Although the best of the season for outings may be coming to an end, motorhome news never sleeps – there is always something to whet the appetite for next Spring’s adventures.
Here are some of the key events and news we’ve gathered:
Motorhome and Caravan Show
If there’s one event in the year you simply cannot afford to miss, it’s the Motorhome and Caravan Show held at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) from the 15th until the 20th of October.
It’s the place to go for an early preview of new motorhome launches for 2020 and, of course, for any advice you may need on buying your first motorhome or upgrading to your next one.
As the website Out and About Live also points out, you can even get help here in planning your next motorhome holiday – in this country or abroad.
Cannot make it?
If you cannot make it to the Motorhome and Caravan Show, there are two Caravan and Motorhome Shows at opposite ends of the country just around the corner in the New Year.
The first is held from the 16th to the 19th of January at Manchester’s EventCity, where you can view all the latest models, motorhome accessories and enjoy the day out test-driving your model of choice or even letting children as young as 3 to 10 get behind the wheel of a towing vehicle.
Just a week later, another Caravan and Motorhome Show opens from the 24th until the 26th of January at Westpoint Exeter.
Owner Satisfaction Survey 2020
It’s become one of the most important yardsticks for manufacturers and dealers – and a measure likely to feature prominently in any buyer’s decision – so Practical Motorhome’s Owner Satisfaction Survey has rightly earned its place in the market for sellers and buyers alike.
Visit Practical Motorhome’s website and complete the 10-minute survey to let the rest of the world know just how happy – or otherwise – you’ve been with the motorhome you own.
Pick a reputable dealer
It really does pay to pick a reputable and well-established dealer if you’re in the business of buying a new motorhome.
On the 8th of September 2019, the BBC relayed the misfortune of a young woman who had paid over £10,000 for a motorhome which simply failed to materialise when the company All Classics UK Ltd went into liquidation.
The Leicester-based company specialised in restoring campervans in South Africa and shipping them to hopeful buyers in different parts of the world. When it went bankrupt, it left owing many thousands of pounds to its customers.
Motorhome road tax increased by 705%
From 1st September 2019, the tax payable on first registration of a new motorhome with a WLTP Euro 6D/2 engine was increased from £265 up to £2,135. Due to legislative changes, WLTP Euro 6D/2 engines are no longer subject to a commercial vehicle tax band – Private/Light Goods (PLG/PHG) – when they are first registered.
Instead, they are, for the purposes of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), now taxed as a car. This reclassification means the registration tax for a new motorhome with a WLTP Euro 6D/2 engine has increased from £265 (PLG rate) up to £2,135 – a 705% increase – plus there is significant higher ongoing yearly tax costs for a further five years.
The UK motorhome industry is asking for an urgent minor amendment to the Finance Bill to reclassify motorhomes as commercial vehicles for VED. You can join the campaign and have your say here: http://fairmotorhometax.org/
