Dethleffs Globebus I3 A Class - pros and cons?

[Lee1st]

Hi all, I'm toying with the idea of trading my Geist Phantom RG in for the above. Is there anyone out there with experience of the replacement? Have I heard that there are problems with the Fiat X/250 base?

The layout (U shaped lounge) appeals greatly, but our Geist has oodles of storage space, is on the Merc Sprinter with Sprintshift semi-auto and has been trouble-free, so it's a wrench. The Globebus seems very nicely finished and built, internally seems to offer much more of what we want without a huge loss of storage, but externally really suffers for storage. Plus we'd have to part with large sums to do the deal.

The Geist was our first motorhome experience and it's been a good one, but as relative newbies we don't want to make a silly error.

Suggestions, comments about the Globebus and Fiat base from those of you who are up on these matters would be greatly appreciated.

Anyone know what my Sprinter should be worth? '05 15,500 miles?

Cheers,

Lee

[Exustrek]

Dethleffs superb,

 

Fiat X250 will leak water onto your electrics in the engine bay & judder in reverse gear, Fiat have yet to convincingly fix the water feature & refuse to acknowledge the reverse judder problem.

 

Do yourself a favour & read the Fiat watergate & Fiat reverse judder threads on this forum then stick with your Merc.

 

If you're desperate for something new try Ford or Renault.

 

I'll prolly get some stick for this advice but you'll thank me later.

 

Bryan

[Lee1st]

Thanks for that Brian,

I thought I'd heard there were some sort of generic problems with the breed. Shame because the size and layout seems to be about ideal and the Fiat with a wheel in each corner leaks like it should be very stable etc, but I don't want to buy into lots of problems.

So, small A-Class, U-shaped lounge, well-built and comfortable on anything but a Fiat chassis, any ideas anyone?

Lee

[Gussieman]

(!) Hi Lee, just read your thread.

 

I'm afraid Brian is way off beam - as an owner of an I3 for 2 years I can tell you this is an amazing van and the X250 an excellant chassis (very stable) and engine (27 mpg is the norm). The 'Integral' version has no problems with water in to the engine housing as it has no Fiat cab being a Dethleffs A class body.

 

As for the judder problems are concerned I have not heard of any I3 owners with problems, no doubt due to the small rear overhang and in any event Fiat are doing the free gearbox upgrade for anyone who wants it.

 

If you are thinking of changing your Geist you won't regret going for an I3.

 

Gussieman

[Guest JudgeMental]

are you on medication...no problem with Fiat *-)

 

plus the OP and reply where over 2 years ago:-D

[Mel B]

Hi Gussie - welcome to the mad house ... I see you've already 'met' one of the old-time inmates! :-D

 

Judge ... don't go getting your gavel in a twist - not everyone is as familiar with the forum as you andme ... besides which it fooled me for a minute until you pointed out the OP date. :$

[Guest JudgeMental]

 

Well............. :-D

[Anglophiles Abroad]

Hi All,

 

Just joined this forum because I was directed to the inital comment by Lee1st. Interestingly we have a Pilote Galaxy 240 and are looking to replace it with a newer motorhome with if possible a U shaped lounge and also automatic. I was considering the Dethleffs Globus I3 or is it I13? We have also looked at the Hymer - so difficult to work out the codings for which type of Hymer? Our Pilote has a 2.8 Fiat engine and all the Dethleffs I have seen advertised appear to have a 2.3 - is this engine big enough? Hate the thought of going up hills and slowing down dramatically and being passed by all those that I have just passed!

 

So it is now 2010 and I have hopefully brought this thread up to date and would be very grateful for comments and thoughts.

 

Regards

 

Peter

 

P.S. Still working on attaching a picture to my User name!

[colin]

Anglophiles Abroad - 2010-08-19 9:39 AM

 

...looking to replace it with a newer motorhome ... and also automatic.

all the Dethleffs I have seen advertised appear to have a 2.3 - is this engine big enough?

 

The auto (comfortmatic) is only availible with 3L engine.

The 2.3 engine is good in panel vans, I guess it will be ok on i3, certainly I've seen posts saying the 2.3 is as good as old 2.8, but have no experiance of 2.8 myself.

The reverse judder has to be considered, and you need to test drive one, but myself I've only had judder on grass slopes (and that with panel vans), whatever you may be told there is still the odd van being produced which judders.

[Brian Kirby]

We had a 2.8 litre Fiat engined motorhome that was supposed to have 146HP, as opposed to the standard 128HP.

Our present van is the same length, height and MAM, though 230mm narrower, than its predecessor and has the Ford/Peugeot 2.2 litre engine (common to Peugeot/Citroen versions of the SEVEL vans) developing 130PS (more recent versions are 140PS), which approximates to 130HP.

I can only say that 130 of Ford/Peugeot's horses, seem to have had far more oats than 146 of Fiats!  Although I believe the Fiat engine differs from the Ford/Peugeot engine, it develops about the same power.  In a van the size of the Dethleffs I3 I doubt you will find it short of wind, even uphill.

You'll probably get somewhere a bit below 30MPG.