Tracker Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-08-23 4:32 PM Tracker - 2015-08-23 4:07 PM Really? Just look at and compare the warranty, reliabilty and dealer and manufacturer attitudes for German cars and compare that to the Japanese, and even Korean, makers. Please tell us about these Japanese & Korean Motorhomes, I'd like to have a look at them. :D Thats a revelation Lenny - so you too are not entirely happy with European motorhomes then!!!(lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Had a interesting conversation with a breakdown operative a few weeks back, whilst he relayed Fanny back to the menders :D ......... Apparently he reckoned the most unreliable vehicle on the road is a ........BMW (lol) ..... Maybe German reliability is another myth I should start a thread on >:-) ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 In association with the Caravan Club, are the most important motorhome and campervan awards in the country. They are the result of a collaboration between the UK’s best-selling motorhome magazine, Motorcaravan Motorhome Monthly (MMM), and Which Motorhome, the UK’s only motorhome test and buying magazine The 2015 awards were held in The Roof Gardens, Kensington, London, with major dealers and manufacturers from both the UK and European motorhome industry present to receive their trophies. And now it's time to reveal those winners. The Chausson 610 Flash is the overall Motorhome of the Year 2015Picking up the ultimate accolade, the Motorhome of the Year 2015, is the brilliant new Chausson 610 Flash. The Campervan of the Year goes to the Auto Campers Leisure Van. The High Top Van Conversion of the Year is the Westfalia Columbus 601D. Compact Motorhome of the Year award goes to the Benimar Mileo 201. Winner of the Family Motorhome of the Year is the Itineo SB740. Collecting the Fixed Double Bed Motorhome of the Year award is the Elddis Encore 255. The Fixed Single Bed Motorhome of the Year winner is the Adria Matrix Supreme 687 SLT. The Non-Fixed Bed Motorhome of the Year category was also won by the overall winner, the Chausson 610 Flash. And finally, the Luxury Motorhome of the Year is the Niesmann+Bischoff Flair 920LF. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark-kelly Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 The strongest economy in Europe.. GERMANY !!!! I wonder why ??? Again I'm not saying the English are rubbish at manufacturing anything I'm just advising people who are coming into motor homes that German Built campers are far superior to English vans. The next 5/10 years will show how bad these English vans are because I'm seeing rotten vans at three years old and getting repaired under warranty. Anyone with an ounce of sense knows a bmw, Mercedes, porsche, vw are a little better built and a higher quality than a Ford, Hyundai,Vauxhall same thing applies to campers love it or hate it Germany produce the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 pelmetman - 2015-08-23 4:45 PM Had a interesting conversation with a breakdown operative a few weeks back, whilst he relayed Fanny back to the menders :D ......... Apparently he reckoned the most unreliable vehicle on the road is a ........BMW (lol) ..... Maybe German reliability is another myth I should start a thread on >:-) ......... In the last ten years or so we have had several BMW and Toyota / Lexus and Honda cars and no prizes for guessing the most unreliable - yes of course it was both the BMWs. Even previous Citroen / Peugeot cars were more reliable than our BMWs - so guess which brand car we are very unlikely to ever buy again - yes of Course it's BMW! To be fair our Bosch washing machine was 14 years old without EVER breaking down prior to passing it on to an impoverished releative and buying ourseles a new - yes of course - Bosch washing machine! To be fair they never broke down but they were always in for faults to be corrected whereas the Japaneses care have NEVER visited a dealer other than for a scheduled service. We have friends with a similarly good experiences of Hyundai / Kia. We also have friends with appalling stories to tell about the cost of repairs and dealer attitude towards their out of warranty VW/Audi group cars including Skoda and Seat. Do ya feel lucky? Yes, the Germans do make some good stuff but their cars are regrettably over rated and have been the subjects of some brilliant marketing which makes a lot of people think they are the best - based on personal experience I just don't happen to agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark-kelly Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 I'm simply pointing out to the average working man who's thinking of spending his hard earned cash that these English vans are poorly constructed and made of vey poor materials and not built to last, I can give an opinion based on knowledge of repairing vans, I very rarely see any major damp problems with. German vans however on the other hand English vans are getting repaired at an alarming rate due to water ingress. I supose the proof is in the pudding, look at vans for sale around ten to fifteen years old 90% probably German, look at re-sail prices on English vans compared to German vans and I think you'll get all the answers you want. If you know any dealers personally ask there advise and you will find almost all of them would agree with what I'm saying. They will sell English vans but look at what there offering !! 6k down and the rest over 30 yrs to get shut of them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken the kontiki Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Just out of interest Mark, what MH do you currently own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 It is down to design and construction techniques, not what country produces the vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Mark-kelly - 2015-08-23 4:57 PM Anyone with an ounce of sense knows a ** bmw**, Mercedes, porsche, vw are a little better built and a higher quality than a Ford, Hyundai,Vauxhall same thing applies to campers love it or hate it Germany produce the best You obviously missed my post ;-) ................ Maybe the Krauts propaganda is better than their engineering :D ........... It was ever thus :-| ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark-kelly Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 I'm guessing you've got a Watertrail! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark-kelly Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 None at the moment but looking to buy a Burstner or Hobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Mark-kelly - 2015-08-23 5:38 PM I'm guessing you've got a Watertrail! Only if he is inter-continental - sorry I meant incontinent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Mark-kelly - 2015-08-23 5:38 PM I'm guessing you've got a Watertrail! Nah....... something better........an appreciating asset ;-) ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Tracker - 2015-08-23 5:42 PM Mark-kelly - 2015-08-23 5:38 PM I'm guessing you've got a Watertrail! Only if he is inter-continental - sorry I meant incontinent! Horace is frequently inter-continental B-) ........ Maybe the occasional dribble makes me inter- continental too :D .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mikethe bike Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Mark-kelly - 2015-08-23 8:21 AM we don't, and wouldn't dream of buying a caravan mounted on a van chassis. For that is what most British vans look like inside. Plus we don't want to cook a full blown British Sunday dinner, so no need for a full domestic size cooker. British van design is stuck in the dark ages compared to their continental rivals. Evrybody got exited when Bailey said they were building M/H's, what did they come up with? A square box like monstrosity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Excellent summing up Mike. On Thursday I was driving up the M3 and noticed a caravan as I got closer it was in fact a Motorhome, it was a Bailey, the back end looked like a caravan as I went by it, it really did look like a cut & shunt job a caravan stuck on a chassis cab. Wouldn't even be tempted to look inside one, I know it will look like a dinning room on wheels just like British caravans have done for decades. I would probably get wet if I went inside I've seen that video of a brand new one. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 mikethe bike - 2015-08-23 6:03 PM we wouldn't dream of buying a caravan mounted on a van chassis. For that is what most British vans look like inside. Plus we don't want to cook a full blown British Sunday dinner, so no need for a full domestic size cooker. British van design is stuck in the dark ages compared to their continental rivals. Evrybody got exited when Bailey said they were building M/H's, what did they come up with? A square box like monstrosity. So how come we Brits buy so many of the unique 'British' style of layouts then when we have no such qualms about buying other imported goods? Perhaps it's because we as a motor caravanning nation in general, with a minority, disagreeing, prefer those kind sof layouts and kit - maybe because they mostly work so well? We don't cook a Sunday roast either - although we have done - but the oven is a very handy bread and cake bin when not in use and it is handy to heat a pizza or something equally quick and simple to prepare so it is never wasted space. Bailey vans don't appeal to us either - but those that have 'em seem to like 'em and as it's their money their choice who are we to tell them they are wrong - not me for sure!? My van does not look like a box I can asure you and is probably a lot more stylish than most foreign built vans - but I am a bit biased! http://www.marquisleisure.co.uk/motorhomes/stock-item/auto-sleepers-executive-23543 But we didn't pay anything like that sort of silly asking price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Rich, I hope you didn't pay that price, it hasn't got any beds. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 I must admit I just do not understand the statement that British motorhomes are stuck in the past with caravan style layouts. By caravan layout I assume you mean a motorhome with twin settees that convert into a bed, a decent sized kitchen with good cooking facilities and a decent washroom. What on earth is wrong with having the same layout in a motorhome? This layout works very well and makes good use of the available space with great feet up lounging and a big comfy bed. Don't give me all that rubbish about a jigsaw of cushions as the better manfacturers execute this very well. The continental style layout seems to be all about trying to provide a permanent bed and a dining table and a lot of storage. Trouble is this tends to make everything compromised and cramped. The dinettes all seem to be upright cramped affairs with huge tables that get in the way. What is wrong with wanting a bit of comfort? The kitchens are a joke. I have seen huge A-class motorhomes with hardly any worktop to speak of - how on earth do you prepare anything or do they just eat out all the time or live on microwaved food? Some of the continental style PVCs even have the bathroom in the middle of the van because there is so little room left after squeezing in a double bed and dinette. What a faff having to slide all these doors about then mop up the middle of the van. As for the wonderful storage areas, most of the continental style PVCs I have seen you need to lift up the bed to get at the cupboards underneath and what do you do if this area is jam packed with all the stuff you feel you need to fill this with? It strikes me that the continental layout is more like tent camping with your bed made up, a basic, cramped kitchen, a picnic table and an annex full of stuff. When camping you hope yo spend most of the time outdoors so what is inside is not really important, apart from the bed. Well us traditional Brits want something a bit better than tent camping in a box, we want some luxury and space to sprawl out in, especially if the weather is not so good outside. We also want a decent kitchen and some home from home comforts and some warm inviting furnishings and decor. Lounging, not camping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 I wouldn't countenance a van without a proper kitchen 8-) ............ I don't mind eating that foreign muck for a while, but when your away for months at a time....... Sometimes I need to eat a proper Sunday roast ......or curry :D ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-08-23 7:09 PM Rich, I hope you didn't pay that price, it hasn't got any beds. :D But its got a proper cooker and its beige ;-) ...........and beige campers are cool B-) ............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 lennyhb - 2015-08-23 7:09 PM Rich, I hope you didn't pay that price, it hasn't got any beds. No lenny we certainly did not - well ubder £40k is what we paid. I spoke to the original supplying dealer (Simpsons) whom I have known for years as part of my pre purchase enquiries and he immediately offered me exactly wat I was paying to buy it into stock - I politely refused! The bed bases slide smoothly out to create a huge double or that pull partly out and the back cusions drop to create two very comfortable over 6'0" long by 2'4" wide singles with plenty of aisle room for nightime perambulations. The cab end bench seat bolsters are designed to fold down and inserts drop in to create a 6'6" long single beds. But as this also means sliding the cab seats forward, and a 6' bed is quite long enough for me and my Duvalay I have modified ours so that the bolsters fold down without the need to move the cab seats and apply infills which simplifies and speeds up what was already a simple operation as well as increasing storage space for the two infills we don't need! I have fitted gas struts to the n/s bench seat so that opening it to get all of the bedding out is effortless and speedy and the whole bed making operation takes but a minute or three and for us is well worth the effort for the extra daytime space gained in a compact coachbuilt. It all works very well indeed for us but as we have only had it since April, and only had some 28 nights away covering a mere 3000 miles we are still learning and eveolving various aspects! Being British it lacks full winterisation insulation but the heating is very effective and as we no longer go really freezing weather camping it matters not to us. We will no doubt learn more next week in the Pyrenees! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Just having a think back about some of the vans we have had and rating them on reliability and workmanship. Layout is a personal thing so doesn't count. All from new so it is a level playing field. Frankia 740. 9/10 Burstner 747. 8/10 Autocruise Starburst. 7/10 Burstner Elegance. 6/10 Swift Kontiki 640. 4/10 Swift Kontiki. 650. 4/10 AutoSleeper Bourton. 2/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 OP obviously had a bad experience and now has an axe to grind. The same would apply if he'd had that experience with a foreign built Camper/MH. Like it or not we still have the best and highly skilled engineers you can find. Who builds the cars for WRC? Each one costing seven figure sums to manufacture and requiring very high skills. They aren't built in Germany....they are built in Banbury. Who builds all the gearboxes for F1 cars? A tiny little company called Staffs Silent Gears. If you saw their factory most people would laugh it off as some 'back street' business. My last caravan was a 1988 Buccaneer Elan 15.....the last of the coachbuilt vans before they began building down to price at the sacrifice of quality. The finish was superb and they are still highly sought after....but not post '89 ones. Even Hymer now build down to price and i remember reading somewhere that a used older model Hymer (forget what year) could easily sell for more than a late model one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Bulletguy - 2015-08-23 8:17 PM Even Hymer now build down to price and i remember reading somewhere that a used older model Hymer (forget what year) could easily sell for more than a late model one. I expect that's due to this Euro nonsense as they're becoming so complicated and unreliable, that they'll become too expensive to repair in very short order 8-) .............Imagine paying a grand for a headlight to get your van through its MOT :D ............. Going backwards is the new progress eh (lol) ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.