We have an offer of Bailey Senator Indiana year 2009 4 berth with all bottles, awning, motor mover private sale £12K. (It has TV slightly higher spec). Private Sale.
Through a dealer same model but year 2006. Starter pack to include new awning £10400 with two year warranty. No motor mover no TV.
What are your opinions about the best value for money?
If we come to sell in a year or two, which will have depreciated the least and which would be more attractive to the market?
I'd go for the newer one, it's only 1.5k and the mover alone would be about £800 of that, 2009 models are in theory 2 years old now as the 2011 ones are out now.
It'll probably lose around 1k-ish a year.
Have they had it serviced & checked for damp recently? Have the owners got any warranty on it? sometimes you can pay a small fee and transfer it into your name, we've had 2 vans from dealers and never needed to use the warranty.
You definitely get a LOT more for your cash in a private sale.
As another point, the newer van I expect to be a Series 6 and the trade van I assume to be a Series 5.
The Series 6 gains ATC (like ESP for a caravan) & a tracker over the Series 5 as well as the TV. Add that to the mover and I would certainally go for the private one.
Really what you are paying for at the dealer is the warranty - he has to allow for the fact that you might come back in 3 months time complaining about the scratched table you only discovered on your first trip out.
With a private sale, you've got very limited comeback (you might be able to go through the small-claims court but will it be worth the cost/hassle?).
Personally, I'd go private but get a pro to check it out if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.
------------- 'In later life, you will be more disappointed with the things you didn't do than with the things you did.' - Mark Twain
private sale sounds good.at that price i would pay for a check by a qualified person in caravans.ask for the vin number and check it with CRIS before parting with cash.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Hello I'm reading this thread with interest as I would like to buy my first caravan but don't know what I'm doing. How do you find a suitably qualified person to give an opinion, I don't know anyone that has one or the knowledge.
I hope you don't mind me hijacking the discussion. Thanks
i would go for the new one better value in the long run with warranty and comeback which you dont have on private sale ,you can buy your own tele and mover and have warranty with them as well
Ihad an Indiana and transferred the warranty.Just needs the service on time plus a small fee. Ithink it is the best buy if you get warranty or a proper check esp. damp.
Thats what I was about to say - Im sure Bailey will transfer the warranty providing the service was carried out within 12mths by an approved service centre (if this is the same as Lunar), so that should give you some peace of mind. I think the op knows the seller of the 2009 if my memory serves me well - I think its a good price we paid few hundred less than that for our 2009 Lunar with awning, mover, & gas bottle but I think the Senator has a slightly better spec so I'd say its a good price. I'd still get an MCEA inspection done though as its always worth getting an expert to check it over - we got one from MCEA website and it only cost £60 & he certainly knew his caravans - he gave us a few tips along the way too.
Thank you everyone. Yes, Fiona I do know the seller your memory does serve you right!
I know it is in good condition - still has the plastic on the floor under the carpet!
I am faffing about because it is by the coast and we haven't seen the actual van so all we can go by is ones that we see here to get an idea of what it will be like. We have looked at about 20 different makes, similar layout and price. What surprises me is that theycan look very similar but once inside have a different "feel". does that sound mad? Its like buying a house you just know when you step in the hall whethr you will like it or not! I don;t want to commit to the caravan, have her tow it all the way here (Warwickshire) and then I don't like the feelof it. Oh dear I sound like a weirdo!
Also it has been standing on site for 12 months, previous owner had it on same site and she bought it from him so it has never been towed. She said it is due for service as i was a bit concerned if it had never been towed and had been standing for a while. does this do any damage to wheels etc?? (Sorry if this is daft question I am so dim this is all new to me).
I guess a service would sort that out so I am nearly at the point that if the serviceis done before she fixes the sale then I think we will go with her van rather than through a dealer.
Thank you all for your help. I am learning so much from this website and i think I have got "the bug"!!
I am faffing about because it is by the coast and we haven't seen the actual van so all we can go by is ones that we see here to get an idea of what it will be like. We have looked at about 20 different makes, similar layout and price. What surprises me is that theycan look very similar but once inside have a different "feel". does that sound mad? Its like buying a house you just know when you step in the hall whethr you will like it or not! I don;t want to commit to the caravan, have her tow it all the way here (Warwickshire) and then I don't like the feelof it. Oh dear I sound like a weirdo!
Why don't you ask for the use of it for a long weekend before buying? Would that give you enough time to get the feel of it?
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Topic: depreciation £££
