lennyhb Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Why buy a Fiat? Because it's the best vehicle for the job, first to have a dedicated Motorhome chassis giving a stronger more ridge base vehicle. Brilliant drive. Great handling. Great engines. Big airy cab. Customer service better than Ford (from own & friends experience). Can't afford a Merc & from what Nick says not worth it. In 2½ years only fault we have had is a dash air vent, I broke the adjusting knob pushing it back on after it came off, replaced under warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David B Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Euroserve said "The best example of any vehicle is always the last of it's kind. It has always been this way. A 2006 (pre-X250) Ducato is in many ways a better vehicle than it's successor. If I wanted to buy a camper it would be a 2004-2006 Ducato 2.8 ........." Presumably the same applies to the Sevel built Peugeot Boxer pre-X250 clone. Some of the others posting here have hung on to their pre-X250 motorhomes. Does this explain why there are so few secondhand motorhomes advertised privately in the back of MMM these days? PS I have a 2005 Autosleeper Nuevo on a 2.2l Peugeot Boxer, and its not for sale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 The juddering issue was always going to affect some people more than others, but with all the publicity, here we are some years down the line, with buyers at large being more clued up and able to make up their own minds as to whether the reversing troubles are persuasive enough not to buy Fiat. It's a couple of years since certain members here anticipated the whole new Fiat stock rusting in fields. Well that didn't happen did it? It doesn't matter whether some say it loud and often that they won't buy Fiat and that you shouldn't too. The fact is many people really like these vehicles, warts and all. I've had mine coming up three years and other than the remedial work for the judder, it hasn't had a single fault in all that time. As an aside, dealers are still selling my model of Adria Twin from 2007, at the same price I bought it for three years ago. Considering my cars have tended to lose thousands each year, I reckon I made a pretty good investment with the Fiat motorhome. Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davew Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 euroserv - 2011-01-20 3:47 PM The best example of any vehicle is always the last of it's kind. It has always been this way. A 2006 (pre-X250) Ducato is an many ways a better vehicle than it's successor. The same was true of the older Transits and certainly true of the Sprinter before common rail injection. What a load of tosh! (lol) (lol) Old Di Tranny, ha ha 55mph Merc 308 ha ha Those of us with modern vehicles be they Fiat or Merc, are trying to forget those noisey old motors with drafty doors..... Rose coloured specs syndrome etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 There will always be different views on the new Fiats. Because of the advice (and horror stories) on here and other forums, I bought a van older than the one I part exxed. I got a 52 reg Fiat with the 2.8 jtd. I have had more than a year of trouble free driving and really like the van. The money I would have spent on a new model is still invested and doing very nicely. I hope it keeps growing until the time that Fiat get it right or another alternative is available. I am trying very hard not to appear smug because I am aware that there may be members reading this who have gone through a lot of heartache and financial loss. To the members who have bought and enjoyed their new Fiat, I say good luck to you because that is possibly all it is in your case. A certain Irish member was all fired up and ready to throw the (legal) book at Fiat. I believe that he did a good job of psychological warfare (using this forum) on Fiat and they folded in his case. Again, good luck to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Best balance of cost vs engineering. Not been tempted by the new Fiat yet but the other 4 and my current one have been fine. Takes a while to find a good dealer but when I have (I've moved house several times so have to change dealers), they've been everything I want. Fiat at least try and make a base vehicle for the motorhome market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted January 21, 2011 Share Posted January 21, 2011 Well, I'll admit that I've not had a problem with the "judder" on my van and it will reverse on tickover on the flat. It does wheelspin a bit on damp grass, so will most FWD vans. On the whole I think they a marvelous vehicles, considering it's a van. A pleasure to drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmaggott Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Our previous vehicle was on a Renault 2.2. We thought long and hard, because of the notorious 'judder', before we decided to go for our ideal layout which happens to, not surprisingly, be on the Fiat 2.3.We gave it extensive test drives on the flat, slopes, reversing, etc and then bought it.It is a delight to drive, is more fuel efficient than the Renault and we find the cab to be more comfortable.Perhaps people buy what they want, after making their own decisions and investigations, rather than being led by the nose?That is not to say that we're not grateful for being given a 'heads up' about the potential problem with the Fiat as it led us to give our vehicle perhaps a more thorough test drive before buying.One needs to garner all available information, cogitate and digest it, then make up one's own mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/driverless_van_in_flames_stops_8ft_from_houses_1_2320507Something else to worry about with the new X250.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 kelly58 - 2011-01-23 1:12 PMhttp://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/driverless_van_in_flames_stops_8ft_from_houses_1_2320507Something else to worry about with the new X250..Fiat spokesman says : 'The clutch is a consumable part, and is not covered under warranty' or/and 'this is just a 'characteristic' of the vehicle' . 8-) 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 It's o/k it was a Citroen white van and not a propper van as fitted to Motorhomes. Sad about the mini cheddars though. Nice to see that he knew the layout of his van though, by trying to apply the handbrake on the passenger side. (lol) He must have been a bit of a knob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Quite right Peter. He obviously knows nothing about the vehicle that he was driving. There is no clutch cable, and the hand-brake part is just hilarious. He must have also left the van in gear and with the handbrake off, or made up the part about the engine re-starting just to cover up the fact that the hand-brake was not on. There is so much wrong with the story that it leads me to suspect that the van already had a noticeable problem with the clutch, but he drove it anyway. I would not let this 'freak' incident worry you too much. I says more about negligence than it does about a vehicle posessed by evil spirits! Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 euroserv - 2011-01-24 10:26 AM Quite right Peter. He obviously knows nothing about the vehicle that he was driving. There is no clutch cable, and the hand-brake part is just hilarious. He must have also left the van in gear and with the handbrake off, or made up the part about the engine re-starting just to cover up the fact that the hand-brake was not on. There is so much wrong with the story that it leads me to suspect that the van already had a noticeable problem with the clutch, but he drove it anyway. I would not let this 'freak' incident worry you too much. I says more about negligence than it does about a vehicle posessed by evil spirits! Nick Failure in the clutch hydraulic circuit, and fluid onto the exhaust manifold possibly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 From the driver's statement it would seem that there was a failure of the clutch hydraulic circuit, which allowed fluid onto the hot exhaust system. Assuming that he stopped in gear with the ignition on (or at least the key in the ignition), the fire then seems to have shorted out some wiring allowing the engine to re-start and the vehicle to move forward. An interesting case and not the first new (or nearly new) vehicle that I have seen catch fire all by itself without any driver provocation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Well irrespective of what some may think about this chaps' intellect,what is clear is that he didn't set fire to the thing himself.. *-) (..and with owners eager to blame a fellow owner/drivers' lack of competence,it's little wonder Fiat drag their heels when addressing issues... *-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 pepe63 - 2011-01-24 4:53 PM Well irrespective of what some may think about this chaps' intellect,what is clear is that he didn't set fire to the thing himself.. *-) *-) )How do you know he didn't do something that could cause the fire, like leaving a lighted fag in the van?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Vehicles run on, and carry, flammable liquids. Occasionally, they catch fire. It's a fact of life, and one odd vehicle doing this proves nothing. The time to worry is if lots start catching fire. There are enough of these vans now on the road, all over Europe, that if they had an abnormal tendency to catch fire we'd have heard about it. Freak accident, neither the fault of the driver nor the van. Move on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-01-24 11:45 PM Vehicles run on, and carry, flammable liquids. Occasionally, they catch fire...Freak accident, neither the fault of the driver nor the van... I agree Brian there. ..But what I just couldn't fathom out was the way in which some have just had a dig at this chap.. :-S ..apparently he's "..a bit of a knob..",who didn't even know that his vehicle didn't have a clutch cable!?(..Oh the shame of it all?! *-) )...and now it seems he could've left his "lighted fag" in the van (lol) ) All of the above may well be true of cause..but I very much doubt he would've got the same reaction if he was 60+ and his vehicle had been a MH... ;-) Off Topic,sorry.. :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Apologies for joining this discussion late in the day, been away you know. I've now have had two Fiat based motorhomes. The first a 2003 PVC 2.8 jtd, loved the drive, hated the unreliable electrics and steering, it ate wheel bearings. The second and current van, 2002 A class 2.8 tdi, love the drive, hate the unreliable electrics and other cheap components. Before we went and bought a Fiat, as said previously not much choice out there. I asked two friends who both have run commercial vans for years, both had bought Fiats in the past and both were quite clear. Fiat have reliable engines, but were far too unreliable in other areas, generally gearboxes and electrical components and spent too much time off the road. So what do they run now? One has VW's a Ford Connect and a Renault Master. The other uses Vauxhalls and Renaults. Both would not consider another Fiat and are aware of the reversing problems. We bought Fiats because one converter only used Fiat, the other; there was nothing else available on the conversion we wanted. Would I buy another Fiat, given the choice? a very firm no. My choice would be Mercedes. Our first van was on a Merc and I suppose that is the benchmark for us. Fiats are generally more unreliable. It is certainly my current intention that at the next change it will not be a Fiat, which as you probably know stands for F&*$ing Italian Always Trouble. Which in my experience hits the nail on the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Hello Starvin marvin, It would be impossible to argue with your reasoning, so I won't even try. In fact I would say that if anyone can find what they want on a Mercedes chassis, and they are happy with the ride and handling, and they can afford the extra cost up front..... they probably should. It will not guarantee a trouble free existance but if you treat the extra expense as 'insurance' then it stacks up quite well for your application whereas for a rental van it definitely does not. The more people that exercise this view, the better because it can only incite the coachbuilders to review their choices of platform and offer alternatives to Fiat in the long run. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 euroserv - 2011-01-25 4:57 PM It will not guarantee a trouble free existance but if you treat the extra expense as 'insurance' then it stacks up quite well for your application whereas for a rental van it definitely does not. The more people that exercise this view, the better because it can only incite the coachbuilders to review their choices of platform and offer alternatives to Fiat in the long run. Nick On the other hand you can use the cash saved by not buying a more expensive van as an insurance fund - and if you are lucky enough not to need to spend it - you win - or at least don't lose quite as much! I always thought that FIAT refered to their dealer's indequacies as well as Fiat's own - Fix It Again Tomorrow? BTW - I still ain't buying one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 On these sort of threads on m/home forums it always puzzles me why Iveco seem to have dropped off the radar. If you believe what you read, they had some very good points worth considering yet manufacturers no longer use them as a base vehicle. What is your opinion Nick? There are certainly plenty of new ones about in the 'white van' role. They are also a popular choice for self-builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawki Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 There’s only one reason I would think about a Fiat and that is I think they are rather nice looking van. If I look around on a daily bases I see a few short base fiats/peu panel vans all used for very light weight work. Yes the engines are happy up and down the motorways clocking up many miles, but generally leading a charmed life. If I have 10 deliverys at home or work 7 will be in a Merc 2 in a Tranny The other Fiat/LDV That must say something I have never ever seen a Fiat based van/pickup/tipper used by firms doing heavy day to day work; I believe lugging a decent size motor home around is quite hard on a van Engine and so much more. I hope to stay a very happy Merc owner. But tranny would be my 2nd choice Cheers Dawki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 dawki - 2011-01-25 7:01 PM There’s only one reason I would think about a Fiat and that is I think they are rather nice looking van. Cheers Dawki Sorry Dawki but I think they are pug ugly! (no pun intended). And as for the quality of the mouldings on the front end, I've seen better quality plastic mouldings on cheap kids toys. Every time I walk past one on a campsite I think to myself why would anybody (in their right mind) buy one. Now if AutoTrail still built on a Merc I'd buy a new one tomorrow. But seen as they don't then I'll stick with what I've got, Thankyou very much. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Merc's bombproof? I hope nobody has the misfortune of having to change the injectors on last model, they are a pig to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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