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Steamdrivenandy

I did a little bit of research yesterday and found that the list price of the van that forms the base for our camper (with required options but no discount) is around £19,000.

The main items in the converters build - fridge, hob, sink, toilet, warm air heater and swivels add a further £1,600.

The retail price of the converted van with no options added is just over £30,000.

So that's around £10,000 to buy all the furniture, insulation, trimming, taps, wire, lights, pipes and flooring etc and fit them all and a profit margin is needed as well of course.

Despite what people say perhaps they aren't so expensive after all.

Andy

maddie

Hi Andy, go into it a bit further,I sourced everything as cheaply as poss and it cost me above 7.5k for the bits that went into it.That was after getting deals for a lot of parts ie windows at 100 each instead of 220 & 340,cooker 300 instead of 600 fridge same water heater 250 /500 blown air heater 250/550etc, then put in all the bits you do not think about such as lights, clean/waste tanks, taps, piping etc even glue 72 tubes at £2.I kept a pad with all expenses and only the other day was looking at it Laughing

suspriseing how all the bits add up.
terry

smick

Did that £19K figure include the discount that manufacturers get from the base vehicle maker ? I understand that the dsicount on a new Fiat is in the region of 22%, which would make the base vehicle substantially cheaper. (Like 15K...)

Whilst manufacturers can slash costs by buying parts in bulk, you are still paying for the time expended in design, making the furniture so that it will fit in the vehicle, (well, in some cases) specialist expertise (in some cases), warranty costs, etc.

If their overall costs for the vehicle are in the order of £22K, then that would seem to indicate a reasonable return. Mind you you've still got to advertise it, market it, appoint dealers who also want a cut.. It's maybe not that surprising that quite a few manufacturers go to the wall.

Smick

rowley

And VAT has to be included. It is surprising how the cost mounts up.

maddie

VAT is only paid by the end user Laughing

and in the case of a fiat the cost of the van is nearer 14k inc the vat and then say 5 / 6 k for parts less discounts so in theory total cost to build inc wages about 22k but not including bosses wages at say 100k per yr or cost of a factory Laughing

see you can make the figures look good Wink

terry
edit seriosly I think I could build a fully speced van for about 26k but then you have to find a buyer who would buy it at that price as opossed to a say tribute.More of a Timberland or Ih thats why people pay the premium rather than the lesser speced tribute. Laughing