Rimor Katamarano 1 v's Chausson Flash 03

[Ade]

Hi, I'm looking to but my first motorhome and have seen 2 advertised at the same price/milage 06reg - £23,500.00 (10,000 miles). I like the fact they both have bunk beds for the 2 kids. I will be towing a small boat.

 

Any advantage over each other? also should i just spend the extra and go for a new one which seem to sell at £27k .

 

Thanks in advance.

[Guest JudgeMental]

without looking at spec based entirely on personal opinion, I would by instinct favor the chausson over a rimor. for a start they publish there weights...

 

new ones on "mobile.de" for approx 35.000 euro = around £23000

 

http://www.mobile.de/SIDddoiKuLFDxzXxi4GCNyOag-t-vaNexlCsAsCsK%F3P%F3R~BmSB11LsearchPublicJ1178223686A1LsearchPublicD1400IMotorhomeX-t-vctpLtt~BmPA1A1B20B21%81R-t-vCaMkMoQuSeUnVb_X_Y_x_ysO~BSRA6D1400D5500Hflash%FF%A003BGNDWOMOA0HinPublicA2A0A0A0A0/cgi-bin/da.pl?bereich=womo&sr_qual=GN&top=10&id=11111111257429794&

 

the new Ford is a cracking van, as are all new versions - well worth the extra investment.

[Mel B]

Oh bummer, I've just done a long reply to this on the Chatterbox section! :-S

[Derek Uzzell]

2006-model Katamarano 1 and Flash 03 share the same Ford Transit FWD platform-cab chassis and are dimensionally very close, so on-the-road manners should be similar. The Chausson's 2 litre motor was available in 100 or 125 horse-power versions, but I think the Rimor K-1 may only have been fitted with the former. This would be something you should confirm as the 125bhp variant is by far the better power-plant, the lower output motor generally being recognised as rather uncouth. I'm not sure if both motors have the same gearing, but the 125bhp's 1st gear is high and its power delivery a mite unforgiving at low revs. This makes hill starts tricky and can lead to premature clutch failure (so my Transit-literate mechanic pal tells me). Clutch replacement ain't easy (or cheap!) on FWD Transits, so any signs of incipient clutch problems should be looked out for. Because of this neither the Rimor nor the Chausson can really be considered ideal for towing. If cab-seat swivels are fitted, beware of the increased seat height as this can make safe driving difficult for 'vertically challenged' people.

 

Katamarano and Flash are unashamedly Rimor's and Chausson's respective budget ranges and this tends to be apparent inside. When initially marketed in France the Katamarano's price was just below the magic 30,000 euros threshold, whereas the Flash 03 cost 4 or 5 thousand euros more (depending on the motor fitted). Both motorhomes use similar construction methods with polyester-skinned wood-framed sandwich body-panels. Fit and finish won't be to Rolls-Royce standard but interior layouts will be practical. A French magazine gave the Flash 03's payload as 542kg and the K-1's as 940kg (a bit doubtful that!!). Both models have a 3500kg overall weight limit so, even with a hefty tow-bar, you should be able to stay legal weight-wise. Given a scenario where both motorhomes had the same price, same specification and same condition, I'd probably choose the Chausson because I'm peculiarly attracted to its cupboard door-handles. (Not a joke - they are a paragon of ergonomic excellence.)

 

When you say that new versions "seem to sell for £27K" I assume you are referring to a Flash 03, as MMM gives the price for this model as £26990. If that figure is correct (and some of the other Chausson MMM data is clearly wrong), then I suggest you should opt for new rather than secondhand as the latest Transit is definitely more advanced technically than its predecessor (though I still think, in unpainted black, its front end resembles a Gloucester Old Spot pig).