LORNA Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Hi, anyone out there have experience of this motorhome? Would welcome any comments and experiences. Seems like the reviews are good. Thanks for any contributions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
william1 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 We were considering a Ravenna seven years ago as our first buy - the position of the cooker put us off - too near the living area for accessing the oven. We went for a Pollensa instead - in our view a more user friendly layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 LORNA - 2010-01-13 10:10 AM Hi, anyone out there have experience of this motorhome? Would welcome any comments and experiences. Seems like the reviews are good. Thanks for any contributions! LORNA The "Ravenna" model was built on either a Ford chassis (Transit Mk 6 and, I think, a few on the Mk 5) or on a Peugeot Boxer. Although the interior layout is similar in all cases, it might be useful if you said whether you were interested in a Ford version or a Peugeot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Ord Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Hi, I had a Ravenna. It was a very early one, number five if I remember correctly. It was not a happy experience. Lots of build problems and fresh and waste water tanks too small to be of any practical use. Built for use in the U.K. only for use on caravan sites as the autonomy was very restricted. When I collected it I went to try to find the water heater and it had been built under the wardrobe floor with no access so back to the factory to have the bottom of the wardrobe modified. The fridge was ridiculous, 70 litre and with a step in it of the type fitted over a wheel arch, as this wasn't over a wheel arch I asked why and was told it was so they only had to stock one fridge!! I had it removed and fitted a better fridge at my own cost. The cooker and the mirror on the shower room door created a terrible noise on the road and though the cooker could be cured by packing it out with a tea towel the mirror was always a problem. The swivel table in the lounge area was screwed to wall board with no reinforcing so although it was in a position which invited siting the TV it was impossible as it would try to tear away from its mount. I could go on but you probably get the drift of how it was made. On the positive side the factory as Willersly were always helpful but it was clear that no one there used motorhomes. If you are the kind of person who wants a motorhome as a "lifestyle" rather than to use it then it will fit the bill but for any serious use it the Ravenna is best avoided. Bill Ord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazmax Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Hi we find the 2003 ravenna great so far its on a ford transit base,a good power plant sits at 70 mph no probs, very warm got it over 20 degrees in glencoe at new year it was -11 out side, although we have a diesel heater fitted to heat rear of van when traveling and back up if gas runs out, [we have just had a Gaslow system fitted two 6kg bottles ] cooker not a problem, not to many rattles most you can live with. have some problems with speed control on truma heater hope easy fix.Not had the van long but we find the bed very good enough room for two + a boarder terrier, not used the over cab bed yet. The overall finish on the van interior and exterior is a very good standard, we spent over 10 months lookng for our van we found one with only 6000 mile on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 Hi and thanks for all these points and shared experiences. We are considering a 2005 Ravenna on a Ford transit. We would use it for longer holidays including going to France and possibly experiencing the France Passion scheme so some autonomy would be desirable. We would be new to motorhoming having only hired before. We would like to be able to park a motorhome on a supermarket car park as a measure of not having one that is too big for us to use occasionally as a second vehicle if necessary. We are couple with a part-of-the-family dog. Really don't know what to think as there are such strong endorsements and some very specific criticisms! Hope the added info might induce some more advice and thanks for your time - all opinions are very welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 To be honest you wont go far wrong by opting for a Ford Transit as the base vehicle and an Autosleepers conversion. In my opinion the two are an excellent combination especially for a first buy. Autosleepers are not fancy conversions but do tend to be solid and reliable although a tad old fashioned. If you buy any motorhome of any make you will need to check for damp. In this respect Autosleepers are as good as any and, as far as I know, are not prone to water ingress. Good luck in your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Mike88 - 2010-01-15 9:18 AM If you buy any motorhome of any make you will need to check for damp. In this respect Autosleepers are as good as any and, as far as I know, are not prone to water ingress. Auto-Sleepers (or at least those built since 2000) very definitely have an unenviable reputation for water leaks where the windows seal against the motorhome's bodywork. There was also a design fault with Transit-based Ravennas where a water-tank hose rested on a rear-suspension spring and (predictably) became damaged. Safety-recalls (and Ford service recalls) need to be checked for the Transit base-vehicle (there was a safety recall on the rear axle drive-shafts I believe). As Bill says, water-tank sizes are smallish - 54litres (fresh) and 52litres (waste) - which will be a nuisance if a need for autonomy is envisaged. Ravenna is just over 6 metres in length and I'd debate whether it qualifies as a 'second vehicle' option - depends where you live perhaps. Despite the above, I support Mike's first paragraph observations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoHomer Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 We have one, purchased new in 2004, Transit base. Re earlier comments I can confirm some problems with window sealing but these have been rectified by our Dealer. Disappointing nonethless. I re-routed fresh water fill hose after noting a "weep" caused by it abrading on road spring - not too difficult. Tanks are on small size but we manage OK although we're not wild campers. Fact is, I guess any m/home will have its quirks and issues relating both to the model generally and to the specific vehicle. Frequency and severity varies! In summary, ours has given good service and the Transit base vehicle's excellent, really! We browse m/homes when around dealers (don't we all) and on returning to ours the Auto-Sleepers conversion always impresses in terms of cosiness and quality. Local Ford main dealer v good and Auto-Sleepers have been v helpful over the years. MMM printed a user report some time back I think, if you're interested in getting hold of a back copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted January 15, 2010 Author Share Posted January 15, 2010 Thanks very much for this info and honesty. I really appreciate that you have tried to balance good and not so good points. Really am in a bit of a quandry: we like the Autosleeper cosiness too but hadn't realised that there were issues like small water tanks, window leaks to investigate - had naively thought that the Autosleeper name itself was a quarantee of quality and user-friendliness! Would you buy another Ravenna or another Autosleeper if you were looking to change? Thanks once more, Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 LORNA MMM had a Ford-based Ravenna on long-term test in 2001. Eight articles on it were published in the following magazine issues: July 2001 August 2001 September 2001 October 2001 December 2001 January 2002 February 2002 March 2002 Besides the smallish water-tanks, a Ravenna's gas-locker was designed to accept just two 6kg(propane) Calor bottles. This shouldn't matter for UK touring, but can be a nuisance if you are abroad for an extended period off-campsite as most Continental gas cylinders will be too wide to fit in the locker. The usual 'cure' is to install a refillable gas-bottle. There's a dedicated "Auto-Sleepers" section on the MotorHomeFacts forum that it might be worth you ploughing through. In essence, Auto-Sleepers designs are aimed at motorcaravanners who tour within the UK and have traditional 'British' tastes when it comes to specification, layout, decor, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
william1 Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 LORNA - 2010-01-15 10:21 PM Thanks very much for this info and honesty. I really appreciate that you have tried to balance good and not so good points. Really am in a bit of a quandry: we like the Autosleeper cosiness too but hadn't realised that there were issues like small water tanks, window leaks to investigate - had naively thought that the Autosleeper name itself was a quarantee of quality and user-friendliness! Would you buy another Ravenna or another Autosleeper if you were looking to change? Thanks once more, Lorna As I said in my previous reply we settled for a Pollensa - my general comment is that Autosleepers, certainly in the 2003 era were a well engineered motorhome. As to the comment about being more suitable for 'English touring' - we cerainly have not found any problem touring abroard either with water tank or gas storage capacity which I am sure will be endorsed by other AS owners. No matter which MH you settle for there will always be comments 'for and against' - good luck ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 From my caravanning experience I always found that sealing around windows was a potential source of water leaks. Are not all coachbuilts/low profile motorhomes vulnerable in this area and are Autosleepers any worse than any other manufacturer? Having owned 3 caravans that have been ruined by water leaks I decided to go down the panel van route for my motorhoming. The problem I found is that you don't always notice the water until it is too late as it quickly sinks to the lowest point and remains undetected. But I think it is fair to say that water ingress on any coachbuilt/low profile motorhome is a possibility and vigilance is essential to avoid the kind of problems I have experienced. For that reason a damp meter costing around £20 from Maplin might be a good idea. I would not be put off an Autosleeper just because others have experienced a water problem. What is important is that the vehicle you want to buy is leak free and during the period of ownership keep checking for damp. As for the size of water tanks I think you have to work with what you have got and don't get hung up on capacity. If you use your van abroad, wildcamping or on Aires and Stelplatz or on campsites you can always find places to empty and fill your tanks. As for gas I just use a Camping Gaz 907 bottle to top up my Calor when abroad. Gas capacity should not be a concern unless you are planning to spend several months abroad at any one time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted January 16, 2010 Author Share Posted January 16, 2010 Thanks for the further advice - much appreciated. As you say, you work with what you have but starting from first base, as we will be, we are trying to learn as much as possible. For instance, we would like our motorhome to provide a shower for us rather than having to use camp facilities, especially when the weather has not warmed up. Would the water tank size mean that we wouldn't be able to wash-up and do a couple of showers without having to fill up on a daily basis? Sorry if these questions seem simple but experience is a good thing to add to any decisions we make in the near future. Thanks again, Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 My Van auto sleeper Lancashire is four years old now and no sign of any leaks from anywhere as for the water tanks, 70Lt is enough for two showers and the washing up after breakfast, but I tend to fill up every day as we leave the site, considering the tanks are slung underneath the van, we have camped as low as -9 degrees and the water didn't freeze (perhaps we were lucky. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 You should have no problem in France with water as there are thousands of Aires with water and waste dumping facilities. Some you have to pay for and some are free. I carry water in a separate carrier as well as we don't like using water out of the onboard tank for drinking since seeing the inside of a water tank after a couple of year's use. The sediment had to be seen to be believed! You mention France Passion which is a scheme that is not to everyone's liking but details of French Aires can be found on this site here. http://www.campingcar-infos.com/index1.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 LORNA - 2010-01-16 12:22 PM Thanks for the further advice - much appreciated. As you say, you work with what you have but starting from first base, as we will be, we are trying to learn as much as possible. For instance, we would like our motorhome to provide a shower for us rather than having to use camp facilities, especially when the weather has not warmed up. Would the water tank size mean that we wouldn't be able to wash-up and do a couple of showers without having to fill up on a daily basis? Sorry if these questions seem simple but experience is a good thing to add to any decisions we make in the near future. Thanks again, Lorna I allow between 10 and 15 litres of water per shower - so two people taking a daily shower (separately, not together!) should use 20-30 litres. (As the Ravenna's water boiler only holds 10 litres, if you got through much more than 20 litres you'd be entering the Cold Shower Danger Zone.) On that basis, a Ravenna's water system would permit two days of judicious showering and washing up, but you'd need to replenish/empty the tanks before Day Three, which is probably when you'd want to be thinking about emptying the toilet cassette in any case. Where water tanks and gas reservoirs have a relatively small capacity, there is a danger that these limitations may dominate the way you use the motorhome. Our previous Herald Templar's original waste-water tank held around 30 litres and required daily emptying. This drove me to distraction and I eventually replaced the tank with a 60 litre one. The Herald's gas-locker could only accept UK 6kg(propane) cylinders and, although I never ran out of gas while abroad, I always worried that I might. Initially, I replaced the gas-locker's door with a larger one so that I could insert 'foreign' cylinders if I had to, and then I obtained a user-refillable gas-bottle. The Herald was our first motorhome and we had planned to use the vehicle to tour within the UK using campsites. In practice, we never did as, having discovered the delights of French aires de service and the joys of the France Passion scheme, we've only ever camped twice in this country. With hindsight, the Herald was 'wrong' for how we came to use it, but, with a few modifications, it served us well enough for 6 years. Motorcaravanners as a species tend to be very protective and tolerant of the motorhomes they've owned (unless the vehicles happen to have been real dogs!) Me, I think motorhomes are tedious - a boring chunk of caravan grafted to a boring light-truck chassis - and all I want is for the thing to work in an equally boring manner and not unpleasantly surprise me. That's why I'm far more interested in negative comments about a particular make/model of motorhome rather than positive ones, as it's the non-obvious negative aspects that may cause me pain, whereas the positive features are usually self-evident. For example, there's a short article on page 131 of MMM January 2010 relating to a 1995 Herald Templar. As one might expect, a one-page review won't offer the type of in-depth observations that a Templar owner could provide, but it's a reasonable and positive overview even though some of the "Spec Check" data are inaccurate. In fact, what a prospective buyer of that vehicle would REALLY need to beware of is the combination air/water heater hidden in the base of the wardrobe. This was originally an Atwood Confort 3 unit for which spares are near as dammit non-existent nowadays and for which there is no servicing support. If a Confort 3 heater becomes faulty (and early ones have a habit of rusting internally), then the normal course of action is to replace it with a different make of appliance (usually a Truma C-Series), attracting a bill of well over £1000. The small waste-water tank and gas-locker door are potential irritations; one might choose to add a bathroom window (our 1996 Templar had one); but a heater failure (and ours failed) could seriously damage one's bank balance. With external and uninsulated, restricted capacity water tanks, a gas-locker too small to accommodate 'foreign' bottles, a full size domestic hob/grill/oven, a gas/230V water-boiler and gas heater with 230V option, it's plain that the Ravenna was designed to suit UK motorcaravanners likely to tour within this country using campsites (with 230V hook-ups) during Spring, Summer and Autumn. Of course Ravenna can be used satisfactorily by people who 'wild camp' outside the UK, as we did with the Herald, but that does not make a Ravenna's specification ideally suited for such practices. It does need to be emphasised that, having been fairly negative about Ravenna and the Templar, I could be just as negative about our present Hobby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 I am indeed indebted to the explanations and thoughtfulness of these points. Thanks a lot and hopefully I will make the right decision soon and then be able to get on here and rave about how great the lifestyle is, like so many others! Without your advice, I would have no idea what it means to take a shower in terms of capacity and re-fill needs! Best wishes, Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 I wouldn't be to concerned about the gas capacity just go abroad with 2 full cylinders. We lost the mains electric last year on day 1 of a 4 week trip to France and so had to run water, fridge etc all on gas alone. We have 2 7kg butane cylinders and wasn't sure what the overall consumption would be. We were a bit careful over usage and maybe had a couple of more salads than we would have done but the first cylinder lasted 3 weeks so there was no problem. I will admit that I was relieved when we passed the 2 week point as it meant we could just carry on as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 See you have an Autosleeper Eton. Do you like it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 graham - 2010-01-17 7:36 PM I wouldn't be to concerned about the gas capacity just go abroad with 2 full cylinders. We lost the mains electric last year on day 1 of a 4 week trip to France and so had to run water, fridge etc all on gas alone. We have 2 7kg butane cylinders and wasn't sure what the overall consumption would be. We were a bit careful over usage and maybe had a couple of more salads than we would have done but the first cylinder lasted 3 weeks so there was no problem. I will admit that I was relieved when we passed the 2 week point as it meant we could just carry on as usual. We don't normally use campsites and, even when we do, we seldom bother with a 230V hook-up. I tend to work on an average of 1 litre of propane gas-usage a day. I carry one 6kg Calor bottle and one 5kg user-refillable cylinder in our Hobby, which equates to about 22 litres of gas and, in principle, that should last about 3 weeks. In reasonably mild weather it will, but in cold winter weather, when the heater is in regular use, it definitely won't. This doesn't concern me though because I know I can refill my gas bottles if I need to. I agree that, if relatively short-duration, warmish weather, trips outside the UK are planned, two 6kg/7kg UK cylinders should be perfectly adequate for many UK motorcaravanners, particularly if their motorhomes have a 230V heating capability and they use campsite hook-ups. But, if you plan to be abroad for long periods and (as happened in your case) your 230V heating fails, or one of your gas-bottles develops a fault, and you suddenly find that you can't shoe-horn a 'foreign' gas-bottle into your motorhome's gas-locker, it would be better to have been aware in advance that this could happen and have some sort of fall-back strategy. I don't think it's a Big Thing either, just something to bear in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil malcolmson Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Hi I am an Autosleeper fan and dont think you will go far wrong with Ford and Autosleeper.. Autosleeper build quality and after sales is better than the other uk converters. 2x6kg of propane is also more than you can store in a lot of alternitive vans of this size and type all vans have pros and cons. someone said about windows leaking? get it checked with a damp meter. see this review http://www.caravanselecta.co.uk/Reviews/AutoSleepers-Ravenna-Review.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Derek We do carry a spare regulator and had kind of worked out a fallback position of finding a French motorhome dealer and getting a cylinder and pipe if required to see us through but were waiting to see how long the cylinder would last. Once past the mid way point it was nice to be a bit more reckless with the gas. Lorna Yes we do like the Eton. It took us 4 motorhomes to find the layout we liked - 2 couches/beds, rear kitchen and importantly less than 6m long to make it 'parkable'. Our previous van was an 04 Nuevo and we probably would have got another one but for the reports on the X250 transmission. We were not prepared to take a risk on that kind of money. The Eton is basically the same layout on a Transit and it suits us fine. I am sure others will disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Just to add to the above this is our second AS and we are happy with them. The overall quality seems generally ok to me and certainly no worse than other makers (I can hear the keyboards working now). The real plus point to me is the service centre which we have found very helpful and efficient, our broken mains box was changed in 45 mins for example. The Broadway CC site is only a 10 min drive away which is also helpful. It is 120 miles or so from here but I try and fit it in with other things. For example I sprint a motorbike, one of the venues is Shakespeare County Raceway so last year we combined a race meeting, a habitation service and a few days in the Cotswolds - could be worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORNA Posted January 18, 2010 Author Share Posted January 18, 2010 Thank you for the detailed responses and yes, it is indeed reassuring to know that the Ford/Autosleeper combination has its supporters. There are a few things that I now 'know' that I didn't before: I would like a Ford transit base vehicle if we buy Autosleeper; I will look carefully at fridge capacity and configuration; I will find out how much water/waste the tank(s) hold and think about the advice on how much a shower will use; I will ask about the gas cylinder needed for France (maybe as an optional extra if it is part of a 'deal'); I will actually lie on and in any beds unashamedly to guage length and width. And I will keep talking to people on this forum who have given so much great advice! Thanks again, Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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