blacksmith Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Hi I am new to the forum . I would like some advise on the new 2021 model Autotrail Imala 615 high line lounge dinette layout which we are thinking about buying. We have looked at several motorhomes and love the layout in this one as it is spacious but still has an extra 2 seat belts and sleeps 4 comfortably if needed and is only 6.3 metres in length. The only problem we have found is that it has only got a 60 litre diesel tank and wondered if this would be a problem when touring places like Scotland due to having to fill up more more frequently. Apparently the size of the tank was reduced due to the new new Adblue tank being fitted . We have read some reviews on Autotrail motorhomes but would appreciate any advice about build quality and water ingress problems and would like to know people views and experience with this make and model or recent models?. Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 The tank size shouldn’t put you off. You could carry safety a 5 ltr can and you should have a range of almost 400 miles plus the 5 ltrs in the can. One of my customers has one of the 615’s and I must say it looks nice and he is very impressed. ( not his 1st Mh and his very picky) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith Posted November 27, 2020 Author Share Posted November 27, 2020 Hi Many thanks for your reply that is really helpful. Could I just ask what type of can would you recommend to carry the diesel because we would have to carry it in the van as there isnt a garage. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayc Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 When I bought my first new Chausson motorhome in 2009 it had the 60ltr fuel tank fitted. The 60ltr tank was then an option on'Tempo Libero' Ducatos. I travelled all over France and Germany etc and never had any problems obtaining fuel even in the high Alps. I believe there was is reserve of 10ltrs in the 60ltr tank when the low fuel lamp illuminates. I once had a 2.9ltr Scorpio Granada and used to tow a caravan. Now that did require a very regular trip to the leaded petrol pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith Posted November 27, 2020 Author Share Posted November 27, 2020 Hi Thank you that is reassuring. It does seem that the smaller fuel tanks are because of the adblue component now and also payload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Blacksmith According to the current Fiat Ducato Owner Handbook, the standard capacity of the fuel tank of Ducatos with the latest diesel powerplants (120, 140, 160 or 180 PS output and an AdBlue system) is now 75 litres including a 10 litres ‘reserve’. A 90 litre tank is available on request for all versions (with a reserve of 12 litres). For coachbuilt motorhomes constructed on a Ducato "Tempo Libero” (camping-car) chassis, a 60 litre tank is available on request (with a reserve of 9 litres). Even if one ignored the 9 litres reseve figure, the remaining 51 litres equates to 11+ gallons which - at 30mpg - should mean a realistic range of 300 miles. That ought to be adequate even for touring in Scotland (which is hardly the frozen wastes of Siberia) and I certainly wouldn’t consider carrying ‘emergency’ fuel in a can if the can had to be stored inside the motorhome. It’s perhaps worth saying - though I expect you are already aware of this - that an Imala 615 Hi-Line may be quite short (6.34m) but it’s also quite tall (3.10m) and this has implications regarding autoroute tolls in France (which might or might not bother you). The 615’s Mass in Running Order (MIRO) is given as 3020kg, meaning that there would be 480kg ‘payload’ for the 3500kg version. This recent article https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/articles/practical-advice/tech-advice-why-the-weight-of-your-motorhome-matters states that Auto-Trail’s formula for MIRO includes weight allowances of 75kg for the driver, a full tank of fuel, a full LPG tank (or one full 13kg gas cylinder) and an empty fresh water tank (135 litres capacity for an Imala 615) . So, if you plan to travel with 4 people on board, you may have to watch the weight. (Specifying the 3650kg chassis is a no-cost option and would increase the payload to 630kg, but then the driver would need a C1 driving-licence entitlement.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith Posted November 27, 2020 Author Share Posted November 27, 2020 Hopefully our payload will be ok as we will probably only have passengers on day Trips rather that touring so would not be carrying any touring Paraphernalia. it looks like the 60 litre fuel tank isn't as bad as we thought and thanks for all your advice on that. I will look at the issue of vehicle size for driving in France as I was not aware of that as we haven't toured abroad before and the height of the van is quite high but we decided to compromise as we like the internal layout and flexible sleeping arrangements . We are viewing the van next week after lockdown so will then decide ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith Posted November 27, 2020 Author Share Posted November 27, 2020 Any advice or experience of Autotrail Imala build quality either positive or negative would be welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 An explanation of the French autoroute vehicle classification system can be found here https://www.autoroutes.fr/en/vehicle-classification.htm There’s been a common but misguided belief within the UK motorcaravanning community that motorhomes (camping-cars) all fall into Category 2 irrespective of the vehicle's height, gross weight or number of axles. Although many UK motorcaravanners with tall, heavy or 3-axle motothomes have been undercharged (or have managed to ’blag’ the Category 2 rate) - it’s worth knowing what the French rules actually are. This 2018 forum thread goes into greater detail https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/French-Motorway-Toll-Classification/48629/ Regarding Imala quality, etc. these earlier discussions may be of interest https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Autotrail-imala-615/52344/ https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Autotrail-2021-Imala-734HB/55804/#M657534 There’s also this for some not-so-light reading https://www.facebook.com/groups/569051023302494/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bop Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 blacksmith - 2020-11-27 5:42 PM Any advice or experience of Autotrail Imala build quality either positive or negative would be welcome. We bought a new Imala and the best day of ownership was when we PX'd it for an alternative brand. The build quality was appalling. I really do like the look of the Autotrail vans but I wouldn't buy another until they improve the quality. I could be wrong but Autotrail is the only manufacturer today with its own 'Unhappy Owners Club'. Enough said. Good luck and do your research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninian Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Hi, Totally agree with Bop poor quality, wouldn't buy another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Thank you all for you comments it has helped and given us other perspectives and things to consider . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 blacksmith - 2020-11-27 3:42 PM Any advice or experience of Autotrail Imala build quality either positive or negative would be welcome. We recently sold a 2015 AT Tracker FB with around 85,000 klms clocked up during that time. We had no issues with water ingress and only a couple of minor build issues. One area we did find not very good was the need to replace or when possible record the window and door flyscreens. We replaced all the window screens at least twice and the door screen three times. We spend a lot of time near the ocean and salt air corrodes the eyelets that redirects the cords through the screen frame thus rendering the screen inoperable. I did point this out to both AT and the manufacturer in Holland with predictably no reply from both companies. Other than the flyscreens I would buy another AT. The Fiat Ducato was totally trouble free. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 I’m pretty sure that the window/door blinds Auto-Trail has been fitting in recent years have been “Horrex” products. https://www.horrex.nl/ There are on-line complaints about cord breakage on Horrex blinds (particularly the entrance-door flyscreen and not just on Auto-Trail motorhomes) but that’s also the case with other makes of blind that use ’strings’. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Derek Uzzell - 2020-11-29 6:45 AM I’m pretty sure that the window/door blinds Auto-Trail has been fitting in recent years have been “Horrex” products. https://www.horrex.nl/ There are on-line complaints about cord breakage on Horrex blinds (particularly the entrance-door flyscreen and not just on Auto-Trail motorhomes) but that’s also the case with other makes of blind that use ’strings’. Interestingly Derek my new Adria has one of those horrible (read Horrex) flyscreen doors however the window flyscreens are non corded and so far seem a superior design. Time will tell, however I will be carrying a can of silicon for the eyelets on the door screen. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Are you sure the window blinds are also Horrex products? My Rapido motorhome has a mixture of windows (roof and side) from several manufacturers and the blind mechanism varies accordingly (pun intended ;-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Derek Uzzell - 2020-12-01 6:18 AM Are you sure the window blinds are also Horrex products? My Rapido motorhome has a mixture of windows (roof and side) from several manufacturers and the blind mechanism varies accordingly (pun intended ;-) ) No I do not believe the window flyscreens on my Adria are Horrex. As yet not sure what brand but will track it down and advise. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Adria mtorhomes are built in Slovenia and you may well find that your Coral has “Plastoform” windows as these are also produced in that country. https://caravanandmotorhomewindows.co.uk/plastoform There’s plenty of choice though... https://www.camperbros.com/catalog/Altre-finestre-ParaPress-Polyplastic-Plastoform-Dometic-Seitz-etc- To further complicate matters, it’s not unknown for the windows and blinds to come from different manufacturers - my 2005 Hobby motothome had Polyplastic side-windows, but those windows’ blinds were made by Remis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted December 4, 2020 Share Posted December 4, 2020 Derek Uzzell - 2020-12-02 5:03 AM Adria mtorhomes are built in Slovenia and you may well find that your Coral has “Plastoform” windows as these are also produced in that country. . Derek you are correct the windows are Plastform brand. They have an extended edge the is slightly rolled inwards that stops rain drops from finding there way into the MH. IMHO an excellent design. I am still to identify the blind/flyscreen manuf. there are in fact two different styles used both cord free (thankfully) and both of the roller style. Two have an open bottom while the others have a four sided frame. They work fine so we will keep our fingers crossed. Now have just over 4000klms in the last month and it is behaving beautifully. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 4, 2020 Share Posted December 4, 2020 Your blinds might be Dometic products (DB Series and Rastrollo 3000) https://www.dometic.com/en-gb/uk/products/climate/blinds/roller-blinds or the ‘open bottom’ ones might be Remis REMIflair 1 blinds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willtravel Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 Sorry I have come to this thread a little late but you wanted experience of build quality of Imala 615 and we owned one for 3.5 years. Apart from screws being too short and the wardrobe door falling off regularly, generally speaking for a motorhome the build quality was reasonable until.......... I emptied the van for the second year hab check and noticed water droplets on the floor under the bench seat, took some photos and told the dealer about it. At the end of the hab check his words were "you have catastrophic damp ingress but it is repairable"!!! As it turned out they failed to repair it properly and we did a deal with another dealer who did repair it and we sold the van to them in part ex for a PVC, which we are very happy with. Damp readings first year were very good and no concern, at the second hab check they were in the high sixties, the dealer wouldn't or couldn't explain why and I lost complete faith in him and Autotrail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 blacksmith - 2020-11-27 3:42 PM Any advice or experience of Autotrail Imala build quality either positive or negative would be welcome. I have recently sold a 2015 AT Tracker FB with 80,000 klms on the clock. Overall I was pleased with the build quality. We had two issues, one was the bathroom door jamb split where the hinge screws were located. The replacement upright was aluminium rather than the original MDF item. Would expect no issues with the new style. The second was a bottom cupboard rear wall came adrift , an "L" shape aluminium strip fixed that problem. The weak link in the product for me was the poor service life of the flyscreen door and window flyscreens. Three flyscreen doors and each window screen replaced at least once, some twice. The problem I have identified is corrosion of the eyelets that redirect the tension cords. The corrosion wears the cord that finally breaks. In fairness we do spend a lot of time near the ocean and salty air is I am sure a factor. This may not be an issue in your travel locations. The Ducato performed flawlessly. Water ingress was never an issue. Overall a very comfortable MH to travel in with a comfortable bed and seating. I hope this helps. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtemps Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Be careful. I have had 3 new A/T’s in the last 18 years and in all seriousness each one was worse than the last regarding quality. Ever hopeful I kept buying until the last one, a Tracker developed damp issues after 12 months on top of loads of other problems. Sold after 18 months, enough was enough and bought foreign. A/T’s are lovely looking vans and are easy to buy, so do seduce, particularly, the first time buyer. I suggest you research carefully particularly the Imala models. There have been many adverse reports. There again you may have the luck I never had with this brand. I hope you do and wish you well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 This thread began on 27 November 2020 and the discussion seemed to have run out of steam on 4 December. I notice that the enquirer (“blacksmith”) last logged on to this forum on 24 December 2020, so further comments on Imala/Auto-Trail quality may now be falling on deaf years. (Ho, Ho!!) (If blacksmith is still monitoring this discussion, perhaps he could confirm this and say whether he needs further Imala-related advice.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 Hi everyone Thanks for all your responses. There are varying views on Autotrails .... some very positive and some not so positive but we have decided to go ahead and have now placed a deposit on an Imala 615 but unfortunately due to lockdown we are unable to collect the van! We love the layout and also the length of this van And we did manage to view and test drive it after the last lockdown in November and arranged to collect it on 6th January which was the first day of lockdown !! No doubt this is something's that has happened to other people but we are hoping that we will be able to collect it maybe end of February. We have had a few extras fitted which are a grab rail as the entrance step in quite high , an external shower point and a spare wheel and carrier as this is something that is important to us and also a gaslow system. I'll keep you posted and once again thanks for all your comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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