NEC anything new?

Hi Everyone
      Now the show is almost over, was there anything really new!. I know we all follow AS but they just seem to carry on with the same range year after year making a few adjustments depending what components they buy in. I think the new PVC with the garage is awful, the bedding looks thin and you are sleeping on wire netting.
Cheers
Alan

We went for a few accessories and it was the first time of going in the week. I have nothing to compare it to but the show appeared to have much fewer visitors. Maybe it is always like that?

I didn't get offered a press pass so didn't go this year. I've known years when it's been difficult to get around because of the crowds but it was quite civilised last year. Sounds like this year was quite thin too.
Andrew Dutton has posted several YouTube video's looking at the highlights on  range of stands.

We went yesterday 
Crowds were quite thin
Lots off salesman standing around
One thing I did notice was the large price increases 
I was told it’s partly to the luxury car tax
The Warwick xl is now over £62000
We paid £57995 last July

It's a hefty tax increase alright but I wonder how many who spend around £60k will not spend the extra thousands required.

I was also told after paying the extra tax on purchase,you then have to pay around £500 per Year road tax

That's right, IIRC it's for the first 5 years.

So is the luxury tax built into the price or is it payable on registration?

They seem to be building it into the OTR list price.

What happens after 5 years

Back to the 'normal' VED rates. Though who knows what that will be by then.

To be honest I went to the nec to maybe have a deal on something 
But they don’t want to give you what you think it’s worth,and with the extra taxes I think I will stick for another year

As always it's the cost to change that counts and whilst the extra tax on new vans may bump up the value of nearly new ones by a bit it won't compensate for the tax hike. So the cost to change will have shot up too.

The substantial dealer margins on motorhomes have always made PX  values look sick, £5k not being unusual and even £10k isn't unknown. Going into a buying  process knowing your van retails used at £45k and being offered £35k in PX is a disheartening experience and if the dealer won't shift the new van's list price it can be total disappointment. In such circumstances touting around several dealers reps on an NEC stand may generate some competition for your business but then you have to weigh up whether buying from an 'away' dealership is a good idea.

I for one was quite interested in the new Elddis cv60 at around £20K less than an A/s and from personal bitter experience couldnt be any less well built,  but because of the extra cost of tax on purchase and over the next 4 years have shelved the idea of a new van .   Yes there are those who have the disposable income to throw away 5-6 thousand pounds for nothing but I am not one of them! 
       I am firmly of the belief that we will see the gradual death of motorhoming. The young cant buy a bricks and morter home so do not have £65K to spend on an overpriced van filled with poor quality  mdf furniture.           'Older'  people must surely now wake up to the fact that vans are simply being priced out of their league. The lonely looking salesmen at the show will be looking for jobs I fear.....
         Then again its all OUR faults as we are living too long and the poor Government cant afford to pay us a pension or look after our frail ailing bodies! Planting a few trees to offset carbon for all those driving around in motorhomes and large luxury cars must cost a fortune.  Better put us on ' carousel'  from  Logans Run at around 60!

I agree,but maybe caravanning could work.i was looking at a swift base camp,at around £17k.had everything you could wish for and paying no luxury car tax,costs nothing to keep,and could tow with my everyday car
But make the carousel age70 as I’m approaching 60 myself

It will be interesting to see the impact.of the tax hike. Motorhome sales have grown substantially over recent years, partly funded by the relaxation of pension pot rules. At the same time caravan sales have reduced. 

The cynical will say that the VED increase is just a way for the government to get some additional income from the tax-free lump sum that you're allowed to take from your pension pot. But will it kill the goose that lays a golden egg? Will it kill off sales and reduce the whole tax take on VAT and VED and cause shut downs and lay-offs that cost the government in benefits? 

And it's the UK government's decision to impose it, the EU don't insist or anything. Bringing back control.

Mt67minimotos wrote:I agree,but maybe caravanning could work.i was looking at a swift base camp,at around £17k.had everything you could wish for and paying no luxury car tax,costs nothing to keep,and could tow with my everyday car
But make the carousel age70 as I’m approaching 60 myself

Err, this carousel, could it be raised to 80??

Count ourselves lucky, was it not age 30 in the film?

I wasn't at the show but may have to downsize from the Worcester to something under 3500KGS, the Chausson Titanium 2020 on the Transit chassis looks extremely interesting for our needs, it just happens to be a lot cheaper too.
Still love Autosleepers but they seem to be lacking on the innovation front at the moment?

It's ironic isn't it, we've had several recent threads bemoaning too much development/innovation on recent Autosleepers.

Anyway, I've got permanent 'Innovation', in fact an 'Innovation 3'.

Mt67minimotos wrote:I agree,but maybe caravanning could work.i was looking at a swift base camp,at around £17k.had everything you could wish for and paying no luxury car tax,costs nothing to keep,and could tow with my everyday car
But make the carousel age70 as I’m approaching 60 myself

Been down the caravan road, ok when younger but would or could not go without the toilet when out for the day, also cooking and brew up's.
Not to mention towing it when people try and join from slip roads and attempt to get between your car and the caravan in their rush.

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Richard

The funny thing is that it's generally younger folk who are shunning caravans these days and buying Campervans instead.

Wouldn`t go back to a caravan , too much faffing about. MH so much easier. not to mention out for the day have all the facilities with you.

I know this probably won't apply to A/S but...

Is anyone aware of any manufacturers that are becoming more "flexible" in their approach to conversions? Specifically, in splitting the buying process so that the customer buys the base vehicle, and the camper "cost" is then just the cost of the conversion? It seems as though this could be a legitimate way of not having to pay "luxury vehicle" VED, provided the rules allow it?

I believe this has been mooted (as a theoretical exercise) for a while, but I've not heard whether it's actually being done in practice?

How the rules apply to converting a used van (maybe only a few months old) I don't know but Wildax started their business by doing just that and I believe they are doing the same again alongside their new van business. I'm sure I came across another company doing it at the Lincoln show.