Guest JohnH Posted October 5, 2005 Share Posted October 5, 2005 I am a complete newbie to motorhoming. In fact, I haven't started yet because I am due to collect my 1st one, on the 29th October. I realise that this is probably a bit late in the season but I believe you can get a better price at this time of year. I have ordered an Elnagh Clipper 90 2.3jtd. I know I should have asked before I paid my £2000 deposit but if anyone else owns one of these, I would like to know if I have made a wise choice (or not). I would be grateful for any comments, both good and bad from anyone who either owns one or has heard anything about them. Regards, JohnH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nigelt Posted October 6, 2005 Share Posted October 6, 2005 Hi John I have an Elnagh Joxy 12 - I bought it from new and it's just passed its first MOT. You don't see many Elnagh's about in the UK. It is a superb 'van - and I would not swap it for anything else in the price range at the moment. You don't say if your 'van is new or used. We had an epic with ours when we bought it because the washroom door was damaged and it took the dealer the best part of 12 months to get the correct replacement to our satisfaction. However, on balance, the 'van is great. Ours is on a fiat ducatto mk2 and we have had no problems with either the base vehicle or fitted equipment. Buying a motorhome is a nightmare and if you have found one size and layout wise that suits you, then go for it. Just make sure that when you collect it, make a list of everything you are not happy with and insist it is dealt with... But above all...enjoy! Regards Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Hinton Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Hi Nigel, Thank you for your reassurance regarding the Elnagh. Since I've been thinking of buying a motorhome for about 6 months now, I have noticed a lot of them about but only one Elnagh. I was getting a bit worried that there was something wrong with them. The one I am getting is a new one from Don Amott Leisure. We could have had it sooner but we had booked a holiday in Venice about 7 or 8 months ago and we go on the 15th October. I think Venice is a wonderful place but I wish now that we hadn't booked it because I can't wait to discover the joys of motorhoming. We have chosen Morton in the Marsh as our first weekend away, because it's reasonably near to where we live and as we have never done it before, it will probably be quite a steep learning curve. A lot of the sites close down at the end of October don't they so there's not quite so much choice at this time of the year. We intend to get away most weekends, if we can. Anyway Nigel, sorry to go on and thank you for replying to my message. Regards, John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nigelt Posted October 7, 2005 Share Posted October 7, 2005 Hi We had our 'van from Amotts also... We've spent a week in winter at Moreton in Marsh - nice site and you can walk into the town and also to Batsford Arboretum. The main club sites do get oversubscribed in winter because there just aren't enough open. I love hillwalking and try to get into a club site in the Lake District between Christmas and new year. The last time I left it until a few weeks prior, they told me they were virtually fully booked for the same period the following year! What are good though off season are the CL and CS sites approved by the main clubs. These are smaller, but many are open all year and have hook-up's and hot showers. You can't go wrong as anything else you need is already in your 'van. Consider these when punting around Venice! Have a good time. Regards Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek Uzzell Posted October 8, 2005 Share Posted October 8, 2005 John: As you say, Elnagh motorhomes are rare in the UK, but they are popular in Continental Europe. I've found a short report on the Clipper 90 in the April 2004 French "Camping Car" magazine. The article used a 6-star system to score the Clipper as follows: Bathroom **** Kitchen *** Bedroom **** Quality of the 'caravan' section **** Quality of furniture construction **** Storage ***** Services/autonomy **** On the road *** Plus points particularly noted were: Excellent value for money (36550 Euros in 04/2004 - currently 35990 Euros) Well thought-out and usable layout of living/dining area. Well made and well-equipped kitchen with good-sized fridge and plentiful storage. Large payload (900kg quoted). Negatives were: Could do with more (or better) lights throughout. Ventilation - could benefit from having a roof-light in bathroom and above bed. Restricted access to bathroom - doorway entrance only 40cm wide. The cab-seats were said to need a bit of manipulation to swivel them and the front 'bed' was rated for occasional use only. (Nothing especially damning about such comments - they apply to most motorhomes with this layout). Because of the rock-bottom price, it was suggested that buyers should consider spending a bit more and specify a large Heki-type roof-light over the lounge to replace the small standard unit. The 2.3 litre Fiat motor was praised (good acceleration) and, in view of the price, manual window-winders were forgivable. The report carries photos that show a modern open-plan design with half-dinette/side-settee front lounge, central L-kitchen and large permanent rear bed with bathroom (separate shower) alongside. Based on these pictures, the one reservation I'd have would relate to the vulnerability of the bed to cooking spills. Most motorhomes I've seen with similar layouts have a higher bulkhead between hob and bed to protect the latter from flying fat spatters. If the above comments read as rather negative then it's my fault. The Clipper report was one of 12 in the same magazine concentrating on motorhomes with a 'front lounge' layout and the vehicles selected were considered to be the pick of the crop, ranging in price from the Elnagh's E36550 to a Fleurette's E57100. All of them were criticised on at least one point (eg. no kitchen work-surface in the Fleurette's case), which just proves there's no such thing as a perfect motorhome. I'm sure you've made a wise choice, but do follow Nigel's advice about checking the motorhome over thoroughly before paying for it. If you can, I strongly suggest you visit the dealership and view the vehicle in advance of the official hand-over. This would give you the opportunity (hopefully) to inspect at leisure without a salesman bombarding you with information. As a 'newbie', it would be an excellent idea if you could get hold of the Elnagh and Fiat handbooks before the hand-over for some preparatory reading. (Also, get yourself a copy of "The Motorcaravan Manual" (Haynes Publishing)) Finally, make sure that the date of the Fiat warranty coincides with the hand-over date (or is somewhere close) and that you know the duration and terms of the various warranties. There are occasional problems with motorhome warranty start-dates that, if recognised when the vehicle is first sold, can be nipped in the bud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike & Jackie B Posted October 8, 2005 Share Posted October 8, 2005 John Hi We bought a Clipper 10 from Don Amotts in 2004 and have had very few problems with it. The only real problem was the drain in the shower came adrift in France and water poured out onto the floor everytime we had a shower! however Amotts fixed it straight away under warrenty with no arguments. Found Amotts to be very helpful-even to offering me 100% money back against another Elnagh at Lincoln show. We have had some great times with the van, no problems whatsoever on 3 European trips plus many in UK. The only negative I would give ours is lack of surface space in Kitchen but answer to that is eat outside more! I will certainly look at Elnagh again when we update/upgrade but at present feel we have a great van at the price compared with an English van at probably 50% more. I'm sure you'll love it! If you want a scooter rack fitting, go to Armitages in Ferrybridge-made to measure and at very good price. Maybe see you on the road-enjoy your van Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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