Changing Motorhome advice
15 replies
replied on 16/08/2021 07:23
Posted on 15/08/2021 15:43 by GraydjamesI have a Swift Bolero 724Fb which I have had for five years. Prior to that I had two continental vans, though admittedly French rather than German. The only issue I had with the Swift is that it had a translucent roof; this was a production issue when they used some kind of new roof material and was short lived when they came to find so many people complaining about its translucence. I was unlucky. Swift resolved this free of charge. Touching wood that I am not tempting fate, I have had no build quality issues whatsoever. This contrasts sharply with the two previous vans.
It is my long held belief that this notion of much better build quality in Europe, and especially in Germany, is a myth. For the most part you get what you pay for and you win some you lose some and it is something of a lottery. Build quality of cars has improved markedly in the last 20 years and British cars are now as well built as German. In general motorhomes and caravans still have built quality issues, but I refute the idea that this is confined to British vans.
Having had two continental vans, I made it a rule that my next van would be British with the door on the "right" left side and better kitchen equipment than in continental vans. I also find continental vans to be more utilitarian - lacking cosiness and warmth. This is the European way. Since I got my Swift, I have made cakes and biscuits and had full roasts in my van. This was more or less impossible in my previous vans. They did have a tiny oven but it was next to useless. Many continental vans have no oven at all and hobs more often than not have fewer rings.
Of the British makes I narrowed it down to Swift or Auto trail having looked at Bailey and Elddis closely as well. There was no doubt the finish on the Swifts and Autotrails was superior, but they were also more expensive. I plumped for the Swift only on the basis it had Alde heating which the Autotrail did not (same layout). In honesty I felt the Auto trail had a slightly higher quality feel.
Don't be put off buying the British van of your choice, if you can find one.
SteveL replied on 16/08/2021 07:47
Posted on 16/08/2021 07:47
Having had two continental vans, I made it a rule that my next van would be British with the door on the "right" left side and better kitchen equipment than in continental vans. I also find continental vans to be more utilitarian - lacking cosiness and warmth. This is the European way. Since I got my Swift, I have made cakes and biscuits and had full roasts in my van. This was more or less impossible in my previous vans. They did have a tiny oven but it was next to useless. Many continental vans have no oven at all and hobs more often than not have fewer rings.
Things are changing. The continentals have clearly realised we want similar equipment to what we would have in a UK model. We went for our Hymer because it was the layout we wanted, but also because we were able to have a oven almost identical to our Bailey and a large fridge freezer. The main difference is these things are all options, although the majority of vans sold here come equipped with them.
young thomas replied on 16/08/2021 08:54
Posted on 16/08/2021 08:54
we have three gas rings on our hob, more than enough....we wouldnt use an electric 'hotplate' even if we had one....just not a good thing IMV..
we have a gas oven, a Thetford Duplex, similar to many UK vans.
the door is always on the 'right side' for us, wherever we tour, its just not an issue...
we dont use the carpets, the wooden floor is nicer and gives access to the various underfloor storage sections.
the OP wants a four berth van with single beds...four users means more required storage space....Continental vans with higher rear beds would give a voluminous underbed garage area but might not suit the OP re access, despite most having simple steps, some dont like higher beds.
lower beds however will not give rear storage for larger items like bikes, this may or may not be important but something to consider.
vans with single beds but a rear washroom will give a roomy bathroom/shower but will further reduce storage under the beds.
continental vans will usually have larger fresh/waste water tanks and sometimes double floors for better insulation and extra storage. again, these things may or may not be relevant but just emphasise the different design thinking.
also, the design of the extra two berths need to be considered....a central drop down, an A class drop down, a 'make up' double, even a full overcab?
the frequency of use and importance of comfort and ease of bed making will determine which design suits best..
T rev replied on 18/08/2021 16:37
DavidKlyne replied on 18/08/2021 21:01
Posted on 18/08/2021 16:37 by T revThanks for the comments. All helps.
Any experiences of Peugeot engines in Elddis motorhomes?
The 185/285 layouts look very good.
T
T rev
Motorhomer