This is how the Install App dialog will look like once your App goes live.
WELCOMEIt wasn’ t too long ago that many of us had a Hond Suitcase Generator at the top of our Wishlist. These superb bits of kit supplied clean inverted power to our van. We didn’ t care that they were heavy, that storing petrol was a pain, that they annoyed the hell out of our neighbours. Costing around a grand they were nickable too, so we chained them to our motorhomes. Times change, and while there are still some legitimate uses for the genny, it’s not on many wish lists. For many people, top of that list now is lithium batteries. If you are interested in Lithium, this issue is for you. I have written an article on why I chose Lithium and The World Famous Eddie Vanbitz Jones talks about lithium and the potential dangers of just swapping your old lead acid. It might be a simple swap, but it could be quite complicated. I’ ll leave Eddie to explain. It’s great then, that this month we have a chance to win a Lithium battery from Ecotree Lithium. It’s free to enter, see the page within.COVID-19 and what it means for Motorhome Enthusiasts.Starting last April, we noticed a massive uptick in the interest in motorhomes. We first noticed when MotorhomeFun was inundated with new members and newbie questions. It wasn’ t long before our classifieds emptied of vans. Sellers realising it was their market, put them up for sale at prices they would never have achieved a year ago and these sold the weekend they placed them.Dealers’ forecourts were busy too, and we heard tales of new vans being sold for prices higher than the recommended retail price.This time around as we get ready to unlock; history looks like it’s about to repeat itself. Forum activity is rising fast again as Google sends us tens of thousands of potential new owners browsing the four million forum posts.Meanwhile, some dealers are recording their best January sales even though they have been closed.Ross Edwards, Managing Director at the Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld, said sales in January – which were completed either online or over the phone - had hit near record levels. Despite being closed, they have been selling by giving potential customers virtual tours. He went on to say...“The demand has been astonishing, and it shows no signs of slowing down. It’s a clear sign that we are looking at a real boom in staycations, potentially for many years to come. “With the issues with travelling abroad, which could be in place for some time, people are clearly looking at domestic holidays and, for many, the idea of having their own motorhome to embark on new adventures and create memories is extremely appealing.“We are seeing a much younger audience buying motorhomes and campervans. They probably had a longterm interest in purchasing a motorhome, but the events of the last 12 months have accelerated their buying process, possibly by as much as 10 or 20 years.”Rob Matthews of Oaktree Motorhomes told us that some buyers are so keen to get into motorhome ownership they are buying off the web page, paying in full, sight unseen and having the van delivered.Jenny Colloff, the Marketing Manager at Brownhills Motorhomes, Newark, reports that interest in Motorhomes over the lockdown has been high. Like other dealers, they have sold a lot of vans online during lockdown and expect a rush when they are allowed to open. She reports they have great supply of vans, new and used, and expects to easily cope with the expected increase in demand when lockdown ends.So how is Covid going to affect motorhome enthusiasts?There are a couple of immediately obvious things. The first is the cost of motorhomes. There is a genuine shortage of motorhomes and this is keeping prices high. We’ve heard that some new vans were being offered higher that RRP.It’s getting worse. Reports are that the big manufacturers are struggling to get the base vehicles they need to convert. In the short term at least, van prices are only going up.It’s not just new vans. We’ve seen plenty of people aware of the situation, put their van up for sale at a silly price, only to see it quickly sold. That’s great, but if they want to remain a van owner, the cost of their replacement van will steal a lot of their profits.Hopefully this shortage won’ t last too long, and things will quickly settle down. Makers will eventually get their base vehicles and start making plenty of vans. And we expect quite a few vans bought last year, and this; will come back on to the market. If people lose jobs a big expensive van on the drive, will be quickly sold. Also plenty will discover that the Motorhome dream the motorhome maker sold them doesn’ t quite match the reality.Makers rarely show a van on a campsite. No, their sales literature always shows their vans parked next to a lake’s foreshore, or right by the deserted beach, maybe in a lush meadow, at the foot of a stunning mountain. And while these places exist, the reality for most of these new owners is of trying to find space on busy campsites, booking one, only to find they are parked on a busy site, with a few metres between vans, listening to their neighbours’ TV though thin walls; while kids cycle round and around their van. I predict because of this large numbers of these people will sell their van pretty soon.This leads nicely into the other pandemic issue. Thousands of new caravanners and motorhome owners, all looking to holiday in the UK. We need to be booking those sites and CLs now, it’s going to get busy.My takeaways this month, if you want a new van, don’ t wait a moment longer, if you delay even by a few months you could be looking at a 2023 delivery date!If you fancy changing your van, don’ t sell till you’ve found one to buy. And lastly, don’ t wait, book that campsite now.Jim Brown Motorhome Enthusiast jim@mhfun.co.uk
