Violet1956 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Came across a van with this description for sale. Does anyone on the forum have advice about it? I am looking to buy an MH that will cope with all European temperatures hi or low on a limited budget of around 20K. If and when I find my perfect van I promise to exchange all of my purchasing and usage experience with you all. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Violet, Looking at the photos on eBay (assuming it's the one MH Depot is selling) then it's actually a 641 and not a 614! Look at photo of RH side and zoom in. Keith. Edit. And here it is correctly advertised... http://motorhomes.autotrader.co.uk/used-motorhomes/pilote/galaxy/2003-pilote-galaxy-g641-diesel-mfpa-2c929a794eb672ab014ec3a172e575df/makemodel/make/pilote/model/galaxy?featuredListing=true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 If the one that Keith shows , then looks in good condition for the year, and very low mileage, for a 13 year old van. Must have stood around a lot?? Our van which is 10 years old has done 47, 000 miles !! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Also here https://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/mercedes-pilote-galaxy-only-13-000-miles/1141635654 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 Yep that's the one. My excuse for the transposed numbers is that I am struggling with the keyboard on my new laptop. Thanks you so much for your post. Yes it must have sat around a lot. Might contact the dealer and take a look. Isn't the worst thing that this might mean is that the tyres might have addled from sitting too long? I am as green as the days is long which is why I am of full of trepidation about buying vans that are so old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 You're right Keith. It is a 641, well spotted. It is advertised on ebay at £1000 less than on other sites with one owner. Amaziing to think that the owner has had it for 12 years and done so little mileage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 Thanks Derek. Does look like the one. I feel I am blessed with all of the assistance I am offered here. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 Yes incredibly low mileage for the year. I do hope the previous owners got the max out of their investment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 Violet1956 - 2015-12-04 7:37 PM Yep that's the one. My excuse for the transposed numbers is that I am struggling with the keyboard on my new laptop. Thanks you so much for your post. Yes it must have sat around a lot. Might contact the dealer and take a look. Isn't the worst thing that this might mean is that the tyres might have addled from sitting too long? I am as green as the days is long which is why I am of full of trepidation about buying vans that are so old. If you GOOGLE-search using “pilote galaxy 641” as the search-term, you’ll find that this vehicle is advertised all over the place. The vendor (Motohome Depot) shown in the advert Keithl provided a link to earlier is a leisure-vehicle broker, so contacting the vehicle’s Bristol-based owner directly (Edward - phone-number 07500961139) might mean you could negotiate a significantly lower price. As has already been observed, the vehicle’s mileage is unusually low. Using this MOT History application https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ (Type P17OTE in the Registration number box and MERCEDES in the Vehicle make box) indicates that the motorhome’s recorded mileage has only increased by 1000 since its October 2011 MOT test. Non-use does motorhomes no good and can affect things other than tyres. A careful check should be made to confirm that habitation equipment (heating system, fridge) is OK as replacing major appliances is expensive. The 2.7litre 5-cylinder diesel motor should provide plenty of performance and a fuel consumption of around the mid-20s should be anticipated. Apparently the motorhome has recently been fitted with new alloy wheels (said to have suitable load-carrying capability) and new tyres. It would be sensible to check what make/type of tyres have been fitted and the age and condition of the tyre on the spare-wheel (assuming the vehicle still has one). The Gumtree advert says that there is a “Genuine reason for sale” and it would be wise to ask what this is. (I notice too that a Smart-car trailer is also being offered, which may explain why the vehicle has a hefty tow-bar.) A Mercedes-based Galaxy 641 would have cost around £50,000 in 2003 and, if this motorhome is in good condition and has been well maintained, is an attractive proposition if bought at the right price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 Derek can't thank you enough for your input. I have already sent an email to the agent asking to view next week and await a response. Will bear what you have detailed carefully in mind. It is a pity that there seems to be no service for motorhomes similar to that the AA offers for checking cars. My husband and I (apols to Her Maj) are perhaps capable of checking for damp with a meter but that's about it. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 Violet1956 - 2015-12-05 9:56 AM It is a pity that there seems to be no service for motorhomes similar to that the AA offers for checking cars But there is... http://www.mobilecaravanengineers.co.uk/ Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 5, 2015 Author Share Posted December 5, 2015 Thanks Keith. Looking at the website there is a depot very near where this van is situated so very good news indeed. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 8, 2015 Author Share Posted December 8, 2015 Well just to update all my new pals on the forum. We went to see the Pilote van today. Rather sad genuine reason for sale. Great personalised number plate. Surely a Pilote owner would be interested in the number plate alone if we don't buy it. Sleeping on it as we have also seen a Laika Ecovip 1R and need to decide which is best for us. Can't thank you all enough for your input. The Laika was beautifully appointed. Can't fault the Italians for interior style and the fact that they place ovens where only people over 6ft tall can use them. No more cooking for me! Your mission, should you accept it, is to answer these questions- can we put a motor cycle (mid-life crisis - his not mine) on one of those easy-lifter thingys on the back of the Laika (we would need tofit a tow bar) without compromising the handling or causing any other problems? Also we were assured the Laika was "winterised" and capable of skiing in the Alps but I think the grey water tank is external so I'm not so sure how well ski trips would go. Signing off. It's late and I have work in the morning. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 When buying a motorhome you have to take account of payload and your driving licence. I don't know the weight of the vehicles in question but if the MLW is in excess of 3.5kgs there are licensing issues for those passing their tests after 1997. If the vehicle is below 3.5kgs then carrying a motorcycle (as opposed to a light scooter) on an easylifter rack would almost certainly be out of the question due to weight (payload) issues. And if the motorhome is over 3.5kgs are you licensed to drive it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Just one thing I would like to add regarding a motorhome that is getting on in life with a very low recorded genuine mileage, in particular one built on a 5 cylinder Merc chassis. It would be advisable to have the cooling system flushed out and have new coolant put in. The engine can be very expensive to replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Violet1956 You haven’t said how old the Laika is, but Ecovip 1R models seem to have been manufactured in the late-1990s to the early-2000s. There’s a left-hand drive example advertised here http://rollingmotorhomes.co.uk/used-motorhomes/laika-ecovip-1r/ This has a tow-bar and some sort of rear carrying device, but it’s evident that the design has a longish rear overhang. I expect one could carry a rear-mounted lightish motor-cycle without unduly affecting the vehicle’s handling, though it might be wise to add air- bellows to the rear suspension if ‘your’ Laika did not already have them. (If your partner is contemplating carrying, say, a Honda Gold Wing motorbike hung on the back of a motorhome, a reality-check is needed!) For skiing trips an internal waste-water tank would be preferable, but an external tank should not be prohibitive. In any case it ought to be practicable to insulate and heat an external waste-water tank (reasonably) straightforwardly. I believe the Ecovip 1R always had a ‘marine’ toilet (fairly common with older larger Italian motorhomes) where toilet-waste goes into a fixed tank rather than into a removable cassette. The tank has a significantly larger capacity than a cassette, but emptying presents potential problems as many campsites don’t have ground-level emptying points designed for this type of system. Some motorhome marine-toilet installations allow a special toilet-cassette to be temporarily attached to the waste-tank’s outlet to get round this limitation. Worth discussing the toilet system with the vendor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Violet1956 - 2015-12-08 10:15 PM Well just to update all my new pals on the forum. We went to see the Pilote van today. Rather sad genuine reason for sale. Great personalised number plate. Surely a Pilote owner would be interested in the number plate alone if we don't buy it. Sleeping on it as we have also seen a Laika Ecovip 1R and need to decide which is best for us. Can't thank you all enough for your input. The Laika was beautifully appointed. Can't fault the Italians for interior style and the fact that they place ovens where only people over 6ft tall can use them. No more cooking for me! Your mission, should you accept it, is to answer these questions- can we put a motor cycle (mid-life crisis - his not mine) on one of those easy-lifter thingys on the back of the Laika (we would need tofit a tow bar) without compromising the handling or causing any other problems? Also we were assured the Laika was "winterised" and capable of skiing in the Alps but I think the grey water tank is external so I'm not so sure how well ski trips would go. Signing off. It's late and I have work in the morning. ;-) Personally, and I do mean that, we have had both a Laika and a Pilote and prefer the build quality of the Pilote. The Laika was a rear garage version and we had a problem with damp, it was coming in via the reversing camera. We had a problem trying to have a new exhaust fitted on the Laika which was on a Fiat Ducato chassis but Laika had put an unusual exhaust on it and the Fiat garage could not help. It is all a matter of which layout you feel comfortable in. We had the Pilote for 4.1/5 years until recently when we downsized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 10, 2015 Author Share Posted December 10, 2015 Will check the toilet thanks for the tip Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 10, 2015 Author Share Posted December 10, 2015 Your cautions are of great help Randonneur. I understand that retrofitting anything that pierces the body of a van may threaten its integrity as far as water ingress is concerned. If we go for it I will ask the dealer for the specific checks to be made in respect of all the issues raised on this forum. It is on a Ducato base I think I also need to check whether the timing belt has been/needs to be replaced perhaps as it has done 30,000 miles and it is 13 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 10, 2015 Author Share Posted December 10, 2015 Thanks Mike, fortunately we both have Class C licences. I was thinking of the easy lifter that is attached to a towbar and is like a mini-trailer. From my research I don't believe this overloads the back axle when the wheels are attached although it has consequences for ferry costs if classed as a trailer. Someone on this or another forum has said a get round as far as ferry costs might be to detach the wheels when loading on to the ferry. Not sure I would wish to compromise the integrity of the chassis by overloading for the duration of a ferry journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 10, 2015 Author Share Posted December 10, 2015 I've had a look in the particulars and at the photos of the Ecovip we were thinking of buying which is one with only a half garage not the one in the other ad. You are spot on Derek. I can't see any cassette locker on the exterior and in the particulars it just says it is a toilet with an electric flush and foot pump. Normally the ad expressly states that there is a cassette toilet. You have put me off this van for which I am most grateful. It is so easy just to be led into thinking a van is for you merely by internal condition and layout. I wouldn't fancy any "get round" set up. I had thought all vans built in the early 2000s would have a cassette toilet like caravans of that era. Still green but getting less greener by the day. The search continues...(thankfully it has nothing to with "sirralan"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Our Neighbours in France had this exact same motorhome from new in 1999. They had no problem with the toilet as it is supplied with a special hose. As has been said it does have 2 tanks, a holding tank another tank under that which makes it ideal for long trips. They only changed/downsized last year so it must have worked really well. It is basically the same as having a spare cassette. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Violet I expect you are referring to the Easylifter “Hydra Trail” http://www.easylifter.co.uk/hydra-trail.htm I think this is the only UK-marketed side-loading motorbike trailer that has swivelling wheels that should facilitate reversing, but there are other (less expensive?) side-loading bike trailers with fixed wheels. http://www.armitagetrailers.com/biketrailers.htm http://www.cmftrailers.co.uk/side-load-trailers.html As you rightly say, with this type of trailer most of the load is on the trailer’s wheels rather than on the motorhome’s rear axle. These 2005 forum threads discuss motorhome toilets including the marine variety http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Fixed-toilet-waste-tanks/1807/ http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Multiple-toilet-cassettes/2726/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted December 10, 2015 Author Share Posted December 10, 2015 Yep was referring to the Hydra Trail. It is over a grand but regrettably it would have to be the one for us as we have incorporated our useless Austin A40 sized integral garage into a kitchen and now store garage type gubbins in sheds at the bottom of our garden which has very limited side access. The forum threads about toilets were most informative and frequently hilarious - really enjoyed reading them. There were some especially interesting points from Laika owners with the marine system including the necessity for vet-length rubber gloves. Who'd have thought that owning a M/H could be such fun. Reminds me of a book on one of our shelves "Is everything s**t or is it just me! Can't resist a pun, once again Derek you have come up trumps. Thanks :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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