There are many excellent reasons to consider buying salvage parts for your motorhome if you find yourself in need of spares. You could save time, money – and the planet.

Shipping in brand-new parts from abroad is likely to produce a significant carbon footprint, and can take weeks or months, so instead, why not think about purchasing an as-new part from a local spares company?

These components will have been checked and cleaned, you might get them the very next day, and you’ll also be putting money back into the local economy (something that is all-important right now).

The hunt for spares

Whether a motorhome is new or old, it can sometimes be tricky and quite time-consuming to obtain certain spare parts for it.

I’ve heard tales of owners losing months of prime touring time when spare parts prove particularly difficult to get hold of, especially if the component makers are based abroad.

Everything gets recycled

Even with newer vehicles – models that are ‘made in Britain’ – there could be a significant delay in obtaining what you might need, while the parts are shipped in from overseas. British-built motorhomes contain many elements – a list that could include everything from the windows to the electronic systems – that are sourced from foreign manufacturers.

Another potential problem might be the furnishings. In the past, new upholstery and cushions have been stolen to order for some models, and victims have been astonished to discover that they can cost thousands to replace. Yet sourced from a salvage operator, the same cushions are far more likely to be priced somewhere in the hundreds.

The salvage business

Parts are given a thorough technical and safety inspection before dispatch

Imagine that a newish motorhome has been damaged in a rear-end crash. It is recovered to the owner’s local dealership; here it will be assessed by technicians, who discover that although the damage doesn’t look all that severe, the roof, floor, rear and side panels have all been affected.

They estimate repairs costing many thousands for new panels and an almost complete rebuild of the structure.

This information is then reported to the insurance provider, and an assessor is sent out to confirm the details.

Factoring in the hassle for everyone involved, and remaining mindful of the customer’s desire to get back on the road (plus any potential hold-ups in sourcing parts and repairs), the insurer decides that it is uneconomic to try to repair the vehicle, and writes it off.

The owner receives a payment to buy a new ‘van, and the damaged one becomes the property of the insurer.

Despite the damage, 90% of the interior and all of the appliances and upholstery are untouched and remain as good as new, which means that this ‘van has value to a salvage business.

Salvage and recycle

Karl’s partner, Nicola, handles dispatch

A family-run business, KTG Caravans & Campers, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, has dealt in salvage, spares and recycling for a decade.

Initially, the company was backed by The Prince’s Youth Business Trust, when owner Karl Pearce was just 23. He takes up the salvage story:

“We buy the written-off vehicle from the insurance company. The price we pay is a percentage of the value given in Glass’s Caravan Guide, and varies depending on the category of damage.

“For example, Category S indicates structural damage, while Category N denotes non-structural.

“After 10 years in the business, I can tell straight away what a vehicle is worth in parts. In about one-in-10 cases, we’ll repair and then sell it.”

KTG strips each salvage vehicle completely, and what remains is disposed of professionally.

“We recycle everything,” says Karl. “Windows, furniture, appliances and upholstery are all removed and stored.

“We don’t just deal in write-offs, either,” he adds. “If an owner finds, say, significant damp in their ‘van, which is uneconomic to repair, we can offer them a good price to take it off their hands, and give them a chunk of deposit for their next leisure vehicle.”

UK-wide collections

KTG’s Karl Pearce collects a vehicle for breaking, when everything usable is recycled

“We have a flat-bed lorry and collect what we buy from anywhere in the country. We’ve even been abroad. I was in Suffolk yesterday, and I’m off to Ireland on Friday! We pay cash on collection, so there’s no delay, and the owner gets the ‘van off their drive, or the dealer’s forecourt, quickly.”

Back at base, salvage vehicles will be carefully dismantled. KTG stores all of the spares on racking in its warehouse.

This includes everything from locker doors and cookers, to RCDs and toilets. Many of these parts come from older models and are hard, if not impossible, to buy new. Karl explains: “Say you need a replacement oven for a 2005 model. You can contact us by phone or email and we’ll check to see if we have the part in stock.

“If we have, we’ll give the buyer a full description of the product, including any marks, if they exist, and then we can agree on a price.

“We can then retrieve the item from the warehouse, give it a full technical and safety inspection, and clean it thoroughly. My partner, Nicola, will dispatch it to the purchaser or their dealership by next-day delivery.

“Our customers can also take confidence in the fact that our parts come with a three-month warranty. We have always been campervanners and caravanners ourselves, so we know just how important it is to have your leisure vehicle in working order, ready for the next adventure.

“If we have the part in stock, you’ll then receive it in a matter of days, not weeks or months.”

Speedy service

… washroom fittings…

So, all in all, salvage is a great option to consider for those who own older motorhomes, where new replacement parts are unavailable; where money is tight in these straitened times and where speed is of the essence.

Just search ‘motorhome salvage’ online and then, bearing in mind the customer feedback (for example, you’ll see KTG Caravan & Campers has some 50 positive reviews), simply pick up the phone. Everyone, including Mother Earth, should be a winner in this business!

SALVAGE YARDS

KTG Caravans & Campers

  • Staffordshire and nationwide
  • Tel 01782 636 306
  • Web ktgcaravansandcampers.com

National Caravan Salvage

  • Colwyn Bay, North Wales
  • Tel 01492 512 880
  • Web nationalcaravanbreakers.co.uk

New & Used Caravan Parts

  • Castleford, West Yorkshire
  • Tel 01977 604 656

Halesowen Caravan Centre

  • West Midlands
  • Tel 0121 550 7949
  • Web halesowencaravancentre.co.uk

DDS Caravan Supplies

  • Oldham, Greater Manchester
  • Tel 01706 847 776
  • Web ddscaravansupplies.co.uk

Essex Caravan Breakers

  • Stanford-le-Hope, Essex
  • Tel 07786 391 015
  • Web essexcaravanbreakers.co.uk

MK Caravans

  • Rochford, Essex
  • Tel 01702 541 001
  • Web salvagecaravans.com

Jones Caravan Breakers

  • Aspatria, Cumbria
  • Tel 01697 451 306
  • Web jonescaravanbreakers.com

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