Which Caravan holds its price better.

[Notmyvan]

I am torn between buying a 2 berth and 4 berth caravan.
In a previous occupation I spent most of my day putting valuations on cars and would know what dropped like a stone in value and what would really be sought after.
I also imagine that some makes are more sought after than others
And just like cars what may have been an pay for extra (heated rear window, electric windows, sat nav, reversing cameras) would on later cars been standard, so am I wrong in thinking that an "Entry Level" Caravan of 2016/2018 may have the same features and a "Luxury" model of 2010/2011.
All replies gratefully received.

 

[Buckman]

A caravan without damp holds its price better! Entry level and top of the range are two different kettles of fish i.e. one will have blown air heating and the other ALDE heating. Entry level will probably not have ATC and many other features,

 

[Jcloughie]

I am torn between buying a 2 berth and 4 berth caravan.
In a previous occupation I spent most of my day putting valuations on cars and would know what dropped like a stone in value and what would really be sought after.
I also imagine that some makes are more sought after than others
And just like cars what may have been an pay for extra (heated rear window, electric windows, sat nav, reversing cameras) would on later cars been standard, so am I wrong in thinking that an "Entry Level" Caravan of 2016/2018 may have the same features and a "Luxury" model of 2010/2011.
All replies gratefully received.

I think with regards to deprecation vans are pretty much similar. Even mine, a Lunar, would have been on par with others but not now since the went bust.

Would be interesting to see if, like cars, higher spec vans depreciated faster. I don’t really know. But the price one gets second hand is very much down to condition. Does it stink of nicotine? Is there damp, has it been knocked about inside and out, or clearly looked after. Is there a service record.

John

 

[Buckman]

I think with regards to deprecation vans are pretty much similar. Even mine, a Lunar, would have been on par with others but not now since the went bust.

Would be interesting to see if, like cars, higher spec vans depreciated faster. I don’t really know. But the price one gets second hand is very much down to condition. Does it stink of nicotine? Is there damp, has it been knocked about inside and out, or clearly looked after. Is there a service record.

John

I am aware that there are two of us on this forum with Buccaneer caravans that are 3- 5 years old. At present our 4 year and 5 month old Buccaneer caravan excluding VAT is worth more than what we paid for it in Oct 2017. However these are abnormal times!
On another forum someone sold their 10 year old motorhome that they had used for 3 years for £175 less than they paid for it.

 

[Hutch]

I don't agree with Buckmans statment of entry level having Blown air and higher level having Alde water heating.
My friends Bailey Unicorn had the alde heating and my Coachman had the Blown air. Very similar layouts 4 berth side beds, rear shower bathrooms but mine was probably £4 k more.
But it was personal choice which was better, after 5 years mine held a resale value above his by £2k.

 

[Hutch]

A caravan with a dry history is worth more.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Sadly it's virtually impossible to identify a 'make' of caravan that always holds it value better than another brand. The problem is every caravan manufacturer has such a variable record on product reliability and consistency. I've seen some 'top flight' expensive caravans that have suffered the dreaded damp problems and after a few years were worth less than a basic model of the same age which was free from damp, and this is not a singular problem.

The original purchase price of a caravan seems to bear little indication of how well it was assembled or how it will survive the ravages of usage, weather and time.

 

[Dustydog]

Look to a caravan that has been serviced professionally annually. You will see all the damp test reports. A well cared for serviced unit with a good history is more important than level of trim etc. Polishing a t**d comes to mind😉

 

[Beachball]

When we brought our caravan in 2019 it only had one owner from new came with full service history and paperwork . so far we have serviced every year since owning and check it for damp at the same time so far ok .

 

[Mel]

Possibly Freedom and Eriba hold their value well. Any van considered “iconic” ( a vastly overused word im(not so)ho) hold their value.
mel

 

[Gabsgrandad]

Those in the dealers showrooms/yards always seem to have held their prices pretty well??!!!

 

[JezzerB]

I don't agree with Buckmans statment of entry level having Blown air and higher level having Alde water heating.
My friends Bailey Unicorn had the alde heating and my Coachman had the Blown air. Very similar layouts 4 berth side beds, rear shower bathrooms but mine was probably £4 k more.
But it was personal choice which was better, after 5 years mine held a resale value above his by £2k.

Sorry Hutch I think Buckman is correct. Coachman are now entirely Alde so their entry level vans are now all Alde but this was not the case as you point out. That it was more expensive than a Unicorn isn't relative to the range of the caravans which I think Buckman meant. Other than Coachman every main stream UK caravan maker uses Alde in it upper ranges-more expensive to install and heavier, and uses blown heating in the lower echelons-or cheaper caravans-lighter and cheaper. Whether one is better than the other is another thread as both have plusses and minusses. The Unicorn was till the Alicanto came out Bailey's top range van, the Pegasus, Phoenix and Discovery all having blown heating. I know you're comparing Coachman to Bailey which isn't comparable-you'd need to look at the other Coachman's in the range but it probably shows that Coachmans hold their value than Bailey rather than anything to do with the heating.

 

[ProfJohnL]

It is ridiculous to suggest you can assess the secondhand value of a caravan based on the type of heating it has. Blown Hot Air systems were being used for several years before wet systems were even available in the UK.

 

[Buckman]

It is ridiculous to suggest you can assess the secondhand value of a caravan based on the type of heating it has. Blown Hot Air systems were being used for several years before wet systems were even available in the UK.

I don't think any one suggested that type of heating allows you assess the value of a second hand caravan? The OP did however inquire regarding diferences regarding "Entry level" and "Luxury" caravans as per their post below. However heating was mentioned in the context that it is unlikely that an Entry Level caravan would have ALDE heating as standard.

I am torn between buying a 2 berth and 4 berth caravan.
In a previous occupation I spent most of my day putting valuations on cars and would know what dropped like a stone in value and what would really be sought after.
I also imagine that some makes are more sought after than others
And just like cars what may have been an pay for extra (heated rear window, electric windows, sat nav, reversing cameras) would on later cars been standard, so am I wrong in thinking that an "Entry Level" Caravan of 2016/2018 may have the same features and a "Luxury" model of 2010/2011.
All replies gratefully received.

 

[Hutch]

Getting back to the OP, their question about a top of the range 2016 van and the equipment it had, and a 2021 entry level caravan. And its equipment.
I think the standards are more down to upholstery than anything else.
It would be worth looking out for dealer specials, where they tend to put a better "standard kit" in them as an upgrade. ie. Internal trim, Corner stays, atc, etc.

 

[Jcloughie]

Value might also come down to what suitable layout is on offer is has become popular. And personal preference in appearance.

When we purchased our lunar, had shortlisted a Bailey and a Coachman. The deciding factor was the colour scheme ad decor. So a very personal choice.

John

 

[otherclive]

Getting back to the OP, their question about a top of the range 2016 van and the equipment it had, and a 2021 entry level caravan. And its equipment.
I think the standards are more down to upholstery than anything else.
It would be worth looking out for dealer specials, where they tend to put a better "standard kit" in them as an upgrade. ie. Internal trim, Corner stays, atc, etc.

At least with the 2021 caravan there’s the benefit of the longer warranty and likelihood of parts availability. It’s tyres may be newer whereas the 2016 May still be on OEM rubber. When time to sell arrives it may still have a bettter pro rata residual value being newer and with the possibility of warranty transfer to a private buyer. Like cars the entry level contains many of the bells and whistles that were the domain of the higher spec level vans of six years ago. Things like ATC aren’t a deal breaker as it could be fitted by an authorised outlet probably at less cost than the cars towbar.

 

[Dustydog]

Looking in the mirror and ignoring heating systems amongst many other factors I asked why I chose mine. On the basis We keep our cars and caravans a long time we always go for top of the range models. Thus the Senator range , now the Unicorn. Swift I’d go for the conqueror. Back to the OP who is looking at used then it must be said most of the mid range come very well equipped. The service history and past owner care remain crucial.
Just on heating I can say without doubt convector /blown air has kept us warm as toast in sub zero temperatures.

 

[Buckman]

We chose ours because of the E&P system, underfloor heating and island bed. A plus was the interior was also lighter than many other brands.

 

[JezzerB]

Us too Buckman. We went to the shows, tried out all of the vans and chose the one which was our favourite layout/design/ looks. It came down to the Coachman laser xcel and the Bucanneer-the prices were the same but at that time the Buc had a motor mover offer ,none on the Coachman, ep levelling-not on the Coachman, and underfloor, not on the Coachman. Things have changed since then but so far we're delighted with our choice!

 

[Baron Von Greenback]

Having done both I would never stay in Scotland overnight without Alde heating - it’s simply amazing in the middle of winter as well as the hot water system far superior

 

[Hutch]

Having done both I would never stay in Scotland overnight without Alde heating - it’s simply amazing in the middle of winter as well as the hot water system far superior

I have stayed in Northen France 2013, snow about 50 cms deep, it would have been 1ft 18 inches but. Our blown air worked fantastic, outside must have been well below 4c during the day, and chuffing cold at night, the blown air worked well as did the aqua roll covers, and I insulated the pump draw pipes so all ok. We were at Monteruil sur Mer. For a month as the roads were too bad to travel. Feb march 2013 caravan, Coachman 560 vip , 3 weeks old.

 

[RogerL]

Having done both I would never stay in Scotland overnight without Alde heating - it’s simply amazing in the middle of winter as well as the hot water system far superior

We had -12C in Yorkshire and the 2kw blown air in our previous caravan coped just fine - all the site water points froze solid though!.

 

[ProfJohnL]

The OP is about which (if any ) caravan marque holds its second hand value best. Whilst I hate seeing people waste their money products that fail to do what they claim..... I don't think I've ever seen private caravan ownership caravan marketed as an investment.

However the OP's question is perfectly valid, especially if caravanning is being considered as a long term hobby, and it makes sense to try to limit the loss of value.

The reality is that all caravans will loose money as they age. (except during this C-19 pandemic where there have been some ridiculous instances of S/H vans exceeding new prices but as the pandemic subsides I am certain S/H caravan prices will also collapse.

The elephant in the room is as I previously expressed, that non of the UK ( and it may also apply to imported) caravans have a consistent track record of good fault free construction. So its equally as likely that a top price marque will suffer many of the construction issues of lesser models.

I am not aware of any brand that consistently outshines the rest in terms of product longevity and reliability.

Top price models (with more bells and whistles) do seem to be more popular S/H as its a way that purchasers get more "luxury" for their money, which can keep prices for these caravans higher than lesser models. You would have to look at the gross depreciation figures from their new price which might actually show that lesser models have suffered less depreciation than the higher specification models. For this reason its impossible to designate any particular brand or model as representing the best value.

 

[otherclive]

Having done both I would never stay in Scotland overnight without Alde heating - it’s simply amazing in the middle of winter as well as the hot water system far superior

It makes me wonder how caravaners of yesteryear survived their winter trips without Alde heating ! We were caught in the Beast from the East and the inside of the van was still cosy using the Truma blown air. But we digress onto another old chestnut.