Any Thoughts On Vantage Motorhomes? (1 Viewer)

[Stevewheel]

Dear All, won't bore you with all the background but a possible change to a panel van has been talked about and I'd be interested to know if any of you can share any experiences, good, bad or otherwise about Vantage Motorhomes of Leeds. We're pretty drawn to their Sol 5.99m design but inevitably wonder how difficult it will be to downsize, is 25L underslung gas enough, can we run compressor fridge with out killing the (double) hab batteries and, are the vehicles well built enough to stand the test of time? Apologies for the somewhat "nebulous" post but any comments you have about Vantage would be most welcome. Thanks in advance as always.

 

[motorhomer]

No experience of Vantage except to say I have looked at them and they look good! However we made a similar move to you nearly 4 years ago, when we downsized from a Rapido 7090 to an Autosleeper PVC. We still like it, it is much easier to drive and park, especially on smaller roads.
We find 25ltr underslung gas enough, it can, of course, be topped up any time, not just when its empty, and in most countries there are plenty of places to buy lpg (although it is worth getting a list, maybe GPS POI's). You ask whether the vehicles are well built enough. If you mean by that the vehicle itself, I would say the peugeot or fiat vans are tougher than a coachbuilt with less risk of leaks etc (Others may have a different view). I imagine the Vantage fittings will be good. Not sure about the fridge, my instinct says an absorption fridge is more flexible, there are times when using aires in winter when lights, TV, heater fan and especially tank heaters, are a real drain on the battery, so adding to it with a compressor fridge doesn't sound like a good idea, but I have no personal experience of these. Overall are experience of changing to a PVC, albeit in our case the 6.36mtr length, has been very positive.

 

[Stevewheel]

Thanks @motorhomer that's very helpful. As to the point about how well built I was really referring to Vantage with that. I'm pretty convinced about the durability of the Fiat (or Peugeot for that matter) underpinnings so prob not an issue. Thanks again.

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[CazPaul]

They were expensive to start with but since the takeover by the other firm they seem to have rocketed up even further, they are getting in the IH price bracket almost.

 

[Stevewheel]

@CazPaul Who has taken them over? Wasn't aware of that....Yes, I do have the impression that IH are expensive.

 

[CazPaul]

@CazPaul Who has taken them over? Wasn't aware of that....Yes, I do have the impression that IH are expensive.

Signature leisure took them over about 18 months ago. Scott, the former MD, still works for them I believe, or did at takeover.

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[Mark and Mindy]

We liked them, and still do, but decided that they're too expensive for us - we looked at them at the NEC last October and were impressed but we've found something else that suits us better and costs less.

 

[Stevewheel]

@Mark and Mindy Thanks for your input. Do you mind if I ask what you went for in the end?

 

[Deneb]

We have a Sol. Fantastic van and we are very pleased with it. We spent nearly 2 years looking at various vans before finally deciding on Vantage and we are still happy that we made the right decision. Quality of the conversion and construction processes are in my opinion far better than anything else I have seen in the PVC class, and I include a competitor referred to above in that comment.
Scot was the MD at the time we placed our order. He sold the company to the MD of Signature whilst we were awaiting delivery, but in my experience, nothing changed as far as Vantage quality and customer service are concerned, other than that there are more staff involved in the customer contact side of the business. I believe most if not all of the staff who were working for Vantage pre Signature are still there.
Everything concerned with the day to day usage and function of the conversion has been very carefully and thoughtfully designed in my opinion.
As for the compressor fridge, I love it and personally wouldn't go back to a gas fridge. I couldn't tell you the average consumption of the fridge, although having just fitted a Victron BMV I will probably be able to later this year! Isotherm claim a maximum instantaneous consumption of 6 amps on 12v running, although in my experience the compressor only actually runs for an average of about 10 minutes maximum every 30 minutes or so, which would approximate to an consumption of 2 Ah max, often less. Lights are all LED, so very low consumers. The other "big" electrical loads are likely to be the Truma boiler control (5.6 amps max, quoted average 1.1 Ah) the TV (2.1 A max) and amplifier for additional speakers if you opt to have them fitted.
We often camp off-grid for 2-3 days at a time, then spend a night or two at a site to recharge the batteries, empty the cassette etc. although in summer I find that the batteries are often showing fully recharged from the solar panel by late afternoon, but we do make o conscious effort to reduce our electric consumption when off grid.
I have never been in a situation where I was concerned about the state of the batteries however, and part of the reason for fitting the BMV was so that I can more accurately judge our usage and perhaps extend our time off hookup as I have definitely been erring on the cautious side so far.
If you are able to get to Leeds and are serious about considering a Vantage, I'd recommend giving them a call. Ask to speak to Julie or Suzanne and I'm sure they would be more than happy to arrange for you to visit and have a tour of the factory where you will be able to see all the stages of their conversion process and the workmanship involved.
We've only had a couple of minor issues since owning the van, one of our own making, but Vantage couldn't have been more helpful, both rectified quickly without any quibble or charge.
This is probably beginning to sound like an advert, but as the saying goes, "I have no connection with the company other than as a (very) satisfied customer".

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[Waveski]

Hi, I have had a Vantage Med (5.4m) for a year. I'm delighted with it, the design is very well thought out and small details you don't necessarily notice when buying suddenly become apparent when using the motorhome. I have found Vantage good to deal with and their customer support is excellent. I am a solo motor homer and find the storage excellent for one and I have even made a small adaption to enable me to get a folding bike inside. No problem using the van for 3 weeks in France. The longer 5.9 m Sol would be great for 2 people.
The only problem I have had is with a faulty water pump which they replaced and sent to me within 24 hours and I was 2 miles from Lands End! The talked me through the replacement process over the phone.
Regarding the 12v fridge, I also was a bit concerned but I have not found any problem in use. The size is deceptive; compressor fridges are deeper than most other 3 way fridges (less gubbins at the rear) and hence a lot bigger than they initially look. I have been off-grid for a couple of days (with the fridge keeping the wine suitably cold!) the balance of batteries and solar panel seems to work ok. Although I am going to fit a decent battery monitor for peace of mind.
Regarding cost I think it you get what you pay for and I personally preferred their design to IH; it suited my intended use. It's all in the detail, quality and customer support. So far so good for me.

 

[Mark and Mindy]

@Mark and Mindy Thanks for your input. Do you mind if I ask what you went for in the end?

We haven't got anything yet, waiting for an inheritance to be paid out, but our "almost final" plan is to order a Fifer Touring L from East Neuk Campervans up in Anstruther, Fife - almost final because until we actually order then we could still change our minds

Its a better option for us as we have the dogs as well, needs to be big enough for us and the dogs, but small enough for me to drive on my own; and we preferred the layout - we'll be doing short trips in the UK with the dogs, a few nights rather than long holidays, but going into Europe without the dogs for a couple of weeks in the summer until retirement.

They're a bit of a distance from us, but we're heading up to Scotland in June to stretch our new car's "legs" and will be able to visit the factory.

I was also asking about Vantage Vans back in October last year https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/vantage-vans.163213/ but by the end had talked ourselves out of getting one.

 

[Stevewheel]

@Mark and Mindy @Deneb @Waveski Many thanks all for your most excellent contributions, very helpful

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[Jkarchibald]

Just before Christmas we bought a Vantage Max - bigger kitchen, smaller lounge (but still king size bed) compared to the Sol. We have also gone for the sealed rear end (if you can excuse the expression) rather than the barn doors. Absolutely delighted with the van and the service from Vantage. Highly recommend them.

Echo the points above about build quality - we bought at last October’s NEC show and - apart from IH - nothing else came close on build quality. You get what you pay for and they hold their value well. They have just won the Practical Motorhome Owner Satisfaction Awards 2018 - for New Motorhomes and Top Manufacturer. Clearly they are getting something right...

 

[Stevewheel]

@Jkarchibald Many thanks for your reply. Certainly we were getting an impression of excellent quality but it’s much more meaningful to hear it from actual owners. If you don’t mind me asking, did you feel you got a good deal on price? Are they flexible at all or do they stick to the list? If you were trading in do you feel they gave you a fair price for your existing van? Appreciate any steer you could give.

 

[Jkarchibald]

We traded in a Westfalia Amundsen 540, and were pleasantly surprised by the trade in value, against a new Max. As we got about £5k more for our trade in than I expected, we didn’t quibble with the list price. The Vans are not cheap, but well thought out and very well put together. What’s more, the people there are very nice to deal with - that matters a lot to me.

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[Stevewheel]

@Jkarchibald Thank you, yes, like you I place significant value and how good the people are to deal with and since you did well with your trade in price I can understand you would be happy. I feel a factory visit coming on!

 

[vin0114]

@Stevewheel Vantage make an exceptional van but too expensive for us. The Waeco fridge was initially a worry in our present van but with 3 solar panels and 3 leisure batteries there's not been a problem and a blessing on long sailings. These fridges run at 5 amps so greedy beasts but average out at around 2 amps over 24 hours. They are deceptively huge inside as mentioned earlier and must admit we now use very little gas - last year without EL hookup we used around 12L of propane over 70 odd nights so that 25L tank will last ages. Our van is 6m but I've put a fiamma box on the back for all the 'outside stuff' to give us more storage room inside.

 

[Stevewheel]

@vin0114 Many thanks - I'm certainly picking up a quality but pricey vibe about Vantage. The fridge/gas info is helpful, thank you.

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[csd4t]

I downsized from a Hymer to a Neo last October and I am more than pleased with the build quality but mostly impressed with their after sales service, nothing is too much trouble, Dan in the workshop is worth his weight in gold and a true ambassador for Vantage (I have told them this in person). I know they're expensive but seem to hold their value well and I'll certainly start looking at Vantage when it's time to change. If your passing by (twixt Leeds and Wetherby) you're more than welcome to have a nosey around mine (kettle always on)

 

[Stevewheel]

@csd4t Many thanks for your reply, most helpful. Another thumbs up for Vantage I think. Thanks also for the kind offer to look over your van...I’ll bear that in mind as the “project” progresses.

 

[csd4t]

I looked at IH after having one of their very early conversions (IH Cordoba on a Vito) they were a small customer focused company then (as Vantage are now), I was totally pleased with the conversion and had it built/modified to my spec. My natural path when looking for another PVC was IH so I approached them at the Harrogate show and gave all my details to their salesman waiting for a return call with the numbers.......................nothing.
At the NEC in October I went on the IH stand and queried with Ian Hartley himself about the non returning of calls pointing out the salesman to him, he was very apologetic and after giving him all my details and requirements he promised me Nicola would call me back.....................nothing. So my money went to Vantage and probably will next time.
It seems to me that now IH are big hitters if your not spending £60k plus and only looking for a second hand (a mere £35k ish) then you are not high on their priority list.
Don't get me wrong I'm very impressed with IH conversions but I'm equally impressed with the Vantage conversion AND it's staff.

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[Deneb]

Personally I've never been impressed by IH. Can't see why I would want to pay a small fortune to have my payload reduced by admittedly aesthetically pleasing but otherwise totally useless artfully shaped bits of wood and upholstery fastened to ceilings and elsewhere, as well as having someone else's initials plastered all over every door and opening. Oh, and then there's the dining table that's stored in the toilet compartment. Had a look in their vans a few years ago at the NEC when they were next to the Vantage stand, and wasn't impressed when I found that they'd used overlong screws to fasten the furniture together, with exposed threads projecting inside the roof lockers. Presumably these were vans that had been carefully prepared for the show!
They seem to me to be a lot of form over function, whereas Vantage I found tastefully understated, seemingly designed by people who really know what they're doing, with everything that's fitted in them fulfilling a useful purpose and just working as intended with no fuss or dramas.
Popped in another IH at the NEC last week and noticed a massive fridge inside that wouldn't look out of place in an ice-cream van!
But each to their own I suppose

 

[Sue]

@CazPaul Who has taken them over? Wasn't aware of that....Yes, I do have the impression that IH are expensive.

IH are expensive ...but great vans. Well built and good designs. We chose one over vantage.

 

[Adrian1]

Yes we have just put a deposit on a vantage max downsizeing from a sundance 630g can not wait till sept to collect looked at many vans at the nec came down to build and the service spent a day at leeds making minor changes no extra charge and got a very good deal on our old van

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[CazPaul]

Yes we have just put a deposit on a vantage max downsizeing from a sundance 630g can not wait till sept to collect looked at many vans at the nec came down to build and the service spent a day at leeds making minor changes no extra charge and got a very good deal on our old van

So they now px any van do they?
px used to be a definite''NO''whatever you had, even another vantage.
Must have changed now that Signature have taken them over.

 

[Agentfruit]

I bought a used Cub from Vantage last year...or Signature as one half of the paperwork said when I came to look at the credit card receipt. It certainly was extremely heavily priced compared to other used vans of similar age, however I'd been looking for a Vantage for ages, and that's why they keep their prices. The people were very helpful throughout the sales and after-sales process...of which there was unfortunately a lot. As part of my order I'd had some electrical work done - a second leisure batter and an inverter. There was already a solar panel. Unfortunately the van hadn't been tested prior to delivery, and as it turned out the batteries wouldn't hold any charge for more than a few hours, the charger got so hot when on hook-up that I was advised to unplug it, the fridge wouldn't get down to temperature at all (and I discovered that the wiring was held together with melted tape). Unfortunately I live 4 hours away from Leeds and couldn't nip back up there due to family illness, so we spent many many hours on the phone trying to diagnose what was wrong. Effectively I had a potentially unsafe lemon on my hands. Eventually Dan did admit that he'd used a sub-contractor to do the electrical work - someone he hadn't used before, and that the van hadn't been tested prior to sale. He was very embarrassed about it, however it left me with a major problem. Vantage initially said that they wanted the van for a day, but this grew to an unspecified length of time, which wasn't really on as it was a day's journey each way on public transport, all at considerable cost to me. I gave them the option of replacing or refunding, and they chose to refund.
Aside from the shoddy electrics and lack of inspection, the original build quality of the van was lovely. I wish I could afford a new one, but the prices are crazy now. I'm awaiting delivery of an Autotrail V-Line 610 SE, which doesn't feel anything like as well designed or well made, however I'm paying not much more for a brand new one, than I did for a 6 year old Cub!

 

[mitzimad]

my son has a compressor fridge 120w solar and 90ah battery in a vw seems to mange long weekends so with a couple of batteries and perhaps a bit more solar it should hold up indefinitley assuming youve got some sun

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[NICK dV]

We have owned a Vue since 2015 and are very pleased with both the build quality and the service from Dan at Vantage. We had a Autosleeper Gatcombe before and liked the one piece body with no panel joins, always a concern with coach built.
Because we wish to tow a trailer with one of our MG's on we went for a van conversion (less overhang, Fiat factory fitted tow bar).
The choice for us was between a Autosleeper, a V line or Vantage.
We felt the Autosleeper was let down by the build and design. The V line looked good but the large cut in roof when trying to avoid large body joints.
The tour of the factory and seeing what was under the skin, not just the surface finish made a great impression on us.
We dealt, at the time directly with Scott and had the base ducato ordered with a long list of factory options. The fiat build code list is interesting.
We sold the Gatcombe privately as at that time Scott did not take in trade ins but offered great advice on how to sell.
The question was raised about being so far from Leeds 're warranty work. When built properly as the Vantage is how much warranty work would you expect? On hand over they recommended a night or two at a local campsite in case of any slight snags or questions.
We went for the 150 manual gearbox, having driven the Vue for over 3 years I think a Auto box would have suited the engines power band better.
The only disappointing part is the TV audio system fitted at the time. The Fiat cab radio is far better.
No problem with the fridge, two solar panel's fitted.
Due to the nature of my work we holiday in the period from September to March the use it for the odd day out in the summer. The rear shower is great with a wet dog as we open the rear doors bring the shower head outside and shower both him and hose our walking gear down. I found this useful when I misjudged leaping a stream only to find the bank was a bog and landed knee deep face down.
Last winter with the beast from the east the Vue copped with no problems.
As for price, you get what you pay for, when considering a make look at 3 of 4 year old vans, some manufacturers vans can look very tired.
We take the van back to Leeds for its habitataction check and service then use Leeds as a setting of point to tour the Country.