Finding good dealers?

[Eldorado]

No van yet and little experience of caravan traders - have been lurking here a while and looks like we will be getting our first caravan towards the end of this summer because we are planning off season camping and we still want to do more research

Visited a few local dealers but had very mixed experiences - really not sure which dealers could be trusted, hoping for some pointers or suggestions please

Don't know if DMs are allowed here but if anyone has some dealers we should definitely visit (or not) then do let me know - don't want to accidently break any forum rules here . . .

FWIW we are in the North Midlands / South Yorkshire region, lots of places within 1 hour of us but really happy to go further afield

 

[otherclive]

No van yet and little experience of caravan traders - have been lurking here a while and looks like we will be getting our first caravan towards the end of this summer because we are planning off season camping and we still want to do more research

Visited a few local dealers but had very mixed experiences - really not sure which dealers could be trusted, hoping for some pointers or suggestions please

Don't know if DMs are allowed here but if anyone has some dealers we should definitely visit (or not) then do let me know - don't want to accidently break any forum rules here . . .

FWIW we are in the North Midlands / South Yorkshire region, lots of places within 1 hour of us but really happy to go further afield

Chipping Sodbury Caravans a Bailey main dealer are well regarded by Forum members. But the distance may preclude you from being interested as it’s a long haul for any warrant work.

 

[Hutch]

When we were looking for our first caravan, we done the same as you, searching all over the country, we did notice that even a different sales person can make you feel happy or make you feel uneasy about a sale.
Good luck.

 

[Mel]

It is a minefield and experiences will be varied. We initially had a good experience from one dealer followed by an awful experience from the same dealer further down the line.
I would suggest that you read the reviews of after sales experience for any dealer because this is what counts. Anyone can be good at sales; it is after sales that often lets dealers down. Bear in mind that people are more likely to complain than compliment so look for patterns in negative reports rather than one off rants.
Keep distance in mind. Nearest is definitely not always best, but a dealership 200 miles away is also a pain if you need to return the van for warranty work.
Good luck

 

[Dustydog]

Purely as a guide you could use the practical Caravan advice on “Best Dealers”

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[GaryB]

I'll send you a PM as I have had a bad experience with one dealer in your locality. Sadly my preferred dealer closed down a few weeks ago so I can't actually recommend anyone.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Do you have any friends, neighbours or relatives locally who caravan? I'm sure they'll be only too happy to tell you their preferred dealer/repairer is.

 

[GaryB]

Sometimes a large dealership with a poor reputation can be a good place to visit to get a better idea of what make/model/layout suits best as they have a large range of models on display. Afterwards you can research local dealers that offer that particular make.

 

[Beachball]

We are looking at Leisure Sales Cheshire caravan dealer has anyone had any dealings with this place they have three caravans makes Swift , Bailey and Sprite .

 

[Hutch]

We are looking at Leisure Sales Cheshire caravan dealer has anyone had any dealings with this place they have three caravans makes Swift , Bailey and Sprite .

I bet you wished you had kept you caravan now. But hindsight is wonderful.
Good luck on your search.

 

[Hutch]

Do you have any friends, neighbours or relatives locally who caravan? I'm sure they'll be only too happy to tell you their preferred dealer/repairer is.

Also if you see a caravan on someone's drive, knock on the door and ask them about dealers, Most people will be willing to help ,

but don't take the Snarling Alsatian dog, and ask them if they want their hedge trimmed.

 

[birdman101]

We found a good dealer 50 years ago, and still deal with them,although owners retired, and now owned by Spinney. But same staff, and service unchanged. Know most on first name terms,

 

[RogerL]

We found a good dealer 50 years ago, and still deal with them,although owners retired, and now owned by Spinney. But same staff, and service unchanged. Know most on first name terms,

It may be random whether a dealer turns out to be good, or even just remain in business - we've bought 3 caravans from new - each of the dealers closed soon afterwards (not my fault, honest!) - so even after 40+ years of caravanning, I'd have to start searching from scratch if I wanted to buy another caravan.

 

[Sam Vimes]

The warranty situation needs consideration. Despite a manufacturer having a network of dealers you'll find that the only one that will undertake warranty work will be the one you bought it from.

 

[Beachball]

I bet you wished you had kept you caravan now. But hindsight is wonderful.
Good luck on your search.

We got the asking price for our last caravan but the next one going to be a fixed bed and end washroom 🙏

 

[Dustydog]

We got the asking price for our last caravan but the next one going to be a fixed bed and end washroom 🙏

SA or TA?

 

[otherclive]

We got the asking price for our last caravan but the next one going to be a fixed bed and end washroom 🙏

You could buy a plot of land and one of Caravantastic's pre owned vans. Free delivery within 150 miles. Probably cheaper than tourer and the land is yours until you new build house is ready, then move on to another plot.

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[Beachball]

SA or TA?

SA

 

[Dustydog]

SA

Considerably widens your choice.

 

[maxheadroom81]

Few and far between now alot of them are closing down!, I took mine to Kimberley at Nottingham, the place looks in ruins! Apparently a friend of mine who also takes his motorhome there (lots of repairs) says they are struggling, I'm not sure how true that is though.!

 

[Beachball]

We found a good dealer 50 years ago, and still deal with them,although owners retired, and now owned by Spinney. But same staff, and service unchanged. Know most on first name terms,

There a Spinney dealer not far from where we are looking seeing you recommended them might have a look and see what 4 berth they have in 🙏

 

[littlebasher]

Don Amott (in my experience) is a good dealer, certainly not the cheapest though

And Grantham Caravans at Retford can't be that bad - i bought 3 new caravans from there.

 

[Beachball]

Wandahome at South Cave brought one new caravan from here
We were there on Sunday looking at a Adria 612 DL Tyne Caravan it had fixed beds just right size for me there seem to be a lot of sales and customers looking and buying .

 

[ProfJohnL]

The one thing you can be sure about that is over a period of a few years every dealership will change, either through change of ownership or other commercial pressures.

Reading the more recent posts, I have to admit to being surprised at some of the business names still being here. I will have had to interact with all of them whilst I worked between 1980 and 2000 for an OEM supplier to the industry. But I'm also aware of so many businesses that haven't survived, some were bought out and absorbed into larger groups, and others have just withered and died.

What I think is relevant to this thread is the experience where by different branches of an larger group, often performed very differently, so just becasue one branch may be good does not necessarily mean all branches will be equally good. - its usually down to the make up of the staff at each branch.

And that is also often reflected when there is a major change in staffing at a branch, the customer experience can also change its almost pot luck if its better or worse.

Whilst longevity in a business is usually a sign of stability, and customer satisfaction, it can also lead to complacency and not moving with the times.

And don't forget that dealers and their staff are only human, and sometimes things can go wrong and leave an unpleasant memory. To my mind I can give credit to a business that works hard to rectify the damage caused by a staff member having a bad day.

With all the above, its difficult for a new customer to be able to predict whether a dealer is good or bad. Going to a long established dealer is probably a good start. But if things do go wrong we do have stronger legal rites that support the customer.