Tweaky Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 I am new to the scene having looked last year with a view to buy this year. Unfortunately a motorcycle accident has left me with a serious injury to my left leg an automatic looks the best bet for me. Her indoors wants a rear lounge and overhead cab, 4/6 berth with at least 4 belted seats. We also have a labrador. Anyone got any good advice for me-also what is the Comformatic gearbox. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 The Comformatic (and similar products on Renault and last model ford) are 'robotised' manual gearboxs, for the driver that means you get just the throttle and brake pedal as per 'slushbox' auto's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaky Posted July 25, 2010 Author Share Posted July 25, 2010 Thanks Colin, lots to learn. Any views on Fiat/Peaugot auto's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickmenda Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 Hi I have a auto Renault base Motorhome and that auto is just about perfect . I use it in manual 90% of the time and up changes are seamless and even in manual it will downchange if you are slowing for roundabout / junction so has the best of both worlds . Hill starts are very easy . Few things to get used to is a very slight delay when moving off from stationary but you soon master that, driving up levelling ramps is not as good as with a clutch but again i soon mastered it but sometimes i put wodden blocks at end of level blocks and just drove on to them, moving off on wet grass can sometimes give wheel spin rather than traction in that situation grip mats are useless so i now use old carpet in 4 foot strip 10 inches wide and never been let down with them, last is when selecting reverse if you are a bit on the quick side it wiil not take that command and still be in 1st , can be embarrassing . Thats it hope it helps .Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 Hi Tweaky Unlike brickmenda above I use our auto as an auto most of the time. It is the new type Fiat Ducato with Comfortmatic. I have to say it is absolutely excellent. I have used it in manual but that was shortly after getting it last year. We were at Grassingtron the week before Christmas and had 4 - 6 inch of snow each night (with night temps down to below -6 and daytime never above freezing!) so by the time we left it was pretty deep. Selected manual, put it in second gear and drove out of the snow. Not had any problems on grass or reversing and it works extremely well with the cruise control. Just one thing - if you are thinking of the Comfortmatic gearbox you can only get this on the Fiat and not the Peugeot Boxer. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 Tweaky - 2010-07-25 4:45 PM I am new to the scene having looked last year with a view to buy this year. Unfortunately a motorcycle accident has left me with a serious injury to my left leg an automatic looks the best bet for me. Her indoors wants a rear lounge and overhead cab, 4/6 berth with at least 4 belted seats. We also have a labrador. Anyone got any good advice for me-also what is the Comformatic gearbox. Thanks Hi Tweaky - welcome to the mad house! :-D No experience of an auto, but as for your needs re layout, you'll need at least a half dinette up front if you want 4 belted seats, so it's going to be a biggish van and that configuration isn't that common at best - there were a couple of motorhomes that were doing just a rear lounge with some rear belted travel seats but they were expensive and I can't remember which they were right now!!! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 Our Fiat Comfortmatic is brilliant, and with the 3L engine an absolute joy to drive. Look no further but try one and see for yourself. It does work well with the cruise control, my only critisism is that it is quite agressive in maintaining the set speed as it obviously can not assess the road ahead and wait a bit if the slight incline is only short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 Try this previous thread for a starter regarding rear lounges etc. http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=19936&posts=6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaky Posted July 26, 2010 Author Share Posted July 26, 2010 Thanks everyone for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted July 26, 2010 Share Posted July 26, 2010 Hello Tweaky. Disability prevents me from using a normal manual box for more than a few miles so an automatic equipped van was an essential choice. I have used the Renault Master auto/manual box mated to the 2.5 dci 120 HP engine pulling a 7 metre (3-berth) van which is always run at close to 3500Kgs, for 3 years and 20000 miles. I have always used the van in auto mode and it has been excellent. As has been said earlier in the thread, levelling ramps need adjustment to driving technique but this is soon mastered (no pun intended). Wet grass has been dealt with by the "mud/snow" mode switch, but I have been stuck in mud once so I now carry 8 Milenco mats to make a roadway where needed. Using cruise control with an electric throttle option/ speed presets the Master's auto box has been a joy to use for touring. I have averaged 28.5 mpg over a very wide range of journeys. Low speed manoeuvres have been a doddle with no vices even though every journey I make starts with a 3-point turn on my 1 in 8 driveway. Crawling any distance in first at low speeds can produce a rattle from the box/drive-train on the over-run when the throttle is closed but this appears to be a characteristic of the vehicle and soon passes unnoticed. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaky Posted July 27, 2010 Author Share Posted July 27, 2010 Thanks Bob, and everyone who has so kindly replied. I have a better understanding now and the motorhome scene is what I thought it would be-can't wait to recover from my accident and get out on the road again only this time in my own mobil home. Tweaky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Tweaky - One thing to watch out for with the Fiat Comfortmatic is that it comes complete with Fiats 'Hill Start' facility. This allows you about two seconds (more than enough) after you take your foot off the footbrake to take up the drive before gradually releasing the brakes. These gearboxes do not have a torque converter with which to balance your take off on inclines with and releasing the footbrake without this facility means you will simply go backwards. It also means that without it you are in for always making handbrake starts on even the most gentle incline - not nice in a long uphill traffic jam with Fiats well documented long reach handbrake. I don't think that Fiat should have been allowed to supply these Comfortmatic vehicles without the hill start as standard on safety grounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 ron. - 2010-07-27 6:26 P I don't think that Fiat should have been allowed to supply these Comfortmatic vehicles without the hill start as standard on safety grounds. Please, when did it start to come as standard? as I am looking at in stock 2010 vans..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 It is not standard on Comfortmatic vans. My van was delivered from Fiat to Swift in February and I have not got the hill start facility. But its no problem without it in my first hand experience. My only comment on the Comfortmatic gearbox (and the 3 litre engine) is that its absolutely brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 I think that it might become a bit of a problem Mike when you have to stop on a very steep hill and your handbrake will not quite hold on its own, worse for drivers with heavy vehicles obviously. You can of course go into contortions and use your left foot on the brake pedal to hold you but this is an acquired art in itself. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 No problem ron. I live in one of the hilliest counties in the UK and have covered 3000 miles in France since picking up my van in April. I have to negotiate a hill just to get the vehicle off my drive! Its not a problem for me not having hill start but if the handbrake became faulty a difficulty would certainly arise as you point out. But so far so good. Maybe I'm not having difficulty because I previously drove a Transit with the same type of ASM gearbox! Incidentally I doubt whether many motorhome manufacturers offer hill start as an option with the Comfortmatic box but I might be wrong as its not something I've researched or even thought about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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