Brands to ignore

[Aussie Mac]

Hi

 

I am an Aussie coming over in a couple of months, Want to buy a rear lounge, 4 berth, 4 seatbelt motorhome. Will but new or no older than 2 years. Plan is to spend a couple of months in UK, then go to France for a couple of months. Will do this for 2-3 years.

 

I subscribe to MMM. Problem for me being so far away is that I do not know what are "good" brands versus brands you are best to avoid. I hear Swift make good vehicles, but who else?

 

Or, more importantly, what should I just nit waste time looking at - and why?

 

Look forward to hearing form you.

 

BTW raining and cold in Sydney!

[Guest pelmetman]

Welcome to the asylum Mac ;-)................although you have entered with a controversial first question 8-).....

 

 

Ding ding seconds away round one :D..............

[PJay]

Can we clarify your use??

Do you intend to stay over here? I get the impression that maybe you will be over for 4 months at a time, and then flying back to OZ?

If the later, then you will need to find storage over here. Do you have a specific area in Uk to start from?

Do you want left hand drive for the continent, or right hand drive for UK. One thing to bear in mind IMO is that it is easier to drive RHD on the continent , than to drive LHD in Uk, as our roads are much more crowded.

You will get comments like never buy XXX , as some on here would never buy british!!

We have a Swift and it suits us fine, for 3/4 months living in it

 

Maybe when we know more what you want to use it like, more helpfull comments will appear

Good luck with your plan , and welcome to the forum

PJay

[pepe63xnotuse]

Hi 'Mac..

 

As Pelmetman says, this has the potential to,be a bit "controversial" (lol) ...

 

If internet chatter is to believed, then some of the major UK brands have a reputation for suffering with bad build and design quality(...the most serious consequence of this, is usually water ingress at a very early stage etc)..

 

The likes of Swift tend to get a hammering over this, although there have been some reports of quite new Autotrails needing their windows resealing....

 

The continental vans seem to have a better reputation, build-wise(although some UK users tend to find some them to be quite "spartan" when it comes to equipment in the kitchen(they don't usually have full ovens etc)

We had a "budget" Autoquest/Elldiss,which at 2 years old was a nasty piece of, corroding rubbish...but we've just sold our 7 year old Chausson..and with a bit of a wash looked as good as new....and without any hint of damp.

Although there are always going to be good and bad examples of any brand..

 

Which ever "brand" you look at, make sure you have a damn good crawl underneath it..because how they finish off things that are "out of sight", is a good indicator to the overall build quality(..too many vans have the likes untreated softwood battens, just exposed to the elements).

 

As you need it to sleep and safely transport 4, then keep a very careful eye on the payload(..don't just believe the brochure or salesman!).

 

You could buy slightly older and get yourself a better quality , better spec'd and barely run in van, for the same money..? ;-)

 

Sorry PJay..Crossed your post.

 

[Aussie Mac]

Summers (your winter) are too good in Sydney so we will come back here. This year we will spend a couple of months in the UK, then probably come back in April 2015 for a few months (having stored the motorhome over your winter). Location to start - I am not sure and happy to take advice. My wife is from Nottingham and we spent time there in November and looked at some options. BUT I will go wherever best value is.

 

Without being over the top we do prefer quality and comfort. Manual is quite OK. Diesel is a must for me. Need storage for things like outdoor gear

 

Typically we want to drive and enjoy scenery, small villages, pubs, history etc. Will stay 2-3 days in a location as needed. We are looking at getting (electric) bikes to get around local areas. We have used a motorhome in NZ and loved it. We have a boat here in Sydney so are comfortable with confined spaces.

 

Plan will be to buy local produce - I love cooking indoors and out.

 

I will fit the home with Sat TV, reversing camera, Aircon etc. Plus a good satnav which which will help me work out what roads I can use.

 

Pretty sure it will be RHD. I have driven often in Europe and can actually see advantage of RHD on their roads. Sometimes may have two grand children on board hence need for seat belts.

[PJay]

One other thing Mike Do look into insurance over here, as it can be a problem.

We have some friends over here at moment from NZ, and even he was born in Uk , he had trouble getting insured on his NZ licence, even using his parents address, whith whom they are staying . They too bought a oldish van, for touring both here and in France, as they are here for a year, going home in November now, can't take another UK winter!! Not sure about driving licence as over here, when you reach 70, you are restricted to max 3500 tons, unless you can get HGV (not too sure about this), as we restrict ourselves to 3500, which is large enough for us.

Perhaps you can get info from other countrymen about there experience over here

Taking granchildren?, does that mean they live here? If so maybe you can use there address, and store van around near where they live, would make things easier, as they could keep an eye on it for you.

Lots to look into, should keep you busy on the internet!!

PJay

[hallii]

I am expressing an opinion, it is my personal opinion, formed with plenty of bias, without any experience of many other makes. Hopefully that should avoid the usual "ding dong", but I doubt it :-D

 

Anyway, for good resale value, good build quality and a reputation for not falling apart I will suggest a Hymer. They cost a bit more but they are popular, supply and demand etc.

 

H

 

 

[Guest JudgeMental]

Welcome!.....If you decide on a German camper and are happy with LHD you get better value for money buying in Belgium/Germany.

[lennyhb]

"RE: Brands to ignore" Swift would be at the top of my list terrible name for water ingress and Damp, followed closely by Elddis worth Autotrail not far behind. I'm afraid I'm in the I would never buy British camp.

 

As Eddie say you will get far better value buying a German built van in Belgium or Germany and you will get a much better quality van. German manufacturers tend to put their money into build quality rather than glitz. You will however have difficulty finding a rear lounge in German vans.

I would have thought LHD drive would be a better choice as you will probably end up driving more miles in mainland Europe than the UK, also a LHD vehicle can be sold in any country where a RHD drive will only be saleable in the UK.

[PJay]

On recommending German vans, don't forget Guys, the Op lives in OZ. Would he be able to import to Uk ,without living here?? You guys who have imported, will be able to answer that one.(DVLA Judge!)

Also he says spending time in UK, so does not need LHD, as I suspect he will spend more time in UK then he will abroad, as probably relations here

I guess we wait till to-morrow now for an answer?

PJay

[lennyhb]

Good point, when applying to DVLA for registration you have to send in proof of Identity, which can be passport, UK photo drivers licence, UK Passport, marriage or birth certificate and proof of address & proof of UK address, Utility bill, Council tax etc., in your name.

Looks like importing may not be an option.

 

[PJay]

lennyhb - 2014-04-06 1:43 PM

 

Good point, when applying to DVLA for registration you have to send in proof of Identity, which can be passport, UK photo drivers licence, UK Passport, marriage or birth certificate and proof of address & proof of UK address, Utility bill, Council tax etc., in your name.

Looks like importing may not be an option.

 

You see now how the f emale mind thinks practical!!

PJay

[Rayjsj]

Hi, a Rear Lounge, and 4 Fitted seat belts, will narrow down your choice a bit.As others have said Damp or water ingress in ANY Brand is to be avoided, that means a professional damp test BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. I won't get into a 'Brands' agument, as there are good and bad in any Brand, and wherever they are assembled, by a Polish worker in the UK or a Turkish worker in Germany, they all make mistakes. (remember, these are put together by Humans NOT robots,as in the car industry). So, good luck in your search. If your Wife comes from Nottingham, there are at least 2 dealers very close to there, Lowdhams and Brownhills.

 

http://www.lowdhams.com/

 

http://www.brownhills.co.uk/

 

Not an unqualified endorsment of either, although I did buy a Used Autocruise from Brownhills in Swindon (now Closed) and got excellent service and treatment. Ray

[Guest JudgeMental]

PJay - 2014-04-06 1:46 PM

 

lennyhb - 2014-04-06 1:43 PM

 

Good point, when applying to DVLA for registration you have to send in proof of Identity, which can be passport, UK photo drivers licence, UK Passport, marriage or birth certificate and proof of address & proof of UK address, Utility bill, Council tax etc., in your name.

Looks like importing may not be an option.

 

You see now how the female mind thinks practical!!

PJay

 

its not really a problem, in fact many German dealers are used to supplying and helping with the process of registering vehicles to overseas buyers. Probably going by my latest drama's with DVLA a hell of a easier as well.....they also store vehicles for you....the whole package. But OP wants RHD so not an issue here.

[Sydney1]

As long as you don't mind something over 3500kg worth looking at the Autotrail Scout which has all the primary features you are looking for. We are very pleased with ours. The Apache is a slightly smaller version.

[Sydney1]

As long as you don't mind something over 3500kg worth looking at the Autotrail Scout which has all the primary features you are looking for. We are very pleased with ours. The Apache is a slightly smaller version.

[akiwi]

G'day,

 

I've been lurking on here for a long time but have been provoked to register in order to reply to your query. I'm a Kiwi who, normally, lives in Sydney. However, for the past 2 1/2 years we've been wandering round Europe in a van of some description. Current one is a special piece of equipment on NSW plates.

 

I'll get slain for some of my comments, but we've spoken to enough people and seen enough vans since we've been in Europe to form some opinions. So, unless you really want to spend a lot of time in the UK, buy a LHD van. Ignore anything made in the UK. Get a decent German made van and buy it in Germany. Don't worry about age. In fact, if you buy a 10-12 year old vehicle, especially a Hymer on a Mercedes chassis or something equally well built, you'll probably have fewer problems than buying a 2 year old Fiat. However, you may want a newer van and that's fair enough.

 

Re the comment on insurance, this is quite correct. In fact, it's a bloody nightmare. UK insurance companies generally don't want to know about non-UK licences. You say your wife comes from the UK. If she has a UK licence there are ways round this. If you want more info please PM me. There's a lot of guidance out there on other forums.

 

I await the incoming fire, but to anyone who takes exception, I've actually been through all these issues.

[johnnerontheroad]

akiwi - 2014-04-06 8:41 PM

 

G'day,

 

I've been lurking on here for a long time but have been provoked to register in order to reply to your query. I'm a Kiwi who, normally, lives in Sydney. However, for the past 2 1/2 years we've been wandering round Europe in a van of some description. Current one is a special piece of equipment on NSW plates.

 

I'll get slain for some of my comments, but we've spoken to enough people and seen enough vans since we've been in Europe to form some opinions. So, unless you really want to spend a lot of time in the UK, buy a LHD van. Ignore anything made in the UK. Get a decent German made van and buy it in Germany. Don't worry about age. In fact, if you buy a 10-12 year old vehicle, especially a Hymer on a Mercedes chassis or something equally well built, you'll probably have fewer problems than buying a 2 year old Fiat. However, you may want a newer van and that's fair enough.

 

Re the comment on insurance, this is quite correct. In fact, it's a bloody nightmare. UK insurance companies generally don't want to know about non-UK licences. You say your wife comes from the UK. If she has a UK licence there are ways round this. If you want more info please PM me. There's a lot of guidance out there on other forums.

 

I await the incoming fire, but to anyone who takes exception, I've actually been through all these issues.

 

Glad this has been said by a Kiwi a lot of good comments especially about buying an older German van. If you still decide to get a UK made van buy a good damp meter first.

 

Dave

[Charabanc]

Hello Aussie Mac,

 

That sounds like a great plan. We had a year in Oz and very much enjoyed our trips in a Winnebago, particularly the wild camping.

 

We like our german van - it seems to be solid enough to do the job and has sensible things like an internal water tank, good ventilation and excellent insulation - good for heat and cold - you may want these things if you are living in the van as they will extend your possible use time.

[colin]

Rayjsj - 2014-04-06 2:12 PM

 

Hi, a Rear Lounge, and 4 Fitted seat belts, will narrow down your choice a bit.As others have said Damp or water ingress in ANY Brand is to be avoided, that means a professional damp test BEFORE you sign on the dotted line. I won't get into a 'Brands' agument, as there are good and bad in any Brand, and wherever they are assembled, by a Polish worker in the UK or a Turkish worker in Germany, they all make mistakes. (remember, these are put together by Humans NOT robots,as in the car industry). So, good luck in your search. If your Wife comes from Nottingham, there are at least 2 dealers very close to there, Lowdhams and Brownhills.

 

http://www.lowdhams.com/

 

http://www.brownhills.co.uk/

 

Not an unqualified endorsment of either, although I did buy a Used Autocruise from Brownhills in Swindon (now Closed) and got excellent service and treatment. Ray

 

And http://www.smcmotorhomes.co.uk/ 1/2mile down the road from Brownhills at Newark

[Aussie Mac]

WOW. 24 hours and I have so mcuh to consider. Thanks all.

 

Further information.....

 

We have an address in the UK and can also get UK licences. We have no issue with our Aussie licenses over 3500Kg (up to 4500Kg). Our grandkids are in Aussie and will come over with their mum/s.

 

Thanks agian - any more information on where to buy in Germany will be greatly appreciated. (BTW my son was born there!)

 

Cheers

Mike

[johnnerontheroad]

Aussie Mac - 2014-04-07 12:59 PM

 

Thanks agian - any more information on where to buy in Germany will be greatly appreciated. (BTW my son was born there!)

 

Cheers

Mike

 

Do your research on here http://www.mobile.de/?lang=en

 

Dave

[duetto owner]

having looked around many at shows, noticed the swifts ones always seem to have the interior bits falling apart, never noticed in other makes. If they cannot last as a show vehicle what will they be like in full use for a year.

 

Have a good look around when you get here first.

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi, from personal experience, my suggestion for 4 person van 3.5 tonn rating of good build quialty (4 persons being 2 adults 2 kids) could be Autosleepers inca, or even a Sigma. (yes it is a uk built coachbuilt, so there are those who will disagree)- . We had one with a view to adding grandchildren to the payload from time to time.

 

overcab bed for grandchildren, seats make up into beds for adults.

 

2.2 ltr diesel powered, 6 speed gearbox manual, and at around 50mph, returns about 30mpg.

 

size generally compatible with uk holiday roads, subject to suitable parking places. Height barriers are a pain.

 

YOu must be aware of potential damp ingress, so insist on a thorough damp test and remember the dealer will ty to convince you that up to a 20percent reading is acceptable..dont beleive it walk away.

 

I didnt see a budget price mentioned, but the mmm has plenty of adverts.

 

I hope you find your van, and get other things like tax and insurance sorted without too much hassle.

 

enjouy your visit.

 

Tonyg3nwl

 

sorry, just realised you want end loung, so probably inappropriate response.

 

tony

 

 

 

 

[Will86]

Mike,

 

In 65 years of having the freedom of van purchase I have always bought German and always will.

 

Consider their market. Its European. Its World Wide. Its a volume market.

 

They have a road system that will test any vehicle. They have extremities of weather from the Baltic to the Mediterranean.

 

They lost WWII due to their leader. They had far superior equipment and engineering. Their musical instruments and optics are in a class of their own.