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DOWN SIZING AUTOTRAIL VERSUS BURSTNER.


Guest Vi

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Hi! Happy forthcoming Easter. Perhaps you may remember the trouble I had with the DVLA.and my Husbands Licence.5 letters,two different licenses etc.Tony Blair,Local M.p. Health Trusts etc.We still have to wait 9 months for the Hospital Appointment and find out what the blip is.So in the mean time I am driving our Auto Trail Scout,Not an occupation I really like,but it as to be done.Philip Likes the Mercedes.but finding a Merc on a 3500 kgs is impossible on a British Motorhome.we have read all your views on mercs versus Fiats(MERCEDES WOES).We have found the Burstner 710 on Mercedes, as any body out there got one?.If so what is it like?.I still like the Auto Trail.It's breaking my heart havng to sell the Motorhome we so love.We are looking for a preloved with lots of Extra's like our own.we think they are out there but findng what you want is very difficult.I would welcome your replies on BUrstner versus Autotrail.and the Burstner 710. We know you won't let us down. Regards Vi.
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Guest Clive
Hi Vi, The motorhomes on the Merc 3800 chassis are actually 3500 chassis up-rated with the "Camper Package" It should not be a problem getting any of these down plated to their original 3500 rating. But remember the technical residual capacity will go down by 300Kg should you get checked. But I LOVE driving our Scout! Good luck Clive
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Guest Derek Uzzell
In June 2004 MMM reported on a Burstner T-Star 695, which is largely the same as a 710 except for interior-layout variations. Personally, I'd be wary of this model's stated mass-in-running-order figure (and hence its consequential usable payload). I'm buying a Ford-based Hobby T-600 FC design. This has a 2-litre motor, fwd and a platform-cab chassis - all things that tend towards lightness of construction. It's 6.38m long, 2.75m tall, 2.29m wide and its mass-in-running-order is given as 3005kg (max weight = 3500kg). Based on Burstner's 2004 brochure, the T-Star 710 has a 2.2 or 2.7 litre motor, rwd and is built on a lwb chassis-cab base. It is 7.16m long, 2.76m tall, 2.30m wide and its mass-in-running-order is given as 2990kg (max weight = 3500kg). In order to calculate the mass-in-running-order Hobby and Burstner use the same formula that includes variables relating to water and gas capacities. However, the T-600 FC and T-Star 710 both have the same water-tank size and, in fact, the Burstner design can carry more gas. There are 2 ways to look at this - either Hobby is being pessimistic about the T-600 FC's weight or Burstner is being optimistic about the weight of the 710. As the latter is significantly larger than the former and constructed on heftier running-gear, if the Hobby weight is correct, the 710 definitely ought to be quite a lot heavier than 2990kg. Mass-in-running-order can vary by +/- 5% and 2990kg + 5% = 3140kg, reducing usable payload to just 360kg to cover all passengers, luggage, accessories, etc. As the 3500kg limit is critical for you I strongly suggest you confirm (via a weigh-bridge) the vehicle's actual weight before buying a 710, particularly if it's equipped with heavy extras like a tow-bar or large awning. The reason UK converters don't build large Mercedes-based 3500kg motorhome designs is because doing so would leave little useful payload for their customers. 'Foreign' converters don't all share this philosophy! (On Clive's point, my understanding is that the Mercedes motorhome chassis is actually 3800kg, but normally 'down-plated' to 3500kg to meet current Eurozone driving-licence restrictions and provide a wider buyers' market.)
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