motorhomes

[love50travel]

We are looking for a foreigner residing in Isaan who could join me in building and modifying motorhomes.

I have five already, three six-wheelers at a purchase value of 4.5 million baht each, and two smaller ones. I will buy more base units, and I have a workshop that is very complete.

I look for someone above 45, with a practical background in repairing things.

I am interested in selling units, but on a private basis, not as a business. Profit would have to be 1 million for new units, and would be split 50/50. Older units need complete refurbishing. They were originally built for the Japanese market, and are not suited for Southeast Asia.

[John Clarke]

Interesting idea. At home in Australia I designed my own camper trailer, something different from the others, fully functional set up in less than 2 minutes 1 person. Was thinking of adapting the idea for the multitude of utilities in this fine land, but I cannot do alone.

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[John Clarke]

I live in Pai

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[swissie]

Idea is good. But country not ready for it. Practically no secured camp-sites.

Stopping in the boonies for the night and lighting a cozy camp-fire etc.? You will need 2 motorhomes. One for yourself and the other one to bring along your personal Body/Property guards.

Cheers.

[edwinchester]

I'd love another camper van but 5.5 million seems a bit steep to me.

If you can post some pics of the finished product it would be interesting.

[John Clarke]

Haha yes I suppose. 22+ million people in Austraia..... 68 million or so here.... only need small % buy

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[coobah666]

Where are you based in Isaan

[Showbags]

Haha yes I suppose. 22+ million people in Austraia..... 68 million or so here.... only need small % buy

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Its about the destination...

Just not practical here, but have seen a few touring about and often wondered where they stay, how they power themselves up etc......cannot be fully self contained power wise.

[arthurwait]

5 star hotels start at 5000Baht per night. 3000 Baht on credit card deals.

I'm struggling to think who that can afford 5.5 million baht want's to go camping in the boonies instead of staying in a hotel ? Or be seen driving that instead of their Mercedes. Yes some farangs may see an appeal but they are mostly broke, farangs that aren't are staying at decent hotels on the beach.

5 star hotel 5000 baht * 2 nights * 5 times a year =50,000 Baht per year.

5.5million baht = 110 years.

You could buy 10 or more houses bigger than that in the boonies and stay in them.

[seedy]

Just not practical here, but have seen a few touring about and often wondered where they stay, how they power themselves up etc......cannot be fully self contained power wise.

Many fully electric powered motorhomes, running AC, hot water, electric stoves, ovens, etc. In N. America.

Gensets about 20kw

Some use more humble power plants, and get by on propane stoves and demand hot water.

[lazygourmet]

Sorry OP but I did not catch your biz' plan...

As you mentioned: "They were originally built for the Japanese market, and are not suited for Southeast Asia."... Is that for re-export them after being refurbished?!?

[kian246]

There are power-independent motorhomes in Thailand. Farangs drive them for sexual benefits. The further away you are from the 5-star beach hotels, the better the quality of your girlfriend.

[Rooo]

Moved to motoring forum.

[krisb]

Could aim them at tourists.

I don't know any Thais that would buy them for that price,not to say none would either.

I think if the idea would work it would have been done already.

How about caravans? Much cheaper and can be towed.

[LivinLOS]

Idea is good. But country not ready for it. Practically no secured camp-sites.

Stopping in the boonies for the night and lighting a cozy camp-fire etc.? You will need 2 motorhomes. One for yourself and the other one to bring along your personal Body/Property guards.

Cheers.

Lots of the national parks have camping facilities.. seems quite a popular passtime with young kids and bike touring types.. Especially cold season up here in the north.

The thing with motorhomes here is, they solve a need that doesnt exist. Travelling in the west hotels are a expense, a motorhome allows longer term travelling on a budget, at a high initial outlay (as well as home comforts etc). Here there is an abundance of cheap hotel options, usually a few 100b in the boonies for a decent enough room to sleep in. It makes the initial outlay of a multi million baht motorhome a poor investment.

Add in the temps here, the need for airflow or AC, and I would think these easily become ovens ??

[WarpSpeed]

Haha yes I suppose. 22+ million people in Austraia..... 68 million or so here.... only need small % buy

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Its about the destination...

Just not practical here, but have seen a few touring about and often wondered where they stay, how they power themselves up etc......cannot be fully self contained power wise.

Your opinion, why can't it be self contained power wise? Lots of people have been wrong about many business start ups and that's ok it comes natural for some but there is no way to be first to market if let everyone else take the lead. [but] at some point every business in the world was the first and received a lot of negative opinions on their way to big successes. Op sending you a PM, I've had many thoughts about this for years and have plenty of experience in fabricating and some thoughts on marketing as well.

[WarpSpeed]

Idea is good. But country not ready for it. Practically no secured camp-sites.

Stopping in the boonies for the night and lighting a cozy camp-fire etc.? You will need 2 motorhomes. One for yourself and the other one to bring along your personal Body/Property guards.

Cheers.

Lots of the national parks have camping facilities.. seems quite a popular passtime with young kids and bike touring types.. Especially cold season up here in the north.

The thing with motorhomes here is, they solve a need that doesnt exist. Travelling in the west hotels are a expense, a motorhome allows longer term travelling on a budget, at a high initial outlay (as well as home comforts etc). Here there is an abundance of cheap hotel options, usually a few 100b in the boonies for a decent enough room to sleep in. It makes the initial outlay of a multi million baht motorhome a poor investment.

Add in the temps here, the need for airflow or AC, and I would think these easily become ovens ??

Again Livin, like I posted to the other gent that is not a widely shared opinion and really the OP didn't post to get a lot of negativity he has obviously given it some thought before his investment now he just needs a working partner presumably..

Edited February 21, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

Idea is good. But country not ready for it. Practically no secured camp-sites.

Stopping in the boonies for the night and lighting a cozy camp-fire etc.? You will need 2 motorhomes. One for yourself and the other one to bring along your personal Body/Property guards.

Cheers.

He didn't ask for critics..

[samuibeachcomber]

5.5 million baht is a ridiculous price...end of story end of dream.and even if you had people who would pay that price there are no facilities to cater for them.you just cant park them on the side of the road,it would be too dangerous.

[samuibeachcomber]

Idea is good. But country not ready for it. Practically no secured camp-sites.

Stopping in the boonies for the night and lighting a cozy camp-fire etc.? You will need 2 motorhomes. One for yourself and the other one to bring along your personal Body/Property guards.

Cheers.

He didn't ask for critics..

no he did n't but he got them me included.

[gk10002000]

"..I am interested in selling units, but on a private basis, not as a business" Be careful about visa violations. Remember a fairly recent case about a fellow near Pattaya that had built or restored a boat or two and was "prosecuted" or accused for making and selling things for profit without a work permit or the appropriate visa.

[WarpSpeed]

5 star hotels start at 5000Baht per night. 3000 Baht on credit card deals.

I'm struggling to think who that can afford 5.5 million baht want's to go camping in the boonies instead of staying in a hotel ? Or be seen driving that instead of their Mercedes. Yes some farangs may see an appeal but they are mostly broke, farangs that aren't are staying at decent hotels on the beach.

5 star hotel 5000 baht * 2 nights * 5 times a year =50,000 Baht per year.

5.5million baht = 110 years.

You could buy 10 or more houses bigger than that in the boonies and stay in them.

Yes probably many similar conversations surrounding things like cell phones when there was cheap phone booths everywhere you looked, it is very difficult for some to have vision, but hey the Op wasn't asking for yours or anyone else's view point or criticism, he was just asking for a potential working partner so why all of the negativity and unwarranted hostility? Some will just never GET it and no one needs or relies on those for buyers..

What about these? At some point the market was not looking for motor homes like this either but now? Certainly hotels in Europe are not so expensive as to see any savings in owning one of these at these prices? Wake up people.. Very rich people "camping" and traveling when very relative cheap hotels are available, who could have imagined?

Edited February 21, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

Idea is good. But country not ready for it. Practically no secured camp-sites.

Stopping in the boonies for the night and lighting a cozy camp-fire etc.? You will need 2 motorhomes. One for yourself and the other one to bring along your personal Body/Property guards.

Cheers.

He didn't ask for critics..

no he did n't but he got them me included.

Yes, sadly enough. you'd think it was their money? Nice for so many to speak for EVERY person in Thailand.

Edited February 21, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

5.5 million baht is a ridiculous price...end of story end of dream.and even if you had people who would pay that price there are no facilities to cater for them.you just cant park them on the side of the road,it would be too dangerous.

So much generalized nonsense, not enough time..

[WarpSpeed]

There are power-independent motorhomes in Thailand. Farangs drive them for sexual benefits. The further away you are from the 5-star beach hotels, the better the quality of your girlfriend.

Well that's another way of looking at it, at least it isn't mindless, negative, generalizations..

[LivinLOS]

"..I am interested in selling units, but on a private basis, not as a business" Be careful about visa violations. Remember a fairly recent case about a fellow near Pattaya that had built or restored a boat or two and was "prosecuted" or accused for making and selling things for profit without a work permit or the appropriate visa.

Yes farangs on Phuket who were 'doing up their own boat' got busted for WP violations.. Seems they had done more than that and sold it for more than they bought it for.. Didnt go unnoticed.

Good luck with the venture.. Not sure catering to the uber wealthy is business plan I would pursue in Thailand, as opposed to an advanced economy.. But it sure beats losing it in a bar in pattaya.. At least its original.

Would be interested to see interior fit out and build threads.. Always like seeing some project stuff.

[pgrahmm]

1st rule for driving a MH is NEVER drive in where you can't drive through....the Thai roads are not good for navigating in a MH & maps no good + am pretty sure there's no Good Sam GPS apps.....no infrastucture for RV parks or dump stations & no in country support for accessories or dedicated RV parts suppliers such as Camping World in the US....Awnings/roof AC/dual fridges and simple things like latches that commonly break/conversion items not found here as well as the RV "toy" items that RVers love to have.....going to be awhile before their day....work permit needed for pull trailers & no stout tow vehicles...

[WarpSpeed]

Again, so much nonsense, roads in other locations were not much better back when, when motor homes first came out and like everything else they evolved along with. I've traveled plenty of roads in Thailand that are plenty adequate for motor home and pulling over and parking plenty viable and safe. What wasn't safe was driving around unknown territory seeking out an acceptable hotel late at night and not an hourly rental with TV porn or nasty dirty rooms when pulling over in a safe, clean motor home would have been perfect and with children even better as I like to drive late while traffic is light and it's cooler and they could sleep while driving, if you do have mechanical trouble with the vehicle? Just pull over, go to sleep and deal with it in day light no need to panic about being stranded, Kids have to pee but you don't? They use the head and you keep driving, they want a snack and you don't or any other meal, wife makes it and they eat it, no need to stop, there's no equal to that kind of freedom anywhere, less stops is more safety not the other way around.

Anyway noticed yesterday that this thread was somehow resurrected from a year ago and then moved to this forum so it's all moot anyway since the Op hasn't been back since, probably was put off by all the unrealistic negativity posted.

Edited February 21, 2015 by WarpSpeed

[Langsuan Man]

This post is a real life example of how to loose a small fortune in business in Thailand, start with a large fortune

And maybe the OP realized that the unrealistic negativity was the appropriate response to a dumb idea !

[WarpSpeed]

Quite an ass/umption in both cases on your part, as it's not a dumb idea in the least and you've no idea how it's doing? He may be too busy making money to come back and deal with the idiocy on here, though I do know he's been back a month or so ago. Amazing the haters.

Edited February 22, 2015 by WarpSpeed