September 2019outandaboutlive.co.uk 183BUYING
Buyingadvice
Stop being British and start haggling –you’ll be happier withyour new
motorhome in the longrun if you feelyou got the best deal
Send your questions to MMM’s experts
and we will provide you with all the relevant information [email protected]NEED ADVICE ON BUYING A MOTORHOME?
I
t’s tricky, isn’t it?. You’ve resea rched the
motorhome you want and foundone
for sale. You think the tricky bit is done
but now it’s time to do the deal. So, the
fun hasn’t stopped yet.
Obviously you wantthe best deal
possible. The b est result will leave both
the dealer and the customer feeling
happy about the deal. It’s important
to note down anything agreed inthis
negotiationand ensure it is added to the
contract of sale signed by the dealer and
you. This includes things like gas bottles,
the transfer of any kitfromold to new
’van, aftermarket acce ssories, specia l
options and more (see the feat ure on
checking t&cs in the August issue (p180).
First of all, if you already have a
motorhome you’ll need totalk about
trade-ins. Be realistic. You need to
allow forthe fact that there is a cost for
the dealer to sella vehicl e andto pay
for anywork neededto prepare it for
sale. Motorhome dealershave many
overheads: showrooms, staff, logistics,
insurance and service centres to pay
for. They are also responsible for any
aftersales warranty work neede d. This all
comes outof their margin. But, yes, you
should push for the best trade-in value
you can.
If you ha ve a popular model with a
sought-afterlayout madeby a respected
manufacturer, this wil l help get thebest trade-in value, as wil l a dealer who
knows a marque well.
So, it still paysto shop around.Look
for dealers who specia lise in thebrand
you own (and hold the franchise to sell
new models) as they mayalready have
customers lo oking for lower-priced
models and if the dealer knows the
motorhome already hasa bu yer, it’ll be
more attr active to take as a trade-in.
You could also sell privatel y, where
you will ma ximise the val ue of your
motorhome, butyou will also have to do
all the work.
It pay s to do your research –if you
know the market va lue of your current
motorhome, you’ll have a better idea of
whether the part-exchange value is fair.
Check the guide to secondhandprice s
in each issue and search online forthe
year andmodel of your ’van toget idea of
what other sel lers are trying to achieve.
Then thereis the discounton the
motorhome you are buying.
All dealers have a margin ina
motorhome that should have enough
room for negotiation , although this
amount varies significantly. If you get a
more than fair trade-in,your discount
maybe less andvice versa.
Always ensure the cost to change is
realistic and affordable. Basically, this
is the sum of money you need topay to
trade in your motorhome for anew one.
It is yo ur job to make sure this amountis
as small as possible, not the dealer’s. Be
fair, butfirm.
The timi ng of your purchase may
affect the level of discountoffered,
especially if you’re buying a stock model
just before the next season’s models are
about to arrive on the fo recourts. Dealer s
are more likely to be more generous if
they are tryin g to make room for new
motorhomes arrivingfrom the factory.Motorhome shows ar ound this time
can be fruitful but be clear onwhat you
want.The more complicated your must-
have list, the more difficult it wil l be to
find the ri ght model in stock at a dealer.
This year’s Lincoln Motorhome Show
Seas on Finale inSeptember wil l h ave
2019 motorhomes on sale next to j ust-
launched 2020models.
Theref ore, if you find a 2019model
thathas the layout and spec that you’re
looking for,you maybe able to get a great
deal compared to a 2020model with the
same layout.
The advantage of this is yo u cantake
possession a lmost immediatel y but,of
course,you cannever guarantee that the
right end-of-season motorhome with t he
right layout and at the ri ght price will be
available.
Also, be careful regarding ha ving
acce ssories thrown in as part of the deal.
If the salesmanis using these acce ssories
instead of knockingmoney off, you ha ve
to be sure they are acce ssories you ar e
going to use. If they’re not, the n ask fo r
acce ssories you will actually need or keep
pushing for abetter discount.
Finally, if the deal doesn’t work for
you, walkaway.