NEC Caravan & Motorhome Show

[Parksy]

We popped down to the NEC today to have a look round.
It's very quiet here today compared to previous visits, and it doesn't help that half term isn't until next week.
I've resisted the temptation to spend any cash so far, but we've yet to look around the accessory stalls.

 

[Hutch]

No point,in us going to the NEC, don't want to change the van, and we have no spare weight for , new gadgets.

 

[Craigyoung]

Ditto , we are the same as Hutch , we are spent up and hopefully sorted with what we have got for the next 10 years

 

[LizziePope]

Hi everyone. Please click here to read our blog from this year's show.

Half term is all over the place this autumn – I know some people who're on half term this week, some next week, some the week after that!

 

[DaveA1]

Ditto, Sorry to be boring but last van was over fifteen years old, hoping this one will last another ten, I will be getting a bit long in the tooth by then :woohoo:

 

[Parksy]

We bought our current caravan new from a dealership at the NEC 10 years ago, and it's still a good caravan.
All being well, if we decide to upgrade we will be thinking about it in the next couple of years.
It's nice to see what's out there, what we like and what we don't need, and the caravan show allows us to make direct comparisons, including weight, size and cost.
I didn't buy any accessories, the stalls that sold led lights to illuminate inside our caravan wardrobe with the micro door switches were all at the other end of the halls to where we were, and we didn't fancy trudging all the way back and then to be caught up in motorway hold ups.

 

[Martin24]

No point,in us going to the NEC, don't want to change the van, and we have no spare weight for , new gadgets.

I'm quite sure that E would very much like the new VIP so stop being a tight so and so and get her there this week!

 

[MichaelE]

We went on Tuesday and decided to take up Elldis's offer on a new van due to the problems we have encountered on our 6 year old Buccaneer.
It was busy and we were in N12 car park which i have never been in before.

 

[Andy-H]

It's very quiet here today compared to previous visits, and it doesn't help that half term isn't until next week.

I noticed it looked abnormally quiet on a Youtube video I watched. I can't get there this time around due to work but was looking at the February show but that's during half term; it should still be pretty quiet on the Tuesday though.

 

[Kevin2306]

Been there today, was fairly relaxed and not at all full.
Decided to let the train take the strain, train on the way was cancelled, train on way home was delayed and full to the brim so had to stand all the way home.
Enjoyed it however.

Kevin

 

[pensioner]

We went on Thursday to get answers about our new air awning,,it was very quiet, which I felt was good as you could see more and talk more without being shoved out of the way. We ended up in N4 carpark which is the closest we've ever managed, used the bus to come back but would have been quicker to walk.

 

[Dogjen]

Was at the show on Saturday, I thought it was quiet compared to when we were there in February, not that I am complaining. Was struck by the amount of motorhomes over caravans. One question for those more experienced, I liked the Challenger Hi Style from Lowdhams however staying in Scotland would it be practical to buy from a dealer so far away?

 

[Martin24]

Never a good idea to purchase a caravan very far from home. Your local dealer is likely to turn you away when it comes to warranty work and may well be too busy to fit you in for an over priced dealer service. All of this means long round trips at your own expense as many people have found out. As far as if you're holidaying far from your dealer, I wouldn't worry about that one. Being under warranty for say your heating, then the manufacturer of your heating system will send out a local engineer. The sorts of thing like water ingress that you would need your dealer for is where the problems arise.

 

[MichaelE]

Dont be too put off by distance as the use of a local mobile engineer can resolve any such issues. I also believe there are some approved service centres around so also something to think of.
I have personally done distance as the cost difference from my local dealer to a dealer 100 miles away was around £2000. Bigger dealers seems to get more kickback from the manufactures? They work on volume etc.
Choice is down to you of course my review is positive but im sure there are just as many negatives as well?

 

[Hutch]

A freind picked up his new Swift Caravan on Saturday, from a dealer in Rushden, Northamptonshire, on arriving on site with us I noticed straight away that the bottom of the trim near the door was dented, where the door step would be and if the caravan had been tipped on its "bum". The Delivery person should have seen this, probably did but wanted the van out and away. Our freinds were so "Over the moon" that they didnt notice it.

 

[MichaelE]

A freind picked up his new Swift Caravan on Saturday, from a dealer in Rushden, Northamptonshire, on arriving on site with us I noticed straight away that the bottom of the trim near the door was dented, where the door step would be and if the caravan had been tipped on its "bum". The show person should have seen this, probably did but wanted the van out and away. Kour freinds were so "Over the moon" that they didnt notice it.

Sometimes things are just missed and also you are so excited about picking up your new purchase you dont look things over like you would normally. I know ive done that.

 

[Craigyoung]

I agree , we were the same in may when we went to collect ours . We looked over ours and around it, on & in it but I think excitment got the best of us and just wanted to be away and on a site !!
It's not until we were out on a site that actually sitting in it and looking around that we noticed the odd couple of things which was rectified very quick buy our dealer with no problems .

Craig

 

[volts]

As a newbie to caravans popping down on the Thursday was a good choice. People around but not so much you couldn't look round under your own steam