Auto-trail

[Guest Jan]

I wonder if any owners of an Auto-Trail Apache 600 would be prepared to comment of the pros and cons of their vehicle as we are thinking of buying one. Many thanks.

[Guest Clive]

Can't comment on the Apache but can on the Scout. For us its been a cracking vehicle since new when purchased in 1997. Merc based. However since then Autotrail have new owners so you really need input from a very recent customer. Good luck with the quest

[Guest Maureen]

Jan, We have an 2005 AutoTrail Cheyenne 660. The quality is second to none. As in nearly all new purchases there are usually a couple of minor niggles, but we have found nothing to seriously complain about. I don't know about the Apache but I can heartily recommend an AutoTrail. Their Owners Club is great too! Maureen.

[Guest Bill Ord]

I owned an Autotrail Cheyenne 635 for four years and 48,000 miles. The fibreglass was of poor quality and had to be repaired by Lamplas the makers of the body. This was not without problems as Autotrail were very difficult about it. It was done by Lamplas the body maker as a good will gesture, in other words not our problem. Have a good look at the Autotrail Cheyennes rear valance and you will find many of them cracked and crazed as there is no protection from stones thrown up by the wheels, I added protection after the repairs were done.I also had gel coat problems on the roof which I repaired myself. The driver seat upholstery and both of the setees were worn out at 26,000 miles/two years and Colin Treacher at Autotrail reluctantly agreed to have them recovered after finding that some material was available at Tec seating, I took the van to Tec seating at Melton Mowbray and then Premier Furnishings at Ilkeston to have the work done.Brownhills who I bought the van from were very helpfull but it helps if you can go and have a face to face with the company itself. The material was called Blenheim and I still have some, enough to recover the odd seat so if you have a van with this upholstery you're welcome to it if you collect. The visit to Premier Furnishings was interesting as they told me that they had advised Autotrail against using Blenheim upholstery as the wear characteristics were not good enough. it seemed that because I use my van more than most the problem had surfaced early. Would I buy another Autotrail? probably but not a new one as I'd let someone else have the inevitable problems, Autotrail are still single skinned on the rear valance, they're not listening to the customers and the valances still get damaged, the day I was at the Autotrail factory there was another owner in with cracks in the over cab section. Bill Ord

[Guest Paul]

Like Bill Ord I too had or have a problem with poor quality from this company . Bought new in 2002 an Autotrail Dakota on a Merc base and had 26 problems with it, some trivial but some very serious. I also bought from Brownhills who at the time can best be described as well intentioned but completly ill equiped to deal with the major problems I had. In fairness I did get them all fixed eventually by the factory after 15 months or so but the experiance has certainly put me off buying another new vehicle quickly so instead of changing at 3/4 years I will now buy new again at 6/7 years and this time around would probably look first at a Rapido.

[Guest Bill Ord]

It's a shame that good design is spoilt by poor execution with Autotrail. I bought a Rapido to replace the Autotrail and one year in I've had few problems.The general fit and finish is good and generally I'm well pleased and would buy another. Rapido understand and build camping cars; you seem to get durability and the ability be self sustaining for several days at a time on account of the large water tanks the ease with which a second battery could be fitted and a good fridge freezer, all things which are important because of the way I use my van. I'll let you know if things change. Bill Ord

[Guest Bill Ord]

It's a shame that good design is spoilt by poor execution with Autotrail. I bought a Rapido to replace the Autotrail and one year in I've had few problems.The general fit and finish is good and generally I'm well pleased and would buy another. Rapido understand and build camping cars; you seem to get durability and the ability be self sustaining for several days at a time on account of the large water tanks the ease with which a second battery could be fitted and a good fridge freezer, all things which are important because of the way I use my van. I'll let you know if things change. Bill Ord

[Guest trevorf]

We have an Apache 670G and love it. No problems at all so far. Much prefer the decor and kitchens in British built vans compared to foreign ones. The only thing I would like to see improved is the size of the water and waste tanks which are a bit small. Regards Trevor

[Guest Will's Wagon]

We bought an Apache 700SE in April 2003 and sold it in September 2005. We did 17,145 miles and 260 nights in it, visiting France three times and Italy once and averaged 22 mpg. We liked the design, space, the level and quality of fittings and the light and airy feel. We were never let down but had a few problems, the water pump wouldn't hold its prime but was replaced quickly under warranty. We had the front brake caliper assembly replaced(apparently a very unusual problem) again under warranty. The "super duper status directional aerial" we found to be useless and we replaced it with a £14 portable aerial from Dixon's which was brilliant. At the second year habitation service they found two loose floor boards and a damp patch at the rear nearside which was caused by faulty rivets. This necessitated a factory return under warranty with no problems in arranging it or having the work done. We also had a front window motor fault which was changed under warranty. We now have a new Cheyenne 635 and like all the latest Autotrails, the quality of fittings and build has improved, the specification and equipment level is arguably the best in the business. I am sure that the latest Autotrails are the best in terms of quality and value for money that the factory has produced so I would not have any worries on that front. Have you thought about a factory visit before purchase because this will show how much care is taken in the materials and workmanship side. To visit phone: 01472 571000. They show you everything. One other recommendation is to buy local if you can as it makes warranty problems easier to sort out and less time consuming.

[scoutse]

Hi all Been reading have any autotrail owners had spring assisters fitted to there vans as i am thinking of it to help as the springs seem to crack a little ? Also i have a steep drive to park on and hopfully it will lift the back end up a little we have owned this for only 2 months but to date we are very pleased with it . cheers mark

[anthony]

We purchased a 670G in May this year we have had two major problems so far one shower cubicle panel cracked and two water leak in lounge and bathroom met both colin treacher and paul howes from autotrail found them interested in our problem van as been back to factory we are awaiting its return later this week whilst it was there they also sorted out a few more small problems for us so here's hoping everything is going to be okay from now on, besides this in our oppinion both the quality of the motor and its fittings are second to none and like anything else no two people agree what is good for one may not be for another you hear good and bad for all makes whilst on sites :->

[ROND]

Hello, sorry i have not got the same model Apache as you but I have got the Apache 700 and bought it new in 2004, i was until recently a Autotrail fan but sadly i cant say that i would ever buy another Autotrail after this one. As another forum member said the fibreglass work is of very poor quality, at present my MH is back at the dealers having the overhead cab reinforced and has now been there for nearly 5 weeks. The first we noticed was damp in the overhead, on the second anual inhabitation service they checked it and found the cause was the overhead cab had split both at the front and both sides at the back. The cause was flexing of the overhead cab in the wind, it simply wasnt man enough for the designed job so it has been back for another 4 layers of glass fibre mat and some stiffeners put in. If you put a cleaning brush on the top it would simply flex in, they certainly skimped on the materials. The second year gaurantee is covered by insurance andd not Autotrail themselves, they refuse to accept liability as it is water ingress not caused by a leaking seam !!!!!! I ask you, Autotrail themselves are picking the bill up. Also the shower tray is split, again they wont cover it. The gaurantee is worthless. Is it the only one like it ???? no way i have myself seen a couple of others with poor fibreglass work and looking on the different forums it seems there are several more out there. This is just my feelings and experiences but no i would certainly not buy another Autotrail.