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| Time sharing a motorhome make sense, but are drivers in South Africa ready? |
BERT Loontjens has more than 50 years experience managing hotels,
lodges and BnBs in several countries, but one thing he does not understand is
South Africans’ love affair with time sharing.
“I can tell you nowhere else on earth offer as much to see as South
Africa, so why would you want to go to the same place year after year?” he asked
Wheels.
Instead, Loontjens advises people to invest in a motorhome,
“Look, I am Dutch and whatever you can think of doing in or with a
motorhome, we Dutch have done it. So I can tell you the big problem with sharing
a vehicle is maintenance and insurance. You have to dedicate one of the members
to manage these responsibilities, as well as the bookings and even rentals of
the syndicate’s motorhome.
“With these ground rules established, you only have lovely holidays
waiting to happen.
Loontjens points out that syndication of motorhomes is popular in
Australia, and for long boats in England.
“The business practices are well established. Each member of the
syndicate owns a share of the motor home, which of course means each member
shares in the cost of ownership, or receives a share of the funds when the motor
home is rented out of sold.
He said there are several types of syndication. “Fifty-two people
can buy into the scheme for one week a year, which they can bank or trade; there
are schemes that allow members to buy into to syndicate for a fixed period,
typically four years — this is popular in Australia — or three families may
agree to share the costs of a motorhome, with the right to sell their share to
approved families when they want out.”
Whatever type of syndication one chooses, it remains the smartest
way to enjoy an impulsive weekends away or cheap holidays throughout South
Africa.
Contact Loontjens on 076 848 4033 for more on “time sharing”
campervans.
(First published in Wheels 26 May 2016.)
