Tracker EKS (1 Viewer)

Dazzler1969

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morning all,
After a visit to the NEC yesterday with a view to buying a PVC, we stumbled upon an EKS!
If anybody on here has owned one or currently owns one and would like to give some honest views I would greatly appreciate it, we will be downsizing from a Bailey 79-6.
Many thanks
Darren
 

ABZSteve

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morning all,
After a visit to the NEC yesterday with a view to buying a PVC, we stumbled upon an EKS!
If anybody on here has owned one or currently owns one and would like to give some honest views I would greatly appreciate it, we will be downsizing from a Bailey 79-6.
Many thanks
Darren
Hola, our first MoHo was a new Imala 615, same layout but slightly less exepensive. We kept if for three years and really loved the van and the huge lounge. The only problem for us was how the bed was made up in to a double i.e. pulling both sides out - not a lot of space to do it easily. It started to annoy us latterly and we felt we wanted more space once a bed was made up (we now have the Apache 634). If you are using the layout as single beds only, then great, you will be fine but I would try out the bed make-up before you buy. Good luck (y)
 

JimJams

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Personally they are a great van and for us a really great alternative to the Panel van conversion models available.

The EKS and the Imala 615 are most probably our biggest seller especially for the customer looking at the panel van mainly because for the same length if not slightly smaller than the XLWB Ducato by the offered slightly wider body habitation area the overall space and on board features completely convince the route of buying a coach built..

Good luck with your search and definitely a good van to consider..

James :)

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Dazzler1969

Dazzler1969

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Thanks for the speedy reply guys! It really does feel much larger internally than a panel van.
I’ll keep you posted.
Darren
 

Blue Knight

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Darren, just be careful of the weight if you are registering an EKS at 3,500kg. (An Imala 615 has twice as much).

If you were to add water and then consider a slight variation in the mass for heavier materials then your payload would be well beyond the minus figure. This figure includes the standard media pack at 6kg.

I would think that it's an unusable van at 3.5T unless you just want to use it for weekends away with a pair if socks and a tin if beans to boot.

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Dazzler1969

Dazzler1969

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Yeah I saw that! My Bailey is 4250 with a big payload. There is an option to go to 3650 but even that doesn’t seem much. Would I get more from a PVC?
Darren

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ABZSteve

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Thanks for the speedy reply guys! It really does feel much larger internally than a panel van.
I’ll keep you posted.
Darren
Yip, bigger, we compared both before we bought the Imala. Genuinely, we loved it, just needed a change of bed configuration.
 

ABZSteve

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Yeah I saw that! My Bailey is 4250 with a big payload. There is an option to go to 3650 but even that doesn’t seem much. Would I get more from a PVC?
Darren
Good point made by @Blue Knight. However, we bought the Apache 634 because of the layout and it has (or had a cr@p payload), negative in certain scenarios, then increased the weight to 3850kg. New air suspension and SV Tech for the paperwork. You could do the same if need be.
 

Blue Knight

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Yeah I saw that! My Bailey is 4250 with a big payload. There is an option to go to 3650 but even that doesn’t seem much. Would I get more from a PVC?
Darren

That will depend on the chassis variant Darren.

I've just uplated my Globecar PVC yesterday (6.36m maxi Fiat chassis) to 4.5T so I have a total of 1,500kg payload for everything, assuming that I can get the weight distributed correctly over the two axles.

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Blue Knight

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I think the question to ask is why do you want a PVC over a wider coachbuilt.

We specifically went from a 2.35m wide Pilote coachbuilt to a 2.06m wide PVC which we've found serves us better when navigating the tight roads of Scotland etc.
 

The Cricketers

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We have an EKS, our first motorhome, and love it.
Lots has been written about how much payload you need, normally tonnes!!
Ours is 3140kgs in running order,full of fuel, driver, no waste,20l water
We take everything we need for 3 week trips, but are careful to pack lightweight options, and carry no bikes.
We often check weight and have never been over 3500kgs
 

RowleyBirkinQC

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Darren, just be careful of the weight if you are registering an EKS at 3,500kg. (An Imala 615 has twice as much).

If you were to add water and then consider a slight variation in the mass for heavier materials then your payload would be well beyond the minus figure. This figure includes the standard media pack at 6kg.

I would think that it's an unusable van at 3.5T unless you just want to use it for weekends away with a pair if socks and a tin if beans to boot.

View attachment 285390
That’s pretty shocking, we had a 2006 Tracker EKS which, if I recall correctly, had a payload of circa 700kg.

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Dazzler1969

Dazzler1969

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I think the question to ask is why do you want a PVC over a wider coachbuilt.

We specifically went from a 2.35m wide Pilote coachbuilt to a 2.06m wide PVC which we've found serves us better when navigating the tight roads of Scotland etc.
I want to change so I can do as you say, we are lucky to be able to go off when we choose and are desperate to do Scotland, currently my Bailey is 8ft wide and to the mirrors over 9 ft 6! I want to be able to navigate around easily and enable my wife to drive, we have relatives in Cornwall and Devon, getting around their lanes in my current ride is a nightmare.
The EKS is somewhat smaller than what I have but wider than a pvc! I don’t fancy making another mistake which will cost me upwards of 10k in 12 months.
Darren
 
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Dazzler1969

Dazzler1969

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We have an EKS, our first motorhome, and love it.
Lots has been written about how much payload you need, normally tonnes!!
Ours is 3140kgs in running order,full of fuel, driver, no waste,20l water
We take everything we need for 3 week trips, but are careful to pack lightweight options, and carry no bikes.
We often check weight and have never been over 3500kgs
How do you find parking in normal parking bays? I guess that was my thought process around going for a PVC, whilst I don’t mind buses etc I do like to visit places and don’t like the restrictions I have at the moment.
Darren
 

The Cricketers

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How do you find parking in normal parking bays? I guess that was my thought process around going for a PVC, whilst I don’t mind buses etc I do like to visit places and don’t like the restrictions I have at the moment.
Darren
It's short enough to park in a normal parking bay, if you can find somewhere with a rear overhang, but the width is an issue if the car park is anything like full

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Blue Knight

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That’s pretty shocking, we had a 2006 Tracker EKS which, if I recall correctly, had a payload of circa 700kg.

Autotrails are getting heavier and heavier which for many in the 3.5T category mean that the vans are totally unusable for proper expeditionary touring.

Just think if you were to add a second hab battery, more solar and a tow bar to an EKS, which, by the nature of motorhoming, is not exactly uncommon; the van would be well over its legal limit.

One thing is for certain is that you'll never ever get an Autotrail Dealer talking payload!!
 

ABZSteve

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Autotrails are getting heavier and heavier which for many in the 3.5T category mean that the vans are totally unusable for proper expeditionary touring.

Just think if you were to add a second hab battery, more solar and a tow bar to an EKS, which, by the nature of motorhoming, is not exactly uncommon; the van would be well over its legal limit.

One thing is for certain is that you'll never ever get an Autotrail Dealer talking payload!!
Maybe not the dealer but Autotrail service centre, yes. I had many conversations with the sales and service manager regarding my concerns over payload. I asked for typical dry-weights of vehicles already built with my configuration which their engineers were happy to provide. I also asked for a weight certificate so I could check independently against; good news, it was almost spot on give or take a few kilos (that might have been me though:)), so I was happy. As I said, I knew what I was getting and how to address the issue i.e. move up to 3850kg. Not always suitable depending on age and license but I guess what I am trying to say is, if that is not an issue and you really want the MoHo, you can increase the payload, not a huge increase in my case but sufficient.
 

tandc

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On our second eks both new and if we swop this one it will be for another eks we go away for 2 months three times a year yes the payload could be better but we manage ok had both our vans from todds Preston would highly recommend them we had a few small issues but they were sorted by Todd’s. we have also had three other vans over the years but the eks is right for us.terry

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Dazzler1969

Dazzler1969

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On our second eks both new and if we swop this one it will be for another eks we go away for 2 months three times a year yes the payload could be better but we manage ok had both our vans from todds Preston would highly recommend them we had a few small issues but they were sorted by Todd’s. we have also had three other vans over the years but the eks is right for us.terry
Thanks tandc
Do you also use it to visit places or generally park up and use public transport?
Darren
 

tandc

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Hi Darren we normally use public transport unless it is to far to walk to the bus stop then we use the van never really had any problems parking but just find it easier to use public transport also saves packing everything away but we always use it for visiting the supermarkets. Terry.
 

Jonno1103

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Missed this in Feb...
We have a 2012 EKS which we use on a weekly or fortnightly basis as we're still a long way off retirement, I don't have C1 so will never be able to up the weight or buy a heavier Moho.

Neither of us have found the 3.5t limit an issue as such although we are mindful and choose what we take accordingly. We'll get a fortnight out of a 6kg bottle so have never used the larger 13kg or a combination of the two. This will claw back around 37kg's for payload. apart from travelling with around 15ltr in the fresh tank & 10 in the boiler.

The all important list:
We carry a full fridge, 2 kettles, toaster, Corelle dishes and the usual pans and cutlery... Aldi's Crofton utensils are excellent and they're light... 2 robust chairs, (I'm a big lad), blocks, Fiamma mat, foldable laundry drier, the obvious hose & pump and EHU lead, waterhog, wastehog, 2 connected foldable 80w solar panels, a box full of stuff (it's all useful, honest!), one of those long cordless vacuums, 2 duvets, 6 pillows, towels, brolly, sticks, etc, etc, all the wireless gadgets under the sun, laptop etc and fill two eye level lockers either side for his n hers clothing for a couple of weeks.

On the weighbridge on the outskirts of Harrogate, fully loaded, we have never been overweight... 3491 is the heaviest we've had.

We don't tend to use tinned goods unless bought in a site shop, yes it's due the weight of them but also as they can damage cupboards if moving around and be a missile if the worst happens and you hit something or someone hits you.

"It can be done at 3.5 tonne" is my motto with a little common sense and I've never wished I'd brought something else from home to make my holiday more enjoyable.

Ok, issues with the EKS... Be mindful of the locker hinges, give them a tighten with a screwdriver periodically. Don't put anything in the cupboards under the sink when travelling, you'll find them around your ankles at the traffic lights, the newer EKS' from 2017 I think now have catches on them.

The bed bases... it's worthwhile fitting a piece of 2x2 planed timber at the back of the front panel under the centre cross piece with a couple of countersunk screws as it's only screwed in with a 'modesty block'. Keep an eye on the kitchen unit styled bed base sliders too, again the screws work loose which stops it's smooth operation, the thin front facia can also have a habit of parting company from the screws, a dab of CA or hard as nails cures this.

Auto trail -water trail, again it's mostly a myth, the post 2007's are no different to any other van, there sometimes seems that there's more but that's due to the volume of sales and the sheer amount of older AT's on the road. there's no wood in them, hasn't been for years. The highest damp reading we've ever had during a hab' check was 0.4 which was above the cab not long after bedding was removed. The weak spot on the age of van we have is the strap above the cab, the newer vans are all one piece.

We love our Peggy, she's part of the family but will be selling her in 2021 before her 10 year ingress runs out but she'll be replaced by another EKS... If they haven't gone the same way as the Navajo.

Sorry it's a novel guys!

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