Auto Trail Apache 640SE

[Sneezles]

Does anybody have one of these and if so could you give me your opinions please.
We are looking for our first MH and have seen this one it is a 2004 and has the 2.8 engine and also has the overcab bed.
There will be 2 of us using it and very occasionally 4 (once in a blue moon) I like the idea of a separate shower and this layout seems to suit maybe.
Any pros and cons etc, do they hold their value and anything to look out for?
Thanks in advance

 

[stagman]

Does anybody have one of these and if so could you give me your opinions please.
We are looking for our first MH and have seen this one it is a 2004 and has the 2.8 engine and also has the overcab bed.
There will be 2 of us using it and very occasionally 4 (once in a blue moon) I like the idea of a separate shower and this layout seems to suit maybe.
Any pros and cons etc, do they hold their value and anything to look out for?
Thanks in advance

Autotrails do tend to keep their value . If you like the layout then your halfway there . 2.8 turbo engine on a Fiat should be ok . Make sure all the documents are stamped up to date and if it's from a dealer get a 12 month warranty as part of the deal .It may also be worth your while to get a 3rd party to have look over for you .:thumb:

 

[DESCO]

Hi Sneezles
Don’t know Auto Trail personally but what to look for is standard in all second-hand vans.

2004 Fiat 2.8 base quite a good van engine is powerful and fairly bomb proof.
Problems gear box can have weakness on 5 gear depending on type of box, earlier boxes had 5 added tended to have lubrication problems, but on saying this I had one for four years with no problems.
Chassis look for rust same as you would with a car, same with body rust.
Motor home body look at overall condition with special attention looking for damp inside around windows doors, inside lockers, around all joins, If you have a damp meter use it, if not use your nose if it smells damp leave alone. If the van smells of air freshener what are they trying to mask, again would leave alone.
Ask to see every thing working on gas and electric 12/240volt
Check beds seating cushions does it all work OK.
If possible take someone with you who knows motorhomes or caravans

If any doubts leave alone there is always another van.


Best of luck




Dave:thumb::thumb:

 

[Sneezles]

Thanks for your tips, we are going to look at one tomorrow, it is 2.5 hours away so hope it isnt a wasted journey.
Don't suppose anybody knows any decent dealers around between Newark and Leeds?
We are that way tomorrow and would be nice to see a few more.
Have done Brownhills, Lowdhams and a couple of other smaller ones.

 

[stagman]

Thanks for your tips, we are going to look at one tomorrow, it is 2.5 hours away so hope it isnt a wasted journey.
Don't suppose anybody knows any decent dealers around between Newark and Leeds?
We are that way tomorrow and would be nice to see a few more.
Have done Brownhills, Lowdhams and a couple of other smaller ones.

How did you get on :thumb:

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[Sneezles]

How did you get on :thumb:

Yay, bought it!!

It was a nice one, had 13k nearly on the clock, Fiat and 2.8 hope thats a good one!! It is an Autotrail Apache 640SE We love the finish of it, seems very well looked after and the layout is about as perfect as we could have hoped for.
So far delighted with it but only driven it back home 2.5 hours and tested everything and seems to work.
Only downside is that it has no air con in the cab or on the roof, dont know if you can get aircon in the cab fitted?
I have heard you can get aircon boxes for the roof but we would need to be hooked up on 240v for it to work I assume??
Thanks for asking

 

[stagman]

Yay, bought it!!

It was a nice one, had 13k nearly on the clock, Fiat and 2.8 hope thats a good one!! It is an Autotrail Apache 640SE We love the finish of it, seems very well looked after and the layout is about as perfect as we could have hoped for.
So far delighted with it but only driven it back home 2.5 hours and tested everything and seems to work.
Only downside is that it has no air con in the cab or on the roof, dont know if you can get aircon in the cab fitted?
I have heard you can get aircon boxes for the roof but we would need to be hooked up on 240v for it to work I assume??
Thanks for asking

Yes you can have air con added , couple grand probabally . Roof another grand . Most around are 240v but you can get 12v ,but heavy on the batteries .On our previous van we had 4 x 12v fans . Not as good as A/C but helped a lot .Have fun :thumb:

 

[DESCO]

Hi Sneezles

Glad that you found the motorhome to your suit your needs.

Do you know if the cam belt has been changed if not could be worth having done to be on the safe side, don't want a blown engine.

Best of luck


Dave:thumb::thumb: