Morelo Loft or Home ? (1 Viewer)

[Globetrotter22]

Dear All

I am new to the site and wanted a little advice on Morelo motorhomes, in particular, the Home or Loft.

I appreciate that some members might have the larger vans (Palace etc..) and wanted to understand if the construction and build standards are equal in the smaller models, an understanding of comfort and drive. I am used to driving a German fiat based 180bhp tag axle A class motorhome and if anyone could say how this might compare with the new 2020 Iveco Daily. Also whether the full air suspension self-levels, if the cab seats are air-cushioned. How service intervals and running costs compare, reliability of electrics etc... If you drive a left-hand van in the UK does this present any problems or do you get used to it?

I appreciate there are lots of questions any information and experience would be appreciated. Many thanks

 

[sallylillian]

funflair Martin is your man he did a big analysis. I have tagged him to come along.

Michael

 

[funflair]

Yes indeed lots of question, so my experience is primarily looking but I have done a lot of that, well what I actually mean is that our new Palace is sat at the dealer and we can't pick it up yet.

Home or Loft for me easy go for the Loft as you get more spec as standard and it is on the heavier chassis with wider track so a better payload and better ride, but after saying that the two ranges offer different layouts so it really depends what you want.

Yes the full air will self level on the back and you can add "active air" to it as well to give even better stability and shorter braking distance. Cab sets full comfort with air and heating are an option on the Palace and Loft but heating only on the Home I believe, the general advice re air seats is that you don't want to add these to front air suspension as it all gets too bouncy and the factory sales guys say you don't need front air until you get to 9 metres, didn't stop me ordering it though, I drove a Loft on standard suspension and it was lovely Mrs nearly bought it on the spot. I have not driven a tag Fiat but friends swapped from a tag Fiat Arto to a home and thought the ride was better in the tag and it was quieter but then they found a problem with the rear diff and after that was fixed it got a lot better and they love it now, I did recount the story with a sales guy from the factory and he said ah but that was a Home not a Loft so completely different beast.

Obviously I have no experience of running costs and servicing but irrespective of miles I would want an oil change every year, it's basically a commercial chassis though so it's designed to run and run with long service intervals.

Left hand drive no problem, been doing that for 8 years UK and abroad and both dead easy after the first couple of days, Home and Loft are available Right hand drive and the whole van is a mirror image so the door is on UK side as well.

You will find downloadable English brochures on the MORELO factory web site, the tecnical stuff is all in the price list, You only have one UK dealer and that is Premium motorhomes at Doncaster, you can buy abroad if you are that way inclined and the factory have a great showroom and are really helpful including servicing if required.

Martin

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[funflair]

funflair Martin is your man he did a big analysis. I have tagged him to come along.

Michael

Thanks Michael I was on it and typing already

M

 

[sallylillian]

Thanks Michael I was on it and typing already

M

I can see that.?

 

[funflair]

Globetrotter22 brochures technical and prices here

Martin

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[funflair]

I find it funny that people bother to join ask a question and then don't bother coming back for the answer, or do they just read and go?

M

 

[sallylillian]

He has not been back since 13 mins after he asked the question and before I responded. Mind you he has not paid either. But it was worth it for your treatise

 

[Globetrotter22]

Thank you for coming back to me and sorry for responding quicker, work gets in the way!

I will check out the Morelo brochures and also look up the UK dealer and Germany dealers, it will also help to understand built vehicle prices that are on the forecourt against the prices quoted as a factory build.

I did not realise that full air did not mean active air so that's good to know.

From what I have seen the kitchen worktop and cabinets in the Loft appears to be a bit roomier and nicely configured compared to the Home. I can see there are different layouts and an open shower, toilet area appears to give a greater sense of space.

I like the styling as they have synergy across the range and the specification and layout will be key ideally an island bed with the standard layout in the lounge.

My only other question is there also a recommended insurer, I image the vehicle values are outside of the realms of Caravan and motorhome club?

Thanks for your support and advice. PS I have measured the garage to see if it will accommodate Home or Loft.......

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[Theonlysue]

How they build a MORELO

I think this is interesting even if you don't speak German, which of course I don't. Martin

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[funflair]

Thank you for coming back to me and sorry for responding quicker, work gets in the way!

I will check out the Morelo brochures and also look up the UK dealer and Germany dealers, it will also help to understand built vehicle prices that are on the forecourt against the prices quoted as a factory build.

I did not realise that full air did not mean active air so that's good to know.

From what I have seen the kitchen worktop and cabinets in the Loft appears to be a bit roomier and nicely configured compared to the Home. I can see there are different layouts and an open shower, toilet area appears to give a greater sense of space.

I like the styling as they have synergy across the range and the specification and layout will be key ideally an island bed with the standard layout in the lounge.

My only other question is there also a recommended insurer, I image the vehicle values are outside of the realms of Caravan and motorhome club?

Thanks for your support and advice. PS I have measured the garage to see if it will accommodate Home or Loft.......

Hi Globetrotter

Good to see you back, the "active" is basically replacing all the standard dampers with magnetic dampers and the tilt and G sensors to control said dampers, yes it is additional to full air but of course you need the full air first, as as rule of thumb when at the factory we were told not to bother with front air on a less than 9m vehicle and if you did put full air on a shorter vehicle it would need the active to effectively calm it down.

I agree with what you say about a styling synergy, this has only come to fruition in the last year really when the Loft and Home were brought up to date with the style of the Palace and Empire. What you will find is subtle differences/improvements Home to Loft and then again to Palace and on it goes extracting more and more cash out of your pockets as you go, I guess the trick is to recognise when you have found something you are happy with and stop.

If you look at the UK dealer web site I would advise to ignore the £ price as it is converted from € at a stupidly low rate and does not make them look competitive, I believe they are

Yes the bathroom area was one of the issues that killed the Loft for us, we wanted the open space with wardrobe and towel rail but couldn't get this layout in the Loft, the best Loft bathroom for us was the F french bed but then it took too much space out of the garage and the bed was a bit like a bed in a box room. Some people prefer the separate toilet and shower of course and you have the option of this in the Palace so best of both worlds.

Insurance is a personal thing and may depend on your current relationship with a company and your geographic location, we use NFU but it won't suit everybody so you need to shop around for yourself I think but be prepared for a few of them to laugh at you

The link that Sue posted above might be interesting.

Martin

 

[Globetrotter22]

Thank you, Sue, I will go check the video out, I did look at the one that Alan Heath made which was good too and gives a sense of how they organise manufacturing looks like they all trades under one roof and apart from the usual kit suppliers (Thetford/Dometic/Thule...)build each section from scratch.

Martin I have VB full active air on my current 8.7m van and know the value of it from the standard Alko/Ducato set up really does make a difference on the road, it's not always perfect but it does self-level the van at sites. I will look for a van with full/active air which will me understand the terminology/spec.

I have looked at the UK dealer Web and they do have a Loft which with the open bathroom layout and glad you mentioned the Bed and Garage space, the garage opening is restricted to one side and may not be that practical when reaching in and leaves loading unloading bikes from one side. We are used to an island bed so getting in & out works for us I would prefer to have the gap between the side walls + it does allow the wardrobes on either side (good hanging space).

The Loft they have also is listed at 7.9 metres which did not match dimensions in the Morelo brochure perhaps this is a typo? That said the specification appears to be really good but I have no real concept as to whether the cost of vehicles listed is competitive and what if any room for movement there might be.

I would love the Palace but it is out of my reach (and don't have permission!!!) whilst you pay a price I can see they look amazing, with comfort and space to match, I am sure there is a great sense of pride when touring.

Appreciate the mentioning the NFU as would not have thought about them, this might sound like a silly question but does a removable steering wheel make a difference. In my current van, I had Metrak ID tag fitted to reduce the premium but also for peace of mind.

Thanks again for posting back, it does help

G

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[lorger]

funflair Martin what’s the difference between full air and active air?

 

[funflair]

funflair Martin what’s the difference between full air and active air?

Hi Gerry

Thanks for asking

Virtually every IVECO based motorhome will have rear air so that is factory fit airbags instead of the steel springs, a further upgrade would be to "full air" so in that case the chassis would be ordered from Italy without the factory fit rear air and the chassis prep firm in this case Broken Link Removed would fit a VB 4 channel kit to the front and rear 4 channel meaning that each bag can be controlled individually so the system can also perform limited levelling.

So to eventually answer your question "active air" is full air but with the addition of active dampers so sensors pick up information about the vehicle like a G sensor or or suspension position sensor would pick up that it is turning right and braking so it will stiffen up the left side and front air bags to limit roll this happens in conjunction with the active dampers that can be stiffened or loosened to reduce pitch induced by road conditions or heavy braking.

As long as the suspension components are VB you can then fit E&P hydraulic jacks and the whole lot integrates so that when you deploy the levelling jacks the suspension first drops some air out of the system so the levelling starts from a lower position and the suspension is relieved of some air pressure when it is up on the jacks.

Video of VB active air

And another

Bet you wish you hadn't asked now.

Martin

PS the simple answer would have been 4,990 Euro

 

[lorger]

funflair cheers Martin the video certainly shows the difference and makes understanding it very simple, not that your description wasn’t clear and simple. ??

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[Ian Bosman]

Yes indeed lots of question, so my experience is primarily looking but I have done a lot of that, well what I actually mean is that our new Palace is sat at the dealer and we can't pick it up yet.

Home or Loft for me easy go for the Loft as you get more spec as standard and it is on the heavier chassis with wider track so a better payload and better ride, but after saying that the two ranges offer different layouts so it really depends what you want.

Yes the full air will self level on the back and you can add "active air" to it as well to give even better stability and shorter braking distance. Cab sets full comfort with air and heating are an option on the Palace and Loft but heating only on the Home I believe, the general advice re air seats is that you don't want to add these to front air suspension as it all gets too bouncy and the factory sales guys say you don't need front air until you get to 9 metres, didn't stop me ordering it though, I drove a Loft on standard suspension and it was lovely Mrs nearly bought it on the spot. I have not driven a tag Fiat but friends swapped from a tag Fiat Arto to a home and thought the ride was better in the tag and it was quieter but then they found a problem with the rear diff and after that was fixed it got a lot better and they love it now, I did recount the story with a sales guy from the factory and he said ah but that was a Home not a Loft so completely different beast.

Obviously I have no experience of running costs and servicing but irrespective of miles I would want an oil change every year, it's basically a commercial chassis though so it's designed to run and run with long service intervals.

Left hand drive no problem, been doing that for 8 years UK and abroad and both dead easy after the first couple of days, Home and Loft are available Right hand drive and the whole van is a mirror image so the door is on UK side as well.

You will find downloadable English brochures on the MORELO factory web site, the tecnical stuff is all in the price list, You only have one UK dealer and that is Premium motorhomes at Doncaster, you can buy abroad if you are that way inclined and the factory have a great showroom and are really helpful including servicing if required.

Martin

On the LH drive front, as in Europe with RH drive I advise that the third day is the time to be extra on your guard, familiarity breeds, etc! Also, never cross over the road to drive into a filling station unless absolutely essential as you are liable to forget about being wrong sided. If my experience is anything to go by my van makers, EuraMobil, are anything to go by they always answer my technical queries quickly even for mine which is 2009.

 

[Globetrotter22]

I understand what you are saying with being extra vigilant, it's easy to lapse back to driving on the left (in Europe) after a few days especially when setting off on minor roads.

I will mainly be driving in the UK and it is only a few weeks in the year driving on the continent (whenever that becomes possible again), so it might make sense that look for a RHD vehicle I'm not sure if that narrows the choice or rules out German dealers.

It's good to hear that EuraMobil give good customer care and positively come back on queries.

G

 

[sallylillian]

I understand what you are saying with being extra vigilant, it's easy to lapse back to driving on the left (in Europe) after a few days especially when setting off on minor roads.

I will mainly be driving in the UK and it is only a few weeks in the year driving on the continent (whenever that becomes possible again), so it might make sense that look for a RHD vehicle I'm not sure if that narrows the choice or rules out German dealers.

It's good to hear that EuraMobil give good customer care and positively come back on queries.

G

Pretty much rules out German dealers, some are not allowed to order RHD vehicles, but it will be a good exercise to get a quote for LHD from Germany then use that as your yardstick for negotiating with the SOLE UK dealer.

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[funflair]

Thank you, Sue, I will go check the video out, I did look at the one that Alan Heath made which was good too and gives a sense of how they organise manufacturing looks like they all trades under one roof and apart from the usual kit suppliers (Thetford/Dometic/Thule...)build each section from scratch.

Martin I have VB full active air on my current 8.7m van and know the value of it from the standard Alko/Ducato set up really does make a difference on the road, it's not always perfect but it does self-level the van at sites. I will look for a van with full/active air which will me understand the terminology/spec.

I have looked at the UK dealer Web and they do have a Loft which with the open bathroom layout and glad you mentioned the Bed and Garage space, the garage opening is restricted to one side and may not be that practical when reaching in and leaves loading unloading bikes from one side. We are used to an island bed so getting in & out works for us I would prefer to have the gap between the side walls + it does allow the wardrobes on either side (good hanging space).

The Loft they have also is listed at 7.9 metres which did not match dimensions in the Morelo brochure perhaps this is a typo? That said the specification appears to be really good but I have no real concept as to whether the cost of vehicles listed is competitive and what if any room for movement there might be.

I would love the Palace but it is out of my reach (and don't have permission!!!) whilst you pay a price I can see they look amazing, with comfort and space to match, I am sure there is a great sense of pride when touring.

Appreciate the mentioning the NFU as would not have thought about them, this might sound like a silly question but does a removable steering wheel make a difference. In my current van, I had Metrak ID tag fitted to reduce the premium but also for peace of mind.

Thanks again for posting back, it does help

G

Hi Globetroter

Yes that Loft at Premium is a cracking spec for sure, 79F would have been our choice in the Loft range, but for me I couldn’t loose the garage space for just about 0.5 metre shorter, yes the 79F is just over 8 metres.

Didn’t use the removable steering wheel as a security thing with them, don’t know if it needs a key to remove refit but I would tend to leave it in the van when in store.

M

 

[MobyDick57]

Hi Gerry
We have a Loft 78F (2017) 7.98m, 7.5 ton, Full air suspension, Black Tank, 700watts solar, 600ah Lithium batteries, etc.
We mainly travel Europe from September to April and can recommend the Loft as the better option over the home, because of the chassis/payload and build quality fittings.
The garage is the same size as the 79F at Premium. We have shelved the rear part and fit our two full size electric bikes snuggly by the smaller door. The low level part of the garage ceiling is just high enough to fit the rear bike racks under. We have also removable peddles. By storing them this way we still have plenty of access to the shelves in the garage.
When we first traveled in it, we took assorts of “just in case” extras, however we found that they were not required because of the build quality. So since then we have ditched them we have space to spare.
We love the layout, because of the open plan sliding doors. If I could choose again, the. I would have no hesitation in going for the 79F, because the kitchen has gained an extra foot.
When we bought our unit it had 210ah x 2, however we found that the batteries wer not man enough for our type of off grid traveling hence installing lithium. My wife blow dries her hair each morning and I like my microwaved porridge We managed to find a perfectly sized microwave to fit in the cupboard under the bed.
My only other thought/recommendation would be to have a separate satnav as the rear camera is always useful on the radio screen.
Plus you need the 7.5 ton chassis, if/when you decide to spend this sort of money because you will not want to be trading in again for 10 years
Keep safe
Rich
PS
Presently we are averaging 20 miles to the gallon.

 

[dpsuk999]

Hi Gerry
We have a Loft 78F (2017) 7.98m, 7.5 ton, Full air suspension, Black Tank, 700watts solar, 600ah Lithium batteries, etc.
We mainly travel Europe from September to April and can recommend the Loft as the better option over the home, because of the chassis/payload and build quality fittings.
The garage is the same size as the 79F at Premium. We have shelved the rear part and fit our two full size electric bikes snuggly by the smaller door. The low level part of the garage ceiling is just high enough to fit the rear bike racks under. We have also removable peddles. By storing them this way we still have plenty of access to the shelves in the garage.
When we first traveled in it, we took assorts of “just in case” extras, however we found that they were not required because of the build quality. So since then we have ditched them we have space to spare.
We love the layout, because of the open plan sliding doors. If I could choose again, the. I would have no hesitation in going for the 79F, because the kitchen has gained an extra foot.
When we bought our unit it had 210ah x 2, however we found that the batteries wer not man enough for our type of off grid traveling hence installing lithium. My wife blow dries her hair each morning and I like my microwaved porridge We managed to find a perfectly sized microwave to fit in the cupboard under the bed.
My only other thought/recommendation would be to have a separate satnav as the rear camera is always useful on the radio screen.
Plus you need the 7.5 ton chassis, if/when you decide to spend this sort of money because you will not want to be trading in again for 10 years
Keep safe
Rich
PS
Presently we are averaging 20 miles to the gallon.

Hi Rich MobyDick57

I’m looking at replacing the gel’s in my Morelo when I finally get to pick it up, which Lithium’s did you install and have you got a Mastervolt system or Buttner? Or Victron?

Thanks Dave

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[MobyDick57]

Hi Dave

I used 6 x Transporter Energy 100ah 12v Life-PO4 batteries from Transporter Energy Ltd, Lower Dicker, Hailsham, BN27 4BG. I finally decided to use these batterie, because of their superior capabilities, plus they come with a 10 year guarantee. They are used in aviation and therefore can be installed on their sides or even upside down. Https://www.transporterenergy.co.uk/battery/technical-data

I have used a Votronic (Art# 3245) Battery Charger VBCS 60/40/430 Triple Charger, which manages my AC charging / DC charging from Iveco Engine / Solar panels of 400 watts. The display controller is LCD-Charge Control S (Arf# 1247)
The recommended setting by Justin at Transporter was setting “G” in the manual. This setting made
U1 (Main/Full charging) 14.6v
U2 (Full /Trickle/Storage charging) 13.6v
This setting also works for RELION RB-Types and Super B SB12vxx-M (Epsilon) with completely integrated electronics and protective circuit.

I also have another “Array” of 300 watts solar panels, which is managed by Votronic MPPT 430.

I also installed a Votronic 400A LCD battery computer 400S (Roadpro item 1269) in order to measure the fullness of the battery bank.

All the parts were ordered and fitted by Premium Motorhomes to ensure the motorhome insurance and guarantees had a professionally paper trail

I have noticed a high difference in the recharge rates via the solar panels. It seems to me whatever energy that can be harvested is immediately sent to the batteries. ie the battery management systems can take whatever energy sent to it

I feel I my have gone over the top on the number of batteries, however I reasoned that
1. an extra batteries cost negligibly more to fit
2. it’s best not to deplete the battery level below 20%
3. We use aires in Spain over winter, so we can now survive a number of days without sun.

I hope the above helps you on your quest to move from gel to lithium.

Keep safe
Richard

 

[dpsuk999]

Hi Richard,

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply. In my previous motorhome I had the full array of Victron products including lithiums and just trying to get my head around Mastervolt systems and trying to work out the best route of integrating lithiums. As I understand any lithiums I choose have to have the BMS built in, do the transporter ones have built in BMS?

Regards David.

 

[jongood]

Pretty much rules out German dealers, some are not allowed to order RHD vehicles, but it will be a good exercise to get a quote for LHD from Germany then use that as your yardstick for negotiating with the SOLE UK dealer.

I tend to think the liner market is predominantly LHD.

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[sallylillian]

I tend to think the liner market is predominantly LHD.

You are probably right Jon, however this enquiry was about the Loft & Home models which like the Palace are available in RHD, and with mirrored layout too.

 

[MobyDick57]

Hi David
All lithium batteries needs BMS, however most are in the battery block but some are external. Also not all lithium batteries are the same in efficiency and length of life, nor guarantee. The same goes for BMSs, there are good ones and not so good ones.
Morelo promote Super-Bs, which will work without changing the present systems already installed in your motorhome!
I chose theTransporter batteries, because they are very similar to the Super-Bs and can be installed similar to the Super-Bs. However I am fussy and like to go to the enth degree in ensuring effiency of the solar system in winter
keep safe
Rich

 

[OurMoreloLife]

funflair Martin what’s the difference between full air and active air?

For me, the biggest impact of adding Active Air are the chassis and cross-wind stability improvements.

It's a 'night and day' difference in handling and having driven for two years without Active Air and then having Morelo upgrade it (at Meier of course), I would suggest, if you are spec'ing your Morelo, that Full Air and Active Air is a factory order essential (if you can afford it).

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[OurMoreloLife]

Hi Globetroter

don’t know if it needs a key to remove refit but I would tend to leave it in the van when in store.

M

The removable steering wheel needs a key to lock it on and to take it off. You don't have to lock it on as it secures really well with a spring-loaded clamping mechanism.

We remove the steering when when parked at home and then put the it in the locked position (so that should someone get hold of it, they can't use it), it is then stored in a very safe place away from the keys. I wouldn't want to give the insurance company an excuse not to pay out should the MH disappear.

 

[funflair]

The removable steering wheel needs a key to lock it on and to take it off. You don't have to lock it on as it secures really well with a spring-loaded clamping mechanism.

We remove the steering when when parked at home and then put the it in the locked position (so that should someone get hold of it, they can't use it), it is then stored in a very safe place away from the keys. I wouldn't want to give the insurance company an excuse not to pay out should the MH disappear.

Thanks Peter

Your wheel and associated mechanism will be different to ours as apart from anything else we will have the new multifunction wheel and I know that when we ordered at DD they said that it was still in development, I assume the basic principle is the same though.

Martin

 

[sallylillian]

Martin, do they have a solution for the multifunction wheel, it was the reason that it was/maybe still is the reason I could not have it on the Mercedes. It is a very useful and space creating feature.

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