2 Show Chaussons

Yesterday on the M40 just west of Warwick services at about noon two Trade-plated shiny Chaussons passed me rather quickly.  On their way back to the dealer from being Show vans at the NEC?   Not sure I would want to buy either of them if I had seen them on the M40

Ron, is there anything specific that happens to a van if it ventures onto the M40?
or are you suggesting that the speed they were travelling at (65-70, perhaps?) might cause an issue?....
or that they had possibly been used at a show?
if they were, im sure someone would have got a terrific bargain.
i regularly drive my van at the legal limit, it does it with ease, comfort and quiet.
modern diesel vans need a 'good run' from time to time rather than a life of gentle pottering...

There's always been a dichotomy with motorhomes. The vans they are based around are designed to have short, intensive life, racking up tens of thousands of miles in a very short time. As motorhomes they get the exact opposite for what their underpinnings were designed for. Driving very low mileages at low speed doesn't do them any favours at all.

steamdrivenandy wrote:There's always been a dichotomy with motorhomes. The vans they are based around are designed to have short, intensive life, racking up tens of thousands of miles in a very short time. As motorhomes they get the exact opposite for what their underpinnings were designed for. Driving very low mileages at low speed doesn't do them any favours at all.

I tend to pootle along enjoying the scenery like most of us but every once in a while give it 5 miles of high rev driving. Actually doesn’t seem to impact on fuel consumption either.

I've seen vans on trade plates which are obviously on their way home from shows (recently travelled in the vicinity of Malvern showground the day after the last caravan and motorhome show ended) that are driven as if they've been stolen. The dealers have a lot of vans to return to their premises so the quicker they can drive them back and return to get another one, the sooner the job is done. So I understand what Ron is thinking - would I want to buy one of these vans that has been driven in this way?

Paulmold wrote:I've seen vans on trade plates which are obviously on their way home from shows (recently travelled in the vicinity of Malvern showground the day after the last caravan and motorhome show ended) that are driven as if they've been stolen. The dealers have a lot of vans to return to their premises so the quicker they can drive them back and return to get another one, the sooner the job is done. So I understand what Ron is thinking - would I want to buy one of these vans that has been driven in this way?

But d'you think parcel delivery drivers, couriers, builders, plumbers etc handle them with kid gloves? They're designed and built for a hard life and being mishandled. The only problem is that often the habitation conversion isn't.

But I'd like to think that the salesmen treat something that could one day be mine with respect. If they drive them like that, would they care if something was broken or nicked by people looking around the van? As I said, just want them treated with respect.

As I’ve said before, Marquis used my base vehicle for nearly 10k miles before they sent it to AS for conversion. It was one of their inter branch run arounds. Did they drive it carefully? They’d most likely have treated it just as white van man would but that’s what it’s built for. My thoughts were along the lines of it having been well and truly run in for me and the purchase price reflected its history.

I don't disagree that they are built for white van man but the difference is 'used and abused' and 'new and abused' . You expected yours had been the former, if I were buying new I wouldn't expect the latter.

I take your point, Paul. Mine was priced accordingly and it’s history explained. The show vans could be back on the forecourt with the full RRP displayed on the windscreen and the 300 miles on the clock described as test mileage with no mention of hundreds of people tramping through it at the show.

Wow - what a hornet's nest I have started! Sorry! I have no idea whether those two vans were above or below the legal limit but they were moving quickly.