libby Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Should be well aware what problems they are buying into if they choose a FIAT. If these columns are anything to go by the more recent FIAT M/H is by far the worst piece of equipment ever produced. OK so it's cheaper say many, and OK if you've nothing else to do and have an engineering degree you could probably put right most of the faults that keep occuring, and they do, every week! Some refer to their M/H almost as 'Gods gift' to the world, but for what, constant problems that never go away. There used to be a time when motorists would carry a complete tool box in preperation for the worst. It would seem that in 2009 FIAT are still antisipating fellow travelers to follow that mode. The potential second hand market is even more complicated with no warranty and the dealer loosing countless money through returns he is not willing to fix. There is an age old quotation that many large companies (such as FIAT) choose to follow "It was a saving of Money" There is only ever one answer, do your homework well and read these columns every day! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Bill - are you not aware that MMM's High Top, A Class, Low Profile and Motorhome Of The Year 2009 are all on the Ducato chassis!!!! I assume that the base chassis is of no importance when choosing the winners of these awards to recommend to their customers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 ron. - 2009-03-17 12:48 PM Bill - are you not aware that MMM's High Top, A Class, Low Profile and Motorhome Of The Year 2009 are all on the Ducato chassis!!!! I assume that the base chassis is of no importance when choosing the winners of these awards to recommend to their customers? They may well be...But they don’t actually pay for these tested "highly acclaimed" vans out of their own pockets do they! Also they depend on advertising from these various companies. So they have more than a vested interest in acting dumb and promoting a pig in a poke.... I wanted a new EuraMobil which is unfortunately only available on a Fiat and have waited all year for Fiat to do the right thing...but the problems seem to go well beyond the gearbox and clutch. So I am looking else where however difficult that may be to avoid Fiat like the plaque! I really think the post on the main Fiat thread where someone said their fiat commercial repair centre use Renault delivery vans! says it all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DESCO Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 They may have been voted the best motorhomes but that did not go for the chassis,That did not even get a mention. I spent a long while looking for a diferent base and finally found a Liaka x595c on a transit base, and have not looked back since. I have had a few problems but every thing has been sorted in a most efficient manner. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondo Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I am considering changing my motorhome but until this so called Juddergate is sorted I reckon Fiat/Peugeot is a no no.A Ford or a Renault chassis may be on the cards with the Renault just in front at the moment, possibly an Adria conversion. I currently own an Eldiss Autoquest 140,(07) on a Peugeot chassis there are no probs with it but you never know let's hope the PX value holds up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 DESCO - How can a motorhome not include the chassis? Suggest that you read my post again to understand what I was saying. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DESCO Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Ron It is possible to get the same motorhome but produced on a different chassis, all I was saying is that the Fiat van itself did not even get a mention as a starter base Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Dave Yes, I know that you can get the same/similar bodies on different chassis, but those judged 'winners' were all on the current flawed Ducato and not available on alternative chassis. I think that we are talking about the same thing in different ways. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 F I A T = Fix It Again Tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DESCO Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Ron Agreed and how is it flawed,seems to get worse and worse every time you read a post >:-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted March 17, 2009 Author Share Posted March 17, 2009 Regarding any organisation that receives an award (be it for a M/H or a Radio or TV show) is just part of the merry-go-round of that particular group of people. Someone dreams up a reason for a company expenses lunch, then someone has to be chosen as a winner, all it means is that a person, object or item has their name spread around to add to their sales advertising. It does not mean they are any better than anyone else. "Flavour of the month" is a term that comes to mind. The facts are that many persons are totally gullable and believe them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 So far as Fiat is concerned, I can never even contemplate buying a vehicle of any kind from their stable. Their problems are not design or manufacture, they could be rectified easily. The current problem is the "We are never wrong" attitude to customer concerns. I found out the hard way but I do learn, especially when it costs me. Stuart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 For those new to the site or thinking of buying their first motorhome, it is worth pointing out that it is only the newest Fiat vans that are causing problems now and these seem restricted to motorhome users. The new Fiat van does get decent write ups in the commercial vehicle press. Problems with earlier vans seem to have been well sorted and a Fiat base can give many years of good service. I am on my 4th Fiat base and have only had 2 problems. The first was when I lost 2nd gear. The gearbox was rebuilt under warranty. The second was a jammed gear stick which the AA fixed by the roadside. Fiat's customer service does tend to go from poor to awful and back to poor but I doubt it's much worse than any other motohome base vehicle manufacturer. Only Fiat court the motorhome market. We don't seem to be over endowed with decent Fiat dealers either despite their efforts to increase the number. I wouldn't buy a new Fiat but I'd buy an older version. The new Trannies where my son works are happily clocking up 2,000 miles a week without problems. However, they drive them hard and they are designed to take this hammering. Perhaps we should stop listening to our vans saying, "Be gentle with me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I have covered around 100,000 miles in various Peugeot Boxer / Fiat Ducato based motorhomes from 1988 to date and I have NEVER had one breakdown or let me down in any way - yet - but I'm working on it! I had some electrical, injection and sensor issues with some early petrol ones but all of the diesels have never missed a beat or a gear or refused to climb any hill or failed to start and I would recommend one to anyone as a good reliable dependable base vehicle. They are not faultless as the throttle pedal is badly angled causing ankle ache and the drivers seat is often too high to see out of the windscreen when a swivel base is fitted but both these issues are easily solved by cruise control and a lower seat base. Also the ride on non Alko vans is a bit too hard for my taste and the brakes can be a tad weak when (compared to a car) thumped hard in anger from high speed (more than 60). Ideally I would like a Sprinter based van next but these too are not without their issues so for the forseeable future it looks like previous model Boxers / Ducatos for us because they offer the widest choice at the most sensible (least ridiculous?) prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panagah Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Why o Why do people insist on knocking 1000s of the resale value of their MHs. I love my fiat, always have done, great bit of kit as far as im concerned. Wish I could afford the new model, all my friends have the new models and not one has a problem. Lovely to drive very well eqiiped, a stonking van as far as im concerned. friend has a transit, has had nothing but trouble both with th evan and from Ford themselves. Peugot? same engine, but the post doesn't warn about not buying them. quite frankly these posts are becoming as boring as towing with an a frame. Im sorry if you have had problems with your van, but it happens and it can happen with anything mechanical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armstrongpiper Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Potential buyers should notice that there are a lot of 'knockers' of Fiat based M/Hs who do not actually own one themsleves, but delight in passing on their wisdom secondhand. I know there are problems currently being pursued vigorously, but I and many others throroughly enjoy the driving experience of the new Fiat base and have never had any issues with it. Neil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 Great to hear it, but of all the M/H's discussed on these forums the FIAT does get some knocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondo Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Tracker - 2009-03-17 5:52 PM F I A T = Fix It Again Tomorrow! F I A T = Found In A Tip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Are we overlooking one fact you tend to only hear from people with problems. We all know Fiat customer service is c**p but in my experience Ford are not much better. Of the thousands of X250's produced there are only a few hundred complaints about judder. Yes a few hundred too many but it's still a good Motorhome base vehicle. With my van I taken it to every steep hill in my locality and reversed up it and I can not get it to judder, a bit of vibration if you are not careful letting the clutch out and I agree reverse is a bit too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinfrier Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I cant believe some peoples denial that there is anything wrong with their vehicle it's been pointed out many times that as a mass production vehicle ther all the same it just that many have never been put to the test. What about the water under the bonnet and all the long term problems that causes? Now look at FIAT responce such as " it was designed to get wet" and for judder "its the way there driven" it's taken 18 months of campagining to get FIAT to do anything about such problems £50k for a vehicle that causes nothing but heartache and stress never again. I have owned well over 50 vehicles in my life and NEVER NEVER encountered such problems and stone walling from the makers. So for those of you in denial Wakey Wakey it could be you next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 My Autotrail Tracker EKS 3l auto drives superbly, and reverses uphill smoothly at an absolute crawl, ie hardly moving. Changing from auto to manual on the move is simplicity itself. I am delighted with it. I am not trying to denegrade the experience of those with problems, just to mention that this particular model is a very good piece of kit. Porky well fed and happy his Fiat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Never had any water under the bonnet either. first thing I did when I got it was to hose the front end to check. On hols in last year we had a tremendous downpour water was running of the roof like a waterfall down the screen after it stopped I checked under the bonnet, it was DRY. As for the comments of denial how can you deny something it you don't have a problem in the first place. A friend of my has the same van we brought them from the same dealer at the same time his van has no water or clutch problems either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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