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Tourer News
Gas Guzzlers clobbered by
Gordon Brown's 4x4 road tax ?
Talking to a number of 4x4 owners recently, there seems to be
a good deal of misunderstanding around the so called 4x4 tax and how it applies
to them. 4x4 owners are concerned that their road tax will be £300 this year
and £400 next year, whilst the trade-in values of their Chelsea Tractors look
set to plummet !.
Please read on, because in most cases this tax is not going to
affect you and can be avoided, whilst your residual values could
improve...
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Despite what the picture might suggest - Gordon Brown doesn't like 4x4's and has
set out in his last two budgets to penalise owners of these monstrous, polluting,
gas guzzlers. All very laudable , but the problem is that these
Geist caravans are heavy brutes, with anything larger than the 485 model,
needing something heavier than a Mondeo to tow them safely. Lets
start by clearing up who this tax applies to. The
Category 'G' band was introduced in March '06 for new cars with CO2
emissions over 225g/km. If
your car was registered before March '06, you will never pay the
higher tax, with most 4x4's staying in the Category 'F' band. (£195 per
year). So that is good news if
you have a two or more year old 4x4, but what if you want, or need to buy
a new car ?. As an example, I have listed three
very capable 4x4 tow cars that have emissions under the Category
'G' 225g/km:
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KIA Sorrento - Caravan Club Towcar
of the year. The Diesel version with a manual gearbox has emissions of
209g/km (beware the auto version is 228g/km) |
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Honda CRV 2.2 – CTDI diesel. 173 g/km (Category
'E' £160 per year). |
| Suzuki Grand Vitara (5 door)
1.9 DDiS 205 g/km |
So
unless
for you, like our saviour Mr Brown - nothing less than a Range Rover will
do (374 g/km). Either be prepared to dig deep each year or try to find a
low mileage, two year old model and hope the owner does not realise what
they have got !. |
The LMC Innovan.
Not really Geist specific news, but for those who like the quirky
simplicity of the T@B . LMC may have an equally stylish, but much more practical
answer ? And no need to worry about the door being on the wrong side.
From a rough translation of the LMC website, this caravan
appears to have air suspension and is able to adjust its ride height to suit the
road conditions and to make towing at autobahn speeds, much safer.
Like a town bus, the caravan is able to kneel when you arrive
on site, lowering the rear door from 28cm to 8cm. The innovan won caravan of the
year in Germany this year.
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Geist Please Import this
Caravan, it is a winner and the pull-out TV is superb.
(Golf off of concrete on the other
hand, is an entirely different matter)
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Geist Direct
Geist have taken the unprecedented step of selling their
caravans and motorhomes direct via trade shows and the internet. By largely
cutting out the dealer network, Geist have been able to knock thousands of
pounds off the list price of their tourer range, passing the saving on to you.
This is clearly very good news for new buyers, as these
prices are very competitive when compared to similar products supplied through a
dealer network. However, this advantage is partly negated if you have a
trade-in, as Geist will have to pass your old caravan back into the dealer
network and will consequently pay little over 'bottom book' (Glasses Guide) for
your old tourer.
For existing owners, this is not quite such good
news. This reduction in list price will trigger a similar reduction in the
residual value of your tourer. However, if you decide to trade in your
existing Geist against a new Geist, these changes should largely balance out.
You will however need to attend a trade show or visit one of Geist's few
remaining dealers to view your prospective purchase.
Paddy Doherty, director of Geist Vehicle Leisure, said he
was finding a warm welcome for Geist's new direct sales operation. "Direct
sales will give customers a major financial benefit, and with the support
network we're putting in place, no Geist owner will be far from proper service
support."
So is this a good thing or a bad thing ?. The temptation is
to say that this is a bad thing, but that would be to ignore the power of the
internet. How many people reading this, bought Christmas presents on the
internet this year ?. How many more cannot get through the week, without a quick
peek on Ebay.
I have had many conversations with caravan owners who
relayed the story of popping down the local caravan dealer for some Elsan Blue
and coming back with a new caravan !. However, many of us will see the
caravan we like at the local dealer, then trawl the internet to find someone
else selling it cheaper, even if that means driving for 4 hours to
collect. The Internet has taught us that there is almost always a better
deal out there and that it doesn't take long on Google to find it !... The
bottom line is that we pay around 15% extra for the privilege of buying via a
local dealer.
So much good information and high quality images are
available on the internet, that we can shortlist our preferred caravans without
leaving the comfort of the armchair. Only then do we need to venture out to kick
the tyres and fiddle with the taps.
I believe that Geist are ahead of the competition and
whilst I am uncomfortable about the impact on my local dealer (the
wonderful Southern Caravans) this is part of the inevitable march of technology
and e-commerce. Only time will tell, but I can see this becoming the norm,
rather than the exception.
Don't believe it ?... see how many £12k plus caravans are
sold on Ebay every day and how many dealers are now using this as a route to
market.
The January editions of Caravan Magazine
and the Camping and Caravanning Club magazine, both feature a review of the
Geist 520DL.
As both reviews were
authored by David Serpell, they are summarised as one.
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The Caravan
tested was a pre-production version of the DL520, so a few imperfections
were due to be corrected in the production version. Never the less, the
layout, comfort and build quality were all commended.
Overall the DL520 scored a very
respectable 7/10 for practicality and 8/10 for value.
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The November edition of
Practical Caravan Magazine reviews the 2005 Geist tourer range.
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The review
concludes that the Geist brand has created quite a stir, since its launch
in the summer of 2003. Recognising the relative youth of the LV range,
changes to the 2005 models have been largely cosmetic.
The new Dethleffs built DL520 is commended for its bright, modern
furniture and solid crafted feel, but criticised for its overall weight.
The November edition of
Practical Caravan is available from News agents now. Geist
Owners comment: Many of the reviews in the trade press commend the Geist's
Built-from-Girders build quality, then go on to criticise the overall
weight of the tourers. It is precisely because of the solid build quality
that these tourers are heavy. Yes - you will need a large estate car,
people carrier or 4x4 to tow the larger Geist's. However, if you are
looking for a dependable tourer, then you may consider this a price worth
paying. |
The October edition of Caravan Magazine reviews the 2005 Geist tourer range.
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The
review of the 2005 tourer's, details the largely cosmetic changes made to the LV range and
the two brand new Dethleffs built DL tourers.
There is also an interview with
Geist's managing director - Paddy Doherty.
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Camping and Caravanning
Club - review of the 2005 Geist 550
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The
Camping and Caravanning clubs review of the LV550 heaps praise on the
Geist's Germanic build quality. Described as feeling almost amour plated,
the construction of body-shell and quality of the internal joinery is of
the highest standards.
The review recognised
that this Made-In-Germany-From-Girders build quality, resulted in a heavy
caravan that requires an equally heavy towcar.
Clean and sleek - the
Geist is unashamedly aimed at the upper market.
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Caravan Club Magazine -
review of Geist LV550
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The
Caravan Clubs review of the LV550 made much of the quality of German
caravans, but recognised that the interiors are not to everyone's taste.
The Geist provides the best of both worlds by assembling a very British
interior into one of those indestructible German body-shells.
The verdict drawn by
the review was that the LV550 is a big, strong, dependable prop forward of
a thing that won't have sand kicked in its face by anybody - and film star
looks, too. Stuffed with clever ideas to make life easier.
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Caravan Life - review of
Geist LV485
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Caravan
Life's review of the LV485 accurately points out that despite being
manufactured by LMC, this is not an existing German model that has been
re-badged. This is very much a caravan designed specifically for the UK market and
tastes.
Whilst the article
finds much to like about the LV485 - particular praise is given to the
caravans end washroom and build quality - 'compared to some
home-grown products, the Geist feels almost over-engineered'
The article concludes
that 'on this showing, it looks like there's a new force to be reckoned
with'.
The July issue of
Caravan Life is available in newsagents now. For more information please
visit Caravan Life
Magazine
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Practical Caravan group
test of Geist LV535.
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The April 2004 issue of
Practical Caravan magazine reviews the LV535 against the Fleetwood Sonata and
Avondale Bianco 55. These three caravans each have a slightly continental feel
and the popular side dinette, end washroom layout.
Described as a leviathan in
terms of build quality and physical weight, the LV535 scored top marks for its
Lounge, Kitchen and Washroom, but was marked down for its bunk beds, handbrake
and the necessity to own a weighty tow car.
To obtain a
back issue of the April edition, telephone Practical Caravan on: 01235 534323
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Earls Court - Caravan
& Outdoor Leisure Show - November 2003.
The Caravan & Outdoor Leisure
Show at Earls Court was for many, the first chance to view the
LV485, LV535 & LV550 models.
LV 485: a two berth with two
long beds at the front and a rear washroom.
LV535: a four berth with two
long beds at the front , side dinette and a rear washroom.
LV550: a four berth with front
dinette and fixed rear double bed.
| Model |
Body
Length |
Overall
Length |
Unladen
weight (MIRO) |
Maximum
weight (MTPLM) |
Payload |
| LV485 |
4.88m |
6.86m |
1193 |
1400kg |
207 |
| LV535 |
5.38m |
7.36m |
1293 |
1500kg |
207 |
| LV550 |
5.40m |
7.41m |
1313 |
1500kg |
187 |
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