chausson/ford

[tazdog6007]

i have been on the forum with as it turned out minor probs. solved,once by dr,dave,and once by myself,after being ignored by supplying dealer.(lowdhams). but.having had nine m?homes all on fiat/pugs,this is a ford,and is the finest base i have ever driven.it's quiet quick and the most comfortable ride ever. did two thousand miles around france without a trace of discomfort, and with none of the hassles of the other two.loads of ford agents,cheaper parts and servicing.whats not to like? this of course is imo.can't see why others don't use them (?)

[DonB]

I have owned a Chausson 717ga for just over a year, on a Transit, and I agree with everything you have said. It's a great drive.

[RogerC]

We have had from new (2010) a Rollerteam 600G on a Transit twin wheel back axle chassis and it has been (touch wood) excellent in all respects......bar one....the mpg is abysmal (22-24mpg) but you can't have everything.  Uprated to 4 ton it does everything we want it to.

[Derek Uzzell]

tazdog6007 - 2016-07-19 6:05 PM

 

...can't see why others don't use them (?)

 

The reason why few motorhome manufacturers build on a Ford base are several and - I hesitate to say this - should be self-evident.

 

When it comes to motorhome base-vehicles Fiat dominates the market. Ducato is available with a variety of engine sizes (currently 2.0litre, 2.3litre and 3.0litre) and (since 2011) with the ‘automatic’ ComfortMatic transmission linked to the 2.3litre and 3.0litre motors.

 

Ducato is FWD (good for motorhome converters) and Fiat offers chassis in cab-only and cowl-only formats (in preparation for grafting on an Al-Ko chassis) as well as in standard and wide-track versions. This allows a motorhome converter to offer a huge variety of coachbuilt models - A-class, low-profile, overcab, 2 axles or 3-axles with a wide MTPLM weight range.

 

Transit has a single engine size, manual-only transmission and an Al-Ko chassis is not an option. This seriously damages the attractiveness of Transit where coachbuilt motorhome production is concerned.

 

Although some major motorhome manufacturers have flirted briefly with Ford chassis in recent years (eg. Euro-Mobil, Hobby, Hymer) only converters with a long history of building on Transit (Benimar, Chausson/Challenger, CI/Roller Team) continue to do so nowadays.

 

Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen has aggressively targeted the European motorhome market and provided motorhome manufacturers with a very versatile base vehicle: Ford has not.

 

It doesn’t really matter how wonderful the latest Ford Transit is as a ‘commercial’ chassis (or to drive) if motorhome converters cannot exploit it to meet the demands of motorhome buyers. Ford is a minor presence in the motorhome marketplace and I can’t see that altering even when Transit gets revised Euro 6 powerplants and an auto-box.

 

[rambo63]

My answers build quality of ford and dealer experience is far better than Peugeot, fiat, Citroën. My next mh I would definitely be looking at ford base vehicle

[Derek Uzzell]

Those are good reasons for you (and other motorhome buyers) to prefer Transit over Boxer/Ducato, but they won’t carry much weight with motorhome converters.

 

Does the converter wish to offer a coachbuilt model with a double-floor or an automatic transmission, or an 8-metre long A-class design? Can the converter build those vehicles on Ducato? Yes. Can the converter build those vehicles on Transit? No.

 

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and no UK converter currently builds coachbuilt motorhomes on Transit and just a few UK converters build Transit Mk 8-based PVCs. In Continental Europe only the converters I mentioned in my last posting above build Transit-based coachbuilts (aimed at the less expensive end of the motorhome market) and - to the best of my knowledge - no Continental European converter builds Transit Mk 8-based PVCs.

 

My previous motorhome was a 2005 Transit-based Hobby. I don’t consider the Ford part of it was any better built than the Fiat part of my current Rapido and, in fact, I would argue that the Transit FWD platform-cab chassis Ford provided Hobby with at the time was unsuitable for motorhome use.

 

That doesn’t mean that I ‘like’ the Fiat Ducato: in fact I fear mine as my experience of Italian mechanical/electrical products has been bitter. But Fiat dominates the motorhome market and none of the converters building on Transit make anything I want.

 

If Rapido had built the 640 model on Transit as well as Ducato - as Chausson/Challenger do with some models - I would almost certainly have opted for the Transit version. But Rapido just builds on Fiat and, as the 640 design met our very picky requirements, buying a Fiat product was Hobson’s choice.

[larachmor]

Fiat, Ford, VW, Peugeot, Mercedes ?? It's all horses for courses, and the opening poster having had experience of NINE motorhomes clearly gives his opinion. I'm awaiting delivery of a Chausson Flash 620, and had the choice of Fiat or Ford. I researched it at length - There were numerous reviews of the model, including a DVD review in July's MMM. I also sought the opinion of my neighbour, who has ran his own garage for 30 years - Fiat or Ford? One review described it as a "no-brainer" in favour of the Ford. Indeed, I have yet to hear a single review or opinion in favour of the Fiat. So for me, as with the poster - in the case of a Chausson, it was indeed a no-brainer!