New Bailey 75-2 Autograph

I had the previous Approach model (same layout and size) on an Al-Ko chassis and didn't really have the problem you describe in the six years of ownership. I did once scrape the spare wheel carrier when turning sharp left and uphill on the way to a site in Austria. On the early models the step well as lower than it is now and I did knock that against a high kerb. However on the newer Autograph models and the Alliance model I now have, (66-2) the step is level with the bodywork so that shouldn't be an issue although its a slightly higher step up. The only issue I see with the new Autographs is that they don't have a very high load margin. I know many people have a weight upgrade but that is driving licence dependent. Although not as luxurious as the Autograph range the new Alliance models have a far higher payload. The Alliance 76-2 might be worth a look?

David

 

If you use 'Facebook' you might want to think about joining the 'Bailey Motorhome Owners group'  you can chat to owners of that model of vehicle. Its a very friendly group with lots of help and advice.

We had the original Bailey 625 SE model, we never had any issues with catching the rear end or the skirts but I believe some of the longer models have experienced issues with sleeping policemen and in France some of the ramps going into fuel stations etc. 

ok, this is going to seem very negative but I wish to highlight some of the issues that a caravanner might not be looking for..

firstly, and most importantly (IMV) weight....and lack of payload...

running a 7m MH at 3.5t can be 'tricky', running a 7.5m MH at 3.5t is (IMV) unworkable....here's why....

the van weighs 3185kg in 'running order'.....giving a (apparent) payload of 315kg...sounds a lot comapred to the 150 or so in a caravan doesn't it?.

however, these days, to make the payload appear larger than it is, most manufacturers don't include any fresh water in the tank.....I can't find the definitive Bailey position but I'll wager its like the majority of others...

in addition, there is no allowance for your OH....a nominal 75kg in these calculations....  

so, fill,ypur tank ready to go, add the good wife and .....Oh....you've now only got 140kg left, suddenly less than in some caravans...

now remember, you have no towcar to carry all the heavy awkward stuff, it all has to go in the same vehicle....

at this point the dealer will tell you that he can upplate the van to 3650kg (or even 3850kg) and your payload worries will miraculously disappear....not so...

the van sits on a 'light' chassis with finite axle limits, the rear being 2000kg, always vulnerable on longish vans with substantial rear overhangs as in this Bailey model...

doing a 'paper' upgrade to the van doesn't change the limit of that rear axle, so the same weight issues remain.

this van should be built on the heavy 4250kg chassis but this would reduce appeal to Bailey's core customer....older folk who may not have the higher license groups...

and now we come to storage..

even if the van had decent carrying capacity, this van has no exterior access to either front seating area and only a letter box sized flap to access the underbed storage...large items (sometimes wet or muddy) will have to carried through the nice new van...

not only is this a long van (over 7.5m) it's also the widest of the major players at 2.5m......many others are 2.35, some 2.27, ours is 2.12m.

IMV, you might find this spacious inside (again, Bailey appealing to those like you who are coming from a caravan) but it may well be a right pain on the road or in car parks...

as I said at the top of this post, you may see this as negative stuff, but it's blooming expensive negative stuff if the van doesn't work for you..

happy to help with any questions but magazine reviews won't tell you any of the points I've made, preferring to focus on the selling points of spacious interior and and the fact it's the same as their caravans....

mhing is definitely not the same as caravanning, the single vehicle alone introduces restrictions (space and weight) and this needs to be fully understood before signing the cheque...

MH is terrific fun, but the constraints have to be understood, and then the myriad advantages can come flooding through...

good luck

Not that I'm thinking of buying one, BB, but how would such a vehicle go for towing a box trailer for some of the load - especially the wet muddy large stuff? Would the noseweight kill it?  Or the rear overhang lift a trailer off the ground on a hump bridge?

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I think Tammygirl's suggestion of joining the Bailey Motorhome Owners Group of Facebook is a good good one. There are now thousands of happy owners of Bailey Motorhomes who take their vans all over Europe and the UK. Some use sites some don't. It is also a good resource for technical information. We changed to a motorhome six years ago having caravanned for over 30 years. You will appreciate the ease of setting off and and setting up on site.

David

...and then upgrade it...

the point is that the salesman will be the last person to raise the lack of payload issue....it's easy to buy a shiny new van for its upholstery colour (apparently)...

I agree, owners forums can be useful, and yes we saw quite a few baileys in France and Spain on this trip, but none of the above changes the fact that this particular model is very short on payload and (as with other similarly proportioned vans on the light chassis) very vulnerable to going over the rear axle weight limit...

if I were looking at a van like this, I'd fill it with water, sit the OH in the passenger seat and drive it to the nearest weighbridge and get an actual picture of the spare capacity on the rear axle...at least I would know the extent (or not) of the problem...

140kg total spare capacity (of which perhaps only 60 or less is free on the rear) is a tiny amount for food, bedding, clothes, pots, pans, shoes, bikes, books, electrical kit, iPads phones etc, etc...

with the main storage being behind the rear axle, the fulcrum effect means that each kilo placed under the rear bed applies more than this to the axle, so the capacity might only be 40kg or so....

yes, conjecture on my part, but based on experience and a knowledge of how much kit we can carry and what it weighs...

id weigh the van....if the salesman won't do it, I'd find another one who will...

i had our current van weighed by our dealer as a condition of sale as I wanted to be fully confident we could run it in race trim within 3.5t limit.

my van is only 6.4m X 2.12m so considerably smaller than the Bailey and, being an A class is less rear axle biased, but we run at 3400kg incl water, kit, bikes etc and wine allowance....so, ok but close enough to continue to be careful...

my van is only 6.4m X 2.12m so considerably smaller than the Bailey and, being an A class is less rear axle biased, but we run at 3400kg incl water, kit, bikes etc and wine allowance....so, ok but close enough to continue to be careful...

Surely a schoolboy error BB not using that extra 100kg for more wine allowance??

I totally agree with the other comments made especially regarding the way you use a MH compared the a caravan.  As BB says Bailey do well with people moving from caravan to MH because the layout and feel is that of a caravan so it is easy but to build them with no payload is shocking (not only Bailey).

We bought a new van yesterday, it was on a 4,250 chassis but we opted to uprate to 4,500 to make sure we do not go over as even with a big payload it is easy to do once you fill the tanks, put bikes in garage plus all the other stuff you carry and it became part of the negotiation to get this done before handover so it is easier to register it at the higher load rather than change later.  The sales person was even suggesting it to us.  We currently have 3,850 and although we are within the limit with about 100kg to spare the rear axle is just about at 100% so with only 3,500 capacity it would be impossible IMHO.

hi Michael, now you've got the juices flowing, what have you spent your wine money on....?

didnt think you'd had the Knaus for that long?...another one, perhaps?