Motor Home Choice

[Rubble1]

Afternoon All

I am totally new to motorhomes, so please forgive me if I ask some really dumb questions...... My question is that I have seen two fairly reasonably priced motorhomes for sale, one is a 2003 Mercedes Autotrail with just under 40K on the clock, and the other is a 2005 Fiat Ducato Bessacarr E710 with just over 21K on the clock, I've done some research and it looks like they are both beset with problems, so just wondered if there were owners on here that could give some advice please, the reason that I've looked at these MH is that we need a static bed as my other half suffers with arthritis in her knee, so she cant climb ladders for over the cab beds. Many Thanks Dave

 

[PP Bear]

Welcome to Fun

Theres a wide scope for those questions ask. Are you able to give us all details of what these faults are, having owned my Autotrail for the past 12 years and a 2006 model, so older still, I have really had any major issues with it. The Merc chassis is even better, so please let us know the faults, also the asking prices, whether it’s private sales or dealers and if there is any warranty offered.

 

[Rubble1]

Hi,
Thanks for getting back to me, the faults I found with the Fiat were build quality mainly, which resulted in damp issues, the Merc some said those with the Fiat engine had problems, although the one I am looking at has the Merc engine, and again build quality , the Merc has tip tronic gearbox, so not sure if that's an issue, I couldn't find anybody slagging that off, the Merc is up for just under £10,000 and the Fiat just over £7000, both private sales Dave

 

[Speve]

We had a 2004 Autotrail Cheyenne 696 SE with 316cdi manual engine and it was a lovely van well built and the engine pulled like a train personally I would be going for the Merc if in your situation.
Edit : as others have commented please be very careful there are lots of scams out there particularly on Fleebay don’t pay anything until you have seen and checked out the vehicle and have the keys in your hand Good luck

 

[irnbru]

I would take a damp meter and go round it with a fine tooth comb. It might be worse than you think. Good luck though.

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[Steve and Pam]

I would be very careful. those seem like scam prices to me, very cheap can you go see them, touch them, inspect paper work. if not run a mile.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Afternoon All

I am totally new to motorhomes, so please forgive me if I ask some really dumb questions...... My question is that I have seen two fairly reasonably priced motorhomes for sale, one is a 2003 Mercedes Autotrail with just under 40K on the clock, and the other is a 2005 Fiat Ducato Bessacarr E710 with just over 21K on the clock, I've done some research and it looks like they are both beset with problems, so just wondered if there were owners on here that could give some advice please, the reason that I've looked at these MH is that we need a static bed as my other half suffers with arthritis in her knee, so she cant climb ladders for over the cab beds. Many Thanks Dave

My number one piece of advice:

Avoid robotised manual gearboxes. Sold as automatics but are semi-automatic.

SprintShift - Mercedes
ShiftMatic - VW (the above gearbox fitted to crafters).
Agile - Iveco
ComfortMatic - Fiat
Ford Transit - older button gearbox.

I know a lot of people on here have the aforementioned types of gearboxes. A lot don’t have issues, a lot have.

To compound my advice. I think all of the manufacturers have dropped robotised manual gearboxes. That tells you something.

Mercedes stuck with 5G-Tronic. Moving on to 7 & 9G-Tronic
VW now build their own crater instead of Mercedes and use DSG Gearboxes.
Iveco & Fiat now fit True 8 & 9 speed Torque converter gearboxes from ZF.
Ford have moved to duratorque shift up to 10 speed in rear wheel drive .

I think I’m right. Unless any funsters can correct me?.

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN. I have a Motorhome that is 21 years old and have had it 10 years, no issues with damp and have found that build quality is better that some newer Motorhomes. By the way my mileage is about 50,000. As other have said by very careful and try to view any van with your mind rather than heart which is easier said than done.

 

[PP Bear]

Hi,
Thanks for getting back to me, the faults I found with the Fiat were build quality mainly, which resulted in damp issues, the Merc some said those with the Fiat engine had problems, although the one I am looking at has the Merc engine, and again build quality , the Merc has tip tronic gearbox, so not sure if that's an issue, I couldn't find anybody slagging that off, the Merc is up for just under £10,000 and the Fiat just over £7000, both private sales Dave

Dave, they sound far too cheap. Are you absolutely sure these aren’t scams.

Take it from someone who lost £6k on a scam when I first started drooling over a motorhome. Both £7k and £10k ain’t right.

Have you physically seen them, seen the paperwork and met the sellers ?

 

[Rubble1]

Thanks for that Alan, this one has the 2.7 diesel engine

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[Rubble1]

Dave, they sound far too cheap. Are you absolutely sure these aren’t scams.

Take it from someone who lost £6k on a scam when I first started drooling over a motorhome. Both £7k and £10k ain’t right.

Have you physically seen them, seen the paperwork and met the sellers ?

To be honest that's what made me join here and ask the questions, I haven't seen them but I intend to, coz as you say they sound to good to be true, as I have bought and sold many a classic car over the years, experience tells me to see all the paperwork before i part with my hard earned money!! if you are bored they are both on marketplace in FB Dave

 

[pampam]

They are too cheap

 

[Reallyretired]

Those prices are about half what I would expect. It screams scam to me.

 

[pampam]

 

[dna]

You can check if the photos of the van appear in any other adverts by using google picture search. Scammers often use (steal) information and pictures from genuine adverts.

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[tonka]

Dave, they sound far too cheap. Are you absolutely sure these aren’t scams.

Take it from someone who lost £6k on a scam when I first started drooling over a motorhome. Both £7k and £10k ain’t right.

Have you physically seen them, seen the paperwork and met the sellers ?

Agree here. They sound to cheap..
Many scams around with motorhomes so be very carefull !

 

[Jamesh]

My number one piece of advice:

Avoid robotised manual gearboxes. Sold as automatics but are semi-automatic.

SprintShift - Mercedes
ShiftMatic - VW (the above gearbox fitted to crafters).
Agile - Iveco
ComfortMatic - Fiat
Ford Transit - older button gearbox.

I know a lot of people on here have the aforementioned types of gearboxes. A lot don’t have issues, a lot have.

To compound my advice. I think all of the manufacturers have dropped robotised manual gearboxes. That tells you something.

Mercedes stuck with 5G-Tronic. Moving on to 7 & 9G-Tronic
VW now build their own crater instead of Mercedes and use DSG Gearboxes.
Iveco & Fiat now fit True 8 & 9 speed Torque converter gearboxes from ZF.
Ford have moved to duratorque shift up to 10 speed in rear wheel drive .

I think I’m right. Unless any funsters can correct me?.

VW use TC auto boxes in thier latest crafter's.

 

[EuroTrotters]

VW use TC auto boxes in thier latest crafter's.

Thanks.

I was confusing it with the T6 DSG

 

[Speve]

Thanks for that Alan, this one has the 2.7 diesel engine

If it’s the one at Faversham it looks like a lovely van but be careful I reckon that should be around 20k mark so very likely a scam. I could not see sellers ID at all.