Chausson 716 electric bunk beds - thumbs up? (1 Viewer)

[The Lobster]

Just spotted the 2018 Chausson 716 with electric bunk beds at the back and an electric double at the front. Looks really interesting (we have a Burstner with traditional fixed bunk/double). The beds seem to be supported simply by some straps at each end.

How reliable is this arrangement? Does it wobble/stick much - is it proving reliable? Any drawbacks? I'd welcome your feedback. Thanks.

PS - I have no experience of diesel powered heating either - so if you have feedback (good or bad) on that I'd like to hear it as well. If it was as great as Chausson claim, why does virtually everyone else still stick with gas?

 

[Geoff185]

On ours we have electric double in centre of van that can be set at two heights. Higher level needs steps to get up, grandkids love it and still allow the seats to convert to double below, or just take to lower level but eliminates lower bed. No issues whatsoever with it
Ref heating its superb, but it will cut out F the fuel level in tank is below half full, never been an issue to us. I like that the gas is only used for water (and fridge if you want) lasts a lot longer

 

[TG1903]

The drop down bed in ours has been great (so far) they have straps but are also attached to the wall in runners to stop it swaying
The diesel heating works great and heats the van really quick,its great for when you are travelling with the heating on & keeps the van in the back warm for your arrival/passengers , then you can put it on the electric setting if on hook up ,the water heats by diesel ( or electric if on hook up) as well so you only need gas for cooking and fridge(if not on hook up) .The set up for diesel is designed so that you can not run out of diesel for the van engine in the manual it says about a 1/4 of a tank . I have a flogas 11kg tank that lasts us the full year and that's with being in Europe mostly without hook up for 3 weeks in the summer with the fridge on constant.This diesel set up saves in putting in a gas tank system/carrying extra Gas bottles if touring a lot in Europe

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[andy63]

I've got the 620 with electric drop down bed... its never not worked.. once or twice its lost its settings but I managed to restore them by moving the bed to its lower and upper limits, and it was sorted..
I could see how it could become an issue on mine if it say stuck in the down position.... the hand winder on the motor isn't easily accessible any time never mind the bed lowered... and the van can't be driven till its raised..
I've had both combitronic using a water hydronic heater and the airtronic diesel heaters... both great but the hydronic is noisy on startup.
andy

 

[martin1485]

We looked at the 630 version (twin drop down beds) but when I looked at a review, it was suggested that there may possibly be issues with power consumption if camping off grid for any length of time. I would be very interested in comments from anyone with experience of electric beds and whether that may be a problem over, say, 5 days without hook up? I appreciate that the number of leisure batteries will dictate but I would anticipate 2 x 100 ah batteries would be how I would specify my set up. We tend to be quite frugal otherwise and easily manage that amount of time without recharge at present.

 

[The Lobster]

I would be very interested in comments from anyone with experience of electric beds and whether that may be a problem over, say, 5 days without hook up?

According to the (I think they make the lifting mechanism for Chausson, from comments on other threads) the maximum consumption of the motor used is 16A. If it takes, say, 30s to put the bed down that's about 0.13Ah - so putting it down and up twice a day for five days would consume about 1.3Ah maximum. That doesn't seem a big deal.

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