Motorhome info

[kelly58]

We have just been to brownhills Newark and have seen two motor motorhomes that have taken our fancy, anyone out there had any expierience with Suntor 530L or a Bessacarr E 410 both have same layout and simular features The Suntor is 1year old 7k miles ,the Bessacar is new 2006 model with decent discount without trade in. Information regarding problems, fuel consumption, reliability,and Brownhills as a dealership greatly appreciated. This will be our first Motorhome purchase so as you can appreciate we are rank amatures.

[Mel B]

The Suntor and Bessacar are made by the same company, Swift, Suntor being a Brownhills special version of the normal Swift, so the layout is probably the same with tweeks for the Bessacar model, which is supposedly an upmarket version and may also have more extras as standard. For info on the dealership do a search of the forum putting 'Brownills' into the title and see what pops up. The jury is still out I believe on whether or not they are better or worse dealers than others. I assume you have seen other motorhomes/dealers etc and that these are not the first you've looked at? Again, previous postings will provide you with lots of info to check out/more general info. Of the 'vans you are interested in, what engines do they have? What extras do you get, what do you need, what don't you need (and are paying for), etc, these are all things to consider. Have you any experience, ie previously a caravanner? Or total novice? This again will help you decide whether these 'vans are definitely for you or not. I'll get off now and let someone who has the 'vans respond! Mel B (lol) (lol)

[V6Jim]

Yup, need more info on the vans and what your needs are.... Just a couple? Family? Just a week or two's touring from time to time or major international tours? Good secondhand vans are always worth looking at as, more often than not, they have many optional (expensive) extras included in the sale. I have a Bessacarr E435 and it is splendid.....not perfect, but very good indeed. Fuel consumption on our (2.0L Ducato) is OK at around the 25 - 30mpg range. The vans you mentioned are likely to have the newer 2.3L engine which has more poke and slightly better consumption. Low profile vans (no overcab bed) are generally better on fuel. Also be warned that there is a new raft of vans appearing now with the new Ducato Chassis/Cab. Quite a bit dearer though..... Keep us posted...we like to interfere! Jimmy

[kelly58]

We used to tent it in the 1970s when the ankle snappers were young and we had some great times as time went on they grew up and we ventured abroad ruffing it in hotels,now we are about to retire we thought we would enjoy motorhoming with more time on our hands .A 2.0hdi engine size I feel will be adequate for our needs we just want economy and comfort not a tea caddy with a jet engine

[Mel B]

Be careful what engine you go for, we've got the 2.3JTD Fiat offering and it goes like sh*t of a shovel when we want it, but it is still quite economical. There's nothing worse than having to tottle along behind a lorry, coach, caravan etc because you haven't got enough oomph to get past. Before our current van we had a 2.8 non-turboed diesel (Swift Suntor 590) and it drove us nuts, we felt we couldn't overtake anything unless we were going downhill and had 2 miles of clear road ahead of us! If you are seriously considering a van with the 2.0 litre engine make sure you give it a good blast on a fast dual carriage way or motorway so that you can get up to speed and see if it's got enough grunt for your normal style of driving, if not, no matter how nice the van is, you'll hate it and will want to change not long after. Also make sure that you can drive it up a hill if possible to see how much effect that has on it's pulling power. We stuck ours out for 18 months before changing it (we did have other issues with it as well though but the engine restriction didn't help). If you intend to drive abroad you'll appreciate that bit of extra oomph as well, especially if you are looking at a long drive down to the south of France for example, that bit of extra capacity could cut quite a lot of time off your journey. Don't forget that once you've got the van fully loaded it will not be quite as nippy so you need to account for this when test driving.

[flicka]

Hi Kelly We have just bought a Bessacarr E410 (from Brownhills) and I initially had a couple of concerns. A) Payload The Vans are 2006 models with the Fiat Ducato 11 (Short Wheelbase) and there is not the option of upgrade to the 2.3 litre engine. New Vans coming in are all the new Fiat Ducato model with the to be expected price increase. It all depends on what volume of gear you take on your travels, but 300+kg should be sufficient as they are only 2 berth vans Brownhills also have the Ace Capri equivelent in stock & I think I saw one with the 2.3 engine. Again this is manufactured by the Swift group but the 2.3 is based on the Fiat Ducato 15 (Medium Wheelbase) which gives almost double the payload. . B) The 2.0 JDT engine, is only 84bhp. On the test drive there are no hills around Newark to judge what it's power is like. OK on A1 section easily upto 70mph with power to spare. Bringing the Van home it cruised up the hill on the Lincoln by-pass in 5th with no drop in speed or Revs. I expect steeper & longer gradiant will involve alot of gearchanging, but it depends on where you wish to travel. Hairpin bends in the Alps requires alot of gear changes irrespective of what model you choose. Fuinally - Just remember that despite the Price advertised. these Models are the end of the line, with the new Fiat base now launced and whilst everything is negotiable, it is even more so NOW. They want, NO need to shift them to make room for the new model. You should get a great deal on any the Ace Capri, Swift Suntor or Bessacarr E410, then it comes down to what extra's they include and if you want colour coded bumpers, etc. (as the Bessacarr. Sorry the reply is long, but I hope it helps. Flicka