Buying new

[sid b]

Hi from a newbie! What a very informative forum this is, I've really enjoyed browsing though the old threads! We are thinking about getting a Dimension. This might sound a bit naive, but on new sales do dealers expect to get the list price or is there scope for a bit of negotiation like buying a new car? Has anyone managed to get a bit off? Just want to be prepared when we go into the showroom!

Esbee

[Graham]

Hi Esbee

Glad you are finding the forum useful, there is a lot of info about the Dimension on the main website too, see the button "Our Website" at the top of the page.

We bought our Dimension nearly new it had done around 2,000 miles when the owner decided he wanted something a little bigger and took it back to the dealer he got it from, so we were lucky and got a real bargain compared with a new vehicle.

There are more second hand Dimensions coming on the market now than there were, have you thought about buying second hand? You get a good chunk off the list price of a new one even from a dealer.

If you do buy new I would think you would be able to negotiate a little especially if you have a van or car to trade in as part exchange, my motto is always haggle if you don't ask you don't get.

Regards
Graham

[ant]

Hi Esbee.
As a dealer you have to catch us at the right time to get a discount! sadly for you the order books of Romahome are quite full and we are able to sell all our Dimensions wthout the need to discount. Having said that there are times when the factory deliver several vehicles in a row and we as dealers have a surplus for a short period of time, thats the time to make your move.
Romahomes enjoy a better than most depreciation ( slower!) in the motorhome industry that comes about because most people have paid close to the list price. Your average £20000 Ford car has lost half its value in the first 2 to 3 years thats not the case with Romahomes, so a dicount is not always as good as it looks!
My bias accepted!!
Ant

[sid b]

Thank you Ant, could you let me know when you expect to have a surplus in stock!
Seriously, I suppose it is all about supply and demand, and I think there is even a (fairly short?) waiting list for a new one at the moment?

[mike and heather]

Hi Esbee
We have recently bought our second Dimension, so pleased are we with the concept of fitting every facility into the smallest possible vehicle. We can go (almost) anywhere and stay on the most remote and basic of sites.
Our first one sold fairly quickly, and you don't see many on sale yet. According to Ant's website he has a new one due for delivery in September. He also has a demo model.
Ask away if you want to pick our brains.

[ant]

Esbee.
As Mike has said I have a Demo vehicle coming in late August, that particular vehicle is spoken for by an existing customer. I have got 1 other coming just before that one that which luckily for me was a factory cancelled order, apart from that I won't have any unsold new ones until spring next year!
Other dealers may have some orders coming through before that ,but its unlikely they will want to discount them heavily.
If you would like to conact me with a contact number I can phone you when its in and we can talk about how hard you can bend my ear ( my ear are quite big and strong!)
Ant

[sid b]

Crickey, next spring?!! I didn't realise they were quite so scarce! I appreciate your offer Ant, where are you? We're in Sussex. There is a 2004 model for sale at Freeborn in Southampton according to their website, so we might take a look at that one first.

[dora]

Good luck in your search Esbee. Just wanted to add a word of warning - research the dealer as much as the product - we purchased our brand new Duo Plus last year (which after a very tainted start we love) and we were treated deplorably by the large Yorkshire dealership we bought from when problems arose and no we didn't get a discount or compensation for the way we were treated.
We met Ant at the Romahome AGM in May and I know from now on we will definately be making the long round trip for servicing etc. The nearest isn't always the best.

[trevorl]

I would certainly endorse Dora's comment about researching the dealer! Sadly many dealers (and not just dealers in Romahomes) have little interest in you after they have made the initial sale. You can also find that they have little expertise when a problem arises. There is no substitute for experience.

I have found that the smaller independent trader may not be able to give you the biggest discount because they don't have the buying power of the mega dealers. However in the long run you are better paying perhaps a little more and having the security of someone who really cares about your custom, can empathise with you problems and has the know how to fix them - often more cheaply and more thoroughly than the big and anonymous dealer.

For these reasons I use an independent dealer to service my new car, and Mr Romahome for my Romahome. I regard both dealers as trusted friends rather than people who regard me merely as a source of profit. They know me by name, greet me with a smile, and I find I spend less money and suffer far less stress as a result.

[peterholden]

I have just returned from collecting some items of upholstery for my Romahome from a company called Mastertrim. They do all the upholstery for Romahome and they send between 8 and 10 sets to the IOW per fortnight. This shows that Romahome do not make very many and why it is difficult to find new ones.

On another note I bought my Romahome Outlook new in March from a a dealer in Halifax and have had absolutely brilliant service so far. All our minor problems have been sorted mostly over the phone. They did not give a discount but they gave a fantastic trade in value for our C15.