Always buy German they told me.. (4 Viewers)

[Silver-Fox]

Its really really odd..
But we love the van although we have named it Christine after the cult 80s film...

You shouldn't need to fix her then, just park it up and it will self fix
Hope you get it all sorted to your satisfaction.

 

[CazPaul]

Because you didn't have a choice as it came on the van you wanted and now you have your fingers crossed that it keeps working.

Martin

I know, I look at it this way, its worked fine for over 13 years so the build quality must be decent.
Motorhomes are complex machines, there are always things that will go wrong. I think on the OP's van at least he has the satisfaction that its aluminium inside and out and he will not get any problem with damp.

 

[Basildog]

There are a few things on modern vans that I don't think are needed and do seem to give problems, powered front blinds, electric locking doors to name but two.

Martin

That’s the only good thing about our HYMER PIG

Those Remis things are the work of the devil, just thinking about them makes me mad

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[Larrynwin]

Sorry to hear of your problems Paul but unfortunately there are Friday vans , perhaps best to get sorted and trade in , sad though it is
We thank our lucky stars that our Hymer has been perfect, fingers crossed

 

[Stretto Boy]

Very happy with our Auto-Sleepers. Just a few minor niggles, none of which were the fault of A-S.

Blast, that’s gone and done it! Everything will go wrong now I’ve said that

 

[irnbru]

I'd agree the grass isn't always greener. Is any van free of problems? Just try looking positive as hard as it seems.

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[Kim H]

Should have bought that S790 Paul @haganap. Despite David's @DavidG58 best efforts to deter us, we're really pleased with our S800 and we do put a lot of Davids woes down to operator error

 

[Ivory55]

Buying a motorhome is a bit like having building work done at home, you have to allow an extra 10% of money for the problems you’re going to get.

 

[Brian and Jo]

Hi Paul ,firstly sorry hear about Nikkis mum,its always a wrench when you lose your parents.We are on our 2nd N&B ,first one was an 88F and now we have an 88EK both of which had snagging problems which have all been rectified, the bottom line is that motorhomes are now so complex that it is inevitable that there will be problems of on thing or another. But i do believe that the N&B build quality is as good as you can get in a motorhome. Im sure that when your things get sorted you will have a great motorhome.
Best wishes to you , Nikki and your families.
Brian & Jo

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[dabhand]

If you drove around in a semi detached house of the same value what do you reckon would fall off/break! Although you have my sympathies Paul, both for Nikki’s mum, and your van, which does seem to have had an overload of shitness, get everything fixed at an extortionate cost and you should end up with a good van! If not move next door to @DavidG58 and compare woisms!!

 

[cliffanger]

Hi Nikki and Paul, sorry to hear of your troubles with the van. We were extraordinarily lucky with ours (touching my wooden head as I speak...) which is why we are in no hurry to change it, notwithstanding the constant browsing of Internet for vans we think would suit us better!

Hope when you get the van fixed you can have years of trouble free 'fun', and in the meantime.... Keeeeeeeeeep Dancin!!

On a different subject, our son is loving his job as a mental health nurse, working with the Gloucester Crisis Team - can you believe it's four years since we had a chat about your job, and you told us to tell him to go for the Mental Health Nursing Degree? Good advice, which he followed, and is now at the start of a career he knows he can do well in.

 

[Snowbird]

I know am lucky as I was not born with good looks, but having owned nothing but German vans since I sold my Commer Highwayman almost 30 years ago and having lost count of how many German vans that have past through my hands since, I do not recall having any problems other than basic running repairs that I couldn't fix at the side of the road. Ah, the joys of being born lucky instead of good looking.

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[TheBig1]

lovely to see you posting again Paul

 

[Neckender]

Sorry about the problems your having Paul.
We have been motorhoming for 13 years and had 6 vans the last 4 brand new 2 which were Auto Sleeper coach built and they were the biggest load of crap the last one at 2 years old had damp in the rear as well as 3 years constantly back to the factory.
We have gone on to a PVC German built and it’s the best van we’ve had, in the first week of ownership the fridge was faulty and at 3 weeks of ownership the dealer fitted a new fridge, with no other faults at all.
We have now had the Globecar 17 months and it’s absolutely great, we’ve had remarks would we like anything better than a PVC, been there and done that, it’s also been called a tin box but we just love it and wouldn’t touch a leaky coach built ever again.

John.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Got to be honest John....I’m coming round to your way of thinking

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[CazPaul]

I know am lucky as I was not born with good looks, but having owned nothing but German vans since I sold my Commer Highwayman almost 30 years ago and having lost count of how many German vans that have past through my hands since, I do not recall having any problems other than basic running repairs that I couldn't fix at the side of the road. Ah, the joys of being born lucky instead of good looking.

nothing to do with luck, it's the fact that all your German vans were built in the 1990.s, as simple as that.

 

[Welsh girl]

I'm risking saying this but my auto trail since I've had it haven't been much trouble. The last hab check was clear but I would like a smaller van conversion. Don't want to exchange in case I get a whole lot of trouble we have had a few vans in the past which was a lot of trouble

 

[Armytwowheels]

Paul, I am so sorry your much needed holiday has been blighted by all these van problems. I dispaire with motorhomes sometimes.

As you know we are about to follow you in making the next van 'The Van' and spending, for us, a huge amount of moneh, but your experiences are putting me off. May be we will save our money and buy another old(ish) one.

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[andy63]

Hi paul... sorry to read about the problems... and Nikkis mum...

Ive long been of the opinion that most newer motorhomes certainly at what is considered the budget end of the market , like my chausson are increasinghy been built to look good , be lightweight and have over complicated electrics... result is half the materials are barley fit for purpose , and cant be repaired effectively... its hard to relpace a screw thats failed in a cardboard egg box like board. Or get a solid fixing into foam . And no one seems to (dealers included) understand the power supply systems..
Ive found the quality of finish poor with countless faults ...if id been relying on the dealer to sort them in never have had the van in the first year and on the one occosion i let them have it i could have done better myself than their efforts..
Safe to say i wouldnt be motorhoming if i couldnt look after the van myself...problem is as i get older im less enthusiastic about having all that work..
Anyways hope you enjoy your travells... hopefully most problems sorted...
O and hows the running going..?

Andy.

 

[haganap]

O and hows the running going..?

Andy.

Cheers Andy...
Not bad..I'm up to 94 marathons with 6 in 8 weeks to get me to 100 starting in two weeks after the crap ive ate and drank this Holliday is going to be tough...have an iron man planned for next June and a boxing match to fit in somewhere inbetween !!! Hope your plodding along.

@Armytwowheels .
Don't let my experience put you ofc Sandra...that vanous.looks nice... it's not a problem for the likes of us as Colin and I Have the knowledge to fix these things and the finance (Just)

What and who I feel sorry for are the folk who invest everything chasing a dream and getting a nightmare..those that don't know what tools do what... How this industry has never been on watchdog or similar is beyond me...
This chap had the right idea..build it yourself

 

[andy63]

I'm up to 94 marathons with 6 in 8 weeks to get me to 100 starting in two weeks after the crap ive ate and drank this Holliday is going to be tough...have an iron man planned for next June and a boxing match to fit in somewhere inbetween !!!

yea plodding along ok thanks Paul..


.. I hope the body stays good for all that.. it sounds an extremely tough schedule..
best wishes for it all..
Andy

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[Badknee]

As you know we are about to follow you in making the next van 'The Van' and spending, for us, a huge amount of moneh, but your experiences are putting me off. May be we will save our money and buy another old(ish) one.

We bought our Hobby when it was ten years old and haven't had a thing go wrong other than a fridge jet (Dometic). The mot examiner says its like new underneath (Fiat) with no worries.
I do wonder at some of the new van complaints, is it because their thrown together, Stevie Wonder is doing the PDI? What the hells going on?

 

[Red Dragon]

Hi Paul,very sorry to hear about Nikki's Mum,are thoughts are with you all.
I think in terms of your Van choices, its time to build your own, you have the "knowledge" go on it might look as nice as that one you posted a pic of.

 

[hilldweller]

Look for an older continental or brit van.
Quick grab one before they start rising in price

Or lowering in floor.

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[drago35uk]

You’ll get no sympathy from me you big Jesse!

 

[Silkcut1105]

Well having read all the comments ,some are very good ,but if I was you I'd get on with sorting out your problems yourself sod the dealer unless you get it done properly for free ,then you will have more faith in all the equipment and running gear ,but whatever you do good luck and if I can help with anything let me know .your best welsh mate from afar ,I can't remember what you look like anymore .stu

 

[tonyidle]

Our last trip of around 7 weeks culminating in a visit to the Lincoln Show:

Set off with duff fridge (waiting for parts) (still waiting)
Drove from Lichfield to Newark with trailer handbrake on (only the stub axles, wheels, and tyres survived)
New 180Ah leisure battery failed during our stay off EHU at Newark (supplied new in February by dealer from whom we bought the van. Turns out to be a no-known-make generic thingy.)
Small chip in windscreen as we left Newark for Norfolk and East coast
Touring Norfolk another chip this time on the bottom edge of the screen that immediately turned into an 8" vertical crack
Had to leave Hunstanton and return home two weeks early because my Mother was taken into hospital. No Lincoln for me.
The trip from Hunstanton to Kendal caused the windscreen crack to extend upwards to around 3/4 of the height of the screen.

On the upside no base vehicle faults - it behaved perfectly - and no water ingress. And the reason for my Mothers hospital visit isn't serious.

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[CazPaul]

Yes but most of the things that go wrong are the after fits that people add after buying, expensive levelling systems with a multitude of wires, control boxes and paraphernalia to name but one.

 

[JJ]

but having owned nothing but German vans since I sold my Commer Highwayman almost 30 years ago

Was your Tiffin Allegro a German van?


JJ