Shaun Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Colin, I nearly did the same and looked at the Adria Van M on the Renault. However, the layout was all wrong for us and everything else seemed too expensive. So, we bought the Twin - the 2.3 six speed. To be honest, I had a number of misgivings about the Ducato base, but choice seems so limited elsewhere. I'd nearly settled on the Transit and was going to buy a coachbuilt, but then there was concern about stalling. I waded through dozens of posts about leaky and juddery Fiats, stalling transits, expensive Mercs and limited choice Renault vans. In the end it happened very quickly - a 10 months old Adria Twin at a fair price. I looked under the bonnet and even without the recall work regarding the windscreen, there was no evidence of water ingress. The van then went to Fiat for a short service before the dealer sold it to me and they did all the recalls, including the engine cover and new scuttle. Once I got the van home, I burnt the clutch by reversing at too high revs up the incline of my drive, but then found it went up without clutch burn or judder at 1250 rpm. Yesterday, I reversed up a longer incine, though not a particularly steep one, and there was no judder. I daresay that if I reverse up a steeper incline the judder will probably be there. However, that's a chance I've been prepared to take because i think the Ducato drive is just fine. The interior of the Twin is just what we wanted and I didn't see anything come close for the price. I think it's so easy to put yourself off buying when there's so much adverse publicity. I've come to terms with the fact that I may have future problems if Fiat don't respond about the juddering. I'm prepared to live with that risk because I really like the van. Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 There are a couple of Manufacturers making similier layouts to Twin on a Master base, but only Maesss seem to be making RHD, we find Master driving position to be better and payload is also up, so it's a bit give and take, and the gearbox has tipped choise in favour of Master,there is also Devon, but with 4ft bed it's ruled out, saw Danbury prototype at Peterborough last year, hope to see production one soon, as I thought needed a little refinement. There can be no iron cast garrentee with any van I know, but I want a van to last me 10years till my retirement with the least chance of any major issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyStothert Posted March 11, 2008 Author Share Posted March 11, 2008 Obviously as a man who travels in steep places habitually, and for a living, I was bound to be the mug who suffered a gearbox failure first. Within three months to be precise. BUT, at some time surely we are all going to find ourselves in circumstances requiring that we reverse up a steep hill, and it could very well be out of the warranty period. What then about bad publicity and negativity? Or how about the more adventurous soul who buys the van second hand and breaks a gearbox or cooks a clutch within no time. This isn't about bad publicity, or being negative (our 2.3 van conversion is a treat to drive otherwise) but simple engineering, and a basic defect which will cost somebody dear at some time. If folk keep buying this flawed vehicle (and why should Fiat sort it out if they do) when everybody wakes up to the problem these vehicles are going to be worth sod-all. Mine included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Bumpity bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Could the mods combine this thread with the other one on the same subject please. Then we lazy people wouldn't have to click more than once to read the latest info/news. Thanks in anticipation! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyH Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Don't hold your breath Tomo Anyway there are three threads. All need to be combined. Come on Mods these are the people who buy the magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyStothert Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 I shall have another go at them to combine all three and put it up as a sticky at the same time, but it's a bit like talking to Fiat Customer Care, or Fiat Company Care as they are now known in our house. But I will try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyStothert Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share Posted March 16, 2008 Tomorrow this one carries a tale about attemting to tow with one of these juddering Fiats. It's an X rated horror show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyH Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Moved to the top Come on mods. Get with it combine these three and stick them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossko Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 One more time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyStothert Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 For everybody's information I've had words with the chap in charge of the forum and he states that in view of the fact that I have so many direct ties with the company they are unwilling to put any of these threads on as a 'sticky'. It is felt that should any kind of unfair advantage be shown to me in this matter it would leave Warners open to accusations of nepotism. It was also said that if it had been anyone else (with no connections to Warners) who had uncovered this corporate deception by Fiat then it is likely that their attitude would have been different. Make what you will of all that. It's nice bloke wot said it, but........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Whats talking plain english and telling the truth got to do with it being shown special privledges . Does it really matter whom found out about this the main thing is it is wrong . The truth is the truth whatever whoever found it if they are defective then defective they are seems to me a chat with someone in the papers might do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza454 Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 AndyStothert - 2008-03-18 5:45 PM For everybody's information I've had words with the chap in charge of the forum and he states that in view of the fact that I have so many direct ties with the company they are unwilling to put any of these threads on as a 'sticky'. It is felt that should any kind of unfair advantage be shown to me in this matter it would leave Warners open to accusations of nepotism. It was also said that if it had been anyone else (with no connections to Warners) who had uncovered this corporate deception by Fiat then it is likely that their attitude would have been different. Make what you will of all that. It's nice bloke wot said it, but........ I think that Warners are being a little too cautious here.There is no doubt that there is a tremendous amount of interest on here and elsewhere about these Fiat problems and it is credit to Andy and a number of other members for the perseverance that they have shown bringing these issues to light and trying to get some interest from Fiat.I cannot imagine any forum member objecting to these threads be combined and made a "sticky". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Absolutely Bazza! Last night I started a thread about a certain Shropshire based motorhome trader serving time as reported in our local paper. This morning I was informed by the moderator that the thread had been pulled because local papers could be wrong and they didn't want to take the chance of legal action against Warners. Nothing that was said in that thread was incorrect and everything was easily verifiable but they chose to pull it. fair enough, this is in effect their back yard and they can make the rules. Now here we have three separate threads on the same subject and despite repeated requests from several contributors for them to be combined and made into a sticky they refuse! Why? Because Andy Stothert who has suffered a gearbox failure due to this issue has direct links with Warners and he started two of these threads. COME ON MR MODERATOR, MAKE THESE THREE THREADS INTO ONE AND STICK THEM UP THE TOP!!! D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icdsun Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 I feel sure that others like myself that have this issue would appreciate the thread being made a sticky, if only to allow others to be able to follow the combined threads. Fiat have knowingly continued to allow vehicles to be sold with the issue of water damaging various areas of the engine and components, and only through continued complaints from affected owners have they finally started to offer a partial remedy to owners, to my knowledge the Water Ingress issue has been in the public domain since Feb 2007, the issue of reversing judder etc since Mar 2007. If I did not know better it appears to me that Warners are exercising a subtle form of suppression to protect their advertisers, I would have hoped that they would show some concern for their readers, they obviously care little for their magazine subscribers. If there is a valid reason why they will not make it a sticky could you do us the courtesy of a post with the reason(s). I have no links with any magazine or publisher, I do subscribe to several magazines including MMM as I am sure many others on this forum and other sites do Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayKay Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icdsun Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 BUMP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 I must admit I don't understand MMM's lack of help here, after all its a base vehicle problem not the convertor, so it should not affect the advertising of their regulars should it? Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterC Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parkmoy Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 'Sticky' Bump ! :D Or Even a Bumper Sticker !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred grant Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 western national rules f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Is this country full of wimps that are afraid of their own shadow ? Anything contraversial and they run away ! Wheres the old bulldog spirit gone. Come on moderators back Andy up, who gives a **** who started the thread ? Warners rely on us owners buying their mag, if they dont support us why should we support them ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyStothert Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 Geoff, I'm not giving you nightmares am I? See the Major Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen thread for an answer to your demands. Scary Judderer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.