In this post we discuss several tips for buying a new motorhome.
Before giving our recommendations, we must be conscious that there is no such thing as a motorhome that 100% matches our needs and tastes. There will always be some minor item that is missing or fails. It is a matter of finding the motorhome that is the closest match to your needs, tastes and budget.
Geographical Proximity
This is a key aspect of buying a motorhome. Buying a new motorhome is perhaps the largest investment we will make in our lifetime, which is why buying close to home is essential. Even if we spend €500,000 on a Concorde, we will still surely need some minor adjustments or repair work to be carried out during the warranty period. This is standard as Motorhomes are hand built. All too often, travelling hundreds of kilometres to save two thousand euros makes no sense if we have to go back minor warranty work. Find a trusted dealer close to home. You will discover that this is the best option.
After Sales Service
Another very important two-sided coin.
On the one side of the coin, we need the vehicle brand to have an efficient and reliable parts distribution service. For example, over the lifetime of our vehicle it would be unusual not to ever break a bumper, a window, or door lock. Imagine you were unfortunate to discover a broken window a week before starting your holiday. You quickly go to your repair shop and are told you would have to wait “Twenty days, one month, even longer”. Goodbye to your motorhome holiday. We usually take a month’s holiday, at least mortal people do! If you are not one, congratulations, but you are not average. From our experience, these situations are unfortunately common and it is not a tasteful dish to be served.
On the other side of the coin, when buying a new motorhome, choose a dealer with a reliable after-sales service that can quickly resolve warranty issues without delay.
Fairs and special offers
Fairs are the right place for comparing and physically viewing motorhomes. They are places with a wide variety of models under the one roof. Popular belief that the best bargains are only at trade shows is pure myth. Sometimes you will find great bargains and sometimes you will not. Take your time to think calmly. If you have chosen a model that you are convinced about then sleep on the idea, consult your wallet calmly and return to your dealer within reasonable time. Then you can make a deal thinking with your head without relying solely on your emotions.
Bundled deals with accessories are not always the best ones. A brand offering us a large number of “free” accessories doesn’t make it a better deal. Firstly, the word “free” is always relative and secondly, perhaps we don’t need all the accessories that they are giving to us. These accessories are always factored into the price one way or another.
Financing
Banks are not charities. Their purpose is to make a profit. They don’t give free insurance, warranty extensions or accessories because we are nice! They charge us for these items. It is clearly a payment method that allows us to spread the payment over a period of time without digging into our savings to purchase our dream, at a cost. Nowadays, it is very fashionable to say “borrowing is cheaper”, “paying by cash is more expensive”. This is a pure and simple sales strategy.
We hope these tips for buying a new motorhome are helpful.
At Leioa Berri karabaning we do not sell motorhomes, we sell service.
We are a service centre for Truma, Webasto & Alko, Thetford and are Dometic premium distributors.
