Bessacarr E745

[Stueysheep]

My fifth on the Fiat Based E735 seems more like an overdrive.. And a big gap between 4th and 5th. This often means dropping a cog early and "spinning the engine" rather than "tourqing" the engine up inclines.

And I was told that the Turbo would mean you don't need to change down.... just "labour up at 1800rpm

 

[estcres]

Bessacarr E695,

We have had our Bessacarr E695 for just under 3 years having purchased her privately from a couple in Surrey. Very pleased with her, like most owners we have had no major problems (reaches out to touch some wood ). We have however discovered that the shower tray has a crack in it which causes water to seek its way onto the floor below, this water then starts to seep all over the place which, whilst not a problem means that the carpets can sometimes get damp and smelly. We stay mostly on Campsites and make use of their facilities however on the odd occasion when we have done some Wild Camping this problem arises.

The shower tray I am led to believe is the same type that Swift use in their Kon Tiki models and I understand that this problem is quite common.

Does anyone know if a replacement tray can be purchased, either new or second hand?.

Apart from this one problem we are very pleased with her, she has been to the continent on at least 6 trips. Whenever we go away we always seem to oversleep in the morning, is this because the are firm and comfortable or is it because we are relaxed when on a break?

One problem I have found with all motor caravans is the manufatures fail to provide enough storage space to safely carry gallons of white wine which, I am told, is the staple diet of vehicle owners

Regards to all out there and happy holidays

Tim & Liz

Our Bessie (an E695) is coming up to her 10th birthday, the last two years with us. We've had absolutely no trouble with the Bessacarr side of things, and only a few bits of bother with the Fiat/Alko underpinings, probably due to the fact that she lay forelorn for almost a year before we bought her.

Looking back at the service history, it seems the first owner really went to town by covering more than 25,000 miles in the first year (the oddometer now reads just shy of 75,000). It seems she had to go back to the factory to have the overcab pod resealed right at the beginning, but since then the only records of repairs/replacement cover obvious things like cam belts, brakes, tyres and a pair of rear shockers - no doubt due to the fact that owner #2 used it to tow a car.

Couldn't agree more with you, Tony, about not being able to find anything to take her place. The layout is absolutely perfect for us, everything still works, the soft furnishings still look good, the cabinetwork is spot on, and the general 'feel' is great.

We also hope to hang on to her for many years to come.

Mike and Sue

 

[Tony Hunt]

Should imagine something like a shower tray is replaceable. If it turns out to be an expensive or long winded job I would be inclined for now, especially if your planning on keeping the van, to effect a repair yourself with a glass fibre repair kit or something. It wouldnt look pretty but a shower mat would cover it up.
I dont find storage a problem on the bessacarr E745. As well as the under bed storage I have the tall outside cupboard where I can lock away all my toys, Fishing rods for sea and river, tackle box and a couple of metal detectors plus all the accessories and coats and boots needed for said hobbies We have all the cupboards round the front of the van, we chose that layout because we didnt want a second bed up there.
the wine goes in the front two side cupboards, the dvd, sky box, tele etc go in the centre roof cupboards. What I did to make an extra bit of space was to fit a piece of 1/2" ply in the roof space immediately above our heads in the front seats.
I covered this with a nice material to semi match the seat covers. I had to make this shelf in two halves to get it in place because of the shape of the cupboards. Its not screwed down because it fits snug enough not to need it, the only thing I had a fiddle with once I put the two halves up was put the material on in place with a staple gun. On this huge shelf while we are on site I place the microwave all the little things like phone and battery chargers plus all the other junk one collects. This keeps the kitchen area and tables clear of that type of junk that always collects.
We never use our large table, only for outside BBQs or when friends come to visit. The swinging front table we find is perfect for the two of us. I drilled the leg with two holes so that during the night while we are in bed the table can be swung to the front and a bolt put through to hold it out the way. While we are eating the bolt is moved into the second hole to keep the table from moving while eating. The proper table leg clamp long since stopped working
Because we A frame our little car we are able to put all the light weight junk like fold up chairs and the waste water carrier in there plus electric cable etc, basically all the bits that get used when you arrive on site. I also purchased a Roof box which carries the stuff like the zip sides for our fiamma awning, basically anything we dont use often goes up there. All in all I find the Bessacarr carries more than enough, anymore and we would be in danger of running overweight. I drive her on the weighbridge couple of times a year just to keep my eye on things. Our overall mean towing weight according to our weight plate on the van is 5500kg which is useful because the car can carry that extra bit of weight that would other wise put the van overweight.

 

[Enodreven]

Hi,

Its worth looking at a Van Aaken Smart Box as this does help with the 5th gear problem ? they were offering some that were cosmetically damaged for £150 a few months ago including fitting at their workshop, don't know if they still have any but I felt at that price it was worth looking at ?

My fifth on the Fiat Based E735 seems more like an overdrive.. And a big gap between 4th and 5th. This often means dropping a cog early and "spinning the engine" rather than "tourqing" the engine up inclines.

And I was told that the Turbo would mean you don't need to change down.... just "labour up at 1800rpm