arjxh56 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Hi, I am fed up looking for a new van! Is it just me or does everyone view lots of motorhomes and find that nearly all of them are damp? This weekend i have visited 2 more and of course owners/dealers say they are perfect.. I travel 4 hours and find Damp. I have looked at about 6 since selling my last van and its costing me lots of time/money driving hours around the country and I have yet to come across a van that is completely dry... I am looking at vans of around 2/3/4 years old, manufactured by CI (Mizar GTL living) and Swift (Kontiki 649).. I would consider others but the layout is not available in any other van i know of.? . I spent many many hours going around every van in the NEC to find alternatives! I have been having a re think... i was wondering if i should stop looking at coachbuilt vans and try A class?? Are the A class vans less likely to be damp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 You might have problems with all coachbuilts, A Class etc as the construction materials are the same . In order to minimise chances of damp you could buy a panel van conversion but they are not to everyone's taste as they do not have the space most people seem to need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Hi Jamie, What layout are you looking for? If you can detail which layout you are specifically looking for, and possibly why, then other forum members may be able to suggest other makes and models to look at. I would suggest you widen your search to include other makes to see the quality of what is on offer in comparison to your very narrow current search. I am sure there are other makes which do not suffer as badly as those you have looked at. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 It doesn't sound very promising if every 4 year old and younger van you've tried is damp 8-) Its not a dodgy meter? :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjxh56 Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 Hi Keith, To be honest my last van was perfect in every way.. 2009 Mizar GTL Living and I would buy another in a heartbeat if I could find one that didn’t show up damp! Here are a few things I would like from a new van… 1) To have a dining area that seats minimum 6. (seats all round rather than a picnic bench opposite a kitchen) It needs to double up as a comfortable evening lounge area for the adults as well as an eating place due to small child sleeping arrangements. 2) A good size fixed overcab bed that can be used by 2 adults and that doesn’t intrude on the dining area or cab when in use. 3) Either fixed bunks for the kids (as per mizar) or a rear lounge (as per kontiki) that can be used as 2 single beds for the kids but MUST be adult length singles. Most of the rear lounges I have seen on smaller vans are only 4ft 6 as they’re often designed around having a fold out double sleeping across the van. 4) The floor of the van inside to be all on the same level. (apart from the steps to enter the van of course!) A lot of the vans I looked at when at the NEC had stepped levels up to dining area and/or up to the rear beds etc.. This is no good for my small children. 5) 3ltr engine, Cruise control, Air conditioning, etc… usual mod cons that can be added to most vans. 6) This is more of me being picky than anything else, but I find a few of the vans out there look very dated due to the overcab pod.. The Dethleff coach built appears very good quality overall but the overcab / pod shape is the same shape and look as a 15 year old caravan! I found the mizar more rounded and modern although it was very high, the swift and autotrail are ok but others such as Eldis, Bailey etc, that had an opportunity to change them as part of their new design vans, have missed a trick in my opinion! I would love to be able to have a low line van, in my opinion theyre the best looking type but with a family and needing space, its not something I can really consider? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I find this damp thing a little odd. Are you sure the meter is OK or is it visible damp, even more odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjxh56 Posted November 5, 2012 Author Share Posted November 5, 2012 pelmetman - 2012-11-05 3:42 PM It doesn't sound very promising if every 4 year old and younger van you've tried is damp 8-) Its not a dodgy meter? :-S Hi, no its not a dodgy meter, i use it for other things as well and its fine. Interestingly i was talking to a few main dealers at the NEC and they said that a CI van, that isnt damp already, is a van thats going to be damp pretty soon!! I thought they were just saying that as they didnt have any for sale and wanted me to look at other models on their patch, but im starting to wonder if there is some truth in it?? Again with the swift.. i had a mixed response.. the dealers were saying that tgood and bad ones are coming out of the factory.. Some poor build techniques similar to CI.. One common response was that the build quality of many vans/manufacturers wasnt improving and in some respects getting worse due to cost cutting exersizes and the need to compete with cheaper vans and economic climate?? Not sure if this is accurate? I notice in the caravan world the designs are moving on and improving quite dramatically over the last 2 years.. Why aren't motorhomes following??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Have a look at some German manufactured ones, I won't claim they never leak because they probably do. It's just that I have never personally seen a leaking Hymer, even old ones. OK, you can all pile in now and tell me why other manufacturers are just as good or even better, but this is my experience. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camocam1 Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 i think with everything in life you get good and bad, I bought an 07 ace milano in july (1st van) then read all the reports on damp problems with them and floors having to be replaced, being new to the HM game I never gave it a second thought when I bought it, since then I have checked and double checked the van with a MM and had it up on ramp and checked underneath and have to say NOT a damp area to be found, maybe i.m lucky but maybe we only hear about the bad ones, hope Iv'e not tempted fate !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Why did you get rid of your van, as you seem to be looking for the same thing? 2009 is not old and probably not done many miles, as I guess you can't use as often as a lot of us do, who are retired. If it was damp you could have got it fixed. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 As you found from your other post it will only be owners of Swift group product who will defend their build quality. CI are again not renowned for build quality but their product is priced accordingly. The main problem is that the majority of Coachbuilts rely on medieval timber framing with a polystyrene insulation both of which will soak up water like a sponge eventually leading to rot/sponginess in the floor. Its only when you get to high end manufacturers that the problem is resolved and I notice now that Carthago, TEC and Hymer have all abandoned Wood and Polystyrene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjxh56 Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 Retread24800 - 2012-11-06 1:20 PMThe main problem is that the majority of Coachbuilts rely on medieval timber framing with a polystyrene insulation both of which will soak up water like a sponge eventually leading to rot/sponginess in the floor.Its only when you get to high end manufacturers that the problem is resolved and I notice now that Carthago, TEC and Hymer have all abandoned Wood and Polystyrene. When you say they have abandoned wood and polystyren, when did they do this and what do they use? I was at the NEC and nobody but Eldis were shouting about new construction methods?? I might be interested in looking at those vans if they are now better and less likely to get damp? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 arjxh56 - 2012-11-06 3:55 PMWhen you say they have abandoned wood and polystyren, when did they do this and what do they use? I was at the NEC and nobody but Eldis were shouting about new construction methods?? I might be interested in looking at those vans if they are now better and less likely to get damp? Thanks The quoted Manufacturers now use an aluminium outer skin on the side walls, alu or Polyester roofs and either Alu or marine ply for the internal face, the insulation is Polyethylene foam which is a closed cell foam and thus does not soak up water and so in addition maintains its U value in a leak situation. The Constituent parts are then bonded together using a hitec glue such as Sikaflex, hard points are often bonded in plastic blocks. As for dates I do know that Hymer have always used their patented PUAL system and indeed my 1993 B class is dry and sound, the others I cannot say but more and more Continental manufacturers are heading this way and I would not be surprised if Rapido didn't announce something similar in the near future. As for Eldiss, well a step in the right direction, they are now gluing the beasts together but in my view this is a half hearted move, they still use timber frames/polystyrene and if there is a leak it will still rot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjxh56 Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 Thanks.. I will take a look at that. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.