Advice gratefully recieved ? (1 Viewer)

[andrewannette]

We are looking to buy our first motorhome and are quite keen on a second hand Auto Sleepers Nuevo ES (2010 plate with 20'000 miles on the clock )... the price they are asking is £32'995.
Another one we like the look of is a Swift Escape 664 (2011 plate with 44'800 miles on the clock ) price is £29'995.
Both are 4 berth.

Does anyone have any experience of these vans or opinions on them... any advice or thoughts on the vans and prices would be gratefully received.

Thank you.

 

[funflair]

20,000 miles in 8 years is a lot of standing around and I certainly wouldn't rate that any higher than the other one with nearly 45k on, what chassis are they both on and have you had a look at the MOT history online.

Sorry dont know anything about the habitation side of these models.

Martin

 

[WynandJean]

Hello and welcome from West Midlands.


Wyn

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[scotzsue]

Hello and welcome, a few things to think about
Sufficient seatbelts?
Payload?
Do the beds suit you?
What general condition are they in? (low mileage may have been very well used but not gone far)
Take a damp meter and check for yourself do not accept dealers information on this. Some are less reliable than others
We had an escape, different model, but at 40.000+ miles it was starting to get a little tired, foam used for seating was starting to sag a bit, especially where it was also used as a bed. Upholstery and curtains were still in good condition.
Although you need to look at price and mileage it is important to get a van where the layout and facilities suit, might mean a slightly older/newer van or paying a bit more or less.
Enjoy looking, take your shoes off try the beds, sit on the loo imagine all being in the van in horrible weather and think how you would cope.

 

[andrewannette]

Thanks for the reply Martin.
The Nuevo is on a Peugot Boxer and the Escape is on a Fiat Ducato.

 

[andrewannette]

Hi Scotzsue
Many thanks for your reply and useful comments.
We are having great fun looking round at different sizes/models etc and are excited at the prospect of a motorhome.
Where would we get a damp meter and could you clarify what you meant by 'payload'
We really are novices at this and really appreciate your advice.

Many thanks

Andrew and Annette

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[andrewannette]

Hi Wyn

Hello to you too.... thank you for your welcome.

Andrew and Annette

 

[Mikeco]

I would be going for the Peugeot Boxer as it probably has the Ford Puma engine.

 

[138go]

There are lots of threads on here about Damp and Damp checks. You will also find numerous threads about payloads. Both are very important. Do your research. IMHO the best MH’s are certainly NOT made in the UK.

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[Neckender]

Hi check behind the fridge vents for cracks as Auto Sleeper had problems with the fridge vent holders cracking badly and rain water getting in behind the fridge causing excessive damp, our last van had this as well as lots of other owners.
Check also for damp in the rear at floor level as sometimes the seal of the wooden floor to the skirt let water in off the wheels when driving in the rain.

John.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I would be going for the Peugeot Boxer as it probably has the Ford Puma engine.

Yes our Ford puma 2.2 has never missed a beat in 30k miles and it's powerfull

 

[Apache]

I would be going for the Peugeot Boxer as it probably has the Ford Puma engine.

We have two Ducato car transporters at work , both are well over 130000 miles and still drive like new. Just saying

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[Apache]

Hi andrewannette, welcome . To answer your questions about damp meters and payload, Screwfix or a similar builders merchant should be able to supply these , they aren’t expensive and will pay for themselves many times over if you manage to identify damp before you buy. It could mean just getting the dealer to rectify any problems or maybe help you decide to reject a motorhome before you potentially buy yourself some expensive problems
Payload is the difference between the kerbweight of the vehicle , usually quoted to include driver , passenger , fuel and some water ( or a varition on this theme ) and the MAXIMUM permissible weight of the vehicle which is quoted on the manufacturers ( or converters ) chassis plate. The end figure after subtracting the kerbweight from the max permissible weight is the Payload and that’s basically what you have left for all you belongings , bikes awnings etc . In other words , everything you willl take on holiday with you . Hope this helps.
Ps I’m happy to be shot down in flames by anyone who has proper specialist knowledge on either subject , I’m only a punter just like you .

 

[Mikeco]

We have two Ducato car transporters at work , both are well over 130000 miles and still drive like new. Just saying

I did hear that they put Ford Puma engines into two Ducato’s by mistake, now we know where they are.

 

[Puddleduck]

How many of you will be travelling in the van? Not only for seat belts but also if there are 4 of you that will be quite a chunk out of your payload. If you need to go to a van plated at above 3500kg then make sure you have a C1 category on your driving licence.

Don't take the dealers word on the weight of the van but insist on a weighbridge ticket and that a certified note is attached with what was weighed, amount of fuel, water, driver etc.

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[Anthea M]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Apache]

I would add a like to your post Puddleduck but I don’t seem to have a live icon to press

 

[BreweryDave]

Buy German. Nuff said.






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[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[reckless]

Welcome to the Fun. Exciting time looking for your first motorhome.

Loads of knowledge and advice here, much of it conflicting so many things to consider. Eventually it's your personal choice and you may not get it right first time.

We have a Swift but not the 664, been very happy with it for 4 years now.

Good luck and enjoy the ride.

 

[andrewannette]

Thank you one and all for the great advice and welcomes.
Off to buy a Damp Meter !!.... what sort of readings should we be looking for to indicate a ' good ' result ?

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[TerryL]

Hi and

Download a copy of Jim's book, Buying a Motorhome - it's free to full members and contains just about everything you need to know.
The membership costs just £15 and I guarantee it will be the best £15 you will ever spend on motorhoming. Then you can come back on here with lots of questions.

 

[Pia]

Thank you one and all for the great advice and welcomes.
Off to buy a Damp Meter !!.... what sort of readings should we be looking for to indicate a ' good ' result ?

Below 15 on the damp metre, at least on the one we have....the lower the better