Carthago

[mark w]

Hi all

 

as per previous post about our problems with Hymer S790, has anyone got views/experience of Carthago I.E service and general reliability?

Thinking M liner or Opus.

 

thanks.

 

Mark

[Clive]

Looked at these and also Concorde and N+B Flair. If you have serious bits to carry (like motorbikes) then the Cathargo and Concorde have less residual capacity. All very beautifully built though. All on Iveco 6 tonne chassis.

C.

[Derek Uzzell]

I believe the Carthago Opus is built on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis and that the M-liner, besides having Iveco Daily 6-tonne underpinnings, can optionally be specified on a 7.5-tonne Iveco Eurocargo Tector base.

 

In the June 2008 issue of the French motorhome magazine "Camping-Car" there was an interesting article on the Carthago factory giving details of how carefully these vehicles are constructed.

 

The December 2003 issue of the German magazine "pro mobil" published a 'satisfaction survey' that placed Carthago 2nd overall - with Phoenix 1st and Concorde 3rd.

 

I know just one current Carthago owner who, at one stage, simultaneously had a Carthago Mondial and a Hobby Sphinx - both overcab designs on LHD Iveco 6-tonne chassis. The Carthago was highly rated, but the Hobby was judged much better value for money. (I just mention this in passing as, once one enters the rarefied atmosphere of genuinely deluxe motorhomes, the concept of 'money' tends to lose importance.)

[Vernon B]

Have to say that although these 'vans are few and far between, doubtless because of their price point, they certainly look the D**'s B******s when you catch sight of one.

 

That said I seem to recall they didn't score particularly well in last year's (?) Caravan Club motorhome awards due mainly to problems with the way they had been wired up for UK mains use. There was also a piece in last month's Practical Motorhome (?) about an owner having problems with a floor hatch breaking-up as he walked on it. PM offered a solution but IMHO the pics raised questions about the thickness, hence strength, of the entire floor.

 

My personal gripe, and it doesn't only apply to Carthago, is why does top end quality only come with a 7+ metre long body, a massive bedroom featuring a fixed bed, and a lounge area too small to swing a cat?

 

Vernon