Long Distance Van Purchase

Not often,they may take on servicing,but as they do not get the going rate for warranty work why would they

Difficult one this. Buying a MH is not as straightforward as buying a caravan as dealers are sparse when compared to caravans. Also, the dealer nearest to you may not sell the vehicle you want forcing you to go elsewhere or accept what he sells. All the MHs I have bought have been some distance from where I live, around 150 miles away, but one was way down in Somerset which is a long way from north Essex. When warranty work was required I always took it back to the supplying dealer and planned my visit as a holiday in that area. Habitation service was done by a local approved mobile technician which kept the warranty up. Vehicle servicing was done at my local Fiat dealer. Minor repair work I carried out myself but was prepared to pay for it to be done if it was cheaper than the diesel to drive to the dealer. So, I don't have any experience with using another dealer for warranty work and suspect you may encounter resistance but you will only find that out when you need it. Try asking a dealer that sells the same marque near you if they would undertake warranty work on a vehicle they did/could not supply.
When buying a vehicle some distance from home then that dealers reputation is also an important consideration.

Is it a brand new motorhome or second hand?

This was a conundrum for me also. But i did a lot of checking and questions. I bought mine brand new approx 280 miles away from where I live. The warranty for the habitation is with Swift and the motor from Fiat so the motorhome is covered anywhere in UK as long as it is a swift or fiat approved dealer/wrokshop.

second hand this will be dealer warranty so would be a different ball game as suggested

Our Laika Dealer is on the South Cost some 250 miles away. They know where we are and the few faults we have had have been sorted by sending parts and me fitting them. We had a Swift before and it was a right pain taking it back for repairs. Everything had to be photographed and then wait for approval for repairs. I am very happy with the way our Dealer looks after us and the support we have had from the factory in Italy.

If you are happy to do some of the minor repairs yourself then go ahead. If you want a Dealer to investigate every rattle and fix every small part then find somewhere nearer home.

I would be wary about trying to get a MH repaired by a Dealer that you have not bought it from. You may find that they will help but after they have looked after their own customers first. They may just decide that you bought it elsewhere so why should they help.

Personally if that was the attitude of the dealer/workshop, then there is every justifiable reason that people shouldn't buy from them or use them. That's the same to buying a car from one garage and then using a car garage somewhere else and them saying you didnt buy from me so you will wait. I didnt buy my land rover from my local dealer, but they are happy to carry out any warranty work and the services (the service plan bought from the selling garage) when the car needs it.

Again this all down to the issue of where the warranty is issued from i suppose, be it a dealer warranty or a manufacturers warranty.     

Peegeenine is spot on. I've spoken to a number of people and a handful of dealers. Basically the dealers only want to do work on MH's they have sold. New MH sales have increased by something like 15% for the last tow year so it could be that the dealers are becoming busier without the extra staff to do warranty work.

In many cases not just staff but workshop space.

The dealers that have their own customer base (sold by them) then they will always take priority over other dealers sales, it makes good buisiness sense

Buying a Motorhome from a dealer 300` away is ASKING for trouble - think again. If you do get a tricky habitation problem (e,g, water pouring in from poorly fitted Heki -been there done that)  a dealer that you did not buy from is not going to spend time sorting your problem out and keep his own customers waiting. Then there is the we`ve fixed it "sir" when in fact they have`nt and you need a return trip! (been there done that as well). The Fiat side can like a car go to any Fiat garage so is`nt an issue

The manufacturers will say that warranty work can be carried out by any dealer who holds the appropriate dealership for the make involved.  The reality is, as people have already suggested, that a combination of low labour rates and workshop space means that people who didn't buy from that dealership get put to the back of the queue. 

Such dealers are also less willing to pursue a warranty claim on the customer's behalf. As a customer of dealership X, I would be annoyed if I couldn't get work done on my own van by X if it was busy maintaining vans bought at dealership Y.

Not all dealers take this attitude. Don't know why you want to buy a van from 300 miles away. If there is a valid reason, then the dealers may be more understanding. Also if a local dealer ha been servicing the van for you, it may be more willing to take on a warranty issue.

My advice is buy from somewhere you are prepared to visit for all your habitation needs and if you do strike lucky and find a willing dealer nearer to home, great! Travelling 300 miles to a delaer is easier if you are retired and don't have to get time off work.

You should have no problems with the base vehicle mechanical servicing or warranty work