Analysing the findings New caravans

It’s time to crunch the numbers to find out what you’re buying, and how you’ve got on during the ownership of your van

New caravans

Our congratulations go to Coachman on topping this year’s ‘New Caravans’ category, by achieving an excellent satisfaction rating of 84.0%. Coachman performed well last year, also winning a gold award. But this year’s win is a reward for a significant improvement on their 2018 80.5% satisfaction score. Bailey and Swift have often been closely matched in this survey, and they couldn’t be any closer this year. Bailey scores 79.1% and Swift Group... 79.1%. These two take joint second spot and complete the podium. There are Silver Awards for Lunar (74.9%) and Elddis and its associated brands (71.1%). As shown in the table above, last year’s results were dominated by Continental caravan makers. Their disappearance from the sharp end of the results isn’t due to a sudden drop-off in satisfaction, but because the likes of Adria, Hymer and Knaus have not reached the tougher minimum sample size this year. However, last year’s podium trio all proved good enough for a ‘mention in dispatches’. In other words, these firms would have earned a Gold

or Silver Award if a larger sample size had revealed equally favourable results. As in previous years, most respondents to the new caravan survey own British-built tourers. In fact, home-grown caravans make up just under 94.5% of the tourers in this year’s survey. That’s almost exactly the same as in 2018, and suggests that, however satisfying it might be to own a Continental brand, they are not making significant headway in terms of sales volumes in the UK market.

New caravan dealers

So, those are our winning manufacturers. What about this year’s best dealers? Survey respondents are asked about the seller’s knowledge and attitude, the condition and presentation of the caravans, the quality of pre-delivery inspection, the handover, and the efficiency with which any warranty claims were handled. Finally, there’s the key question: “Would you buy a caravan from this dealer again?” In many cases, the answer is an emphatic “yes”. The industry can give itself a collective pat on the back, with some extremely strong results. No fewer than seven dealers earned a Gold Award, up from just three last year. Peter Roberts Caravans in Huddersfield is this year’s top scorer in the new-caravan dealer category. Astonishingly, they received full marks from every single respondent. It was a close-run thing to that top spot, though: Couplands has a satisfaction rating of 91.3%, just edging ahead of Broad Lane Leisure with 91.0%. Both have turned last year’s Silver into Gold, with significantly improved scores. Last year’s top scorer, Blackmore Vale Leisure, might have dropped down the pecking order, but still does enough to secure a Gold Award, with a score of 89.7%. The other dealers reaching the gold standard this year are Salop Leisure, Shrewsbury (90.3%), Winchester Caravans (87.6%), and Davan Caravans & Motorhomes (82.3%). Some eight dealerships earn a Silver Award, slightly down from last

year’s 10. However, two more dealers earn either a Gold or a Silver Award than did so in 2018, so there’s great strength in depth among new dealers. Even more dealers would have been in contention for awards had enough of their customers completed the survey. For example, last year’s Gold winner Sussex Caravan Centre earns a ‘mention in dispatches’ this year, and might have been at the sharp end once again had a few more owners responded.

Pre-owned caravans

Secondhand shouldn’t mean second best. Most of us would buy a new caravan if funds allowed, but a pre-owned tourer is more cost-effective for many, allowing the purchase of a bigger or better equipped caravan for the same budget. Buying and owning a preowned caravan should be just as enjoyable as running a new one. Indeed, on the evidence of this survey, owners of preowned caravans are a more satisfied bunch than their ‘new’ counterparts. The most satisfied of all are owners of pre-owned Bailey caravans. With a superb score of 86.4%, Bailey takes the top spot and a thoroughly deserved Gold Award. It’s a close-run thing: Swift Group is only just behind, with a highly commendable score of 85.2% and a Gold Award. Elddis, Compass et al also strike gold, achieving a satisfaction rating of 85.0%. The only brand to earn a Silver Award is Lunar, with an impressive score of 79.0%. Wondering where all the Continental marques have gone? Well, it’s a similar story in the pre-owned category to the new-caravan awards – there simply aren’t enough responses for them to be included in the main results this year. That said, last year’s Gold Winners Eriba and Adria both score highly with the relatively small number of their owners who completed the survey.

Pre-owned caravan dealers

Pre-owned caravan buyers expect high standards from dealers, as well as from the tourers they buy. They rightly expect to be treated just as well as those caravanners shopping brand new, which is why they answer the same questions about their supplying dealer as new-caravan buyers. But do they receive the service they deserve? If you shop at Blackmore Vale Leisure, you certainly do. The Dorset dealership tops the preowned category with a Gold Award-winning score of 96.4%. There’s very little between the dealers at the top of the table. Peter Roberts Caravans features highly here, as it did in the new category, with a score

‘Secondhand shouldn’t mean second best. Most of us would buy new if funds allowed, but pre-owned can be more cost-effective’