We've seen used caravan prices soar since the first lockdown.
Now that foreign travel is more accessible again and given that fuel prices are currently at an all-time high both at home and abroad (and likely to continue rising, given prevailing circumstances), will the cost of caravans come down, do you think?
No, not in the near future anyway!
The demand is still there and although foreign travel is currently more accessible, many will not want to risk going abroad incase the infection situation changes whilst away.
What's coming after Omicron?
------------- I came into this world with nothing and I've still got most of it left.
Pretty sure a lot of members will be towing or motorhoming abroad this year, a lot have already booked. I know we have, booked in December.
Always best to book early in case of price increases.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
We all love caravanning & I guess most of those who have recently bought caravans love it too so I doubt prices will go down if the market continues to stand the current prices. As pointed out with more caravanners going abroad this year demand will only increase so prices will only go one way.
As for high fuel prices I doubt that will dent popularity of caravanning much because a few pence more per litre won’t bother anybody who can afford a caravan in the first place.
It seems that manufacturers are still experiencing delays in get essential parts for both caravans and motorhomes and whilst that exists it means there will be less new LV's available. This could mean that the higher prices for used caravans during COVID might well persist. Its worse for motorhomes as the base vehicles are going up in price quite a lot so again secondhand values may persist at the higher level, or just become the norm. Somebody in MMM Magazine was complaining that a new motorhome he was thinking of buying had gone up nearly £10000 since he started thinking about it!!!
Quote: Originally posted by blueexpo97 on 15/2/2022
Pretty sure a lot of members will be towing or motorhoming abroad this year, a lot have already booked. I know we have, booked in December.
Always best to book early in case of price increases.
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thats a good one, i booked a site, back in january, at £20 a night, and got a phone call from them last week ,saying they are putting the fees up £5 a night to £25 a night,
tried to find somewhere else in the area and they've all put them up, and they know they can get it,
just dont feel safe, booking at a price, and expecting it to stay at that, there may be other increases as the energy costs bite
As for high fuel prices I doubt that will dent popularity of caravanning much because a few pence more per litre won’t bother anybody who can afford a caravan in the first place.
Well as one of those bloated plutocrats, I am still finding the increase burdensome
We have booked to go to France,fuel increases are a pain so,we may not go as far. We don't do a huge mileage anyway being retired so a bit extra on travel is OK.
As for what comes after omicron, who knows?
If people want to stay in UK indoors that's their choice!
I am not getting any younger and want to enjoy my retirement while I can.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
Quote: Originally posted by neil and lena on 16/2/2022
The price of fuel doesn't bother me to much , we are heading to France and Spain in July with the caravan and Spain for 3 months from mid December
Well it certainly bothers me! As we are only on state pension which never goes up anything like as much as prices, despite the so-called triple lock, we probably won't be going very far at all this year. And if prices continue to rise as they are we may even be forced to sell the caravan as we won't be able to use it at all. The car may have to go too. At least with me being a retired train driver we do get free train and bus travel. Others are not so fortunate.
Quote: Originally posted by David Klyne on 15/2/2022
Its worse for motorhomes as the base vehicles are going up in price quite a lot so again secondhand values may persist at the higher level, or just become the norm.
David
The huge display area at our local MH dealer is rammed full, with double parking. We went for a wee nosy mosey. Someone came to tell us all the back row was already sold (about a quarter of all the vehicles, not all are brand new) so the market doesn’t look stagnant.
They’re the only dealer for Wingam - the model at the gate is over £100K. Crazy prices.
Demand for camp sites doesn't look much like dropping off if my experience this afternoon is anything to go by! Tried booking my favourite Lake District site for NOVEMBER, that's NINE MONTHS AWAY and well out of peak times, but can't book the entire week as 3 days of it are already fully booked!
Only got in last year for same week on a late cancellation vacancy that by sheer chance popped up as I was browsing for late vacancies! Some conciliation (if I could get a booking!) is that the price for 9 days has only risen by about £5.
Think we still have a year or two before the new 'Covid' campers tire of it all, sell their tents/vans/MHs, and return to Benidorm etc, en masse, but I suspect quite a lot will decide they like the lifestyle and stick with it, so the easy to book, quiet and 'cheap' scene we used to enjoy may never return as it used to be.
If the hoards did abandon camping life, the market would be flooded with tents, caravans and MH's, which would depress prices and attract some bargain hunters who would then substitute for the Benidorm bound 'Covid' campers, so the busy camp sites full of novice campers will continue. The tent's might get binned or forgotten in the shed, but I can't see the mass of nearly new caravans and MH's just disappearing, they are here for the longer term, and the people with them.
I don't know about tents as I have no experience but secondhand caravan and motorhome prices will always be influenced by the price of new outfits. In recent years the entry point for motorhomes has been around the £50,000 mark but that seems to be rapidly going towards the £60,000 mark so it is possible that people with 2/3 years motorhomes sell with only a small loss on their purchase price. I belong to a Bailey Motorhome owners group and I am often very surprised at the asking price when somebody comes to sell.
We go away quite often. So far, a CL before Christmas £14, after £16. Also told that one we went to in November would be going up from £17, so it's the current trend and I bet they won't bring prices down again. This site, Greenacres at Murrow, Wisbech is £15 and good.
I think we must look for different sites to others as we had no difficulty at all last year booking sites, and the ones we stayed on were by no means full. I don't know whether it was because we always tend to start on a Monday, or whether it is because we never book more than a couple of weeks ahead and sometimes only days. We went for 10 days in July and a week in September and we got our first choice of sites both times. Both sites were half empty when we arrived, and they were both lovely sites.
We go away quite often. So far, a CL before Christmas £14, after £16. Also told that one we went to in November would be going up from £17, so it's the current trend and I bet they won't bring prices down again. This site, Greenacres at Murrow, Wisbech is £15 and good.
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also vat goes back up from 5% to 20% in april , assuming sites put it down when the government did
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.