Elddis - any Hymer effect yet?
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the Elddis models will be 'under £40k' ....that's pretty competitive, I'd have thought?
re: AS..I did say 'to a lesser degree'....
elddis will also need to mix it with the likes of Adria's Sun Living brand and Hymer Group's own sub brands (Carado, Sunlight etc) will also be vying for sales in that lower sector, with the pukka HymerCar taking the fight at the upper end with Malibu, La Strada etc..
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I'm not on a crusade Boff at all, and happily drive a German car & ride a Japanese motorcycle, because they make the best product...
But I did serve an apprenticeship in a large UK engineering firm years ago and it would be a great shame for British workers & future apprentices if those jobs are lost....
I will "Buy British" if there is a reasonable product, I'm very happy with my half British AT M/H.....
But looking on the bright side of the catastrophic crash of the pound against the Euro, it's going to help UK tourism & manufacturing/exporting . With two young adult children freshly started in the world of work, that is important to me.....
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My remark was tongue in cheek, but I am serious in my belief that there is very little UK content in a UK caravan / motorhome. So the majority of jobs involved in the assembly of them is relatively low skilled. The fact that the pound has devalued relative to other currency’s is going to mean that the pricing of continental vans is going increase, but so is the price of UK vans.
Back to the topic. I looked at a 2018 Elddis yesterday, and there is sealent all over the place, including on one of the wheels. The framing of the outside lockers should have been grey it was stained where sealant had been rubbed off. This does not alter the functionality of the van one iota. What it does say to me is a lack of care and attention to detail. Which is sadly I wouldn’t consider one and it will amaze you that I would love to buy British but not to the extent of buying something I am not confident in the quality of the product.
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What makes you think Hymers are better ?
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But what that showed is the lack of PDI and or preperation for display by the dealer,has any one seen any continental europe LVs direct from the factory before going on display at the point of sale?
most cars direct from factories need a good valeting before going in the show room
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Now more than "think", after owning two of their caravans.
Not that coming firmly to that conclusion re caravans brings me any pleasure, it would be supurb if we here could even match in the important to us areas of build integrity and user payloads.
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No. It is too easy to blame a pdi. Ideally a pdi should be done diligently and thoroughly but the inspection yields no faults. Too often it seems to me that the pdi is the last step in the production process. I have no idea if the sealant that was on the wheels was applied at the factory or at the dealers. But I always think that I can see such obvious visible faults what about the bits I can’t see?
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Dealers in the UK are "paid" by the manufacturers as part of their franchise to do pdi, but as often seems to be these days it is not carried fully, and the end user then finds something/s wrong ,and returns it which then is a "warranty claim" for which the said dealer get another "allowance" from the manufacturer to put right
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I'll take my 'German' chances
even at 'campingbusse' level, the build/quality difference in a HymerCar or Westfalia is hugely apparent when comparing it to (say) Swift PVC.
things are just more solid, things that should open/close (doors and drawers) do so without fuss or jamming....
panels don't feel like you could put your fist straight through them, or those that should be connected to another feeling like the tiny screws (hopefully) holding it all together are about to eject themselves...
yes, a HymerCar PVC is probably £5k more than a Swift (or AT) but at least you can 'feel' where it's been spent...
having said that, it's difficult for Hymer to turn an Elddis van into a Hymer...that would add massive cost....but there are one or two marketing changes that shows a different approach.
firstly the introduction of two entry level PVCs (replicated for some odd reason as Compass vans with a different colour side 'stripe'
) and secondly the garage version of the twin single van....a continental layout not normally produced by UK makes (AT and Swift have also now realised there is a market for vans with decent storage)...0 -
So Thor Industries (NYSE) have 100% of EHG in a share/cash deal concluded earlier this year. As far as I know the SLT at EHG UK (Elddis) are still in place and it looks like EHG in Germany are more focussed on North America expansion synergy with Thor.
Perhaps this thread could be Re-ignited with comments about how Thor investment cash / Management resource will help the U.K brands via EHG that are now under their control?
As a complete newbie to caravanning having yet to make my first purchase I have been on a mammoth research journey that has come full circle Swift back Swift and then on a tangent appreciating the Elddis Solid (monocoque bonded), automotive, marine hyped ‘no water can get in period’ narrative which I was buying into until my due diligence brought me to this thread and now I see Elddis have build quality / shell cracking issues as (apparently) unresolved?
I have an engineering/ manufacturing / business / management consulting background but have yet to find ‘nirvana’ in any U.K based van manufacturer until I researched Elddis/Solid - a van maker using automotive and marine industry bonding standards? This looks good... or does it? Are panels still cracking? Can EHG (Germany) come to the rescue?
Will a shed load of Thor Cash (They started turning around Airstream in 1980 and haven’t done too bad since the vast majority of them are still around!) get injected to produce the ultimate non leaking / non cracking van that doesn’t start to fall apart within the warranty? - somebody help me please or should I just bite the bullet and take out a mortgage on a branner Airstream from the good ole USA?!!
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why bother waiting for any Thor or Hymer effect on a 'lesser' brand like Elddis and just get a Hymer?
the only Hymer effect I've seen reported (on the MH side) is the addition of a range of Panel vans to the Elddis portfolio...
Hymer mgt have stated (MMM interview this month) that there is no specific'Thor effect' on ranges....although it's just possible one or two larger vans might make it over here....but the main interest for both sides is the increase in buying power and the extra pressure that can be brought to bear on suppliers to increase spares performance...
the same MD stated that (perhaps referring to the total Euro Market sales) that caravans were reducing, MHs were static and Panel Vans (campers) were rising....
in fact, id have thought Hymer could have tought Thor branded MHs a thing or two about build quality....
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Thanks for the heads up but easier said than done in my situation I’m afraid.
Recently paid £41k worth of Range Rover Evoque kerb weight is 1750 and as a novice I can only safely tow circa 1500kg MTPLM for a 2000kg 120/150kg nose weight tow vehicle.
I am north west based so nearest dealer is in Preston and they only do Eribas with 1800-2000 MTPLM
So I would need to change tow vehicle to a Discovery or similar which the wife has already refused to do so soon.
Our start up budget is £25k for a first van so we are short of 5-10k plus tow car change circa £20k plus depreciation so we may as well buy a new MH!🙃
Looks like we will be renting a MH in the short term or buying a much older sorted van to try as I’m not willing to take the hassles of lower budget new caravanning and risk hard earned cash whilst the industry still makes leaky vans!
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