john y Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Hi,are there any globecar owners out there? I've had mine for nearly two years now and still very pleased with it but have only seen one other in that time. It would be nice to be able to compare notes with other owners, I did contact the importers but they seem to be having some internal problems ,i was wondering if they are still being imported? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Since you've had yours the original owner of importers has died after car crash, this along with some other events seems to have created a 'fluid' situation, but they are still imported. Infact I think they are proboly suplying more to UK than ever before, but maybe not your model. In 2012 brouchure they only show Fortscout on Tranny, but dealers still show Trendscout. http://www.globecarmotorhomes.co/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I meet the owner of Globecar UK at Dusseldorf show in 2010 and we went for a coffee and a long chat...was very shocked to here he had been killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryW Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I am an Ex Globcar owner and when I last looked they Alan Kerr had a full showroom of them and Southern Moterhomes Portsmouth were also dealing in them. As far as meeting other owners I would suggest you contact the Dethleff Owners Club as this is part of their range. They were a great help to me when I needed spares from the factory after my local Ford garage managed to decapitate my van. They organise factory visits as well as many other activities and certainly worth making contact. I must say that I loved that van but needed more room for longer winter stays, but a great van in which on one trip we visited 9 Countries, not including England that we pass through at speed. http://www.dethleffsowners.co.uk/ Happy days :-) Edit: http://www.dethleffsowners.co.uk/2011dethleffsfactoryvisit_125.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 SMC motorhomes of Newark sent me a brochure of the 2012 models and they still show the Trendscout on the Ford base, would prefer a Fiat but can live with a Transit, now with a proper oven. These look a nice small van for the price and my wife and I have it on our current list if we change this year. The only drawback with them in the past was the lack of decent cooking facilities, we hate barbacues and like our food so this is an essential for us. It has a great payload and we could put a 250cc scooter on an Ezetow. Would be interested in your experience with the van as you do not come across many UK owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 rupert123 - 2012-01-04 10:16 PM SMC motorhomes of Newark sent me a brochure of the 2012 models and they still show the Trendscout on the Ford base,. Thats odd, pages 9.10.11&12 of that printed brochure are missing in the online version on globecar.de, page 10&11 being Trendscout p.s. Wonder if I can get a job as proof reader for them, interestingly phrased english. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I don't know what the UK situation is Globecar-wise, but the 2012 range listed in a French motorhome magazine comprises 7 models. Six models are Fiat-based - Roadscout, Globescout, Globescout Style, Familyscout, Familyscout L and Campscout. The remaining model - Fortscout - is Transit-based. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brom Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Yes, we still have ours, after nearly four years - a record for us. It didn't cost the earth, and does a good job - touch wood, so far it has been reliable. There are a few around, but they aren't a common sight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 colin - 2012-01-04 10:53 PM rupert123 - 2012-01-04 10:16 PM SMC motorhomes of Newark sent me a brochure of the 2012 models and they still show the Trendscout on the Ford base,. Thats odd, pages 9.10.11&12 of that printed brochure are missing in the online version on globecar.de, page 10&11 being Trendscout p.s. Wonder if I can get a job as proof reader for them, interestingly phrased english. Colin if you telephone SMC they will send you a brochure. Sorry mis-read your post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevor166uk Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Hi I have a globecar, a globescout not a trendscout though. It was bought just over a year ago from SMC in Newark and when I returned it there a few weeks ago for service they were definitely still going strong and supplying globecar motorhomes. It is a great vehicle and we are very happy with it, and would heartily reccomend globecar. Like you though I don't see many. A bloke who lives around the corner from us has just got one and I once saw one on the Skipton by pass, but they are the only two others I have seen. Virtually identical Possl badged motorhomes are seen from time to time in France though. I don't understand why they are not more popular though, they are cheap (For a van conversion) and very well converted. Ours has been fault free and the conversion is as solid as a rock. The parentage of Globecar does seem peculiar. They are apparently owned by the Possl group who have the conversion to a motorhome carried out on their behalf by Dethleffs at their factory in Germany. However they carry no Dethleffs badges. The Homologation certificate carries the Dethleffs name though. Nor do the vehicles carry Hymer badges even though Hymer own Dethleffs. Seriously if you are looking for a van conversion its worth looking at SMC Newark and a Globecar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 The Dethleffs motorcaravan 'group' currently comprises the following main brands - Dethleffs, Sunlight, Possl and Concorde. All Possl motorcaravans are panel-van conversions based on Fiat Ducato, Citroen Relay, Ford Transit or Renault Master chassis. More luxurious versions of certain Possl models are branded "Globecar". This philosophy is evident in the price-lists for 2012 Globecar and Possl models published in the French motorhome magazine I mentioned earlier, with Possl prices ranging from €39500 - €45950 and Globecar prices from €40899 - €48189. In France SEVEL-based Globecars use Fiat chassis, whereas SEVEL-based Possls use Citroen chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trevor166uk Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 according to the current brochure, in the UK you can choose between a Fiat or a Citroen chassis, prices are listed for both, and of course some globecars come on the transit as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john y Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Thanks all! as i said in my original post i have had no faults at all,the build quality seems very good indeed. with a van this size some things will be a compromise, we like to eat out during the day and have a snack in the evening so the lack of an oven dos'nt worry us, the shower works fine,if a little cramped! we love the end lounge,feet up relaxing while parked up looking out to sea is bliss! so many camper vans have a very small cramped seating area. We find our trendscout ideal for us,small enough to fit in a car park space(just,if we overhang a grass verge!) yet large enough to be fully self contained with very comfortable large double bed. As a ex caravan owner with damp problems i don't think i could ever bring myself to buy a coachbuilt motorhome, unless its a bailey of course! but thats a whole new subject! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud77 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 The globecar series are now available in the uk. (SMC NEWARK) Unfortunately the most interesting layout on the medium wheelbase Transit is not available in the uk despite it being in the 2012 brochure and online. This is the Fortscout with a forward dinette/lounge and a fixed bed at the rear, thus providing two areas. If one of you likes to go to bed early, or get up early for a cuppa, then you have separate areas to do this in this van...and all within the medium wheelbase which easily fits on a modern drive. We ordered one at the NEC in October, only to be told at Christmas that it wasn't possible. The problem seems to be having the sliding door on the driver's side. The manufacturer won't supply. Maybe if enough people said they were interested in the uk, the converter would alter the tooling for sliding door on passenger side? Surely this can be resolved! I think Globecar have missed a trick here. There is a gap in the uk market for this layout. on the medium wheelbase. There are already plenty of producers out there with the 6m van. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Symbol Owner Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm sure that you are absolutely right Spud, surely there is a market 'out there' for this layout on a medium wheelbase, but -- more particularly, on a Ford Transit chassis! Many of us would not touch the current X250 Fiat, Peugeot, or Citroen chassis with a bargepole! Cheers, Colin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud77 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Indeed the Ford is preferred. The other advantage is the length at 5.7m gives that extra bit over the 5.4m Fiat to fit everything in. We are left disappointed at the moment. Ever the optimists though we will go on searching....... I wonder if they would do a short version of the windrush taking a foot off the dinette area? (I won't hold my breath.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 German dealer where I got my van last year has a number of RHD Trend scouts..among them a new one for approx £26.650 that is before negotations........ http://tinyurl.com/6vb4d92 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 spud77 - 2012-01-31 1:22 PM The globecar series are now available in the uk. (SMC NEWARK) Unfortunately the most interesting layout on the medium wheelbase Transit is not available in the uk despite it being in the 2012 brochure and online. This is the Fortscout with a forward dinette/lounge and a fixed bed at the rear, thus providing two areas. If one of you likes to go to bed early, or get up early for a cuppa, then you have separate areas to do this in this van...and all within the medium wheelbase which easily fits on a modern drive. We ordered one at the NEC in October, only to be told at Christmas that it wasn't possible. The problem seems to be having the sliding door on the driver's side. The manufacturer won't supply. Maybe if enough people said they were interested in the uk, the converter would alter the tooling for sliding door on passenger side? Surely this can be resolved! I think Globecar have missed a trick here. There is a gap in the uk market for this layout. on the medium wheelbase. There are already plenty of producers out there with the 6m van. What do you think? As you have decided to post the same thing on several threads I will reply in kind, forget it and get a Globescout, details on other thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 spud77 - 2012-01-31 1:22 PM ...Maybe if enough people said they were interested in the uk, the converter would alter the tooling for sliding door on passenger side? Surely this can be resolved! I think Globecar have missed a trick here. There is a gap in the uk market for this layout. on the medium wheelbase. There are already plenty of producers out there with the 6m van. What do you think? I'm not sure if Ford will offer a RHD Transit panel-van with a right-hand-side sliding-door. My Transit Mk 6 Ford brochure suggests that there options to have no sliding doors or two sliding-doors, but not to have a sliding-door on the driver's side of the vehicle. Mk 6/Mk 7 Transit panel-vans are relatively narrow, which results in a shortish bed if the bed is installed crossways. The Fortscout design addresses this by having an odd-looking external 'bulge' projecting from the vehicle's left-rear side to extend the bed-length at its foot. Even if it were possible to have the sliding-door on the left, the projecting extension would obstruct it. To produce a RHD Fortscout with left-hand sliding-door would involve the complete LHD interior design being mirrored, plus moving the 'bulge' to the opposite side of the vehicle. I just can't see this being woorthwhile for Globecar - it's a niche brand, the Fortscout is a niche design and there's been limited Globecar penetration of the UK motorhome market historically, usually via a single agent. Also historically, imported Ford-based PVCs have only sold in very small numbers here. There would also be competition from established UK converters like Horizons Leisure Vehicles that market the Cavarno Plus and Innovation 3 on the Transit mwb chassis. OK - those two models don't have the Fortscout's particular crossways-bed layout, but that layout won't necessarily appeal to hordes of potential purchasers. I think Globecar has, quite rightly, concluded that whatever gap there might be for a RHD Fortscout, it's going to be tiny and not worth the expense and effort of rejigging the LHD design to produce it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud77 Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Thanks for this. I hadn't realised the fortscout bulged at rear to allow extra bed room. They should have checked they could supply a rhd before including it in the brochure. I guess we stick with what we've got. Thanks again, most informative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 What you have to realise is Globecar are realy trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot with this design, it has a 4foot wide bed small washroom and small dinette, if you want that layout in a short van then there is also the Roadscout, not in UK brouchure, it is on Fiat base so a little wider, but at 5.4m long is shorter than the Ford, so very tight, but if you want it have a word with Alistair he might be able to persude Globecar to build one in RHD as Fiat seem happy to build vans RHD and RH SLD. http://www.globecar.de/de/modelle/d-line/roadscout.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud77 Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 This has been explored. No grill/oven is offered with this apparently...just burners. Globecar are looking into Roadscout in the uk for 2013....so maybe they will revise the spec when this happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 spud77 - 2012-02-01 10:11 PM This has been explored. No grill/oven is offered with this apparently...just burners. Globecar are looking into Roadscout in the uk for 2013....so maybe they will revise the spec when this happens. My Campscout being one of first ordered in UK did not have grill in spec, SMC fitted one as part of deal, AFAIK 2012 UK models are fitted now fitted with them, but as you say not european models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 spud77 - 2012-02-01 7:19 PM Thanks for this. I hadn't realised the fortscout bulged at rear to allow extra bed room. They should have checked they could supply a rhd before including it in the brochure. I guess we stick with what we've got. Thanks again, most informative. If you visit the Fortscout part of Globecar's website http://www.globecar.de/en/models/d-line/fortscout.html then click on the Foto Gallerie section and select Images 2 and 7 of the 10 on offer, you'll see how much the 'bulge' pokes out. (Incidentally, Fortscout is built on a lwb Transit FWD panel-van (wheelbase=3750mm) - the same wheelbase as your La Strada Trento's. The Transit mwb chassis has a 3300mm wheelbase.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 When we looked at the Globescout Style at the Manchester show, the importing dealer, SMC of Newark, said they would be fitting an oven or grill in the UK ones 'as standard', you just had to choose which you wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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