not sure (1 Viewer)

[crabman]

Being a newbe and looking to buy a MH I have look at many MHs I like the look of the 2005 Fiat DUCATO 2.3 Swift Sundance 590 RS, can anyone on the site tell me what they think of them and which make of vehicle they prefer, I am going to tour Europe and never being to any MH sites before I need to ask about the electric plug ins, Europe have a different power system then the UK what do people do to plug in, do they have a transformer? Or is there a system to alter the power when you plug in for electric, any replies I would be grateful

Crabs

 

[chaser]

Electrics the same , the blue plug you use here works there as well

 

[sdc77]

You would want to get yourself a 2 pin adapter for your standard blue plug.
Some sites have this sockets

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[chaser]

You would want to get yourself a 2 pin adapter for your standard blue plug.
Some sites have this sockets
View attachment 99273

Got one of them when we started going to Europe five years ago, it's never been out of its wrapper

 

[WynandJean]

Got one of them when we started going to Europe five years ago, it's never been out of its wrapper

Ditto

Wyn

 

[WynandJean]

You need not really worry about the electrical side but one aspect to be aware of is gas. Each country has its own producers and the bottles are different. Calor as in the UK is not available 'over there' and the French gas bottles have a different fitting. If you don't have refillable bottles you may need to consider buying French ones (propane/butane) together with their connectors.

Not a major problem but one to be aware of.

Wyn

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[Carol]

When you are deciding between vans take into account the pay load for each van, also check for any damp both worth checking, keep the questions coming that's what the forum is all about.

 

[Ambilkate]

We had a fiat ducato swift sundance 630g for 9yrs from new . We loved it it suited our needs at that time . However we changed our van in October for a Hymer 654 we love this van and had been looking for that model for 4yrs . Welcome to Fun

 

[crabman]

thank you all for your replies

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[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[reckless]

Welcome to the fun.

We have a 2010 Sundance 620 FB (fixed bed at rear, centre kitchen, 2 bench seats at front so no dinette) this is probably a different layout to the one you're looking at but suits our needs.

Some will say Swift may have problems with damp, this isn't something we've experienced and could equally occur in other makes.

If we could change anything it would be better insulation for winter travelling but that's really the only niggle we have.

 

[crabman]

Welcome to the fun.

We have a 2010 Sundance 620 FB (fixed bed at rear, centre kitchen, 2 bench seats at front so no dinette) this is probably a different layout to the one you're looking at but suits our needs.

Some will say Swift may have problems with damp, this isn't something we've experienced and could equally occur in other makes.

If we could change anything it would be better insulation for winter travelling but that's really the only niggle we have.

when you say better insulation is that because they are cold, do they not have a night heater? that runs of the elec mains in the MH sites

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[Lofty1]

Ours is a 600s 2005, it has gas and electric heating, like most Ducatos the cab always seems to have a draft but i,m told you can cure that with duct tape on the door vent, They are not as well insulated as continental vans but gas is not expensive,
Be sure to have a habitation check as some of that year had damp problems,
I think they are good value compared to some of the continental vans , But if you can afford an older Hymer or pilot go for that. PS we get a 14.5 k gas bottle from Carrfore,s (in france)for 35 euro and use a butane hose to the regulator lasts for ever

 

[crabman]

What is Habitation check and where do people get them done,

 

[DBK]

What is Habitation check and where do people get them done,

Habitation checks are normally carried out by a motorhome dealer. One of the most important checks is to see if there is any damp in the walls of the living area as some (most?) models are prone to leaks and moisture getting into the walls. This can cause a lot of damage if the construction involves wood, which a lot of older vehicles in particular do.

The insulation issue is not quite so much how thick it is but where it is placed. Many British vehicles don't have insulated water or waste tanks and there may be gaps in the insulation elsewhere leading to cold spots. Fully winterised motorhomes will have defrosting heaters in the tanks and piping inside double floors etc.

Before you buy a vehicle it is worth considering how you are going to use it. For example if you intend to camp away from sites you might like to consider solar power and if you want to go skiing then you need a very different vehicle to the one mentioned in your first post I think.

If you can describe what you plan to do it will help folk give the best advice.

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[reckless]

Ours is a 600s 2005, it has gas and electric heating, like most Ducatos the cab always seems to have a draft but i,m told you can cure that with duct tape on the door vent, They are not as well insulated as continental vans but gas is not expensive,

We don't have vents in the cab doors but we did get a draft from the vent in the hab door footwell. Taping it up helped a lot. What has made a huge difference is fitting curtains to draw across the hab area at night. Downside is that the comfortable cab seats can't be used in the evenings.

And external silver screens are a must, make a big difference.

We carry a small portable fan heater for a boost if we're on electric hook-up but have hardly ever needed to use it.

 

[andrewjw]

You would want to get yourself a 2 pin adapter for your standard blue plug.
Some sites have this sockets
View attachment 99273

If you venture as far as the Balkans [ inc Croatia ] you'll need this adapter on some sites...
In Greece you'll need it on virtually all sites...

 

[crabman]

thanks for your replies, i have yet to buy a MH and use it in Europe, i am not in a great rush so i am checking out all that i don’t know, last thing i want to do is buy a MH and find out its not suitable, got to say the new ones are expensive for what you get, the second hand ones with low mileage are not as bad but i was looking for a new one, anyone have a idea when the next MH exhibition is on, i am in north Wales so don’t want to travel to far, Chester or Birmingham ma

crabs

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[SMB]

I have used the two-pin converter quite often, mainly with an additional attachment for when you encounter reverse polarity. I just change the plug around until the polarity is normal. Some funsters who are good with electrics make their own adapters by re-wiring it, a polarity tester is also useful:

Amazon product ASIN B007JIRFYU
Hope this helps

 

[Techno]

We had a fiat ducato swift sundance 630g for 9yrs from new . We loved it it suited our needs at that time . However we changed our van in October for a Hymer 654 we love this van and had been looking for that model for 4yrs . Welcome to Fun

Also seats 17

 

[Puddleduck]

When you find a van you really like ask if someone from this site will go along with you. Another pair of eyes (not involved in the purchase and experienced) can spot things you might not notice - or at least will know areas to check out.

If you are travelling some distance to see a van you might find someone who lives closer to have a preliminary gander and take photos for you

Can't help with the specific make / model you are interested in, we have had a Toyota self-build, a Hymer, currently a Chausson and will be trading in for a Sun-Living when it's been built

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[Ambilkate]

Also seats 17

not any more

 

[Carol]

Hi again Crabman, keep asking the questions, I seen you mentioned heating with a EHU most motorhomes these days use solar panels and a couple of batteries and so are not reliant on hook ups very restrictive. It is worth looking at vans a couple of years old with low mileage you would get a better quality van probably with all the toys on than a new one that is just as likely to give you problems in some cases more.

Think of a question put it in search at the top and see the wide variety of questions and answers just to give you an idea.

 

[sdc77]

Got one of them when we started going to Europe five years ago, it's never been out of its wrapper

Used it twice in the last month ..once in Spain and once in france. They are suprisingly common.
Even used it in a stop over at Davos before

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[buttons]

Hi and Welcome.....