Why the love of the Fiat Ducato? (1 Viewer)

jessthedog

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As a newbie to the site, I'm interested in why the majority of motorhome manufacturers go for the Fiat Ducato.
If I was going to buy a car, no disrespect to fiat car owners, a Fiat would be would be way down on my list. ( I do like the look of the little 500 though!)
The fiat Ducato dosen't even come in the top 10 of vans sales in the UK.
In Europe, its sister company IVECO, gets to No4 for truck sales in Europe.
The companies who make comparable chassis, The Transit van is the most popular van in the uk, followed by Mercedes, Volkswagen, Renault then Peugeot.
What is it, that makes the Fiat Ducato an ideal motorhome van, but according the vast majority of businesses in Europe who buy vans, no good for them?
 

haganap

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Both the AA and RAC claim more breakdowns with Merc than Fiat!
Nonsense

Can i have your data for that please and then add your data against those on the road and percentage of against the Fiat v Merc.
Doubt it....

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haganap

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I'd never buy a Merc.

If you want to do your own servicing and maintenance at real world prices avoid mercedes.
(n)


Really Andy?
See thats what you wrote? Sounds like you wont have a merc because you cant afford the service costs ;-)


Anyhow i must bow out now as ive got to go and swop my Audi a6 avant and Nikkis VW beetle 2L sports for a Dacia Duster and fiat 500 as i read elsewhere they are better too.

....heres the thing though..
I spent 10 years plus deluding myself that the fiat was better than the merc because i owned 3...check back on some posts to see how vigourously i defended Fix It Again Tony vans.. and then I was told i must be stupid and now?

Well i actually own one so can and will only offer a VALID comparrison on ownership not uncle Tony's the market traders rotting Vito with 400k on the clock :)

The merc wins hands down.
 
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Munchie

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Nonsense

Can i have your data for that please and then add your data against those on the road and percentage of against the Fiat v Merc.
Doubt it....

Was on another Fiat v Merc thread with a link. Did you check via google or somesuch before labelling it nonsense?
 
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haganap

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Was on another Fiat v Merc thread with a link. Did you check via google or somesuch before labelling it nonsense?

Nope i researched it whilst trying to convince everyone that Fiats were better than Mercs before i had a merc. I managed to hide them stats from the arguments..
So yes i am aware that what you quote is nonsense unless you can prove the stats have changeD in the past 24 months?
Or you could try the customer satisfaction stats but that does relate mainly to cars..

You can find real stats here

However unlike in the thread you mention ...be sure to take in to account the fact you need to estsblish model years v model sales for any remote like 4 like comparison to be made...
Im.a bit busy myself but you've plenty of time Ken oh and doesnet include home break downs

;-)

Cheers

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jessthedog

jessthedog

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Thanks Martin,
You might not find the Ducato, because as I said in my opening. They are not popular over here, they don't get in the top 10 of van sales. That's why I was miffed that they were soo common for motorhomes. The fleets don't buy them, the builders don't buy them, nobody it seems apart from motorhome manufacturers.
I was just trying to find out why if these vans are good enough to be converted to 100K motor homes, why aren't is anyone else using them?
People have said Fords are not as good and are easily stolen, but they are the most popular van in UK. The Mercedes rust, but I think they are the 2nd most popular van.

The Ducato dosent rust, not stolen as much, has a great engine, great after care (All info from funsters) but still, you see few on our roads. Its a conundrum:D

It won't stop me buying one with the Fiat base though.
 
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funflair

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It won't stop me buying one with the Fiat base though.

Quote abbreviated.

I don't think there is anything that should stop you, they are the most popular base vehicle after all. If I wanted a van around 4 tonne and FWD I would be happy to put it on a Fiat, as it is we want something bigger and heavier and will have it on a RWD IVECO chassis rather than a Merc.

Martin

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ambulancekidd

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In my opinion you pay extra for a very ordinary vehicle with dreadful service.
Fully expect the Merc owners to dispute this but that's my personal experience.

An interesting point of view. I've owned a few Mercedes cars & used many pre 05 Sprinters which were truly awesome (2.7ltr wow). I had a 54 plate C class estate with the 5 cylinder diesel & it was the first time I'd ever owned a car that everything was perfect on, went like the wind & did 52 mpg even when fully laden. We now have a later Sprinter 2.2cdi & running wise its been Uber reliable, only issue has been a blocked EGR valve which was probably our fault for using the vehicle for short runs. Bodywork is a tad disappointing, despite regularly being waxed its beginning to show signs of the dreaded tin worm! Is it enough to put me off the vehicle, perhaps not, its not bad enough to drive me down the FIAT line. Previous experience has led to me being a no no with them as a manufacturer. This has led to a somewhat limited choice of new motorhomes for us, we're in the market for a new moho now. Arrgghhhhhhh.
 
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jessthedog

jessthedog

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An interesting point of view. I've owned a few Mercedes cars & used many pre 05 Sprinters which were truly awesome (2.7ltr wow). I had a 54 plate C class estate with the 5 cylinder diesel & it was the first time I'd ever owned a car that everything was perfect on, went like the wind & did 52 mpg even when fully laden. We now have a later Sprinter 2.2cdi & running wise its been Uber reliable, only issue has been a blocked EGR valve which was probably our fault for using the vehicle for short runs. Bodywork is a tad disappointing, despite regularly being waxed its beginning to show signs of the dreaded tin worm! Is it enough to put me off the vehicle, perhaps not, its not bad enough to drive me down the FIAT line. Previous experience has led to me being a no no with them as a manufacturer. This has led to a somewhat limited choice of new motorhomes for us, we're in the market for a new moho now. Arrgghhhhhhh.
Thanks Ambulacekidd,
I think it's all down to choice and preference, If the manufacturers gave you a choice of the motorhome you liked and the choice of base it would be great. I want that layout on the ford/Al-Ko chassis please or the merc/fiat etc.
It would come down to cost. At the moment, it seems the choice is quite limited.
I've noticed that Chausson seem to be making a lot with Fords at the mo, not sure with their new A class though.
 
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ambulancekidd

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Since 1964 Gosh that makes me feel old.
As for ambulances etc using them? I can dispelle that myth straight away.. there was a directive to save money simple as that.some see this as saving money nothing more nothing less and not about quality as they are leased anyway for the most part.

The Scottish Ambulance Service bought Peugeot ambulances for the first time & as you say, it was a money saving exercise & has backfired on the big time. When used in a serious works vehicle they cant cut it. The drivers hate them & the guy that got my job when I retired told me that the brakes on their wagon bursts out in flames when used hard & then left at the outside of the address (this is unavoidable with the roads around here) & they've come out more than once to find the firefighters around the vehicle. I know motorhomers are a lot more gentle on their vehicles but I'm of a mind to avoid them. As I've said elsewhere on this thread, this decision has massively limited our current job of choosing a new moho.
 
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haganap

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The Scottish Ambulance Service bought Peugeot ambulances for the first time & as you say, it was a money saving exercise & has backfired on the big time. When used in a serious works vehicle they cant cut it. The drivers hate them & the guy that got my job when I retired told me that the brakes on their wagon bursts out in flames when used hard & then left at the outside of the address (this is unavoidable with the roads around here) & they've come out more than once to find the firefighters around the vehicle. I know motorhomers are a lot more gentle on their vehicles but I'm of a mind to avoid them. As I've said elsewhere on this thread, this decision has massively limited our current job of choosing a new moho.

Absolutely agree ..

As said by many including myself. .the use of the Fiat for a motor home which in essence does 10k a year If lucky is a good choice.
Buthe to think some believe the quality of the Fiat is like even nearly as good as the quality of the merc ? :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::D
 
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In a single word that counts for a lot, rust.

In four words, you can add fitness for purpose - at least for motorhoming

WMAS has recently ordered (leased) huge numbers - 101 - of new Ducato ambulances



feedback from our crews so far has been very positive.

As you can hear in this clip

EMAS service seem to have done the same

LAS following suit with Euro 6, apparently

Seems that some people must like them. I have yet to see a Ford based ambulance in use around here

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clutch just expired on the school bus Fiat Ducato 3 litre at 33000 miles , last one went at 22000 miles based on Alko 3.380kg unladen weight , just cant cope with reversing uphill just slips clutch.
otherwise 3 Litre engine very good .
 
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Bart

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Buthe to think some believe the quality of the Fiat is like even nearly as good as the quality of the merc ? :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::D
Its actually BETTER , at least the Fiats don't rust:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Time to go and hide now , LOL

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jessthedog

jessthedog

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Its actually BETTER , at least the Fiats don't rust:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Time to go and hide now , LOL

Maybe this would of been appropriate, without the pin.
I only asked why the Fiat Ducato is the favourite Motorhome base. Doh!
grenade.jpg
 
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Having a recent conversation with a Fiat and Iveco van dealership the sales manager summed it up this way, " A Fiat is a car pretending to be a van and an Iveco is a truck pretending to be a van" make of that what you will but I tend to agree with him.

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jessthedog

jessthedog

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Having a recent conversation with a Fiat and Iveco van dealership the sales manager summed it up this way, " A Fiat is a car pretending to be a van and an Iveco is a truck pretending to be a van" make of that what you will but I tend to agree with him.
Thanks Ranger,
but you've lost me there, but that's not hard.:D
 
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IVECO standards for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, the first two words giving a very clear indication of their target market

Difference between tractors and buses. Traditionally you didn't appear to find too many Iveco's supplied with an AlKo lightweight chassis
 
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Long term a few years now.
I used to build Transits up untill 2008 . They are all built in Turkey now . When i built them Ford , or the management were overjoyed if there was a big build of chassis cabs same price charged but half a van = profit.
The plant i worked in was mostly robots in body construction , ie the van being built . The Transit plant lost many many workers over this but the ones left were top blokes who were proud of there jobs.
With a grant from the EU funded by the British Government as well , funded the move of production to Kocaeli in turkey because its cheaper there to employ 2000 people waving spotwelding guns around building Transits.
Not at all saying they are not as good , just saying what the score is with Transit vans.
 
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funflair

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Having a recent conversation with a Fiat and Iveco van dealership the sales manager summed it up this way, " A Fiat is a car pretending to be a van and an Iveco is a truck pretending to be a van" make of that what you will but I tend to agree with him.
Thats why I wanted an IVECO and why I will have another next time around, although a tremendous amount of work has now gone into making the "truck" ride like a car.

Martin

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jessthedog

jessthedog

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As you say, designed for practicality, more a caravan on wheels than a delivery truck with curtains . If I were planning to be static for more than a few days at a time, then I would love an A class, albeit they all appear much the same to me if I am honest. (Just what is it with those piggy eye headlights?)

But we mostly tour, generally between London and Lisbon, and we like to explore tiny villages (width restrictions, narrow, winding, hilly roads, etc) on our travels. We want to enjoy the country and get to know the people that live in it, not spend our time surrounded by stoned Dutch campers mooching around on a bland campsite or other tourists of any nationality just because our size and lack of manoeuvrability left us few other options

And we also like to have a kip safe in the knowledge that some little old lady isn't going to wake us up first thing in the morning and demand we renew her loan copy of 50 Shades of Grey, whip out her jubblies and demand a mammogram or complain that we're not wheelchair accessible and when's the next bus coming.
 
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