liferichcashpoor Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Hi everyone, I wonder if you could give me some advice.... We have been looking for a vehicle to do a long trip (1yr) into Europe and have looked at so many, we have finally agreed we like the Autocruise Rhythm, it suits us pretty well.. But, I would be interested in knowing people's experiences, problems? However, my main question is pricing and buying, there are some 2008 models at around 30k this seems a lot, and we want to try to sell the van on our return and lose as little as possible... with a few vans we have now offered 10 to 15% below asking price and the sellers haven't been interested. Do these sell easily so they can demand the high price? I would be keen to hear how much people would offer under, and if this time of year is a buyers market? It doesn't feel like it. Many thanks, in advance! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 The Swift Mondial RL is identical to the Rhythm except the exterior colour and fabrics. Have a look on ebay where you should be able to secure a Rhythm or Mondial RL for under £30k. I sold my 2010 Mondial RL auto with all the bells and whistles last week for under £30k.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liferichcashpoor Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 thanks Mike! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickyDee Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Hi, I have a Autocruise Rhythm on a 2010 plate The only real problem I have is Swift in there great wisdom fitted a 12v compressor fridge. Not much room to fit extra leisure battery ,so on just the one battery it gets flattened. I also have a 85w solar panel fitted on roof. It seems to be ok June to Sept but outside of that the battery suffers Otherwise a great 'van Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I've got the Autocruise Accent 2012 model (same as the Swift Mondial I believe), it is a brilliant van which has a half dinette up front, kitchen and washroom opposite each other in the centre and full sized transverse fixed bed at the back. As you are wanting to spend a long time in your van it might be worth considering a fixed bed model as not only does it save you making up the bed each night with lots of storage space underneath, it also gives you 2 distinct 'rooms' - one of you can use the front dinette area and the other can sprawl out on the bed, this is ideal if one of you like to get up before the other or go to bed later, and also if one of you is ill the other can keep out of the way ... just something to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 A year in a confined space is a long time and unless you intend to live on minimal clothes, shoes, coats etc and buy new as you need and discard the previous season's you may well find a small van a very mixed blessing. Maybe if you are small of stature you might be able to move about OK when fully laden but bearing in mind all the things you may need over the course of a year my choice would probably be for something like an older Hymer A class with loads of space and storage as well as good winterisation and insulation. There are thousands of these wandering all over Europe and the do seem to go on for ever unlike many of their contemporaries. By the way I have never owned a Hymer so I have no bias, but I am impressed by what I have seen of them in use on the roads and aires of mainland Europe. We have a panel van and whilst it is fine for two or three weeks in dry weather and longer or wet and cold times it starts to become tiresome with all the put and take to access various things and we would never contemplate a really long trip in it. Maybe what you might consider is hiring a van or two for at least a long weekend to see how it pans out in reality. This will also give you a huge insight into the day to day practicalities - or not - of various vans. Believe me when I say that whilst they all look good on the forecourt there is a huge difference in how they work in the cold hard light of day and it is only when you start using them you find this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 As a panel van fan and former owner I would not advise spending a year in such a vehicle. We frequently spend up to two months away in ours and that was fine as long as the sun was shining. We used ours for sleeping and spent the rest of the time outdoors either lounging around or mainly as a base for walking. However, in bad weather they can get claustrophobic as you inevitably will need to spend far more time indoors. An earlier poster mentioned a fixed bed. Personally I wouldn't advise that as such an arrangement provides even less room for moving around. A fixed bed is fine if you use your van for sleeping only but spending a lot of time indoors would be impossible for me. At the end of the day the van you choose should depend on how you propose to use it. Spending a year in a panel van would not be my choice although it would be if I used the van in a warm climate such as Spain for trips from say mid March to the end of November. For me the season would be shorter in France as, contrary to popular belief, the weather there can be cold and wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 From what I can gather, at the present time it's a sellers market, but then I've not tried buying a van for the last three years. Maybe you need to look further afield, if you're going to spend most time in europe then a LHD van would be perfectly ok, but wheter there's a layout that suits is another matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Private Message ( PM ) sent . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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