Not impressed Auto Trail (1 Viewer)

[MitchandJenny]

I have 2 huge Mountain Bikes which I take away with me Mitch so I need the space. I'll leave the rack as is and cross the puncture problem as and when. I just have to make sure I have a suitable spanner on board at all times so I can remove the rail.

Cant remember for SURE, but I think the two dome nuts that secure the rail are 6mm.
A socket would be best.
Mitch.

 

[M1ke]

Thanks to a great idea by Brian (hilldweller)!
original

After!

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Thanks to a great idea by Brian (hilldweller)!
original
View attachment 109024

After!
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The power of Motorhome Fun knows no bounds . . nice job

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[32143]

Thanks to a great idea by Brian (hilldweller)!
original
View attachment 109024

After!
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Looks great, Auto Trail do seem to lack imagination when it comes to concealing stuff.
Under our old front bench we had a mash of pipes for the water & heating, storage was what you could squeeze between them. When we took bench out & Terry fitted us cupboard he tidied it all away neatly. Don't get why the original manufacturers don't put in that bit of extra effort.

Lin

 

[M1ke]

Looks great, Auto Trail do seem to lack imagination when it comes to concealing stuff.
Under our old front bench we had a mash of pipes for the water & heating, storage was what you could squeeze between them. When we took bench out & Terry fitted us cupboard he tidied it all away neatly. Don't get why the original manufacturers don't put in that bit of extra effort.

Lin

Hi Lin

I don't think it shows a lack of imagination, I think it shows a lack of knowledge about motorhoming. If they had just one person on their production team who actually owned a motorhome he/she would have told the designers that you don't put a fragile valve and rubber hoses right at the entrance to the main storage cupboard. Likewise with your situation whereby your husband had to sort out the mash of pipes and wires which should have been covered to prevent possible damage.

 

[DavidG58]

I passed an Autotrail on the motorway today, no offence intended to OP, but it did make me think of this thread

Reg No

P 111 CKY

nicely spaced

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[Larrynwin]

UK manufacturers definately lack design imagination, little or no internal or external locker space to name one area.
Our Hymer as well as loads of inside cupboards has the double floor with in floor heated storage and large external lockers including one full width for long bits and pieces.
Fresh and waste water tanks are accessible from inside with access hatches for cleaning and windscreen and side windows have vents from Truma heating to prevent condensation problems.
I wanted to buy British but nothing to compare.

 

[MitchandJenny]

Good job M1KE and well done Brian (HD)
Mitch.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

I passed an Autotrail on the motorway today, no offence intended to OP, but it did make me think of this thread

Reg No

P 111 CKY

nicely spaced

I'm sure I've seen that plate before. I think it might be a Funster.

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[tonyidle]

We also had a whale pump socket installed near to the water inlet. Works well for the situation you described if you don't want to use watering cans.

I have also been thinking of a rear view camera in addition to the installed reversing camera. I don't want to loose the reversing camera, so have to install an additional rear view camera, but havnt got around to it. Handy to know the sat nav unit doesn't allow the reversing camera to be used for rear view anyway, it forces my hand into an additional rear view camera.

There was a thread some time ago with pictures and instructions showing a camera built into the spare wheel housing. It was a very neat job indeed. With your cycle rack fit, you would need to check obstruction by bikes first.

If you want a really good camera with nothing to corrode and an excellent picture try this:



I have one and it is excellent - and extremely neat when fitted.

 

[tonyidle]

My last Bailey 745 had an incredibly sharp finned Alde radiator fitted just above and inside the rear storage door, with no guard or cover. It was in just the right place to slice your hand open (my wife did) when loading up if you didn't know it was there. I told Bailey and they couldn't give a toss, to put it mildly. I think they design the basic van on computers then let the apprentices decide where to put the cables, pipes and dangerous fittings. They certainly look like major afterthoughts in some vans.

A tugger friend of mine has a Bailey caravan (Unicorn?) and the fridge mains isolator (13A plug into switched socket) was in the centre of the floor of the adjacent cupboard. Guess whose fridge rarely worked on EHU? And guess where he kept his pans.

 

[Susan Beattie]

Join and call the AA instead and let them do it.

The AA? They couldn’t find why our MH wouldn’t start, we were on a site ready to leave. Planned this trip for months to Duxford. Overnight stay at Barnard Castle.
AA gave up, and we had to abandon our trip, and go home. 3 different low loaders and 14 hours later we finally got home. Tacograph restrictions for each driver. We were charged £2.50 per mile, lost ticket money for Duxford. Best part of £1000 in total.
Next morning our own local garage took just 30 mins to find the fault....a soaking wet air filter... the drain hose was clogged and kinked....so rain had poured straight into the air filter. We complained to the AA...they investigated, gave us £400.....

So good luck if you need the AA to change a tyre, and struggle with the bike rack. The guy who came to us was more interested in plugging in his tablet to try to find out what was wrong, and barely looked in the engine. Hey ho, I was also recovering from a broken ankle, so in plaster, wheelchair and 2 elbow crutches, so we had no choice but to go home. It was horrendous those 14 hours.

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