Depreciation

soulstyledevon · Mar 1, 2024

Ch1pbutty said:
2015 Club Joker

Nice.
Really cool vans.
Side loaded surfboard rack

Blue Yonder · Mar 1, 2024

Barry Chuckle said:
Jimmy you must have read my mind! You're absolutely spot on, I've really wrestled with the option of a GC and keep going back to see if I can live with them, they're very discounted and many of the dealers I called said they could only consider my Cali if it was a trade for GC. I've looked at them and tried to change my views, but to me they're just too clinical & utilitarian looking for me,. They're really good value for money but just don't feel 'warm' like the Cali or other larger conversions. I really don't want to offend any GC owners as with 0% over 5 years and discounts of c10% they're a very compelling proposition.

The best Crafter/Man conversion to me the Sven Hedin which imo is the perfect blend of modern interior and homely feel, but for most the 2 berths wouldn't work. The Widax Altair seems really good value at the moment with many discounted new from £97k to £90k.

I do love the Cali and it's cemented my love of campers (my first ever) but as my years advance I know I'm going to want an integrated bathroom/shower & fixed bed which the Cali doesn't offer. I'm guessing you've done some research yourself the only other option avoiding wide Motorhomes is the Hymer but I can't quite work out what the extra 20k - 30k over the former gets you?

Much of the depreciation is hidden by inflation. Check the asking price of a high spec good condition used Cali against its original price and there will not be much difference. For example a fully loaded brand new Ocean in 2018 could be had for £58k. You could sell it close to that price today as an equivalent new one now is £75k. The difference is the hidden depreciation.

Tufty_B · 2025-11-09T15:03:58+0000

Wow, it looks like the bottom has completely fallen out of the campervan market. I was looking at buying one and went to a show a couple of months back. It was wild—dealers were already knocking 25% off brand new, unregistered 2025 models!
And get this: some places still had unsold 2022 vans just sitting there. Can you imagine how many 2023 and 2024 models they must have piled up? Honestly, I bet a bunch of these companies are going to go bust soon. I even heard Motorhome Matt discuss this exact issue with dealers on his show.
This has got to hit VW prices eventually, right? They've always been rock solid, but that's just been held up by the crazy prices of new Calis. Because they cost so much, everyone just trades their old one in, and the dealers can charge whatever they want. That whole system's bound to feel the pinch soon.

andyinluton · 2025-11-09T15:53:05+0000

Tufty_B said:
This has got to hit VW prices eventually, right? They've always been rock solid, but that's just been held up by the crazy prices of new Calis. Because they cost so much, everyone just trades their old one in, and the dealers can charge whatever they want. That whole system's bound to feel the pinch soon.

People have been saying that since about 2012, one year they may be right.

Tufty_B · 2025-11-09T16:08:05+0000

andyinluton said:
People have been saying that since about 2012, one year they may be right.

So, you're saying since 2012 other makers have been dropping their prices by 25% on their current model unregistered vans, while also still trying to shift 3-year-old vehicles that have just been sitting unregistered?

soulstyledevon · 2025-11-09T18:49:13+0000

No.
But the T7 is a turd compared to the old van.
Hence why the discounts are thick and fast….

Tufty_B · 2025-11-09T18:57:11+0000

soulstyledevon said:
No.
But the T7 is a turd compared to the old van.
Hence why the discounts are thick and fast….

How does the VW T7 being a turd, make other manufacturers reduce their prices by 25%?

Goingontour · 2025-11-09T19:00:25+0000

I did a whole post on this thread earlier, it’s been deleted for some reason. Basically we’ve had our 2023 (73) Ocean for 5 months. We’ve decided to sell and visited to a VW dealership and offered £14k less than we paid for it! It’s immaculate, top spec, low mileage. We’re gutted. Some online car buyers have offered more but still an enormous loss in 5 months, there’s so much on the internet etc about retaining a good price and low depreciation but that’s clearly not the case!

soulstyledevon · 2025-11-09T19:10:43+0000

Tufty_B said:
So, you're saying since 2012 other makers have been dropping their prices by 25% on their current model unregistered vans, while also still trying to shift 3-year-old vehicles that have just been sitting unregistered?

Demand is down across the board.
Volkswagen have gone from strength to, well, erm, yeah, a bit of car crash…