As there seem to be various rumours circulating about R20 and its replacement let's end the speculation and give you the latest news direct from the factory.
Romahome Ltd had been aware for some time that Citroen would eventually stop production of the Berlingo First which would mean the end of our hugely successful R20 models.
By reading various threads on this forum you would know that over the last three months owners have been talking about what they want to have included in any eventual replacement for the R20.
The overall consensus has been to build ‘ the same again’ but on the new Berlingo chassis. ’ Don’t let it get any longer’,’ Keep things simple’ etc. We know from examining the options ordered for the Outlook/R20 the specification most customers have preferred and will also be able to include a few new clever features without losing the essential character of a vehicle that started its Citroen life 25 years ago in 1986 as a Romahome C15 Hitop. We’ve listened to comments from many Romahome owners and appreciate all this very valuable input.
Well the good news is that we can confirm that the replacement R20 is under way (and under wraps) in our R&D department and has been for several months.
The first question inevitably is ‘when can you see one?’. Existing owners will appreciate that moulding to a high standard means you have to spend an inordinate amount of time on sculpting and building the first mould. Sadly, the dimensions of the new and old Berlingos are completely different so we’ve pretty well had to start again.
Once we have built the prototype we then need to ‘productionise’ the factory line which again leads to time delays. At this stage, March 2012 is our target date to deliver the first models sold.
Inevitably with the poor Euro exchange (the Citroen chassis and many of our components are sourced from Europe and paid for in Euros) there will be a price increase over and above the standard R20 models. We’ll do everything possible to minimise this by finding easier and quicker production methods without affecting quality. Time will tell!
The existing R20's are still in high demand and the factory of course needs to keep working so with such a potential delay before we can show the new model we decided to release a limited edition R20 but at a very attractive price.
We knew there were a number of existing owners keen to buy ‘one of the last’ and thought it would be a nice touch to celebrate our 25 year anniversary with Citroen and launch a limited edition model called the R20 Jubilee with a production run of just twenty five vehicles (definitely not 50 as reported).
We have included Pullman seating, a new silver/maroon R20 Jubilee logo, scatter cushions and upholstered front seats and a Heki on the Hi and reduced the price to £27,995 OTR for both Hi and Lo models. This options package amounts to savings of nearly £2000 and the Jubilees will be available for delivery this September on the new ‘61’ number plate.
Avon Motor Caravans, Richard Baldwin Motorhomes, Freeborn Motor Homes and the Romahome Centre have all placed factory orders and will be receiving their first Jubilees soon.
We have always restricted our production volumes whilst maintaining high build quality and this combination has given Romahome probably the lowest depreciation and the best residual values in the marketplace. The Jubilee range and the new model have been designed to help us maintain this position. Both will be great value for money.
We will update you on the new model late Summer but, in the meantime, there is nobody at the dealerships or factory able to give you any more information than above.
The R25 range will slot in above the new R20 as a bigger vehicle with more space and will undoubtedly continue to justify its award as MMM's 2010 Small Motor Home of the Year.
Sorry for posting such a long note but there's quite a lot to say and I didn't want to leave anything out!
Romahome Ltd had been aware for some time that Citroen would eventually stop production of the Berlingo First which would mean the end of our hugely successful R20 models.
By reading various threads on this forum you would know that over the last three months owners have been talking about what they want to have included in any eventual replacement for the R20.
The overall consensus has been to build ‘ the same again’ but on the new Berlingo chassis. ’ Don’t let it get any longer’,’ Keep things simple’ etc. We know from examining the options ordered for the Outlook/R20 the specification most customers have preferred and will also be able to include a few new clever features without losing the essential character of a vehicle that started its Citroen life 25 years ago in 1986 as a Romahome C15 Hitop. We’ve listened to comments from many Romahome owners and appreciate all this very valuable input.
Well the good news is that we can confirm that the replacement R20 is under way (and under wraps) in our R&D department and has been for several months.
The first question inevitably is ‘when can you see one?’. Existing owners will appreciate that moulding to a high standard means you have to spend an inordinate amount of time on sculpting and building the first mould. Sadly, the dimensions of the new and old Berlingos are completely different so we’ve pretty well had to start again.
Once we have built the prototype we then need to ‘productionise’ the factory line which again leads to time delays. At this stage, March 2012 is our target date to deliver the first models sold.
Inevitably with the poor Euro exchange (the Citroen chassis and many of our components are sourced from Europe and paid for in Euros) there will be a price increase over and above the standard R20 models. We’ll do everything possible to minimise this by finding easier and quicker production methods without affecting quality. Time will tell!
The existing R20's are still in high demand and the factory of course needs to keep working so with such a potential delay before we can show the new model we decided to release a limited edition R20 but at a very attractive price.
We knew there were a number of existing owners keen to buy ‘one of the last’ and thought it would be a nice touch to celebrate our 25 year anniversary with Citroen and launch a limited edition model called the R20 Jubilee with a production run of just twenty five vehicles (definitely not 50 as reported).
We have included Pullman seating, a new silver/maroon R20 Jubilee logo, scatter cushions and upholstered front seats and a Heki on the Hi and reduced the price to £27,995 OTR for both Hi and Lo models. This options package amounts to savings of nearly £2000 and the Jubilees will be available for delivery this September on the new ‘61’ number plate.
Avon Motor Caravans, Richard Baldwin Motorhomes, Freeborn Motor Homes and the Romahome Centre have all placed factory orders and will be receiving their first Jubilees soon.
We have always restricted our production volumes whilst maintaining high build quality and this combination has given Romahome probably the lowest depreciation and the best residual values in the marketplace. The Jubilee range and the new model have been designed to help us maintain this position. Both will be great value for money.
We will update you on the new model late Summer but, in the meantime, there is nobody at the dealerships or factory able to give you any more information than above.
The R25 range will slot in above the new R20 as a bigger vehicle with more space and will undoubtedly continue to justify its award as MMM's 2010 Small Motor Home of the Year.
Sorry for posting such a long note but there's quite a lot to say and I didn't want to leave anything out!
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