still looking !! (1 Viewer)

Oct 24, 2015
5,268
32,970
Helgas house
Funster No
39,736
MH
hymer e650 battered!!
Exp
None
Hello all,,i am looking at an 2002,autotrail dakota,fiat on an alko chassis on tuesday ,its a private sale, 6 berth,I am planning on spending a good while in a motorhome so is there anything inparticular i should look for with this model,common probs,faults etc,,and can you please comment as to what you think of the make,model etc,, many thanks..
 

Southdowners

Free Member
May 7, 2015
3,358
25,320
West Sussex
Funster No
36,248
MH
Concorde Charisma
Exp
Since May 2015
There's a current thread about Autotrails and, I believe, old threads too. Going from what has been said, I would walk away and look for a different manufacturer.
 
OP
OP
ianthebuilder
Oct 24, 2015
5,268
32,970
Helgas house
Funster No
39,736
MH
hymer e650 battered!!
Exp
None
i have just this minuite read some posts re autotrail and from what i have just read i think you may be right,,well at least i didnt drive and waste my or his time,,.thanks for reply,its amazing how easy it is to get info from others posts and experiences...cheers....back to looking for a hymer etc,,lol thanks oriel...

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
OP
OP
ianthebuilder
Oct 24, 2015
5,268
32,970
Helgas house
Funster No
39,736
MH
hymer e650 battered!!
Exp
None
thank you mo,,that actually was the thread i came across,just before oriel posted run for the hills ! lol to be honest my head is so full of info,advice,and what with the house sale and other bits its all a lot to take in,,lol i am however managing to relax whenever i drift off thinking about when i have the mh i want and the rest of my life can begin,,,lol

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Charlie

Free Member
May 16, 2015
3,211
3,639
Herefordshire / Worcestershire borders .
Funster No
36,385
MH
Auto Sleeper Kemerton.
Exp
Im a newbie
thank you mo,,that actually was the thread i came across,just before oriel posted run for the hills ! lol to be honest my head is so full of info,advice,and what with the house sale and other bits its all a lot to take in,,lol i am however managing to relax whenever i drift off thinking about when i have the mh i want and the rest of my life can begin,,,lol

I think what you also have to bear in mind is we hear lots of moans and complaints but seldom folk shouting how good products are. This applies to just about every van or vehicle. They are not all bad surely ?
 
OP
OP
ianthebuilder
Oct 24, 2015
5,268
32,970
Helgas house
Funster No
39,736
MH
hymer e650 battered!!
Exp
None
im sure your right charlie, i just meant that the homework needed is a lot harder than i thought,lol im sure if i had £50,000 to spend it wouldnt be a drama but i only have about 14,to 15,000 and i dont want to make a mistake,,,
 

Charlie

Free Member
May 16, 2015
3,211
3,639
Herefordshire / Worcestershire borders .
Funster No
36,385
MH
Auto Sleeper Kemerton.
Exp
Im a newbie
im sure your right charlie, i just meant that the homework needed is a lot harder than i thought,lol im sure if i had £50,000 to spend it wouldnt be a drama but i only have about 14,to 15,000 and i dont want to make a mistake,,,

Ian I think when budgets are smaller we are looking at older vans and many will have problems anyway. Its like anything really as age sets in things naturally deteriorate .

So with that in mind if you are prepared to get stuck in and sort a few issues out then I wouldn't dismiss any brand on a few bad reports. We hear bad reports on every brand out there.

I see you are a builder so sorting out and recognising structural defects should not be so hard. OK your not completely conversant with how MHs are put together but you should have a lot more knowledge than someone with less practical experience plus the natural ability to sort things out.

Our van is a late 2013 PVC an Autosleeper. They are supposed to be very good and they are but still I took the thing apart to rid it of rattles and squeaks and fixing additional modesty blocks clipping cables and so on and often muttered to myself "If I built houses like this I would go bust" But then I am a pedantic old bugger.

Keep an open mind and you eyes wide open and good luck !

Oh and by the way I have never owned an Autotrail or any other kind of van other than our AS Kemerton so I could be talking out of my rear facing orifice:D:D .

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Last edited:
OP
OP
ianthebuilder
Oct 24, 2015
5,268
32,970
Helgas house
Funster No
39,736
MH
hymer e650 battered!!
Exp
None
Charlie,your right,doing some work doesnt scare me but like you said not knowing the ins and outs of a mh just makes it a bit different,,funny really,give me a set of plans,put me in a field and i can build you a house or a town,but i get twitchy looking at a mh,,,lolol bloody rediculous really...lol
 

tonka

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 2, 2008
10,796
21,441
Cannock, Staffs
Funster No
3,141
MH
A class Burstner 800
Exp
Since 2000
The older Autotrail are solid and built a LOT better...
On the Fiat side of things, Check when cam belt was last changed and if more or close to 5 years barter down as it's going to cost you. Check tyre dates, the may have plenty of tread but could be old. Nearside wheel bearing always seem to fail a lot on these (twice on mine) so listen for any noise.
As for the habitation side. Check all appliances work and all power sources ie gas and electric. Overhead cab seal right at the front cracks with age, so check for any leaks in the overcab bed. Flue seal off the fire again cracks with age and heat so check roof area nearby.

Apart from that just general checks, especially for damp but thats because of age not Autotrails recent rubbish build quality..
 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top