Final leg of Trident T4 purchase - price

Hi all,
Your help on this forum has been invaluable so far, thanks so much!
I've been to see this van in Shrewsbury, had it checked by a mechanic and have a refundable deposit on it.
The price however seems too high for the spec. Considering the mileage and the wear that this will have on the van.
Can I ask your advice on this again?
Thank you!


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Holly (and 2 nippers!)

On Autotrader there is a 2002 advertised at £18,495 and shows it is sold (may have been knocked down in price), mileage 56k and it's from a dealer - so as yours is private with a lot higher mileage, perhaps it is a bit on the high side but it all depends on condition and it is the 2.5tdi (so is the sold one) which I believe is the best, so really it's up to you.

I'd agree - to my eyes it seems to be a private sale at a dealer price, more or less. But what can you say? If you don't like the price then don't buy it! You can of course try to negotiate on price, but that's not so easy once you have paid a deposit.

Looking at van makes other than VW is likely to get you something cheaper for the age and mileage. Two years ago I sold my immaculate Transit based van, which was at the time the same age, had almost the same spec (but with auto box and built in toilet) with less than half the mileage, for under £12k. With a VW you are paying the "scene tax"!

Paulmold wrote:On Autotrader there is a 2002 advertised at £18,495 and shows it is sold (may have been knocked down in price), mileage 56k and it's from a dealer - so as yours is private with a lot higher mileage, perhaps it is a bit on the high side but it all depends on condition and it is the 2.5tdi (so is the sold one) which I believe is the best, so really it's up to you.

I purchased this Trident, and got a bit "knocked off". The reason for the high price is the condition and the mileage. It may be that others may be in better condition but with more mileage - or the other way round. I searched for 4 months then found the 2.5TDI 10 miles away - saved a lot of travel and have somewhere to go if "issues" arise!
Please with purchase, but had to spend a few bob to sort out missing parts - Only one gas bottle, only one set of keys, duvulay topper required, Thatcham alarm upgrade required, etc.
But overall I am happy with the purchase - engine still sounds/feels great, using no oil (500 miles),cam belt changed prior to purchase.
Only thing that is now required is a set of decent seat covers!!

Hi there,
Thanks for posting on my thread. Funny that you saw your van mentioned.
I've been struggling with the 15k price tbh cos of the 129000 miles on the clock and a bit of
wear on the inside of the van. Its so much more than the 8k van I was originally going to buy so im trying to readjust my thinking. I don't think they are going to drop more than 15k (from 15.5k) Just trying to work out whether im being fleeced!

Holly

I can give you a dealers perspective,

we sold this one recently for £17000. Newer and lower mileage.

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Its worth noting that we would spend several days in man hours preparing the vehicle, attending to any niggly/ minor faults, checking it over/ valeting etc.

would also include warranty, road tax, cambelt change, service, new MOT, that could add up to £1000.

A private sale should always be 10%+ less than a dealer price.

I would also add that mileage is a big turn off for 99% of buyers. A lot of people loved the condition of our trident but would not entertain it with 116k.

From experience any motorhome that's done near or over 100k seems to put buyers off no matter how much you try and convince them otherwise.

If at some point if you try and part exchange or sell to a dealer you won't get anywhere near £15000 with 129k on the clock.

As a comparison a 2003 Trident with 30 to 40,000 miles will command £22000+ so there are big savings to be had if you don't mind a higher mileage one.

I think £14k would be a fair price for both buyer and seller.

Thanks so much to you all for your advice and help over the last month or so.

I have just agreed a price and have opened a beer to celebrate having a 2002 VW Trident in my life!! 

My girls and I cannot wait to get going!
Freedom here we come!

Holly