Do all Auto Trails leak? (1 Viewer)

[Steve and Denise]

I've owned a couple of AutoTrails neither leaked

Our new cheiftan did not leak one bit all the water stayed in the van And auto trail were less than useless

 

[Feday]

We have a 2007 Apache and so far ours has no water leaks.

 

[Steve and Denise]

It was built in in 2010 from new

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[Chris]

Some vans leak. That's a fact.

My former Burstner A class Aviano ( from new) leaked around the off side cab door quite badly.

Our present AT Scout hasn't leaked anywhere I don't think.

To generalise about any van is uninformed nonsense.

 

[Teuchter]

When recently Px ing my 2015 Knaus for a Hymer the Dealer said he doesn't have to worry about damp in 2 year old Knaus or any German van - funny thing is (he said) nearly all Autotrails have some signs of damp yet we sell more of them than any other brand!!

 

[Chris]

When recently Px ing my 2015 Knaus for a Hymer the Dealer said he doesn't have to worry about damp in 2 year old Knaus or any German van - funny thing is (he said) nearly all Autotrails have some signs of damp yet we sell more of them than any other brand!!

I don't want to appear argumentative, but based on posts on here about Hymers leaking etc, your dealer was talking out of his arse.

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[Lenny HB]

There are a few posts on Hymers leaking but there are hundreds on Autotrails and other UK built vans. You also need to take into account the quantity of vans the manufacturers produce. Hymer are the largest producer in Europe comparted to Autotrail who only produce a few vans in comparision of which most appear the leak.

 

[Chris]

I am bumping this for the sake of it.

Come on @Teuchter justify your post ( or ask you dealer to do so).

I am interested because I bought one of the Autotrails you and he are slagging off so I need to know.

 

[John Stanton]

When recently Px ing my 2015 Knaus for a Hymer the Dealer said he doesn't have to worry about damp in 2 year old Knaus or any German van - funny thing is (he said) nearly all Autotrails have some signs of damp yet we sell more of them than any other brand!!

... that's amazing ... even more amazing is how you managed to leave without treading in the bullsh*t that the guy was spouting ... I think it was someone on here that said motor home salesmen and Tony Blair both have one thing in common ... something to do with not letting facts get in the way of a sales pitch ?

Oh by the way we had a new Auto Trail for seven years - she was as good as gold ... unlike what we replaced it with (which was German and £25K more expensive)

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[John Stanton]

of which most appear the leak.

Can't wait to see how you justify that

 

[Lenny HB]

Can't wait to see how you justify that

I have met dozens of Hymer owners never met one with a leaky Hymer, I've only meet 4 Autotrail oweners every one of then had water ingeress problems all new vans less than two years old, two of them going back to the factory for the second time, also have known Swift caravan owners with similar problems.
On my third Hymer without any problems.

 

[The Dotties]

Admittedly it's my first van so nothing to compare with, but at 6 years old it is completely dry and goes through hab checks with no problems.
Autotrail Dakota 2011 Ducato base.

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[funflair]

For what it's worth we had a caravan built by Autotrail and at 12 years old it was dry as a bone, and really well built.

Martin

 

[eddie]

My Mother has had two Autotrails, neither leaked, despite to be fair being left in our car park months on end without being unlocked or looked at

Every motorhome manufacturer has customers that suffere problems

My mates Clou Liner leaked like a sieve

 

[funflair]

I have met dozens of Hymer owners never met one with a leaky Hymer, I've only meet 4 Autotrail oweners every one of then had water ingeress problems all new vans less than two years old, two of them going back to the factory for the second time, also have known Swift caravan owners with similar problems.
On my third Hymer without any problems.

I would bet that you have read a few reports of leaking Hymers though, I think the problem is what happens after the leak, firstly how quickly and efficiently the dealer fixes it, and secondly what damage a small leak causes, our van and your latest one being full alloy foam sandwich panels the answer would be very little but in differently constructed van the answer might be different, when I took the window out of our Niesmann+Bischoff it had been leaking for 10 years, it went in the top around the window down the grooves in the foam side panels and out the bottom causing no problem to the foam whatsoever but yes even N+B can leak

Martin

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[buttons]

We have a Kontiki which have a reputation to leak allegedly. I never took any notice of the crap posted about them because you only hear of the ones that do go wrong and not the hundreds that don't. Look at the old paperwork with your prospective purchase, particularly the hab test and make a decision on that.

Crap or not mushy, the Konleaky was a name given to the Kontiki by the dealers not the owners. We needed an umbrella for indoors dining in ours. Wouldn't have another as a gift....

 

[John Stanton]

I've only meet 4 Autotrail oweners every one of then had water ingeress problems

Very scientific ... a cross section of four Auto Trail owners so it has to be true then

I have met dozens of Hymer owners never met one with a leaky Hymer

I'd be happy to meet up and share a glass or two of vino with you to put that one right (our new one turned into a barge after just 18 months)

So using a similar technique, of the two new Hymer owners I've met (one was us, the other is a couple we were talking to at Travelworld while dropping ours off for the umpteenth time), as these have both had "water issues" ... good grief ... does that mean that most if not all all Hymers leak ?

By the way we also know two chaps who drive Subarus and they both have smelly feet so does that mean all Subaru drivers are similarly afflicted ?

I do love a sensible debate ... but from our experience of owning an Auto Trail for seven years and a Hymer for two years, the score was an emphatic Auto Trail 1 - 0 Hymer despite the huge price difference. When we "jumped ship" from the Hymer (sorry no pun intended), we'd have gladly bought another Auto Trail had it offered the layout that the Rapido we now have on order does

 

[John Stanton]

Crap or not mushy, the Konleaky was a name given to the Kontiki by the dealers not the owners

I genuinely hadn't heard that, but just to throw my two penn'orth in ... our son in law bought a 1991 Swift Kontiki six months ago which they have now used to tour Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Wales, north east of England, Scotland and soon to be France. He assures me it has been dry as a bone despite Scotland's best efforts with the weather. It did break down once, but of course that one is down to Fiat rather than Swift, so not bad for 25 years old IMHO. Of course there's good and bad out there with all brands so one man's dream is another man's nightmare, just like cars .

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[Teuchter]

I don't want to appear argumentative, but based on posts on here about Hymers leaking etc, your dealer was talking out of his arse.

I am bumping this for the sake of it.

Come on @Teuchter justify your post ( or ask you dealer to do so).

I am interested because I bought one of the Autotrails you and he are slagging off so I need to know.

Well if you are not being argumentative then you certainly are close too it!

At no time at all did I slag off Autotrails or any other make I merely repeated word for word what the dealer (not my dealer) told me

"When recently Px ing my 2015 Knaus for a Hymer the Dealer said he doesn't have to worry about damp in 2 year old Knaus or any German van - funny thing is (he said) nearly all Autotrails have some signs of damp yet we sell more of them than any other brand!!"

 

[peterc10]

All motorhomes and caravans will eventually leak. The question is how much damage will that leak cause. If it does not cause any structural damage the problem can be cured. And for that to happen you should not be relying upon wood for structural integrity.

A few years ago my son bought a 1970 Eriba poptop caravan. We (it is always "we" when it comes to difficult jobs and our son) had to strip it out. Marine ply floor shot - had to replace most of it. But the frame of the body was all made of coated steel and was in good condition. So just cure the leaks and put the same wall board back.

 

[buttons]

I genuinely hadn't heard that, but just to throw my two penn'orth in ... our son in law bought a 1991 Swift Kontiki six months ago which they have now used to tour Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Wales, north east of England, Scotland and soon to be France. He assures me it has been dry as a bone despite Scotland's best efforts with the weather. It did break down once, but of course that one is down to Fiat rather than Swift, so not bad for 25 years old IMHO. Of course there's good and bad out there with all brands so one man's dream is another man's nightmare, just like cars .

Glad to hear your son's is dry, mine was new when I got it and within 6 months I took it back to the factory for the roof to come off and re-sealed. It came back in a terrible state with more sealant outside the joins than inside. This went on for some time until I gave up and got shot of it. It leaked not just in one place but everywhere and at the time it wasn't the only one. Apart from that it was a nice van....

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[Teuchter]

Very scientific ... a cross section of four Auto Trail owners so it has to be true then



I'd be happy to meet up and share a glass or two of vino with you to put that one right (our new one turned into a barge after just 18 months)

So using a similar technique, of the two new Hymer owners I've met (one was us, the other is a couple we were talking to at Travelworld while dropping ours off for the umpteenth time), as these have both had "water issues" ... good grief ... does that mean that most if not all all Hymers leak ?

By the way we also know two chaps who drive Subarus and they both have smelly feet so does that mean all Subaru drivers are similarly afflicted ?

I do love a sensible debate ... but from our experience of owning an Auto Trail for seven years and a Hymer for two years, the score was an emphatic Auto Trail 1 - 0 Hymer despite the huge price difference. When we "jumped ship" from the Hymer (sorry no pun intended), we'd have gladly bought another Auto Trail had it offered the layout that the Rapido we now have on order does

... that's amazing ... even more amazing is how you managed to leave without treading in the bullsh*t that the guy was spouting ... I think it was someone on here that said motor home salesmen and Tony Blair both have one thing in common ... something to do with not letting facts get in the way of a sales pitch ?

Oh by the way we had a new Auto Trail for seven years - she was as good as gold ... unlike what we replaced it with (which was German and £25K more expensive)

It never fails to amaze me that the merest whisper of criticism of a make of any MoHo brings out the worst in some owners/supporters of a particular jump to the defence of the brand to the extent that they challenge and indeed belittle the writer of said criticism!! (in this case @Lenny HB and me )

"I do love a sensible debate" . says John in the above reply to @Lenny HB's observation on MoHo water ingress and then goes on to say "By the way we also know two chaps who drive Subarus and they both have smelly feet so does that mean all Subaru drivers are similarly afflicted ?"

That is sensible debate

Perhaps we should refrain from commenting on what we have seen/experienced/witnessed in case we attract the wrath of other funsters for having the temerity to relate our own TRUE experiences or opinions

Just saying

 

[vin0114]

My 2011 Autotrail Tracker had no leaks, well made van.

 

[Jim]

Do all Autotrails leak? The second post in this thread categorically answered this question, No. not by a long chalk.

Most all vans will leak if they are poorly maintained. I said in post 2 that my Autotrails didn't leak, well actually one of them did. It would leak around the large Heki skylight and it would need regular re-sealing to stay water tight. But, I'm a big lad and I would often be on the roof lashing two twin seat canoes to it that weighed 35kg each. The resultant flex from me being up there and the travel with 70kg up there would have tested the seals on any van, Brit or German.

Worrying though are the vans that leak because of failures in design. This day and age it should not be happening but the stories still keep coming. Also lets not forget condensation. This rots a lot of vans and causes numerous "damp issues" from the inside out. I had a cold corner in a van that attracted so much water that a hole in the roof and parked in Wales would have seen less water within!

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[irnbru]

Neither does @rupert Cheyenne.

 

[John Stanton]

"I do love a sensible debate" . says John in the above reply to @Lenny HB's observation on MoHo water ingress and then goes on to say "By the way we also know two chaps who drive Subarus and they both have smelly feet so does that mean all Subaru drivers are similarly afflicted ?"

That is sensible debate

That's actually humour in an attempt to make a point (though it is actually true, just like everything else in my post) ... anyway I'll try to make it more obvious next time by using more smiley faces

 

[Robert Clark]

My take on the original question "Do All Auto Trails Leak?" is this;

Its all about probability.
Taking the anecdotal evidence from Autotrail owners on this forum. It is MORE probable that you will have leaks than if you owned say a Hymer.
I'm not saying that Hymers never leak, but the evidence is that they are are LESS likely to suffer a leak.

I've had experience of owning both British and German vans. My British van had a leak, by German van didn't.
I understand that German vans are generally better insulated that English ones, so as such condensation is less of a problem too.

Would I buy another British van?
No, not until I am satisfied that they have improved their construction methods and that I would be unlikely to have a leak.

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[Blue Knight]

Worrying though are the vans that leak because of failures in design. This day and age it should not be happening but the stories still keep coming.

That's a very good point you make Jim. When we were looking for our second van we found that it was incredibly difficult to identify a brand, (via the different MoHo forums), which had not suffered from some form of water ingress problem.

We've only been motorhoming for 12-months but I read every night on the subject and it seems that the British vans such as Elddis, Autotrail and Swift do get a considerable amount of 'build quality bashing' compared to the foreign products.

You know your stuff so which is better then; British or Foreign gear?

Regards,

Andrew

 

[Tanya_and_Mick]

x2 Comanche (2010 & 2015) - both garages 100% damp
However, 100's of AT owners have no problems...............

 

[Teuchter]

Between caravans and Motorhomes I have owned 8 in the last 35 years and "damp" the breakdown was :-

1967 Eccles Amethyst no damp OK van
1979 Abbey Clubman lots of damp! problem van
1983 Ace Rallyman no damp nice van
1988 Vanroyce Some damp from cracked shower tray and floor delaminated - had it 10 years - still a good van
2002 Hymer caravan no damp - had it 11 years - excellent van

1985 Rapido MoHo - no damp good van but some problems
2014 Knaus - no Damp very good van - after 2 years decided the layout not "for us"
2016 Hymer - no damp (so far) excellent van so far

My experience so far -

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