dodgy fiat engineering

[Hugh Jardon]

has anyone else suffered with fiat water hoses going on recent vans, mine is an 05 and i have had 4 hoses give where the clamp goes on them

i have changed the rad on my bmw this morning and the connections are of the highest quality order being quick release couplings

 

[Jim]

I've had 3 Fiats and never had that problem. Is it a known problem then or is it just you?

 

[Hugh Jardon]

I've had 3 Fiats and never had that problem. Is it a known problem then or is it just you?

well fiat make their hoses out of some sort of cheap rubber that can expand and go quite soft, i had one hose start leaking, then another did the same, a metal pipe that goes over teh engine also developed a crack thru vibration

the hoses in questions are very short right angled ones and cost 7 quid each!

it is just poor engineering really

i have replaced all of them now just out of precaution. it is a shame burstner have to use those poxy fiats in my opinion, would much prefer the large mercs as a base cab

 

[Jim]

well fiat make their hoses out of some sort of cheap rubber that can expand and go quite soft, i had one hose start leaking, then another did the same, a metal pipe that goes over teh engine also developed a crack thru vibration

the hoses in questions are very short right angled ones and cost 7 quid each!

it is just poor engineering really

i have replaced all of them now just out of precaution. it is a shame burstner have to use those poxy fiats in my opinion, would much prefer the large mercs as a base cab

I always fancied something built on a Merc, the rear wheel drive would have been great. But because they were built on their own chassis there never was one big enough for my tribe. Mind you the vans Ive seen built on that big Iveco jobby seem excellent as well. That said, the old Fiats must have done hundreds of millions of miles dragging hugely overweight motorhomes all over the world, so they cant be that bad. What do you make of the new Shape Fiat?

 

[Hugh Jardon]

I always fancied something built on a Merc, the rear wheel drive would have been great. But because they were built on their own chassis there never was one big enough for my tribe. Mind you the vans Ive seen built on that big Iveco jobby seem excellent as well. That said, the old Fiats must have done hundreds of millions of miles dragging hugely overweight motorhomes all over the world, so they cant be that bad. What do you make of the new Shape Fiat?

i've not really had a good look round the new fiat

the one i have is great really, its just those silly things like cheap and nasty hoses, and other little gremlins in there waiting to rear their head at some stage

they do millions of miles for sure so in general they are great overall

i am a bit of a german car fan must admit

had british, jap, american, french, and prefer the german builds.

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[Munchie]

I'm on my second Fiat motorhome and I think the 2.3 engine is great. Plenty of power smooth and reasonably quiet...not the new shape though.

 

[Hugh Jardon]

well.....

i changed the radiator on the beemer this weekend.......and what a joy that was for sure.......yes i enjoyed it

the fastners are all quick release that connect the hoses to the radiator and are just amazing

the design of how the rad fits in, can be removed, other bits moved etc was just such a joy to deal with

the quality of manufacture and "how the bits are engineered to fit, last" etc is just second to none

ok the radiator was 224 from bmw but i am sure fiat would want to sting me for just as much given half the chance

i just wish bmw made motorhome donor vehicles!!!

oh the joys of owning a fiat!!!

 

[Brambles]

I am intriqued. If your Beemer is so brillianty engineered, why did you have to change the radiator?
Brambles.

 

[Wobby]

it is a shame burstner have to use those poxy fiats in my opinion, would much prefer the large mercs as a base cab

Its interesting that you should say that, I have a friend who run a rural coach and mini bus service. He has both mercs and one Fiat, I posed the question which was the best, his reply was that he would buy Mercs because they held there value but the Fiat was more reliable and the body work was far better.

 

[Evercreech Junction]

Hi Guys, I've been hovering on the fringes for a few weeks now, I thought I'd hop in at this point.
I've had Mercedes and VW based vans previously,the VW being far superior to the Merc. VW vans share much with VW cars where as Merc vans share little with their car cousins. I found the Merc crude and unrefined, a bit like a Fiat.
I've had a couple of Mercedes cars, but now prefer better built BMW's.

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[Geo]

Hi EJ, Welcome to the fun site
I am a Motor Mechanic and that makes my choice so much simpler
I hate all motor vehicles, period
Geo

 

[scotjimland]

I've had a couple of Mercedes cars, but now prefer better built BMW's.

Shame they don't do van chassis .. :Sad:

If I were looking for a euro motorhome (which I'm not ) first choice would be a Ford, 2nd Renault, 3rd Vw, 4th Merc.. :thumb:

 

[Don Madge]

We've had Fiats since 1983 (except for a short break with a IVECO) only mechanical problem was earlier this year when we had a wheel bearing go in Portugal.:Sad:

Maybe doing 15,000 miles a year has something to do with it, use it or lose it I think the saying goes.

I looked a a couple of Merc high top motorhomes recently in Scotland and that narrow wheel base on the high sided vans did not look very inviting to me.

I know some Merc/VW owners who would buy an orange box on wheels if it had the badge on the front.

Don

 

[Jim]

What is the consensus on the new Fiat. Do they have a new engine as well as a new look?

The new shape with its sharp and angular lines looks ok on low profile coachbuilts but I think that some of the new high profiles with large round shapes looks at odds with the chassis and they look awful:Confused:

 

[Evercreech Junction]

Hi EJ, Welcome to the fun site
I am a Motor Mechanic and that makes my choice so much simpler
I hate all motor vehicles, period
Geo

Thanks Geo.:thumb: I suppose they beat walking.

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[myshell]

I am intriqued. If your Beemer is so brillianty engineered, why did you have to change the radiator?
Brambles.

I`m with you brambles why should a BMW need a radiator change?. Perhaps BMW make the rad so easy to remove is because they need to be changed on a regular basis, and how can you get exited about wasting a weekend and shelling out 224 hard earned pounds. All my Fiat needed was a jubilee clip costing 50p and 10 mins work!!