Laika Owners Past and Present.

[Silviffer]

Hi all,
I’m looking for some honest opinions.
Im currently looking to replace my trusty but ageing Motorhome and have seen ( but not yet viewed) a Laika Ecovip 709 that certainly seems to fit our requirements.

So why the dilemma? - I know absolutely nothing about Laika apart from they are Italian.
Yes I’ve done some googling and there is plenty about the insulation etc but what are they like to own.
I believe there are only 2 main dealers in the UK ?
Are parts as accessible as say other Continental vans?
Have they a good reputation for build quality, water ingress and general longevity? I tend to keep my vehicles longer than most.

Any advice and opinions (based on ownership) would be greatly welcomed. Any tips on what to look for etc.
Im hoping any comments are favourable as I like the spec of this vehicle but certainly don’t want to buy into problems/trouble.

Kind regards
Mark

 

[DP+JAY]

Three dealers I believe,
Southdowns, EmmBee & Camper UK.
A quality brand with some nice touches but
As with all makes its only really the shell that's made by them, all fixture & fittings ( cooker fridge windows toilet etc.) are bought in.

 

[filopastry]

We have a Laika 7.1G automatic 2004 on a Fiat chassis. Very pleased with the build quality. High level cupboards all around and a huge garage. The only think we would change would be the bed for a central. Only ever had one tiny leak and traced it to a blocked drain away on the roof.

 

[Beltie]

Southdowns are now no longer Laika dealers. We have a Laika Kreos which we are generally very pleased with. Like all 'vans, there are good bits and bad bits, but overall the 'van is very solidly built. Hymer are of course part of Hymer group. We have no complaints either with the Laika themselves, or the dealer, Camper UK.

 

[davidbaldam]

We have a 2001 Laika Ecovip 7r on a fiat base, It built well, still looks good and drives well. Plan to keep it for a few more years.

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[lorger]

Ed looked at the 409 last weekend and although it’s a lovely van we didn’t think it was the quality we were expecting, it also doesn’t have a double floor even though the sales man tried to convince us it did. The A class may be different

 

[tony_g]

We had a 2008/9 Laika Rexosline 680 until a couple of years ago. Good layout. Big drop down over cab bed. Rear kitchen. Big garage and under floor lockers. Two cab doors, unique for an A class, I think. Very nice 3.0 litre Iveco engine Euro IV. Excellent bathroom. Spacious lounge.
So far, so good. However, daft cable operated umbrella handle pull mechanisms for grey and fresh water tanks. Very prone to jamming. Grey water dump straight out of a hole! Bonnet opening barely high enough to see underneath without risking damage to the wiper mechanism which passes through the hinges! Finally a problem with both garage doors..water ingress into both made them spongy. Had one replaced at 5 years old and deteriorating again within 2 years.
Conclusion? We had great times in our Laika. Superficially classy but sloppy in many respects (exposed wiring routed through lockers with no conduit protection).
Only replaced it because a) coming up to 70 and wanted to get under 3500kg b) casual enquiry to Hymer dealer resulted in an unrefusable offer!

 

[MARZ4]

Hi all, I'm actively looking for our first MH. Any of you have any experiences with the Laika Ecovip 600? Just seen a 1 owner 2004 2.8 48kmiles for sale for £20k. I'd really appreciate and pros or cons you may have to share. Cheers

 

[scotzsue]

Probably frowned upon, apologies Jim but there is a very good Laika group on FB the general one is better than the ecovip owners one.
We like our 2014 ecovip 300 though.