Price trends query?

[Andysmee]

I'm miffed that people will think we are buying/converting a camper because of COVID when we've been camping and considering this for more than a year. Also annoyed that the word staycation has been adopted to mean staying in the UK when it really means having to stay at home for your vacation. We have been doing staycations every summer for years if the new usage is adopted. Rant over!

But yes, the demand for vans seems to be unprecedented. A VW dealer we spoke to said he literally couldn't get stock in quickly enough to sell to all the customers coming to him, and the independent trader we bought from said VW were coming to him to put vans back into their retail network. We had anticipated picking up a cheap van as people came off furlough/over the winter but got caught up in an opportunity last week. I fear that there will be a glut of vans in only a few weeks, unless people end up living in them....which is not such a far-fetched idea.

P.S. Tried to find a spare door via scrap yards and was told that the vans are so valuable they don't get written off readily - but perhaps that's been true for a while, I wouldn't know.

 

[lambo]

People having to live in vans is a real issue. And not in a fun, lifestyle way. They estimate 350 in Bristol alone. The council are considering building a kind of make shift campsite to help them. There are a lot of people being left out by the current climate (and government) but I guess that is a bit depressing and off topic.

 

[Andysmee]

When it comes to talking about macro trends like prices it's all relevant, and saddening. I'm working to improve the experience of people in debt, it's the next pandemic.

 

[ReturnoftheMac]

I've never seen prices as strong as present. The T6.1 has had two price increases since launch, which is keeping residuals higher on the older models, as well as there is a lot of money out there presently.

I've not seen it like this before - there aren't even any new vans in stock with VW, unless you are after something standard!

What are you after?

Thanks for the comment - after a kombi, at least 150bps, manual, captain seats, 2+1, tailgate, reasonable mileage, 67 or newer. Few more started appearing recently.

 

[ReturnoftheMac]

Thank you for all of your comments. Interesting reading in these really strange times!

 

[GeekGrimmy]

But yes, the demand for vans seems to be unprecedented. A VW dealer we spoke to said he literally couldn't get stock in quickly enough to sell to all the customers coming to him, and the independent trader we bought from said VW were coming to him to put vans back into their retail network. We had anticipated picking up a cheap van as people came off furlough/over the winter but got caught up in an opportunity last week. I fear that there will be a glut of vans in only a few weeks, unless people end up living in them....which is not such a far-fetched idea.

This is what i've been told by the various dealers i've approached when a van comes up that ticks the boxes I have. I've been watching for about 6 weeks and finally decided on the spec and budget in the last two weeks and started approaching dealers when i see somethign come up I like. Saying that though, there are still a regular stream of vans coming through and those vans are staying in their stock for a while so they aren't just flying out the door the same day.

I get the impression though that people are just buying vans at the advertised price still so theres no room to haggle - I couldn't even get some diesel from a dealer today on a 30k van today.

 

[T6OPH]

Bizarre times indeed.. Over the years I start the process of trading in my Transporter about 3 months prior to it hitting 3yrs old, so handover occurs just around the 3yr old mark. This year was different, due to Covid-19. I should have started the process in March ready for a handover around early June. I had to defer the process until September. Agreed a deal with my dealer on a T6.1 Kombi 150PS manual , same spec as the T6 bar a few mods, with an anticipated handover mid December. However my dealer asked if they could have my Kombi immediately, rather than waiting 3months. As I am still WFH (since late March) I agreed. As my Kombi is maintained in a fully detailed state there was nothing to do , ready to go, it was advertised on their website day after drop off, and removed the next day as sold. (They did n't even have time to upload the photos). The equity in the T6 was by far the best I have achieved since 2011. Bye Bye to Team DBP and hello to Team Pure Grey!

Like for like from T6 to T6.1 the uplift in price was around 10% , what did n't help is the T6.1 Factory Parking Heater, now includes Coolant Heater and 30% uplift as a factory fit option.

 

[DaveD]

Bizarre times indeed.. Over the years I start the process of trading in my Transporter about 3 months prior to it hitting 3yrs old, so handover occurs just around the 3yr old mark. This year was different, due to Covid-19. I should have started the process in March ready for a handover around early June. I had to defer the process until September. Agreed a deal with my dealer on a T6.1 Kombi 150PS manual , same spec as the T6 bar a few mods, with an anticipated handover mid December. However my dealer asked if they could have my Kombi immediately, rather than waiting 3months. As I am still WFH (since late March) I agreed. As my Kombi is maintained in a fully detailed state there was nothing to do , ready to go, it was advertised on their website day after drop off, and removed the next day as sold. (They did n't even have time to upload the photos). The equity in the T6 was by far the best I have achieved since 2011. Bye Bye to Team DBP and hello to Team Pure Grey!

Like for like from T6 to T6.1 the uplift in price was around 10% , what did n't help is the T6.1 Factory Parking Heater, now includes Coolant Heater and 30% uplift as a factory fit option.


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When a van looks that good it sells itself!

 

[mommabear]

Hi everyone,
I’ve been told that prices for T6s (and vans in general) are really high at the moment...I’m looking to buy, but not in a desperate rush.
Has there been spikes like this before? Do you think it’s worth waiting and prices will settle a little?
I know VW vans hold their value so I’m not expecting a huge drop.
Any thoughts?
Thanks

As a small camper builder, who is currently very very glad my camper work doesnt keep the roof over my head, my main issue is Covid for sure - for example, base vehicle costs have rocketed because of the sudden demand in sales due to people investing in a camper rather than going abroad on holiday...dress...., this drives up cost and this cost gets passed on to the buyer - to give an example - were talking sometimes thousands more on a base vehicle. (add "Indium Grey" into that mix.. and the price climbs even more)
We must have had 30 + odd emails in August with people literally saying just that..."were not planning anymore trips abroad due to covid and potential issues with the Brexit situation, so we want a camper...." Not sure this is a "spike", there have been spikes historically that have settled, i know this from a long history in classic minis and older campers - i genuinely believe this is a permanent fixture and this has some worrying implications for smaller van builders and customers moving forwards.
There will always be a "high end" market - zero miles vans with high spec fit outs going for £50-60k will always be available for the solvent few - its not uncommon for very large and conglomerate backed commercial builders to buy 100 vans a year direct from VW at a reasonable discount in bulk - slap a bit of ply in them and roll them out at the higher end, but at the other end of the scale, with base prices peaking and no end in sight for this pandemic turning people away from foreign holidays, if you look at the economics there are a few factors, in my humble opinion, to consider before buying.
Sadly, This pandemic is going to cost people their jobs and money all round will be tight, having said that I've never seen B&Q more busy during the first wave of Covid, - many people who have purchased expensive vehicles on credit will be getting rid to pay the bills - case and point two people who live near me have done just that. Their vans are purely for holiday purposes and spend 10 months of the year on the drive, which I've always thought was mental, the rationale being they didnt want to put miles on them......ok..... fair enough... but due to redundancy they are spending x amount per month on credit and now its not fee sable and so are under pressure to sell to clear the loans they took out to buy the vans, and use that money to pay bills.... its not like they can holiday in them anyway at the moment.
The other factor is that even if you want to do your own van, base vans are rocketing in price, private sellers have cottoned onto this and whacked 3-4k onto the price of the vans in some cases.
I saw a 2015 T5i with 110.000 miles and a semi ok hand built interior they had done themselves up for £11,000 - it had a skyline pop roof and all the bodykit etc, looked reasonable for the price...it was on Autotrader for 2 months, i saw it again, same photos, new price of £15,000 in September.

Everyone has a different opinion / view on this price issue - but if youre not in a rush id hang on seriously because in the next 12-18 months Autotrader, Gumtree and Ebay will be flooded with pretty nice campers with nice specs at quick sale prices.

Worth thinking about anyway.

 

[Andysmee]

As a small camper builder, who is currently very very glad my camper work doesnt keep the roof over my head, my main issue is Covid for sure - for example, base vehicle costs have rocketed because of the sudden demand in sales due to people investing in a camper rather than going abroad on holiday...dress...., this drives up cost and this cost gets passed on to the buyer - to give an example - were talking sometimes thousands more on a base vehicle. (add "Indium Grey" into that mix.. and the price climbs even more)
We must have had 30 + odd emails in August with people literally saying just that..."were not planning anymore trips abroad due to covid and potential issues with the Brexit situation, so we want a camper...." Not sure this is a "spike", there have been spikes historically that have settled, i know this from a long history in classic minis and older campers - i genuinely believe this is a permanent fixture and this has some worrying implications for smaller van builders and customers moving forwards.
There will always be a "high end" market - zero miles vans with high spec fit outs going for £50-60k will always be available for the solvent few - its not uncommon for very large and conglomerate backed commercial builders to buy 100 vans a year direct from VW at a reasonable discount in bulk - slap a bit of ply in them and roll them out at the higher end, but at the other end of the scale, with base prices peaking and no end in sight for this pandemic turning people away from foreign holidays, if you look at the economics there are a few factors, in my humble opinion, to consider before buying.
Sadly, This pandemic is going to cost people their jobs and money all round will be tight, having said that I've never seen B&Q more busy during the first wave of Covid, - many people who have purchased expensive vehicles on credit will be getting rid to pay the bills - case and point two people who live near me have done just that. Their vans are purely for holiday purposes and spend 10 months of the year on the drive, which I've always thought was mental, the rationale being they didnt want to put miles on them......ok..... fair enough... but due to redundancy they are spending x amount per month on credit and now its not fee sable and so are under pressure to sell to clear the loans they took out to buy the vans, and use that money to pay bills.... its not like they can holiday in them anyway at the moment.
The other factor is that even if you want to do your own van, base vans are rocketing in price, private sellers have cottoned onto this and whacked 3-4k onto the price of the vans in some cases.
I saw a 2015 T5i with 110.000 miles and a semi ok hand built interior they had done themselves up for £11,000 - it had a skyline pop roof and all the bodykit etc, looked reasonable for the price...it was on Autotrader for 2 months, i saw it again, same photos, new price of £15,000 in September.

Everyone has a different opinion / view on this price issue - but if youre not in a rush id hang on seriously because in the next 12-18 months Autotrader, Gumtree and Ebay will be flooded with pretty nice campers with nice specs at quick sale prices.

Worth thinking about anyway.

I had expected the selling of campers for this reason to have started already, but I guess people are just in a holding pattern waiting for certainty. When the recession actually is obviously here, I expect people will sell quickly. So, if you are one of those people, sell now why the market is hot? That's a big move if you've invested time and emotional energy building a camper you love.

 

[mommabear]

I had expected the selling of campers for this reason to have started already, but I guess people are just in a holding pattern waiting for certainty. When the recession actually is obviously here, I expect people will sell quickly. So, if you are one of those people, sell now why the market is hot? That's a big move if you've invested time and emotional energy building a camper you love.

Yeah I mean its great for sales right now, but I'm talking about if you're a buyer or potential buyer - you'll be able to get more bang for your buck is what I mean by hanging on until the market is saturated..which it certainly will be.

 

[c_p]

Are there any signs of prices slowing down yet? – I'm not seeing any bargains anywhere.

 

[Pete C]

I think we will have to wait until the end of the summer, and for COVID to appear to be under control, before prices drop.

Pete

 

[Catagonia]

There is no shortage of vehicles, or many other high ticket products, atm. People newly always buy on finance nowadays, and they tend to overstretch themselves and 'order' a vehicle from a dealer instead of buying whatever is on the forecourt for a cash deal.

Finance = deposit and finance agreement = guaranteed customer = shit delivery time

There's been an artificial increase in nearly all cars over the last 5 years due to people financing themselves up to the eyeballs, and not really understanding the value of money.

If you want a van you could by a decent used T5 within the week... have a pop an experiment with converting it over the next year or two... then decide whether you prefer a diy job or would rather get a california on tick.

People buying used vans at £35k plus are silly IMHO, the warranty runs out at 3, and overall van reliability is probably at one of its lower points in the last 15 years.

Just take a look at how many top end vans are for sale in the classified here, against how many are actually sold. You can end up in an echo chamber sometimes... when you could just be out using, abusing and enjoying a cheaper bus!

 

[DaveD]

There's been an artificial increase in nearly all cars over the last 5 years due to people financing themselves up to the eyeballs, and not really understanding the value of money.

A friend who is a used car dealer told me the same, he said he never talks about the screen price, he talks about the monthly repayments, it's "less frightening" to potential customers. He says that easy finance and years of low interest rates have allowed dealers / traders to increase prices significantly. He reckons that very few people buy a car outright now.
Used car and van prices are mad at the moment, it's certainly a sellers market.
I think it's very difficult to predict where van prices are heading because the Covid effect is something none of us have experienced before 2020, but I don't see a downturn any time soon.

 

[dubber36]

Financing can often be benifical over outright purchase when you look at the complete picture of the 'ownership' costs. This really only applies to new vehicles where interest rates are lower and manufacturers offer deposit contributions and service plans. Especially for those in business that can use the money that would otherwise be tied up in a depreciating asset to earn more money for them.

 

[JOG]

Wow! That is a LOT of van for the price! GLWS

 

[milner993]

Here is our metallic grey van for sale, fantastic base spec van, including twin electric sliders, and adaptive cruise, professionally converted in 2020. the vat has already been paid on this.

£36k.

Base spec.

• 2017 T32
• 204 PS.
• 51k on the clock.
• Adaptive Cruise.
• DSG.
• Comfort Dash.
• Factory Sat Nav.
• Front & Rear Parking Sensors.
• Electric Folding Mirrors.
• Auto Lights.
• Rear Camera.
• Air Con.
• App Connect.
• LED Head lights.
• LED Rear Lights
• Twin factory swivel front Captains Chairs.
• Twin electric Sliders – with remote open/close.
• Power latch tail gate.
• Lowered by 50mm on H&R springs.
• 20” Fond Metal Alloys.
• Side bars.
• Roof rails.
• Darkened Side and rear windows.

Conversion.

• SCA 194 elevating roof, inc: colour coding, roof bed and panoramic
• Ply & Carpet lining (Smoke), insulated.
• Electrics, inc: leisure battery under passenger seat, DC-DC battery charger, 2 double
• USB sockets, recessed LED lights in roof panels
• Pioneer amplifier and rear speaker upgrade
• 150w solar panel, inc: charge controller
• Planar diesel heater
• Reimo awning rail (passenger side)
• Westfalia detachable towbar with 13pin dedicated electrics kit
• SCA roof rails

Also included:

• Kiravans Railsail Campervan Awning
• 4 original wheels/tyres
• Thule roof bars

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Very good price that good luck with sale

 

[JOG]

Here is our metallic grey van for sale, fantastic base spec van, including twin electric sliders, and adaptive cruise, professionally converted in 2020. the vat has already been paid on this.

£36k.

Base spec.

• 2017 T32
• 204 PS.
• 51k on the clock.
• Adaptive Cruise.
• DSG.
• Comfort Dash.
• Factory Sat Nav.
• Front & Rear Parking Sensors.
• Electric Folding Mirrors.
• Auto Lights.
• Rear Camera.
• Air Con.
• App Connect.
• LED Head lights.
• LED Rear Lights
• Twin factory swivel front Captains Chairs.
• Twin electric Sliders – with remote open/close.
• Power latch tail gate.
• Lowered by 50mm on H&R springs.
• 20” Fond Metal Alloys.
• Side bars.
• Roof rails.
• Darkened Side and rear windows.

Conversion.

• SCA 194 elevating roof, inc: colour coding, roof bed and panoramic
• Ply & Carpet lining (Smoke), insulated.
• Electrics, inc: leisure battery under passenger seat, DC-DC battery charger, 2 double
• USB sockets, recessed LED lights in roof panels
• Pioneer amplifier and rear speaker upgrade
• 150w solar panel, inc: charge controller
• Planar diesel heater
• Reimo awning rail (passenger side)
• Westfalia detachable towbar with 13pin dedicated electrics kit
• SCA roof rails

Also included:

• Kiravans Railsail Campervan Awning
• 4 original wheels/tyres
• Thule roof bars

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That is a LOT of van for the money! GLWS

 

[Mike Dean]

That is a LOT of van for the money! GLWS

Yeah, I would have this up at £40k all day long!