Roller team 746 2017 150HP - user feedback please :) (1 Viewer)

[Karen3012]

We are looking at buying a 2017 Roller team 746 to build memories for our young family (3 kids). It’s a huge investment for us and I’m really keen for some current owner feedback re their durability and on investment. Have heard a bit of feedback that their lower costs / entry level motor home is at a price of the habitation areas falling apart easily? Also interested in peoples experience on waterproofing? ours has a 6 year warranty, but even so if they are re known for leaking I feel best avoided. Also if current owners feel with young children (small terrorists) they may not be durable enough we’d love to hear any feedback. We can live with that if they are small things as we would maintain it well. But would love to hear from others experiences for people who’ve owned them for periods and also thoughts on resell. Is their resell comparable to other brands? Any ideas on what we could budget selling for after 5 years ie 50% of the new price? We love the large rear outdoor storage and still having two large, light roomy living areas. Also obviously the lower price entry point, versus investing the same amount of money in a 2nd hand higher spec model if the durability going to be a huge problem. Huge thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

What is the base vehicle ?

 

[Karen3012]

We are looking at buying a 2017 Roller team 746 to build memories for our young family (3 kids). It’s a huge investment for us and I’m really keen for some current owner feedback re their durability and on investment. Have heard a bit of feedback that their lower costs / entry level motor home is at a price of the habitation areas falling apart easily? Also interested in peoples experience on waterproofing? ours has a 6 year warranty, but even so if they are re known for leaking I feel best avoided. Also if current owners feel with young children (small terrorists) they may not be durable enough we’d love to hear any feedback. We can live with that if they are small things as we would maintain it well. But would love to hear from others experiences for people who’ve owned them for periods and also thoughts on resell. Is their resell comparable to other brands? Any ideas on what we could budget selling for after 5 years ie 50% of the new price? We love the large rear outdoor storage and still having two large, light roomy living areas. Also obviously the lower price entry point, versus investing the same amount of money in a 2nd hand higher spec model if the durability going to be a huge problem. Huge thanks in advance for any feedback.

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[Karen3012]

Fiat ducato base - sorry not sure hoiw to reply to your thread

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Fiat ducato base - sorry not sure hoiw to reply to your thread

Ah, that's ok - was going to enlighten you as to the extraordinary thievability of a Ford Transit base, so you could make an informed decision.

 

[Feltwell]

I don't know that van - but - as one who travels with 3 kids I can give you a bit of insight on general things to watch for, that are specific to travelling with kids, 3 especially.

I went for an older van - a 2006, 3 years ago - and I've no regrets in doing so. Personal choice but it's a lot cheaper and any inherent faults will have shown themselves by then. Ours is as well equipped as any new van, they haven't changed that much although the base vans have improved in terms of driver comfort. It's still a big investment but your kid's memories will be the same no matter what age of van you get, and you save some money to then spend on the holidays.

Things I'd say to watch for:-

Layout & bunk size. Ours has 2 bunks across the back of the van and they're a really good size - easily big enough for an adult. Some vans I saw had bunks to the side in one back corner, running lengthways back up the van, and they were small - a teenager would struggle with them. At 13 my daughter is already 5'6", they grow up fast! The bunks give some private space which the older kids need. If you're thinking of kids sharing a double bed consider if that will still be possible or attractive to them in a few years - mine like their personal space now.

Our layout has a single and a double dinette opposite each other at the front of the van. The single dinette is what we turn into a bed for our 3rd (youngest) child. It's not a full size single, you'd need to be below about 5'5" to use it. He's only 7 so not a problem yet, by the time he is too big for it I suspect our eldest won't be with us - if not he can sleep on the double dinette, which is longer, or one of them can go in a tent.

A vital point is where you can sit once the kids are all in bed. We still have the double dinette free - I've seen some layouts where with 3 kids there is nowhere for Mum & Dad to sit once they're all in bed - not good on a cold or wet night. Also, if you are planning on using an overcab double bed, make sure the ladder can still be used when the rest of the beds are set up - I've seen some where it can't, which is just plain daft.

I had to fit a rail and make up a curtain to go around the youngest's bed, this gives him a bit of privacy and stop him getting too distracted when he's going off to sleep. Mind you, the kids are always tired out by the time they are in bed on holiday, they always go to sleep quickly!

At the back the bottom bunk can fold up to make the garage bigger when travelling, which is handy.

Payload - a big one to watch for. Our van came plated at 3.5t, which is laughable, it weighed 3.3t with just me in it when I took it to the weighbridge! I've had mine replated to 4t and we only just manage to keep within that - 5 of you plus bikes etc and it all adds up. Check your licence to see if you're allowed to drive over 3.5t (depends on when you passed your test). Not all vans can have their limit increased - mine could go to 3850kg as standard, or 4000kg with air assisted rear suspension, which I fitted.

Fridge space - we have a tall fridge/freezer and use every inch of the space - some vans come with a smaller under-counter size fridge which would be hopelessly inadequate for 5.

Child seats - we only need 1 now and it's still a bulky pain to store once on site. Ours sits on the non-swivelling passenger seat in the cab once we've arrived. If you need them think where they can go.

I've seen one van which had triple bunks at the back which looked great, but a major compromise was it meant no garage space at all. Our garage is always stuffed!

For the moment the layout of ours is I think the best for us, I wouldn't change it. When we get to the stage of having less kids with us we may change - a narrow bodied A class would be nice to make getting down some minor roads a bit easier - plus with just dinette seats our van isn't especially comfortable to lounge about in - it's OK but more shaped seats with a more reclined back would be more comfortable. It's all a compromise though, ours do make comfortable beds.

Hope that helps!

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[Feltwell]

I forgot to say - Roller Team is a lower cost brand, but that's not necessarily a problem. Mine is a McLouis which was a budget brand - although mine was their top of the range model - and it's fine, it's not the best built but it's perfectly fit for the job. I've looked at a new C-Class Hymer of the same layout and it was no better.

Quite often it seems a more premium brand means a more premium finish to things like the furniture, which for a family van really doesn't matter. No damp is the most vital thing in a used van. Ours came with a full service history including the damp checks - I could see that the garage doors had had attention after 2 years, then all clear for the rest of it's life.

I'm presuming you're not looking at doing things like using the van to go on skiing holidays - then the fully winterised nature of some of the premium brands becomes important.

Most family vans are in the budget brands, for good reason!

 

[Lenny HB]

I don't think it has anything like enough payload for 5 it would be extreamly tight for 2. Payload at 3500kg is only 425kg from experance I wouldn't consider a van with less than 550kg for 2 people. And on extras like the drivers pack, an awning, Tv & 2nd battery you are down to less than 300kg and it can only be upgraded to 3650 (if you have a C1 licence) giving 450kg.
The kids are going to grow and get heavier as will the stuff they want to bring you need to be looking at a van with at least a 1000kg payload to make it workable without hassle.
Also it is not winterised has external pipes & uninsulated underslung waste tank, pipe insulation and tank insulation is on the extras list, thats more weight.

As for Roller Team, they look nice but as with most of the budget vans they spend their money on bling rather than solid build quality, know a couple just down the road from us had to have damp repaired on their 2012 Roller Team last year, caused by road spray, floor and back wall had to be repaired.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

This may be of assistance :

https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/m...ome-review-roller-team-auto-roller-746/942008

Payload improves to 575kg if uprated to 3.65t.

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[Feltwell]

Most importantly - I don't regret getting an MH at all, despite the use being limited by my 25 days a year annual leave. You work round the compromises of the vehicle to a degree - things such as winterisation, mine isn't winterised, I wouldn't take it to the far north of Scotland in January, but with being tied to school holidays anyway it's coped just fine with Wales and Cornwall over New Year breaks, with heavy frost on the ground each day.

Kids grow up so fast, my eldest was 11 when I got the MH, I reckoned on us having 6 or 7 more years at most of her wanting to be on family holidays. We couldn't really afford the MH but said "Sod it!" and bought one anyway!

 

[Feltwell]

I just looked at the review MH55 Fun posted - for me, I wouldn't go for that van.

- Small fridge
- 2 of the kids need to share a bed
- Potentially nowhere to sit once kids are in bed - depends on if adults or kids sleep over the cab
- Dinette only for 4
- Possible payload issues as others have stated

You might be better off looking at vans with bunks that are classified as 7 berth - they tend to suit 5!

Only my personal opinion of course.

 

[WhiteCheyenneMan]

Ah, that's ok - was going to enlighten you as to the extraordinary thievability of a Ford Transit base, so you could make an informed decision.

Don't be put off anything with a Transit base! They are a joy to drive and imo, having had a Fiat before, smoother and quieter than a Fiat. Yes, you should upgrade the cab door lock(s), but you can get into virtually any MH very quickly using a large, strong screwdriver to attack a window

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[The general]

Ford deffo better drive , just got to add extra security be it pedal box, chains , locks, a deterrent that's all they are .

 

[Will9456]

We have a Ford Transit based Rollerteam Zefiro 685 (9 months old), really enjoying it and fully tested all the facilities including a fabulous shower. We have a problem with the electrics at the moment, not impressed with the after sales service which I don't think is that unusual in the motor home market.
Where are you getting it from?
The build quality is ok, time will tell on how robust things are (so far wife and dog proof)
I have added an alarm system (required by many insurers), an external Thule door lock on the habitation door and the cab doors are strapped together with a very visible heavy duty Thule locking strap.

 

[Feltwell]

I wouldn't rule out any new-ish van because of what the base vehicle is. Yes, check for load capacity for the specific variant, but no modern van is bad to drive - some may be a little better than others but it's all pretty marginal these days. Investing in extra security if you get a Transit is sensible, as they currently have a known theft problem - easy enough to make yours unattractive to thieves though.

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[Northernraider]

You could pick up a really good burstner argos 747 for a lot less money, 7 berth huge garage, huge payload, winterised and very well built it's what I had when my kids were younger

Lincoln leisure has an incredibly clean one on a 2006 at the minute for £29k I viewed it a few days ago but opted for the frankia I found elsewhere.

I think personally I'd always buy a used higher end van than a new lower end, because to be honest the amount of depreciation you'll have on the new van and constantly being worried about it being damaged spoils a bit of the joy of ownership.

 

[pyro]

Nothing wrong with Transits, albeit that they account for a very much smaller share of the M/H market than Fiats for which there may be good reason - albeit that those with Fords usually come up with some fairly imaginative reasons of their own. There is equally a good reason why Transits are so dominant in the trade end of the market, the trouble being that the component parts are considered somewhat attractive to a "certain type" of people who are, shall we just say, a little less concerned about having receipts for everything in their possession.

As long as you take the wheels off every time you park up a Transit, then you should be fine. Just joking, sticking a Fiat badge on may help mitigate the risk

Seriously, though, I agree, for that budget I would buy a slightly higher end, second hand van

 

[Northernraider]

I have to say at the risk of being shot down, I've owned a couple of transit vans for work purposes and the corrosion they suffer is ridiculous... Required welding every year as Ford just don't protect them underneath they rely on a reputation and repeat business to keep pumping them out.
I'd tend to agree that Fiat is one of the main units used on motorhomes and there has to be good reason for that as it's about 30 years continuity....... If you drive down any motorway on any given day and count 20 motorhomes I'd guesstimate 15 of those would be Fiat based or Fiat shared based

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[pyro]

You will be shot down, my friend, my post is guaranteed to get them all out protesting the qualities of Transits.

The responses will be predictably that "Fiat do cheap bulk deals for converters" etc. All incredibly entertaining stuff

 

[Northernraider]

You will be shot down, my friend, my post is guaranteed to get them all out protesting the qualities of Transits.

Forewarned is forearmed as they say lol.... I'll admit mechanically they are good but no one who has owned a transit van for any length of time can deny the metal cancer they suffer from

 

[pyro]

They're out there, just not biting tonight

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[WhiteCheyenneMan]

You could pick up a really good burstner argos 747 for a lot less money, 7 berth huge garage, huge payload, winterised and very well built it's what I had when my kids were younger

Lincoln leisure has an incredibly clean one on a 2006 at the minute for £29k I viewed it a few days ago but opted for the frankia I found elsewhere.

I think personally I'd always buy a used higher end van than a new lower end, because to be honest the amount of depreciation you'll have on the new van and constantly being worried about it being damaged spoils a bit of the joy of ownership.

We bought our Hymer from Lincoln Leisure and, from our experience, they have to be the best used dealer around. Honest, reliable and with a warranty that is unbeatable.

 

[WhiteCheyenneMan]

They're out there, just not biting tonight

Oh all right, I will. It is entertaining.............but also true. Fiat offer better deals on cab and chassis than any of the other manufacturers. That is, they give extensive credit to the MH manufacturers. Go on, go on..................

 

[Northernraider]

We bought our Hymer from Lincoln Leisure and, from our experience, they have to be the best used dealer around. Honest, reliable and with a warranty that is unbeatable.

Certainly out of the 4 dealers I visited around the country over Tuesday and Wednesday the van they had was the best presented and seemed the best value for money and non pushy approach they leave you to look around the vans at your leisure and don't approach you unless you ask. A few of the other dealers I visited left much to be desired the vans were filthy some falling apart and very pushy salesmen... In the end I bought my van from a private seller as it best suited my needs, it's pristine and a credit to its 2 careful owners

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[pyro]

Oh all right, I will. It is entertaining.............but also true. Fiat offer better deals on cab and chassis than any of the other manufacturers. That is, they give extensive credit to the MH manufacturers. Go on, go on..................

Yay! I got one at last

If one assumed that the ratio of Ducato to Transit sales for M/H was - and I am plucking this figure out of my backside to suit an example - around 5 to 1 then I will use this figure because that matches a situation I found myself in. Out of the 6 partners at work, one said he would prefer a top spec Ford to the mid spec Audi A4's we were looking at. The deal we were offered quoted the average cost of one A4 well below the cost of the cheaper Ford alternative.

The engines used by Fiat are part of a major international design and production effort, the Sevel group, whose output includes Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and even some Toyotas. They are very well resourced. Some might argue that the scale of production and adoption of the more widely used Fiat product is such that they can arguably offer a better product at a price that competes with the Ford offering. The scale of economy argument applies

For myself, I don't see that much difference. My cousin has a similar vehicle to myself (Chausson 515) but on a Transit cab, whereas we have the Ducato base. I tend to prefer driving hers, but that is very marginal. She tells me that she find them much the same. I don't know whether the latest Transits are stuck with Adblue, although I do know that the Fiats aren't

The security issues with the Transit are a tad worrying, but unless M/H insurers charge additional premiums, then I suspect the theft issue to be more hysteria than realistic reason to avoid them

In my mind, layout and suitability for your intended use are by far the most important issues, and it is pretty much irrelevant whether those are on a Ford or on a Fiat base. Still, it is all entertaining

 

[WhiteCheyenneMan]

There must be something wrong here Pyro, but I find myself agreeing with you