Tar-Ten Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Hi everyone, I am looking at a Hobby 600se 2000 MH.. I really like the look of them and its within budget.Just wondering if anybody here can give me advice on them as to if they are any good... Heres the link to the one I am looking at... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOBBY-600-SE-LHD-LOVLEY-CONDTION-FIXED-FRENCH-BED-4-BERTH-HISTORY-GERMAN-BUILT/254632872629 Is it worth that money? I have checked out the MOT history and it looks ok... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 On my pute there is something odd with that ebay page, cannot bring up the seller or his feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Obviously either a dealer or a scam! His history lists dozens of MH's and caravans as being sold so be very wary! CAVEAT EMPTOR and if in doubt walk away, you will always find another. Keith. PS And don't forget it is Left Hand Drive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tar-Ten Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 I can see all his feedback and yes he is a dealer of sorts, but he has sold quite a few high priced MH all with positive feedback and to people with high ratings themselves.... LH Drive not a problem as planning travel Europe way.... If all being well.... Is it worth that kind of money??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 It looks excellent for its age. I too can’t see his feedback for 3 -6 - 12 months. I checked the reg on line. The mot is correct and it’s Sorn at the moment. We are now in our 8 th MH and the 2 nd German one. I have to say the build quality is by far better than the French ones we have been purchasing lately. I’ve admired the Hobby MH’s for some time.only draw back for me is the French bed. But if you and your wife are slimmer than us, you should find it fine. Would I be correct in saying it’s the 5 speed gearbox. Some have been troublesome. If it is. Change the oil ASAP and some say to overfill slightly. Is it far for you to travel to look before you put a deposit down. I certainly wouldn’t do that. You need to see the log book. Both keys. Receipts ect. To make sure his the legal owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 It all reads as being too good ! Why does someone have shout how good it is? There are errors in the details which is NOT good. There's a hurry to move it by enticing a quick deposit without viewing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 I have no difficulty obtaining what on-line information there is about the ebay seller... Regarding the Hobby model itself, a GOOGLE-search will retrieve plenty of useful data and photos. https://tinyurl.com/ybx5t7eu The Ducato-based 600 had Hobby’s unique curved aluminium side bodywork. The blue trim is (probably) a self-adhesive plastic material not paint (as that was the case with my 2005 Ford-based Hobby motorhome). Hobby ’standardised’ the fit and finish of the materials used in their motorhomes’ interior, so the cheaper models were equally as ‘de luxe’ inside as the most expensive. The quality should be evident from the ebay advert’s photos. (Worth checking the condition of the bed’s mattress - my Hobby’s was poor.) The asking price seems not unreasonable to me. Follow Den’s advice and, if everything is kosher regarding the vendor and the vehicle, it looks like a good buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 A follow-up... It may be stating the obvious, but the Hobby 600 being advertised is 20 years old and a motorhome that age may have faults that will be VERY expensive to put right. Things to check are functioning properly - the fridge - the heating system - the rear axle/suspension. The Hobby has an AL-KO chassis with independent rear suspension and a torsion-bar-spring axle that, if not properly and regularly greased, can seize up, requiiring complete replacement or an extremely costly rebuild. Confirm the age of the tyres via their date-code and that they are in good condition. Is there a spare wheel and, if so, what is the condition of its tyre? The Hobby’s body is built on a wooden skeleton framework, so a very thorough damp-check should be carried out. I’m guessing that the vehicle is sold as seen (ie. there will be no warranty) but check that’s so. Me, I’ve some concern over ebay adverts that are semi-literate and contain obviouserrors, as they suggest that the advertiser either can’t be bothered or that the advert is suspect. That’s the case with this advert and, as this would be Nick’s 1st motorhome https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/First-time-purchase-Used-MH/54879/ he will need to be particularly cautious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 The big question for me is whether the seller is a dealer or not. The law is VERY different between a private sale and a dealer sale, and I believe a dealer still has liabilities even if he tries to sell 'sold as seen'. I would check with the likes of Trading Standards for the difference in the conditions and then ask him straight out if he is a dealer. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Nick, My comment still stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 I agree - Nick needs to be very careful. For what it’s worth, Hobby Operating Instructions that should be applicable to the advertised vehicle can be found here https://www.hobbyowners.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Hobby-Manual-2001.01.pdf (NB: This is a biggish document/file (122 pages and 56Mb) and I had a bit of difficulty getting it to download.) A GOOGLE-search on the mobile phone numbe provided indicates that the vendor has been advertising individual vehicles (of various sorts) for several years. The adverts have usually contained plenty of misspellings, so perhaps 5611darren has mild dyslexia. (Not a joke - it’s a quite common condition.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Derek Uzzell - 2020-06-26 6:26 PM The adverts have usually contained plenty of misspellings, so perhaps 5611darren has mild dyslexia. (Not a joke - it’s a quite common condition.) Or his native language is not English? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 I had Dyslexia, words on a page were like Chinese but I was brilliant at pictures and making anything. I see life in pictures, its great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tar-Ten Posted June 28, 2020 Author Share Posted June 28, 2020 Hi everyone and thank you for all the answers.... I have now actually bought this van.... The person selling it ran a caravan and camping park and he would sell vehicles for customers in varying circumstances, hence it looked like a dealer. After talking with him on the phone for a while going through the van particulars he came across as genuine and pretty much said that if I came down and the vehicle was not as he described then he would give deposit back without question, but if this was the type of van I was looking for then I would not be walking away after I viewed it.. Should I really say,.... but it was a 1100 mile round trip.... :'( and believe you me I did have big reservations about it before putting deposit down.. However , I can't explain it but after talking with the guy it just seemed the thing to do... I went through the paperwork and it was all good, proper service history stamps, cam belt paperwork etc etc.. All instructions in English , original Hobby documentation , alarm upgrade paperwork , two sets of every key...V5... Trade sales invoice... Gas valve upgrade paperwork...Tyre bands paperwork... Practically brand new tyres all round with receipt....ohhh the list goes on... It had been absolutely hoofing it down with rain for hours, which I was happy about as it would give indications of leaks and such... All the inside was original with no repairs or signs of damp... I opened every cupboard , under seats and bed... Shower, sinks, lights all ok.. Test station and switches all working... Outside for its age was brilliant with only slight signs of bubbling on the lower trim on the sides... chassis looked very clean ( however I am used to NE Scotland salty corroded chassis, so everything looks good..) There are only a few things I need to look at really.... 1. Get all the curtains , covers and mattress cleaned/freshened up 2.It only had a normal FM single din radio so that will be getting changed.. 3. The temp gauge was over reading when cold at 110 and it had a bit fluctuation, so probably faulty earth, short or sensor ( This kind of game me a moment of ' Oh Sh1t ' about 340 miles back up the road as it decided to slowly climb from 110 uptown 130 where it then decided to put the water overheat indication on....I pulled over, turned off and checked the connections... Left it 20 minutes and turned it back on to find it was still at 130 but light out... Left it another 30 minutes to cool... but needle didn't budge and it should have dropped in that time if reading properly...... Bit the bullet and drove the next 210 miles.... No problem.. So I'm going to test the sensor later once I wake up properly... The drive was fantastic. It was smooth and so easy to drive with a fair bit of torque.. yes its the 5 speed manual but all the gears have that nice resistance into and lock into position and not sloppy and like water.... 4. Upgrade head lamp bulbs to a less yellow glow 5. Put led lamps in van So now I have just got to get my head round all the functionality of it and its little quirks... I am sure something may pop up to bite me on the ass with it...but who knows.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve H Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Good luck to you. I would certainly recommend staying fairly local for your first couple of trips out to get familiar with it. Happy camping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Well done Nick. It’s sounds like a decent MH and well cared for by previous owners. I’m sure you’ll have some great times. All the very best Den Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 Thanks for coming back with the full story so many ask questions then their never seen again. I hope You have many happy tours in the Van we spent the first 3 nights in both of our vans on our drive shut the house fri pm and didn't open it again till mon am. So best wishes and Thank You Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Tar-Ten - 2020-06-28 6:53 PM ...4. Upgrade head lamp bulbs to a less yellow glow I notice that, in your left-hand-drive Hobby motorhome’s MOT-test history, in 2014 among the reasons given for test failure were that the headlamp dipped-beam pattern ‘kicked up’ to the UK offside. This was a sure indication that the LHD Hobby still had its original right-dippng headlamps. The ‘kick up’ thing hasn’t been mentioned in the MOT-test history since 2014, suggesting that either the headlamps were replaced by UK-standard left-dipping units (which should really have been done before the motorhome was UK-registered in 2000) or - perhaps more likely - ‘masks’ are temporarily being stuck on the vehicle’s headlamps prior to the MOT-test being carried out (which is an allowable practice). You may well be aware of this (and it’s a long way to March 2021 when the next MOT-test is due) but it’s perhaps worth mentioning as you plan to improve the vehicle’s lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tar-Ten Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Good afternoon everyone, Yes,there are sticky things on the headlamp lenses and in the paperwork there was a pack of spares as well.. After doing a 550 mile drive back I am more than confident with the reliability of driving it, but as suggested we will be doing a couple of local weekenders to get used to the operation of it.. Its one of those things I suppose where now we have it we just want to get out in it... Couple of thingsI was looking at: The gas bottles... Is it worth upgrading to a safe fill bottle which can be recharged at the petrol stations... It would mean not carrying two of the Calor bottles and saving some weight with the ease of topping up when traveling around.... Sat Nav... Any recommended ones? Like the idea of putting in vehicle sizes and weights and letting it do all the hard work...especially up here where roads are not exactly the most vehicle friendly and we are planning on going wild at times... Again, thank you for all your replies and well wishes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 There’s been a good deal of forum discussion about “Safefill” bottles since they began to be marketed in the UK some 8 years ago. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/search/query.asp?action=search&searchforumid=all&keywords=safefill&author=derek+uzzell&days=&Submit=Search (As you may gather from the above threads, I’m not a fan of them.) All three of my motorhomes have had relatively compact dimensions similar to those of your Hobby 600SE and I’ve never found a need to buy a specialised ‘camper/truck’ type sat-nav. Currently our motorcaravanning is done in France and, although I have ended up in French farmyards occasionally, or on roads with a 6”-clearance on each side, this has always resulted from my own optimism (or “reckless stupidity” as my wife fondly calls it) and no sat-nav however ’smart’ would have prevented that. Up to you, but I’d suggest you opt for a TomTom or Garmin device with life-time software/map updates, a good size display (7” preferably, but at least 5”) and not be too concerned about being able to input vehicle dimensions. However, if you really want the dimensions capability, you might find this of interest https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Sat-Nav-Renewal/55230/ (I’m used to Garmin devices and, nowadays, for directional advice I employ a fairly recent Nuvi 2559LM 5”-screen unit with up-to-date mapping, plus an ancient Garmin that I use in ‘data’ mode to provide a fairly large speed readout.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve H Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 I'm too lazy to read Derek's links all I can say is - avoid safe fill. I purchased two such cylinders in the mistaken belief that I could us them as part of a refillable LPG system. Unfortunately the Safe fill system is not suitable for that as they have only one valve for both inlet and outlet. So you can't plumb them in permanently, they have to be removed every time for filling. So that was a lot of money wasted. I now have a Gaslow system fitted with two large cylinders and an external filler on the side of the vehicle. Armed with the adaptors I can refill the cylinders in situ anywhere in Europe. Yes it costs a couple of bob but it is money well spent. And because I have the filling point on the outside I never have any hassle as filling stations when I go to refill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tar-Ten Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Thanks again guys.. very useful info.. I did look at safe fill as being a top up and forget easy gas system, didn't realise you had to disconnect each time.... Will look into that external refill point with adaptors... The van is rated at 3400 and the book says it can easily be uprated to 3500 with special permission... Anybody have any experience of doing that.. I have read some threads ranging from specialist company to do it yourself If I get it uprated , I get an extra 100kg which will be more than enough.. Hopefully going to get it on a weigh bridge in the next week to find out exactly where I stand with it... Its only got an awning with safari room, bike rack and a extended tow bar as extra just now.. Looking at taking the tow bar off as I won't be using it ... As for sat nav...as I think about it your spot on.. I kinda got to thinking OMG motorhome...bridges....aaaaaagggh But as I look it hasn't got the bulbous over cab bed and is probably only bigger than some transits due to roof rails... so a sat nav like you suggested is probably the way to go.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.