciating asset is not big or clever.
Got to say we've ditched the caravan and built our own camper van using a Mercedes 4 x 4 van which which is significantly cheaper to own and operate. Honestly would never return to a caravan or probably a pitch which as you said have just become unaffordable
We had a wander around your site a couple of weeks ago and noticed the vans weren’t moving, some of them you have had for many months based on when your video went out. We have a compact MH and would PX it if the price was right but I don’t think that would happen in today’s financial market. The 4 year blue auto trail Adventure you have for £60k can be had brand new from Brownhills for £70k inc auto gearbox, I know which one I would go for. Although I would be hesitant at putting a deposit down now in case the company went bust.
Good man for making this. It's becoming better for a family our size. We will see what the market brings next year on a six berth. We are off to France this year and only 500 more than motorhome to stay in a static. Money in the bank earning decent interest.
Yeah, I think you said it all in one word. STATIC. Motorhomes are not about being 'static'. Love to know where you get decent interest from a bank on 500?? (maybe you meant 500,000).
In Ireland at least, I see the market of the A classes shrinking a lot as the "newer generation" would have to go for the specific A class license, where before it was included or was very easy to take out. I would love an A class but I can't be bothered to go and do truck driver license and the additional cost that comes with it.
If the government start taxing the leisure industry too - diesels, weight based tax ideas being floated, then this will put more pressure on the vehicle values.
Great info. Might wait a few months before buying our used 6 berth motorhome. Problem also is the Caravan prices second hand are also dropping with Part Ex.
We sold ours last year for a £10k profit after owning a 2019 model for 4 years and puting 10k miles on it - no regrets and I think we sold near the top of the market . It was a big 7.5 m mofo and I hated driving it , parking it , reversing it , insuring it , taxing it , hab check , taking it off site to find suitable parking space in a local town , servicing a loan at 10% APR . We've been on 3 holidays abroad with the money we've saved , and have money in the bank after selling it and paying off the loan.
Net zero is another factor in all this, tax, insurance, where you can go etc is starting to really bite in and is worrying for the future of motorhoming.
I also read a lot, that the quality has gone down considerably from some manufacturers since Covid. They are saying 2018 -2019 motorhomes were much better made than the 2023 onwards. And on the forums with comments about their brand-new motorhomes with lots of faults and poor-quality workmanship. With this and the high prices, the manufacturers are going to have to up their game and their silly prices. And as others have mentioned the high prices of the campsites also. As a previous caravaner, who was hoping to jump back in with a motorhome/campervan, I'm not in a hurry at all, and might not bother. Use the money for many holidays abroad without the hassle of maintenance and running costs.
this is a great channel , why are you putting silly 'trendy' annoying extra little clips in the video? the whole point for me liking this channel was the down to earth, kind of 'basic' style you had- i loved it. Stop i the stupid, irritating american style stock footage clips and be what you were before, please.
I've seen new prices rocket over the last 4 years and I was put off. I fancied a McLouis 56k pre COVID now 80k. The base vehicle price didn't change but the habitation body was the extra. It has to be said there was and still is excessive profiteering. A 25% margin on a product can be reduced. Used vans are crazy prices. Anybody buying a 20 year old base vehicle is asking for trouble, spares for the engine, spares for the body are to be scarce. Damage your sink in the bathroom, can you get a replacement? Torn seat fabric any more on a roll somewhere? All things to consider. Still want one though as any holiday other than camping is expensive
As someone that was looking to get into camper vans as an alternative to the usual hotel stays , the prices of camper vans is ludicrous. The prob is folk buy a camper , use if for a couple of years and try and sell it for what they have bought it for. It's no wonder , no one wants them. These are depreciating assets but folk think they are investments like a house.
Campsite prices are a big factor here. So many campsites are just too expensive for multiple night stays, prices many people out of the market as the finance in the van, running costs and then big site prices are too much, compared to a package in the sun.
I would love a compact motor home, we are on holiday in Cumbria at the moment 😊, weather has been crap! 😮. But plenty....endless amounts of used motorhomes! Older and newer. Obviously the market still strong. Its just having the balls to buy one! Its more a luxury now, not a cheaper holiday option! Plus the technology and self build (how too) information is so substantial. Why buy when you can build. Great channel. 👍 ❤😊
@TheMotorhomeMan Cheers 🍻! Enjoying west Cumbria coast/Mountains. Crossing Scottish Borders tomorrow😁. Plenty of Motorhomes and self builts on the road.....Love it adventures on wheels.👌
I have been motorboating for over 20 YEARS and can afford the exorbitant site fees,however I will not entertain same on principle! They are the architects of their own demise!
I noticed at the local show that anything 60k or under sold on the first day yes the big boys weren’t selling. But I also noticed vw,s we’re hanging around. Some a class had the sold tickets on though. It’s not just the motor home industry but everything luxury is taking a dip. Money is tight . The new vehicle taxation if it gets passed will alter things and second hand vehicles will go up dramatically. People are worried about the electric vehicles thing which is also slowing sales of higher priced vehicles. Yes you have to be careful to stay in the game it’s easy to buy a motor home for say 60k then struggle to get 65k with giving warranty and all the prep work you will lose money. Keep stock to a minimum and earn your money on repairs and mots
They're panicking because new registration plates come out 1st Sept and they've probably not got room for the all new the stock they've ordered. Plus it's the end of summer and end of peak period and like he says it's been a crap weather this summer. I'd leave it till last day in August to grab a great deal. Haggle like hell!
The whole mobile camping thing is getting too exogenous now. Campsites going up, price of fuel up, can't just stop anywhere like you used to be able to. Storage more expensive now too.
I live partly in Thailand 🇹🇭 but I return to the UK next April for 3-months and thinking of doing “van-life” when here. All I need is a 2-berth but needs to be able to remain off-grid so needs toilet/shower/cooking etc. With a budget of £40K maximum what would you suggest?
If you buy any vehicle and think that you are going to make money then you are misguided, i have a bespoke conversion, not had it long but what I can say is there is something about sleeping in your own bed, so far I have enjoyed every minute. I can also take my dogs to most sites unlike hotels.
I see where you are coming from as a dealer,but thanks to the extravagant site fees,fuel prices,storage costs etc, people just want rid. Private sales are crashing month on month, the rich are getting richer nobody else is. The price you just said for a 20yr old van,will get you 2wks on a greek island at guaranteed 40deg heat once a year for the next 20 years
The main reason for the drop in new sales is not the price. Yes the price is high and out of reach and looses money fast. However the main reason new builds don't sell is quality. The builds from 2020 went down hill, even builders that had (not have) a good reputation such as Burstner (not just Burstner all motorhome manufacturers) , now sell vans/motorhomes that are just not built to the same standards as before covid. More and more people are now buying the older vans for quality of build and reliability. The same applies to Caravans. You only have to look at social media to see the complaints about new builds due to the lack of quality builds and materials used. It now seems that the industry is more focused on profit rather than quality. So who is going to pay £80k for a new van that is unreliable and poor build quality, when you can spend £30k on an older van that is of better quality even with age and more reliable.
Good info, hopefully a bargain on its way. What is price situation for a 6m 4 birthday motorhome with drop down bed. Are these all considered to be compact and not just the new slimline versions
Great little vid explains a lot thanks..bowing to your experience i paid 43 k 2 yrs ago for an adria coachbuilt 5.99m dealer values best 32k worst 28k..should i hang on to mo ho as seems to take a 10k plus hit over 2 yrs is heavy..any guidance much appreciated
After covid new van prices were out up by 30% for. No reason other than greed. Until that come off the new van prices the market will not correct fully. This is a problem of greed that’s coming home to roost. Spares are massively over priced as well.Greed and fools are the things we need out of the market quickly.
Wasmt only greed. Manufactures downed production & so did their suppliers. In 2021 waiting times for new transits was nearly 12 months, so people needing a new van had to buy used instead....therefore creating demand therefore prices rocketed
Vw's will always hold their price.... even judging by your stock.... 62 plate.... 30k..... take its a self build seen as you hinted it was.... trouble is... the everyday guy has had his chained pulled big style for years by dealers.... selling poor quality goods for silly money... then covid came along... folk saw the price of a base vehicle and thought hang on... why is it that this van is say 30k yet fitted out they are selling for 70/75k and when added up the interiors come out at 7 to 10k max.... so they went with the self builds... plus with the price of camping sites... folk are saying sod this... I will keep my money in my pocket and keep having 5k holidays... till the market totally collapses... which it will... and even a VW van will go back to the prices they were pre covid.... those who have self build and brought pre covid... will still ahve their van that they paid little money to buy and build out... simple as that... oh and yeah... been there... vans, compacts, right up to 8.1litre petrol slide out 40ft RV's.... at the moment I am more than happy with my 2018 VW self build... built properly mind... and we now go out regular without having something either fall off or go wrong putting a downer on the weekend... happy days .... Yoki
You didn't take into consideration Insurance going up like Crazy , it's taking the mickey. i am in my early 60s and just got a quote for a 125cc Scooter third party and they want £766 I dare not ask what a Motorhome would cost to insure
Unfortunately dealers were too greedy and now they have been found out , over inflated prices after covid , now there is no spare money and dealers are crying .
Has it come about by greed. Some of the site prices are OTT. Motor homes can be expensive, but your getting a lot for your money if you buy the right one.