Is it me?

[Essgeebee]

We've just returned from our first shakedown trip since buying our first motorhome, a 2019 Tracker EKS, last December. It was about 150 miles round trip and two nights on a Cornwall site. Brilliant to get away and try out all the kit for real. We both give the vehicle a big thumbs up for quality, equipment, size and the fact that everything just worked. However, there is one teeny niggly thing that I hope forum members can advise on. It seems to me that the unit is a bit under-powered. It has a 130 Euro 6 Multijet II engine but is not at all perky, especially on gradients. It gets there, but it's not exactly enthusiastic. It doesn't seem like there's anything wrong (binding brakes, etc) and I wonder if I'm perhaps expecting too much. Now I appreciate pulling power is a bit subjective but I wonder if other Tracker owners feel their vans are similar.

 

[Winger]

It may be just you if this is your first experience of driving a fully loaded van. Others will advise you on their experiences shortly

 

[Despicable]

My first moho (2007 Fiat Ducato Maxi Sundance 630L (Euro 5?)) wasn't brilliant, until it got to about 15,000 miles. Suddenly it was a different vehicle, vast improvement. Why? Dunno, sorry.

 

[Vipar]

What mileage has the van done if it was new it will get better when it’s run in petrol or diesel? If diesel and you have not driven one before you need to give them a bit of welly. Approaching hills. Hope I’m not teaching granny to suck eggs.

 

[Manic]

Our second motorhome was a Autocruise Starfire with 1.9 to engine and that was really slow on hill.

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[I2C]

Our' MH is a 1.9 100bhp van, it's slow on hills but I'm not in a hurry when driving it. I find the enforced slow driving speed due to lack of power relaxing, it means I'm on holiday and not part of the rat race to get from A to B.

 

[Garratt]

If the van has less than 10,000 miles on it, this is normal. They generally get a lot better once they have done the bedding in mileage. My Autotrail Imala was exactly the same.

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Ours was a bit sluggish yesterday, I put it down to us probably pushing our luck a bit with the weight of tools we were taking to help refurbish a mate's pub.

Then I spotted the handbrake warning light ...

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Fiat suggest the engine isn’t really run in until about 15000 miles. But realistically the Motorhome is not a performance vehicle. It is also heavy and you are driving close to the max weight of a base vehicle that is a van often driven by average use at half weight of a Motorhome. Accept that you are confined to the crawler lanes and enjoy the leisurely drive.

 

[two]

What is your payload?
I think you're probably getting as much as can be expected from your engine.
Don't fret. It will get you where you want to go but not as quickly as a more powerful unit would.
As you get used to it, you'll learn how to address hills and overtaking.

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[Speve]

We had a Tracker with the 150 engine and that was really good

 

[Wh05apk]

Our last a class was the 130hp and I thought it was dangerously underpowered, often needing to drop to 4th just to try to hold 50mph on motorway hills, we had a tuning box added which helped, but as others have said it improved dramatically at 10.000miles almost like the ecu switched to a different setting.

You can't expect sports car performance, my car has about 200hp per tonne, our current van even with 180hp, is about 36hp per tonne, so the fact that it even moves is impressive! (appreciate torque is more important)

 

[Chris]

I think it’s all about revs and how you use them.

If you are approaching an incline drop it down and get the revs up and all seems good to me. Easier to learn in a car than a van because of the weight difference.

 

[Podney]

If it’s Italian,thrash it. It’ll soon loosen up.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Ours is 130bhp it's got plenty of go in it, always has from new. Never have to change down on motorway hills with one exception - the pyrenees. We often catch up and pass other vans when on cruise control and get to a hill

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[JJ]

I never consider driving my motorhome to be in any way similar to driving a car.

I find it so much more relaxing with no hard accelerating and braking.

The pottering along the road with my home and my belongings with me is a major part of my motorhoming enjoyment.

It is a different state of mind.

JJ

 

[Wikky]

The mh is akin to a tortoise. Home behind you and slow (ish).