Advice needed on swift kon tiki 655 and auto trail mohican (1 Viewer)

Diane1969

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Hi all,

We are trying to find a van that suits our needs, we like the layouts on the swift and auto trail which are both very similar layouts

Has any one had or got one of these that could tell us more about it? I have heard the swift being called kon leaky ! Is this all or a certain age?

Thanks Diane
 

Enword

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We had a bessacarr 745E (same layout as 655) loved it. now we have a Mohican love it. PM me if you like
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Diane1969

Diane1969

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We had a bessacarr 745E (same layout as 655) loved it. now we have a Mohican love it. PM me if you like
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Hi , thanks for that I'd forgotten about the bessacarr and it's exactly the same as kon tiki , my husband prefers the Mohican , which do you think is better ?

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Lenny HB

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I have heard the swift being called kon leaky ! Is this all or a certain age?
Thanks Diane
Swift have a terrible reputation for damp and water ingress, Autotrails arn't much better and you have leaky Lunar's, as they say no smoke without fire.

Personally I wouldn't spend my hard earned cash on a British built van.
 
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Diane1969

Diane1969

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Swift have a terrible reputation for damp and water ingress, Autotrails arn't much better and you have leaky Lunar's, as they say no smoke without fire.

Personally I wouldn't spend my hard earned cash on a British built van.
We borrow a hymer, very comfortable cab bed but they just don't have the right layout for us and I find the kitchen area is just too cramped and no oven
 
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Vlad The Impaler

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I'd go for the autotrail !
Loads of European vans leak too it's not just a British thing . As you say many foreign vans have poor layouts and what the stupid 3 seat thing is I don't know.
Get a van that suits you have it checked for damp and enjoy.



Vlad
 
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PP Bear

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I'd go for the autotrail !
Loads of European vans leak too it's not just a British thing . As you say many foreign vans have poor layouts and what the stupid 3 seat thing is I don't know.
Get a van that suits you have it checked for damp and enjoy.



Vlad
Spot on Vlad, I've had an Autotrail for years and it's never leaked once!! :roflmto:

Best motorhomes there are in my opinion. Perfect layout too:tounge:

It's good to hear from us all about what's best, but the only way will be to try them all and see and that way you'll get it right. I spent 2 years looking for MY perfect motorhome, it wouldn't be perfect for everyone, but it is for me.

After 2 trips to the NEC and sitting in EVERY motorhome on show, I wanted a fixed double at the rear, with the overcab bed for storage or guests/family. I never realised how useful and important the overcab was until I'd had it a while. I knew I wanted a motorhome with one, but the storage they offer is second to none.

I took notes and when I finally spent my pennies on my home, it had the fixed rear double, overcab double and 2 sofa seats facing each other that easily sat 6 and could also become a bed.

I also wanted a separate shower that worked really well, with good reasonable fresh and grey water tanks. I wanted a separate toilet and I wanted a solar panel. I also wanted 2 long sofas that converted to a bed. It had to have a reverse camera, a microwave, a decent kitchen that had a sink AND a draining board (most don't I'm afraid) and a decent oven, hob and grill (again lots don't).

I wanted the external BBQ and shower points and an awning. I also wanted alloy wheels and a tow bar. All a big ask, but that's what I wanted and that's what I found. Get yourself to a show, it's really the only way you'll find what you need and then you can decide if you want a new one or look for a secondhand one, which is what I did and was very happy with the money I spent.

I haven't regretted any of it and love that I now have a motorhome and can't describe how much fun they are to own. They're not cheap as there's maint costs, insurance etc and then the money to keep it in good working order, but all in all, it's worth every penny.

Happy motorhoming

:winky:

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I had a Kon Leakey from new and it certainly lived up to it's reputation. The after sales was abysmal and I said then I would never get another which I will stand by.
Requiring an umbrella inside the van was not highlighted by the sales person when we purchased the van.:cautious:
 
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Sue

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We bought an autotrail chieftan, 2003, model...but was riddled with damp...so cancelled the order.
We now have an autotrail apache,....as you say the layout is great. this is a newer model 2011, in fantastic condition. We are new to motor homing, but after our first few outings, we know the autotrail suits us really well. love it.
PS! Consider payload..it's something we never really thought about as newbies. We will be upgrading ours, as the 3500kg weight on the apache is just not enough for us..and we have paired what we need to take to the bone!

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Robert Clark

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We had aBessie E496
Was a great van, had a full size shower with separate WC and a large U shaped lounge.
Build quality was good
For the money paid it was a good van
Best of luck with your search
 
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Lenny HB

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We borrow a hymer, very comfortable cab bed but they just don't have the right layout for us and I find the kitchen area is just too cramped and no oven
Oh well at least you know what your are missing, surprised you can't find a suitable layout, not including the PVC's there are over 50 vans in the current Hymer range nearly every one has the option of an oven, we have an oven in ours.
The two must haves in a van for us is a fixed bed and a fixed table, we don't like British layouts too much of a hang over from caravans.

We have had British caravans in the past, more water in the walls than my garden pond. No way would I risk my cash again.

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Mr B

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We too looked at the swift, bessecarr and the Mohican.
At the time, the Mohican hi top was a rare beast to find.....
So we ended up with what we have now, and like it :)
 
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Diane1969

Diane1969

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Oh well at least you know what your are missing, surprised you can't find a suitable layout, not including the PVC's there are over 50 vans in the current Hymer range nearly every one has the option of an oven, we have an oven in ours.
The two must haves in a van for us is a fixed bed and a fixed table, we don't like British layouts too much of a hang over from caravans.

We have had British caravans in the past, more water in the walls than my garden pond. No way would I risk my cash again.
I'm really grateful for all feedback to my questions , the reason we can't find a layout in the hymer is we don't want fixed beds or fixed tables , i want a reasonable size kitchen so that I can cook and wash up at the same time and have enough workspace to dish up on and I found the hymer just don't have enough work top space, I thought the shower was a good size and as I said I thought the over head cab bed was far better than I've seen in other vans as it came down low and very comfortable . We want an airy open living room as I want to have a comfortable seating area that I'm sure we will be spending a lot of time in when using the van in the UK sadly.

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Diane1969

Diane1969

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Spot on Vlad, I've had an Autotrail for years and it's never leaked once!! :roflmto:

Best motorhomes there are in my opinion. Perfect layout too:tounge:

It's good to hear from us all about what's best, but the only way will be to try them all and see and that way you'll get it right. I spent 2 years looking for MY perfect motorhome, it wouldn't be perfect for everyone, but it is for me.

After 2 trips to the NEC and sitting in EVERY motorhome on show, I wanted a fixed double at the rear, with the overcab bed for storage or guests/family. I never realised how useful and important the overcab was until I'd had it a while. I knew I wanted a motorhome with one, but the storage they offer is second to none.

I took notes and when I finally spent my pennies on my home, it had the fixed rear double, overcab double and 2 sofa seats facing each other that easily sat 6 and could also become a bed.

I also wanted a separate shower that worked really well, with good reasonable fresh and grey water tanks. I wanted a separate toilet and I wanted a solar panel. I also wanted 2 long sofas that converted to a bed. It had to have a reverse camera, a microwave, a decent kitchen that had a sink AND a draining board (most don't I'm afraid) and a decent oven, hob and grill (again lots don't).

I wanted the external BBQ and shower points and an awning. I also wanted alloy wheels and a tow bar. All a big ask, but that's what I wanted and that's what I found. Get yourself to a show, it's really the only way you'll find what you need and then you can decide if you want a new one or look for a secondhand one, which is what I did and was very happy with the money I spent.

I haven't regretted any of it and love that I now have a motorhome and can't describe how much fun they are to own. They're not cheap as there's maint costs, insurance etc and then the money to keep it in good working order, but all in all, it's worth every penny.

Happy motorhoming

:winky:
Sounds like I'm looking for your van, when you going to be selling it !!
We have been looking all this year and won't rush in , we keep looking and will be going to the shows , each time we find a better layout that suits us for the budget we have .

Can't wait to be motor homing
 
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Diane1969

Diane1969

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Lenny HB

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I'm really grateful for all feedback to my questions , the reason we can't find a layout in the hymer is we don't want fixed beds or fixed tables , i want a reasonable size kitchen so that I can cook and wash up at the same time and have enough workspace to dish up on and I found the hymer just don't have enough work top space, I thought the shower was a good size and as I said I thought the over head cab bed was far better than I've seen in other vans as it came down low and very comfortable . We want an airy open living room as I want to have a comfortable seating area that I'm sure we will be spending a lot of time in when using the van in the UK sadly.
Stuck with a UK type caravan design then.:)
As for seating you won't find any more comfortable than the Aguti Pilot seats found in most German vans, also if you want a comfortable bed with a good nights sleep a fixed bed is the only option.
 
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Trikeman

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Sounds like I'm looking for your van, when you going to be selling it !!
We have been looking all this year and won't rush in , we keep looking and will be going to the shows , each time we find a better layout that suits us for the budget we have .

Can't wait to be motor homing

@Diane1969 - Unashamed plug here, probably won't find better if it's the layout your looking for. (y)Vlad and I have the same vans - no damp at all (happy for any bona-fide inspection).
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/superb-06-autotrail-apache-700se-a-real-stunner.113336/
Check out whole as I updated it recently.

Regards,

Trikeman.;)
 
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Diane1969

Diane1969

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Spot on Vlad, I've had an Autotrail for years and it's never leaked once!! :roflmto:

Best motorhomes there are in my opinion. Perfect layout too:tounge:

It's good to hear from us all about what's best, but the only way will be to try them all and see and that way you'll get it right. I spent 2 years looking for MY perfect motorhome, it wouldn't be perfect for everyone, but it is for me.

After 2 trips to the NEC and sitting in EVERY motorhome on show, I wanted a fixed double at the rear, with the overcab bed for storage or guests/family. I never realised how useful and important the overcab was until I'd had it a while. I knew I wanted a motorhome with one, but the storage they offer is second to none.

I took notes and when I finally spent my pennies on my home, it had the fixed rear double, overcab double and 2 sofa seats facing each other that easily sat 6 and could also become a bed.

I also wanted a separate shower that worked really well, with good reasonable fresh and grey water tanks. I wanted a separate toilet and I wanted a solar panel. I also wanted 2 long sofas that converted to a bed. It had to have a reverse camera, a microwave, a decent kitchen that had a sink AND a draining board (most don't I'm afraid) and a decent oven, hob and grill (again lots don't).

I wanted the external BBQ and shower points and an awning. I also wanted alloy wheels and a tow bar. All a big ask, but that's what I wanted and that's what I found. Get yourself to a show, it's really the only way you'll find what you need and then you can decide if you want a new one or look for a secondhand one, which is what I did and was very happy with the money I spent.

I haven't regretted any of it and love that I now have a motorhome and can't describe how much fun they are to own. They're not cheap as there's maint costs, insurance etc and then the money to keep it in good working order, but all in all, it's worth every penny.

Happy motorhoming

:winky:
@Diane1969 - Unashamed plug here, probably won't find better if it's the layout your looking for. (y)Vlad and I have the same vans - no damp at all (happy for any bona-fide inspection).
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/superb-06-autotrail-apache-700se-a-real-stunner.113336/
Check out whole as I updated it recently.

Regards,

Trikeman.;)
thanks looks like a beautiful van but we're after a rear bathroom as I've found they're bigger and as its only the two of us we don't need as many beds. But good luck and thanks for sharing

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Diane1969

Diane1969

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I had a Kon Leakey from new and it certainly lived up to it's reputation. The after sales was abysmal and I said then I would never get another which I will stand by.
Requiring an umbrella inside the van was not highlighted by the sales person when we purchased the van.:cautious:
Sorry to hear that, what year was it? I had a kon tiki back in the 90s and it was a really popular van and we had no problems at all so I'm wondering if it's a certain year they were bad ?

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Bluestar

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Just our four eggs, we have the Swift 655 and love it, just fitting all the upgrades :)
 
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Posted out thoughts on a new Rapido we have taken delivery of and very pleased so far. As I said in my thoughts payload and layout our crucial and Rapido do do rear lounge model now which may suit but depends on whether you are looking for new or second hand.

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Diane,

My first van was a new Autotrail Apache 634 in 2006, a number of problems but none of damp. The rear lounge was great and we loved the whole thing.
Like most things in life there are always gooduns and baduns, I would seriously consider a damp meter and check to allay your fears of the dreaded damp. Payload can be an issue and as much as I lust after an Autotrail Tracker EKS there just isn't sufficient external storage for chairs etc.

I have no experience of Swifts so I can't comment on those.
Enjoy the search.

Norman.
 
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